Customer Reviews

Tarantula [VHS]

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Outstanding 1950's science fiction thriller by noted fantasy director Jack Arnold (The Incredible Shrinking Man, The Creature from the Black Lagoon) sees an arachnid grow to mammoth proportions and terrorise a small desert community !!

Professor Deemer (Leo G. Carroll)is working in desert laboratory on a radiation developed serum to rapidly accelerate growth and size of animals with a view to solve world's food crisis. After Deemer is involved in laboratory destroying fight with a fellow scientist afflicted by growth serum side effects, an oversized arachnid escapes into the New Mexico desert and proceeds to grow and develop a hunger for livestock & humans !

"Tarantula" also features square jawed, John Agar as town doctor Matt Hastings...and the very attractive Mara Corday as medical researcher "Steve" Clayton. The film has a wonderful eerie quality that existed throughout Jack Arnolds sci-fi films and the ominous soundtrack accompanying the arachnid is excellent. The interesting black and white photography in the stark desert locations further adds to the unsettling nature that something hideous is lurking nearby....

And yes...that's Clint Eastwood almost hidden behind the oxygen mask aboard the jet fighter in the film's final sequences.

A "B" horror movie that hits it's mark on every point....highly recommended for fans of the genre !

Is it Oscarworthy? God, no. Is the plot remotely memorable? Ummm....plot? Does John Agar go totally over the top and give a completely hammy performance like he does in every other sci-fi/horror movie he ever made in the '50s? Indeed, but that likable Agar was the ULTIMATE hero in these kind of pictures of this era so we forgive him. Is Mara Corday still one of the most beautiful leading ladies in '50s Sci-Fi/Horror film lore? Whoa nelly, yes, although I still think she looked better with her hair down in 'The Giant Claw'. Are the special effects passable but do you get one to many glimpses of a bad matte or incorrect scene placement of the 150 foot tall spider? Geez, now you're just being picky. Three letters describe this movie; F-U-N. When I was a little kid, this was probably my favorite monster movie to stay up and watch on the late late late show, and to this day I still get a kick out of it. The film benefits from the talented direction of legendary Jack Arnold (Creature from the Black Lagoon, The Incredible Shrinking Man,etc.) who is a master of keeping suspense taut through 80 minutes and getting the most visually out of a shot. And there is a good performance by veteran actor Leo G. Carroll as the well intentioned but ultimately mad (not to mention eventually horribly deforemed) scientist who starts all this commotion. Also has a somewhat campy and overblown but nonetheless wonderful music score. Don't think about it too hard, these movies were never made to be taken very seriously (I think these filmmakers would get such a kick out of seeing all the books out there these days that overanalyze the heck out of these movies!). Just turn out the lights, make some popcorn and settle in on the couch for a fun waste of time. And, try to ignore that feeling of something slowly crawling up your pantleg as you watch....eeeeeeeeeeee! (Or worse yet, don't look out the window; you'll need to watch to understand.)

Tarantula is a highlight of the continuous stream of monster B movies produced in the 50s and 60s. This is the story of a lifelong scientist (Leo Carroll), who is attempting to produce technology for the world to benefit from. When he is attacked one night by one of his former partners, a mutated tarantula is set loose in an Arizona town. The town medical doctor (John Agar), realizes that life is at stake, and must find a way to destroy this creature before it is too late. The formula used to mutate the arachnid has produced fatal effects on humans, deforming and killing them in a matter of 4 days.
Jack Arnold's edge of your seat lore did not need to be remade several years ago. If they are planning to outdo the 1950's "Tarantula", they should forget the idea right now. Movies just are not made like that anymore, and it just cannot be equaled by modern technology. Pick this horror film up, and you will discover why so many of these type of films were made in that time.

It's big, hairy, ugly, and it has eight legs. A dedicated, if slightly mad, scientist (Leo G. Carroll) experiments with "gigantism" in animals as a solution to the world's finite food supply. One of the "experiments," a tarantula the size of a large dog, escapes during a fire in the lab, and crawls out into the desert. Because its enhanced size is chemically induced, the spider continues to grow, and grow. This is an entertaining '50's scif-fi flick that does a nice job of building suspense. There are a couple of "cheap shots" of a person coming up off camera, and suddenly touching someone on the shoulder. The first-time viewer is expected to jump out of his skin, I guess. A better example of the film's scary content is the night scene showing nervous horses pacing in their corral while frantically looking at the nearby hill and sensing "something" approaching over the horizon. When the "something" finally arrives, pandemonium ensues. Another scene showing the skeletal remains of cattle amid "pools" of spider venom raises the hackles. In typical '50s fashion, conventional handguns, shotguns, and rifles can't stop the big bug. The Big T just keeps coming. The special effects are competent, if not spectacular. The B&W photography combined with a normal sized tarantula photographically enlarged to fantastic proportions produces some dark-tinted results that adds to the creature's aura of shadowy mystery, especially in the frequent night scenes. Considering the gigantic size of the thing, it takes the townspeople forever to realize there is something awry out there in the spooky desert. After the truth is learned, the usual "monster movie" hysteria breaks loose. As the Big T approaches the little town, no doubt planning to feast on the local population, fighter jets are seen above, and there is the smell of napalm in the morning.

