Review of Arachnophobia (1990) by Patrick T — 31 Jan 2013

When it comes to killer spiders, one name stands above the rest... Frank Marshall's ARACHNOPHOBIA, from 1990! A deadly South American spider arrives in the small town of Canaima, California, where it mates with a local species to create a new breed of terror! Dr.

Ross Jennings, the town's new physician and acute arachnophobe, is left to determine the cause of the sudden rise in deaths, which will put him face to face with thousands of the creatures that he fears the most.

Suspense runs high in ARACHNOPHOBIA, with the spindly little spiders always running just inches away from their potential victims. With plenty of places to hide, every room in the house becomes a threat, and Marshall capitalizes on this by placing his miniature monsters behind the toilet, in shoes, and in the lamp shade.

.. All of the places that we would normally check out of fear, ourselves. With the exception of the lead spider, the rest are very real, and very scary. For the average arachnophobe, this film would simply be too much to bear, but somehow, Jennings puts together enough courage to save the town.

Oddly, the script paints Jennings character in an unsympathetic light, as he appears to be rude to potential patients and rather pessimistic overall. Jeff Daniels plays into each of these attitudes sufficiently, and John Goodman stops in for a few laughs as the kooky exterminator Delbert McClintock.

Marshall weighs out an equal measure of humor to offset the tension and terror, making this an enjoyable ride for his viewers. Whether you are afraid of spiders or not, ARACHNOPHOBIA is sure to make your skin crawl!