Review of Tarântula (2015) by Brian B — 12 Feb 2009

Classic B movie horror flick. Like many of the bug flicks back in the days of black & white television, "Tarantula" is a good movie. Yes, it is incredibly dated by today's standards, and it's easy to see that the spider itself is fake, or that it was just blown to proportions, but special effects aren't what makes a movie.

Really, for the time (1955), "Tarantula" has good special effects. The spider itself looks and moves realistically (I don't know for sure, it might actually be real and look to be the size it is), there are lots of explosions to be seen, and more. You'll also see an early attempt at making a man look distorted and extremely old. But what really makes this a good movie to me, is its premise. I've always been fascinated with watching movies in which a normal, everyday creature tries to take over the lives of human beings, and "Tarantula" is one of those movies. How often do you see a tarantula roam through the countrysides, knocking over huge boulders and eating cattle in a matter of seconds?

But it's not just the spider that is convincing. Everybody in the movie, especially the two main people, do a good job of acting. As a surprising extra, watch closely at the end of the movie for the pilot that's in command. This pilot is Clint Eastwood, in one of his very early (only his second ever as a matter of fact), bits of a role.

"Tarantula" is just a classic horror film that seems pretty basic these days, but it's still just as great and entertaining as when it was new. That is, it should be, if you're a true fan of old horror flicks. If you like other horror/sci-fi classics such as "Creature from The Black Lagoon," "The Deadly Mantis," and even the old Godzilla flicks, you will probably like "Tarantula." I know I recommend it.