As classic sci-fi/monster movies go, this film is on many viewers' short list of the best "creepy-crawlies." It's in the same class as the perennial favorite, "Them." Monster movie aficionados certainly need this film as part of their personal movie collection. It's also a good introduction to classic sci-fi for the younger generation. Make the popcorn, and gather around the TV for the fun. ;-)

It's not often that you see a movie when you're ten and after twenty years of searching (thank you, internet), you locate that movie and it's as good as you remember it! I loved the movie even though they could have done without the spider walking across the highway each time the car passed. I mean where was it hiding? was it pretending to be a hitchhiker?

Many people categorize 1955's sci-fi film "Tarantula" as a "B" picture or a "cult" flick for just sci-fi buffs. While this may be true to some degree I suppose, I believe this little chiller rises above the average "B" movie, and reaches a loftier status.

It's a very re-watchable film, with some pretty good acting and well-drawn characters. Plus a plot that's not totally off-the-wall. Well, yeah, it's out in left field (somewhat), but not so much as to be considered completely ludicrous in every sense.

Leo G. Carroll does a fine job as the bio-chemist whose experiments with a new "growth formula" on animals (including our menacing friend, Mister "Tarantula") go terribly wrong when the multi-legged beast escapes Carroll's laboratory.

I truly enjoy watching this movie -- no matter how many screenings I give it. The atmosphere, characters, and storyline have me "locked in" from the very start.

And the special effects don't look too bad either -- considering it's from 1955 and well before "CGI" type beasts & explosions.

I even kind of like the rather corny (and, I assume, not realistic) "hissing"/"rattling" noises that emanate from the super-sized spider during the film. LOL!

Also on the humorous side of things -- I've always thought it was mighty cooperative of our giant-sized, venom-spewing beast to "follow the road into town" at the end of the film, thereby making the townspeople's job of setting up the dynamite a great deal easier. (Since when do spiders follow the 'rules of the road'? Oh, well, I guess we'll just assume that our Tarantula here owns a '55 Chevy, and is familiar with the desert highways that surround him. LOL!)

This whole movie is great fun from start to finish. Plus -- There's a fun "Theatrical Trailer" for the film included on this VHS version.

If you like really big hairy spiders, then look no further than 1955's "Tarantula".

A really great film which is constantly put under that degrading title of "B Film" It's nothing of the sort, with it's intelligent storyline, great character actors, excellent for anytime special effects (So much better than all this computer generated stuff seen nowadays)

I really love this film and it is the first one I bought on mail order from America. I really recommend this film to be included in your film collection. I never get tired of watching it. A classic of its time.

So when is this great old film coming out on DVD?????? Many of us are eagerly waiting for this one to add to our library. I put this one right up there with "The Day the Earth Stood Still" & "Creature From the Black Lagoon". These are always great for repeat viewings on Sunday afternoons..

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Sci-Fi Ultimate Collection: There's nowhere to run and nowhere to hide as five incredible science fiction films crash down on DVD for the first time ever in The Classic Sci-Fi Ultimate Collection! This fascinating, collectible set will shock, terrify, and captivate you with film favorites from the golden age of Hollywood including Tarantula, The Mole People, The Incredible Shrinking Man, The Monolith Monsters, and Monster on Campus. Featuring amazing, ground-breaking special effects, these classics set the standard for all sci-fi terror to come! Tarantula An experiment to create a growth formula that could end starvation evolves into a nightmare when a contaminated spider grows gargantuan - with an appetite to match! The Mole People Deep below the surface of the earth, three scientists stumble upon a tyrannical tribe of albinos who have enslaved a mutant- and dangerous- race of mole people. The Incredible Shrinking Man After encountering a mysterious radioactive mist, an ordinary businessman finds his physical size diminishing as his ordinary household becomes a terrifying trap of doom. The Monolith Monsters In a desperate race against time and nature, a geologist and a scientist must find a way to stop the effects of killer outer-space rocks that are literally petrifying people with fear! Monster on the Campus Terror sweeps a college campus when the discovery of a prehistoric fish turns animals and humans that come into contact with it into bloodthirsty monsters.

Sometimes I really wish I had been born 15 years earlier so I would have been able to enjoy great films like "Them" and "Tarantula" at a drive-in movie. That really would have been fun. Tarantula has always been one of my favorites in the Giant insect genre of films and I rank it right up there (almost) with "Them".

Professor Deemer is working on an experimental nutrient to solve the worlds hunger problem. During a fight with an assistant, a Tarantula that had been injected with the experimental formula escapes and begins to mutate, growing large and larger. Soon the giant arachnid is out feeding on livestock, ranchers, and just about anything else that gets in its way. A local doctor played by the great John Agar eventually is able to determine that white stuff found at the site of the attacks is spider venom. Soon the local police and residents take on the giant spider but bullets and even dynamite don't slow it down. Finally its decided to call in the Air Force where we get a brief glimpse of Clint Eastwood in an early, uncredited role as an air force pilot.

Sure the special effects are cheesy by today's CGI standards but this is still a great movie and wonderful fun. The type you want to watch on a summer night at the drive in with a big bowl of popcorn.