User reviews

Spiders are not a favorite of many people, something about eight legs does not appeal to the masses. The movie Arachnophobia plays on the fears of an audience, while mixing in enough humor to engage the viewer with a standard horror story. Jeff Daniels plays a big city doctor who moves out into the country to take over the practice of the soon-to-be retiring doctor who has served for about 140 years or so. The Daniels' character is also scared of spiders, so when killer spiders enter the town, we have the standard ingredients to the standard horror movie. The spiders look convincing enough to scare almost anybody, and the exterminator, played by John Goodman, offers enough jokes to lead to an entertaining movie. There is nothing Earth-shattering about the film, but for popcorn season, this movie will not disappoint.

Another classic from my childhood that didn't help my spider fear. This movie gets the balance just right and anyone with a fear will hate/love this. It loses its way towards the end but it still holds up.

ARACHNOPHOBIA brilliantly takes a simple fear of spiders and magnifies it to monstrous proportions!

A highly venomous super-spider from Venezuela finds its way to small town America. As luck would have it, Dr. Ross Jennings (Jeff Daniels) and family, have just moved into the same town. Little do they know that the aforementioned arachnid has set up shop on their new home's property. Horror and hilarity soon unfold when the eight-legged menace manages to start a tiny population explosion of killer offspring!

This movie gets the whole horror / comedy balance just right, not sacrificing one for the other. There are an equal amount of chills and laughs. Daniels is great in his role, as is Julian Sands as the hyperbolic Dr. Atherton. John Goodman puts in a nice, extended cameo as Delbert the exterminator.

Special mention must be made of the spider wrangler, for making these creatures appear intelligent and terrifying! You'll never look at attics or basements in quite the same way again!...

"Arachnophobia" is one of those type of creepy crawling horror movies that you can just watch over and over again. And what makes it stand out amidst the majority of other movies in the genre, is the fact that the spiders here are not the size of horses or cars. No, instead they are small and very ordinary in size, except they carry a most poisonous bite.

I remember watching "Arachnophobia" for the first time in the early 1990s, and I was drawn to it because I am a huge fan of Julian Sands. So it was of course destined to happen that I would get to watch it. And I have loved the movie "Arachnophobia" ever since, and I have seen it many, many times since then.

The story starts out pretty interesting and throws the audience right into the setting. And if you are one with an adversity towards spiders and creepy crawlers, then you might want to give the movie a wide berth. I thoroughly enjoyed the story, because it offers a little bit of everything, so there is something for just about everyone in the audience.

Needless to say that the movie is carried quite well by the likes of Jeff Daniels, John Goodman and Julian Sands. But in general, I will say that the acting performances were quite good.

While the spiders are just the size of an average household spider, it is that very fact that makes the movie all the movie creepy and hard-hitting. Because the spiders are small, fast and quite deadly.

I also like the soundtrack for the movie, and it really serves to add a very good atmosphere to the movie, one that is quite fitting for the type of movie that it is.

If you haven't already seen "Arachnophobia", then I can only strongly urge and recommend that you do so if you get the chance.

As a movie this isn't really all that great. The cast, the script and the direction are all adequate, and there's nothing really special about it as a movie. Yet i have scored it 7/10, seems weird; but let me tell you why.

If the bugs had been something other than spiders then i would have given this a 5 or 6, that is about the score it deserves as a movie, but if your like me, and your an arachnophobe then this movie surpasses this score significantly, it makes your skin crawl and has you thinking every shadow is a spider for weeks afterwards. Aside from scaring the s**t out of me it also made me laugh a lot.

For arachnophobes, who enjoy a fright this is the film for you

7/10

Man, this movie gives me the creeps! Every time I watch Arachnophobia, I feel like there's something crawling on me. It's a fun mix of horror and comedy, with a relatable cast and creature effects that are still highly impressive decades after this movie was made. This is a good option for people who don't like the supernatural, but still want to watch something scary.

A species of South American killer spider hitches a lift to the United States in a coffin and starts to breed and kill.

This film came out when I was young, so I probably first saw it when I was 10 or 12. And I recall it being pretty funny. Watching it now (2017), it does not have the humor I recall. Even John Goodman seems to come up short.

Now, if anything, it should be better than I remembered because Julian Sands is in it, as well as Jeff Daniels. Names and faces I love but would not have known about as a kid. How did this film age so poorly.... or did I just enter it in the wrong frame of mind?

I did not start watching "Arachnophobia" expecting to like it. I was surprised to find that it was really quite enjoyable and kept your attention. It sounds like just another stupid take off of "The Birds (1963)" and something not really worth your time.

