Tarantula

Thar she grows


When my family first got cable, when I was 13 or 14, I used to watch animal documentaries on the Discovery Channel. The documentaries that featured spiders and scorpions especially intrigued me because the footage creeped me out. Those arachnids moved in a way that was so alien to me, it put chills down my spine.

"Tarantula" (1955) creeps me out in the same way that those Discovery Channel documentaries creeped me out, except on a larger scale. The film used actual footage of a tarantula and blue-screened it into the movie. The effects were so well done, it was easy to imagine that there actually was a 100 foot tarantula walking across the desert plain.

Near the beginning of the film, we learned that scientific experimentation and the destruction of the laboratory cages let loose a giant tarantula. A doctor, a sheriff, and a local journalist tried to discover what was causing mysterious cattle deaths, only to find that it was, of course, a giant tarantula.

I was surprised at how quick the pace of "Tarantula" was, considering most movies from the 1950's drag a bit. The swift pace and excellent effects made for an enjoyable viewing experience, though the version I saw was pan and scan.


Above Average