Sunday, January 1, 2023

Sven- Earth vs the Spider (1958)

 

A giant spider emerges from an underground cavern to terrorize a small town in the middle of the USA.  The existence of the spider is a mystery.  This mystery is never explained, and they don't even offer a theory.  Some dumb "kids" go searching, and of course find the creature.  Naturally, the police don't believe them, though mysteriously the "cool" science teacher does.  He has the local constabulary drop a load of DDT into the cavern, which "kills" the arachnid.  Then they are dumb enough to bring it to town.  The local musical combo brings the spider back to life with their swinging sounds, and it goes on a rampage.  Then heads to the cave, gets electrocuted and impaled on the stalagmites and dies.  Or does it?

I was fully expecting a "?" at the end.  Maybe Jack Harris trademarked that.  This is not as good a movie as Tarantula, but at least it has a giant spider rampage through a city.  Tarantula just threatens us with it, but never delivers that way.  The 73 minute running time is a help as well.  The 8mm box had a spider with a human skull on it, which is oddly disturbing.

Next (this time for sure) The Raven!

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