I think what made this movie work was that it had lots of humor and the spiders did not seem too unbelievable. It had lots of shadows from the spiders on the walls and behind the curtains which has an eerie effect on the audience.

I would recommend renting this movie. Watch it with an open mind and try not to think, "This is stupid."

Arachnophobia deserves a much higher rating and a lot more attention and fame than it got. Jeff Daniels is fantastic in it and John Goodman steals the show as an exterminator who is in way over his head. Julian Sands is also great.

It's about super deadly killer spiders who kill a researcher in South America then hitch a ride in his casket back to the United States where they begin a killing spree.

This movie is very funny and also has a lot of great scares in it. If spiders make you feel icky and or shiver then this is the movie for you. The use of real non-CGI spiders and good practical effects make the spiders much more menacing.

Making a comedy about killer spiders is a pretty ambitious plan, because killer spiders (even fictional breeds) make me feel somewhat uncomfortable. Just look at the popcorn scene and you'll know what I'm talking about, that's just incredibly creepy. The weird scientists and the goofy exterminator give some kind of comic relief but argh, there are the spiders again. The best scene in the entire movie is probably the showdown between our main guy (a rather bland Jeff Daniels) and the villains, because that's the scene where they actually start doing something about them. That's pretty much my pet peeve with this movie, there isn't really that much action, and eventually it feels like it's over before it has started. Nobody bothers to fight the spiders until the last ten minutes, which tends to make the movie a tad boring. Very creepy though.

Director Frank Marshall brings us this movie about a South American deadly spider wreaking havoc in a small American town. The plot from Don Jakoby and Al Williams has its share of scares, but I have to say, not much more.

John Goodman is quite funny as local exterminator Delbert McClintock, but others, including Jeff Daniels as Dr. Ross Jennings and Julian Sands as Dr. James Atherton, are just there for the ride.

This Steven Spielberg project, on which he shared executive production duties with director Frank Marshall, was one of his dreams come true. "Arachnaphobia" needed a darker approach, even a darker humour.

Saturday, February 23, 1991 - Knox District Centre

I like Arachnophobia for different reasons than usual- I love its setting. Small town western coastal town, bathed in sunlight suddenly gets invaded by poisonous spiders from South America. This is a good enough film and Jeff Daniels is more than adequate as the lead everyday guy. Frank Marshall has an affinity with nature- He also directed Congo and Eight Below and this film suits his sensibility. I doubt if anyone except extreme arachnophobiacs would be scared. Go watch it for a good ride.

Arachnophobia - for those unfamiliar with the term - is the fear of spiders. So, yeah, you might have guessed it: this film is about spiders.

Spiders. You either hate them, or you loathe them. Sorry, but I can't wrap my head around the thought of 'loving' them. Way too many legs and eyes! I love creepy crawly movies, as they somehow tend to get under your skin. 'Arachnophobia' takes a lighter approach to a rather serious film - a perfect blend of both worlds. Never too serious and never comical, substituting gore for suspense. The suspense is cleverly set up, taking advantage of every opportunity. The equally clever camera work maximizes every effort at creating suspense.

'Arachnophobia' boasts a very good script, very well executed. Great cinematography, very good photography, good performances, and utilizing an age old fear of spiders to maximum effect. Using over 300 real spiders for the film, the suspense and realism of the film is grounded, and its even creepier than it ought to be. The characters are also nicely fleshed out so we care about every one of them. I so enjoyed John Goodman as comic relief exterminator Delbert.

I guarantee you'd want to squash every spider you see after watching this. You might even get an uneasy feeling by simply sitting on your couch! Oh, and check your popcorn...

'Arachnophobia' is a real treat, and scores high on an entertainment level. If you do have arachnophobia, though, you might want to give this one a skip. This film is so well made, it still holds well by today's standards, and is hard to believe it was made over three decades ago!

When a photographer is bitten and killed by a spider in the Venezuelan jungle, his body is shipped back to his home town of Canaima in California. Unfortunately something has hitched a ride in his coffin...

Mixing "B" movie conventions with a modern day fun sensibility, Arachnophobia sees Frank Marshall direct and Jeff Daniels, Julian Sands, John Goodman and Harley Jane Kozak line up in the cast. Though horror and comedy on the surface doesn't seem to be a that hard to blend together, it's actually surprising over the years just how few horror comedy movies can claim to be successful, and crucially, have been able to to win over a like minded audience. In fact, if we move away from the likes of "Sean Of The Dead", the "B" movie creature feature, especially in modern times, has few offerings of worth. We can certainly mention the awesome (and best of the modern bunch) "Tremors", which turned a small Worldwide profit, and then we turn to "Lake Placid" and "Arachnophobia". Both of the latter made considerable amounts of cash (for the genre) and are propelled by a degree of star wattage.

