Tarantula

Tarantula is a classic example of a 1950s science runs amuck movie. It's a fairly simple movie and plot with all the characteristics of a sci fi, horror movie from the 50s. Nothing very special or unique about it but the film is still a lot of fun to watch. It's has the excitement and dramatic scenes that would have made this a great drive in movie or late night show. As long as you don't take things too seriously, just sit back and relax, it can be a nice reminder of the past that is still interesting to todays viewer. If you liked watching other sci fi, horror movies made in the early to mid 50s, you will also enjoy this one. I don't think you will be disappointed.

The archetypal '50s big bug movie, Tarantula sees a rapidly growing spider—the result of an experiment involving nutrients and radioactive isotopes—escaping from a laboratory to crawl around the countryside devouring cattle and the occasional rancher. Eventually, the eight-legged horror reaches such massive proportions that the air-force is called in to prevent it from trashing the town of Desert Rock.

John Agar plays town doctor Matt Hastings, the first to suspect that it is an over-sized arachnid that is causing the trouble; Mara Corday is Hastings' love interest, beautiful lab assistant Stephanie 'Steve' Clayton; Leo G. Carroll is over a barrel as Professor Gerald Deemer, who winds up hideously disfigured by his own experiment; and Clint Eastwood saves the day as a plucky U.S. fighter pilot, his face mostly hidden behind a breathing mask, although his squint is unmistakable.

Matters get very silly at times, especially with the humongous, hairy spider somehow managing to wander around the desert unseen (at one point, it peers into Mara's bedroom, the woman blissfully unaware of the huge eyes and mandibles at her window), but the hokey nature of the plot only adds to the overall enjoyment. Excellent special effects (for the day) and solid performances also go to qualify Tarantula as a must-see sci-fi/horror classic.

This is one of those films which starts off with a bang, slows down with a big lull in the middle section, and then finishes strong.

Kudos to the special-effects people to make the giant tarantula scenes look pretty good, even by today's standards some 50 years after this was made. Many times, the huge spider looks real while it's crawling down the road. I would like to have seen one or two more scenes of it in that middle section which would have kept viewers on edge throughout the film. Instead, it got a bit talky in spots.

Anyway, it still entertained and it was fun for me to see Leo G. Carroll, a guy I saw each week growing up watching "Topper" on television. Carroll played, by far, the most interesting character in this movie.

The acting was good in here, too, once again above '50s sci-fi standards. It was one of the better entries in the recently-released Sci-Fi Ultimate DVD set, offered at Best Buy. A pretty good transfer, too.

Man, with as many creature features like this that I've seen, I gotta say it's one of my favorites. I keep tarantulas as a hobby, and I've seen first hand how ferocious and awful they can be to their prey. The story is a great concept too, science being used for the good of mankind going awry when the movie makes its plot twist. The Spider is indestructible and it plays on the natural fears of mankind. The little clues it leaves behind, such as a puddle of venom in one scene, leads up to the main story perfectly. It leaves scientists in the fill scratching their heads, to make you feel as if it's truly happening. If you're a big fan of Retro science fiction, this film is a must see for you!

I enjoyed this film, which was one of the best of the "giant, mutated one-thing-or-another" movies. Two of my favorites of the 1950 B-movies, John Agar and Nestor Paiva starred with Mara Corday(who is very beautiful). Hank Patterson was great as Josh the hotel clerk, who provided comic relief. Clint Eastwood has a small part at the end of the film as the fighter squadron leader. The effects by Clifford Stine are classic and Jack Arnold again proves his worth as director(before moving on to the "Brady Bunch" in the 1960s). Leo Carroll is superb as Professor Deemer, who develops a formula for a growth serum. It is this serum(with uses an atomic isotope)that produces rapid growth in all the lab animals,including the Tarantula. The acting is very good, the movie has a nice pace and the effects for their time are top-notch. This is one 1950s sci-fi film to see!