EIGHT LEGGED FREAKS

WARNER BROS. has released a Special Edition of “EIGHT LEGGED FREAKS.”  Set in a small Arizona town, the story has many similarities in its tone to “GREMLINS.”  It has a romantic situation brewing just beneath the horrific mayhem, and special sound effects have been incorporated to give various spiders their own identity. Still, no matter how cute or funny the sound effect, these giant spiders are not loveable or memorable as many of the Gremlins were. 

After a barrel of toxic chemicals falls off of a truck and into a pond, things get from bad to worse!  Tom(Manhunter)Noonan runs a “spider” farm, and feeds crickets caught at the pond to his collection.  Inevitably, the crickets are affected by the toxic chemicals and the spiders begin to increase in size exponentially.  The local Sheriff’s(Kari Wuhrer) son is a regular visitor at the spider farm, and is first to find that the spiders have all broken out of their cages, killed everything at the farm and escaped.

David Arquette is Chris McCormack, a man returning to the town in which his father owned a mine. Chris has always had an unspoken love for the sheriff, and throughout the story, Chris and Sam(the sheriff) become more openly enamored with one another.  Chris’s father told him before his death that he’d found gold, and Chris, being a mining engineer has hopes of finding fortune.  Unfortunately before anything can happen, the giant spiders have run amok! It’s up to Chris, Sam, her children, and other cartoonish characters must band together to fight these “eight-legged-freaks”. 

The special effects are very impressive at times, and the scene in which the spiders chase and devour some kids on dirt-bikes is actually gripping.

“EIGHT LEGGED FREAKS” has a unique atmosphere, and although it has its flaws, it’s generally entertains. 

The one problem holding it back from being really “good,” is its inability to maintain a specific atmosphere.  It tries to maneuver from being funny, serious, and suspenseful, but can’t manage the jumps. 

One scene near the beginning, in which an innocent cat is killed by a spider behind a wall, is played out to a point which borders on inhumane, in spite of the effects the director wanted to convey for the viewer. 

Throughout the film, characters are dispatched with such a care-free attitude that it seems mean-spirited. 

WARNER BROS. has preserved the film’s original aspect ratio of 2.35:1 with 16:9 enhancement.  It’s a terrific looking transfer! There’s incredible detail in every single scene, making the spiders appear that much more sensational.  Colors, in every type of scene, are rich and vibrant. The contrast is also excellent, providing incredible clarity and depth in the darker scenes. 

WARNER BROS. has provided a Dolby Digital 5.1 mix for this release, and it, like the image, is excellent!  There’s near constant use of surrounds, and the directional effects are used creatively throughout the film, adding a great deal of atmosphere to even low-key scenes.  If there’s not a chase, gunfire, or spider attack, occurring on screen, there are still plenty of ambient effects.  The score from John(Unusual Suspects)Ottman, is effective, though not memorable.  Dialogue is always intelligible, even when mixed within many layers of effects.  There is no distortion. 

WARNER BROS. has provided a number of supplements for this “Special Edition”. 

The director, producer, David Arquette, and Rick Overton provide a running commentary. The group provides an enthusiastic and generally entertaining track, answering more than anyone could ever ask about the film’s production.  There are plenty of stories about the production, and a lot of accolades given to the technical proficiency of the crew.

A “DELETED SCENES” segment offers a decent amount of footage, none of which added to the film’s entertainment value, and rightly excised.  The 2.35:1 footage is decent, but not nearly of the same quality as the film image, and it’s not enhanced for 16:9 viewing. 

Our favorite “extra” is the earlier short-film, “LARGER THAN LIFE,” made by the film’s director.  While only around 13 minutes in length, it’s still easy to understand why it caused a stir at the Telluride Film Festival.  It really makes one wish more dvd releases featured earlier films by the directors.

The theatrical trailer is also provided.