What was in Arachnophobia's favour was that spiders strike the fear of god into many people, thus, as director Marshall said himself on the publicity junket, "People like to be scared but still laughing at the same time". Arachnophobia achieves this in spades, mixing real spiders (the Avondale breed) with model and magnet work, where the effect achieved is full on nervy giggles coupled with some creepy goose flesh also putting in an appearance.

The cast work hard to make it work. OK, Sands remains as wooden as he always is, but in this case his pompous bug professor actually calls for it. Daniels as the modern doctor hoping to start a new life in the country, is an excellent lead, a fine actor who's no show on the "A" list of Hollywood remains an utter mystery. However, it's with the big jolly blunderbuss that is John Goodman where the pic gets its frothy "B" movie fun. His inept, half witted but knowing pest controller, Delbert, engages in that small town Americana way. He is an innocent to the terrors of the world and that makes for a nice play off with the Arachnophobic Dr. Ross Jennings (Daniels).

Nicely shot around Cambria, California, to fully realise the small town under arachnid siege, Arachnaphobia is the perfect comedy creeper for all the family to enjoy. So squirm and giggle together and watch out for any creepy crawlies in the corners of your home... 7/10

Who would know that spiders could almost invade an entire country if given the chance. What started with the killing of poor butterflies soon led into a venomous spider hitching a ride to America and trying to consume a small town. The spiders were creepy and I liked the fact most of them were real instead of CGI and the cast were excellent in my opinion. I especially liked john goodman as the exterminator. I felt sorry for these people as well though some of them deserved it. It just goes to show how easy something like a spider infestation can spread. Ill defiantly be checking out damp places now. I liked the approach this movie took as well mixing comedy elements with horror made it a much better watch than just full on horror.

Arachnophobia (1990) is a movie in my DVD collection and is also available on Amazon Prime. The storyline follows a city doctor who moves out into the country to become a small town doctor. Unfortunately for him this small town has a local man who recently died in Valenzuela and is sent back home to be buried; and within the coffin is a rare breed of spider that is very territorial. This movie is directed by Frank Marshall (Congo) and stars Jeff Daniels (Dumb & Dumber), Julian Sands (Warlock), John Goodman (Roseanne) and Harley Jane Kozak (Parenthood). The opening of this movie in Valenzuela really sets the mood and intensity of the film. They do a great job of using lighting and shadows in this film to create the looks and attacks. They also do a great job of creating the look, feel and characters of the small town. I always think an aspect of this storyline that's interesting is how much people hate the opinions of the educated and how that still plagues our society (COVID as an example). John Goodman is outstanding in this movie and this is one of my favorite performances of his. The horror elements in this start very subtle and build as as the number of spiders increase and gets more and more intense as the movie unfolds. This is an absolute classic horror gem with a few outdated special effects but the characters and elements are so good it remains a masterpiece. This is a 9/10 that I'd strongly recommend.

This may not be the best horror film ever made but it is effective, creepy and fun. No gore, which is a pro, and with John Goodman as comic relief, but still way too scary for small children. It made me jump two or three times, despite having watched it in the theater when it came out more than thirty years ago. The story is set up nicely but unfolds in a pretty predictable manner. The characters are not particularly interesting either, but the acting is good, the whole thing is nicely paced and the climax satisfying. The final scene is a brilliant conclusion: it is funny and puts the spider problem in perspective in a totally unexpected way. Good film!

If spiders give you the creeps, stay away from this film. You will be uncomfortable watching it, to say the least! I'm so-so on the creatures but this gave me some creepy moments, too. As one person said, "It makes your skin crawl."

The spiders didn't bother me as much as most of the characters in this film. They were annoying to me, especially Jeff Daniels as "Dr. Ross Jennings." This guy blasphemes about as many times as the spiders appear.

The only fun person in the film is John Goodman, who plays the exterminator, "Delbert McClintock." Too bad "Delbert" didn't exterminate a few people while he was at it!

Dr. Ross Jennings is a west coast doctor from the big city who relocates to a small town in the rural country. Not only does he not fit in with the local residents, but he also has an uncontrollable fear of spiders which are prevalent in the surrounding area. To make matters worse, a new, lethal breed of spider has made its way from South America to their hometown, and produced far more deadly offspring that are slowly taking over their peaceful little community. Exciting, creepy-crawly thriller with first-rate special effects, hair-raising chills, and an excellent cast. Even with the welcomed comedic overtones this is not for the squeamish or anyone with the titular fear, especially at the film's nail-biting finale. ***