Eight Legged Freaks (2002) Reviews

• I'm Shocked This Turned Out So Good!

  ccthemovieman-12006-08-01

  The only way I gave this a look was that someone loaned it to me for free. I now own it! This looked like it would be a stupid movie, and it some scenes it certainly was, but it was so entertaining that I know I will watch this a number of times. This is a 1950s-type sci-fi flick with modern-day special effects. In fact, if you liked "Them!" you'll get a big kick of out of this film. The difference is the much- better special-effects but some low-grade attitudes and some profanity. The characters are dumb but they were dumb in the '50s, too. The story starts off a bit slow but once the overgrown spiders emerge, the film goes full bore and gets extremely entertaining. It's almost too much action. One needs a break! By the end, you're glad it's over. Thus, if they had chopped 5-10 minutes off this, it would have been much better. Nonetheless, it's a fun ride with some genuinely scary parts and some humor, too. Since "entertainment" is the name of the game, this gets 8 stars even though it's lower-grade material. It flat-out entertains.

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• A cool 50's Style monster flick

  lordzedd-32006-06-10

  This is a great flick, it's old fashion monster making magic at it's finest. The story, the characters, the effects are all great. It's the kind of fun movie they use to make in the fifties. That watch out for mutation monster movies. The kind that Roger Cormen and Burt I. Gordon use to make. But this movie took longer then the weekend to make. The creature effects were realistic and cool. The spiders had personality. The human cast does a great job, the radio guy and his alien talk got annoying. He totally believes in aliens but can't fathom mutations. A conspiracy nut like him should believe that radiation causes mutations, and if the Government covers aliens up they sure hell would cover mutants up. Anyway, one minor thing during the grand scheme of things. I give EIGHT LEGGED FREAKS...9 STARS

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• The Most Overlooked Parody of Last Year...Pure Fun from Start to Finish!

  MovieAddict20162003-04-16

  "Eight Legged Freaks" was originally titled "Arac Attack" before the film's star, David Arquette, thought of a better title ("Eight Legged Freaks"). The great thing about this title is it sets up the film perfectly--it's a parody, and a surprisingly entertaining and hilarious and fun one, too. David Arquette is the film's main character: the local boy who has returned after 10 years and still has a crush on cute Sheriff Sam Parker (Kari Wuhrer). Once he arrives, he tries to spark a relationship with her, but everything is put on hold when mutated spiders (which formed from pollution in the mining caves) start to attack humans and animals, and everything goes haywire. Now David's character must put an end to these eight legged freaks before all legs break loose. (Yeah, that was a pretty bad pun.) "Eight Legged Freaks" was one of the biggest surprises of last year, mainly because it was so darn funny and such a good spoof. I went into the theater expecting, at the bare minimum, a film with a rating of...say...2, 2.5/5 stars. I'd have to give this a 3.5. It was completely overlooked, probably the most overlooked film of last year (though that is pushing it). The parody is classic. Do you remember those old films about mining towns in the middle of nowhere, population: 9, where giant grasshoppers, spiders, worms--heck, I saw a film with giant ants once--start attacking? That's what "Eight Legged Freaks" spoofs. It takes the old formulas and twists it around to have fun with. Towards the end I found myself having such a pleasurable experience that I couldn't believe this film was so underrated. Nothing is more fun than seeing a bunch of people going after giant spiders with shotguns--it's pure fun. The people that went into this film expecting Oscar material were nuts. The most sad thing about "Eight Legged Freaks" is that the people going into "Men in Black II" were probably expecting something like this: something funny, smart, original, witty, and satirical. I went into "Men in Black II" expecting something as good as "Eight Legged Freaks," and apparently Roger Ebert did, too. I'm on the same level with him, because I thought this film was extremely entertaining. There are some plot holes and stupid cliches, but most of them are there to be made fun of. People going into deserted malls late at night trying to escape the spiders, people going into the lair of the spiders (which ends in them being chased by a giant Black Widow Spider). Y'know those movies where people do things, and you hear people in the movie theater (maybe it's you) shouting, "Don't go in there! It'll get you!"? That's what "Eight Legged Freaks" plays on. Basically this film makes fun of every misused B-monster movie cliche, and that's what is so darn funny about this movie. This film delivered everything I go to the movies for. 3.5/5 stars - John Ulmer

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• A perfect B-Movie homage

  daveblythe692003-01-04

  this has all the makings of a future classic paying beautiful and perfect homage to all the classic B-Movies that we all know and love, from the classic references and brilliant in jokes, the fantastic corny dialogue, the perfect cast acting there socks off to bring back all the memories that everyone knows and loves of the golden age of B-Movies. the story is simple and ludicrous, toxic waste spill crossed with exotic spider farm = giant killer spiders attacking a town. FANTASTIC has everything you need from a movie, the conspiracy theorist nut job on the radio played greatly by the fantastic Doug E. Doug, the town boy who has just returned to be the hero played by the ever excellent David Arquette who is the most perfectly cast B-Movie actor EVER! and the really hot sherriff who is in love with the hero and vice versa, a great film, some ropey effects on occasion but it only adds to the brilliant and fantastic B-Movie feel of a truly great and memorable movie i hope more movies like this come along and quickly!

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• Dialogue funny, CGI great, fun time - It's Squashin' Time

  ira-142002-05-17

  The dialogue was great. Rick Overton as the deputy is truly a modern day Barney Fife. The spiders steal the show. Though the plot does drag a bit in a few places the film generally moves quickly and has you jumping in your seats as spiders big and small pop out of everywhere. The film appears to be done in the same style as "Tremors" and definitely captures the light heartedness of that film. Good Entertainment. Enjoy the popcorn.

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