Eight Legged Freaks

2002 Horror

In this throwback monster movie from producer Dean Devlin (Independence Day, Godzilla), David Arquette plays the son of a deceased mine owner, returning home to the economically depressed hamlet of Prosperity, AZ, after a long absence. His arrival coincides with a toxic waste accident in the local water supply, the result of a barrel jostled loose from the back of a passing truck. Unfortunately, said water source abuts the region's least-popular attraction: an exotic spider farm. The farm's owner (Tom Noonan) becomes the first victim when the spiders, already possessed of keen predatory abilities, grow to the size of small automobiles. Laying in wait underground, they begin picking off the town's pet and ostrich population, and soon it's all the local sheriff (Kari Wuhrer) can do to raise the alarm before the siege begins. Eight Legged Freaks was produced under the working title "Arac Attack," but the politically conscious producers, concerned the title sounded too much like "Iraq Attack," went with Arquette's brainstorm as a safer alternative. more..

Director: Ellory Elkayem

Starring: David Arquette, Kari Wuhrer, Scott Terra,Doug E. Doug, Scarlett Johansson

Reviews

  • This is postmodern folk art, a tricky transaction in which the work isn't just a story, it's a genre survey, a homage, a meditation, a parody and, oh yeah, while it's at it, still a pretty good story.

    Stephen Hunter - The Washington Post

    19 January 2013

  • Has laughs, thrills, wit and scary monsters, and is one of those goofy movies like "Critters" that kids itself and gets away with it.

    Roger Ebert - The Chicago Sun-Times

    19 January 2013

  • Has a smart mix of things going for it, including a self-effacing sense of humor.

    - The San Francisco Chronicle

    19 January 2013

  • Doesn't try to be anything it's not. It's happy being a funny, shoot-'em-up, run-for-your-life, green-guts monster movie. And as green-guts monster movies go, it's a beaut.

    - The Boston Globe

    19 January 2013

  • So why does Eight Legged Freaks make one laugh out loud even though there is nothing revolutionary about its approach to the giant bug genre? -- the movie is so unapologetic in its crassness that it disarms even the fussiest connoisseur of throwaway disaster flicks.

    Gene Seymour - Los Angeles Times

    19 January 2013

Awards

  • Best Horror Film

    Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films (2003)