Spider Baby(1968)

Arrow Video Blu Ray

Director: Jack Hill

Rating: Unrated

"Spider Baby" is a horror-comedy about the Merrye siblings and their guardian Bruno. Each member of this family has been plagued with a disorder called "Merrye Syndrome," which makes them mentally regress back to the pre-natal stage, causing them to be crazy and cannibalistic. Bruno tries to watch over them, because he made a promise to their father long ago, but as their antics become more erratic and brutal, he knows he has to put a stop to it. 

The movie stars Lon Chaney Jr. as Bruno, Jill Banner as Virginia(aka "Spider Baby"), Sid Haig as Ralph, and Beverly Washburn as Elizabeth. The supporting cast includes Carol Ohmart as Emily, Quinn Redeker as Peter, Karl Schanzer as Schlocker, and Mary Mitchel as Ann. 

"Spider Baby" captivates its viewer right from the beginning, because of the wildly creative and frightening theme song by composer Ronald Stein, which includes vocals by Lon Chaney Jr. As the menacing music fills the atmosphere, and the wildly disturbing animation graces the screen, the audience knows they are in for a bizarre treat. What makes the theme song especially memorable though is the grand laughs from Chaney, and the piercing screams from an unknown woman, because they were so sinister and mindblowing. This quirky and creepy nature is really the basis of the entire film, because "Spider Baby" is the most unpredictable and infectiously fun hour and a half one could spend in the cinema. With off the wall humor, truly freaky scenes of horror, and powerful moments of unconditional love, this low budget treasure has everything. If you mashed together "The Addams Family" with "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre," and put a little bit of drama in too, then that would be a pretty accurate depiction of what "Spider Baby" is. The cast was absolutely wonderful, because each actor was so deep in their character that one would believe that the movie was actually real. The standouts for me were Chaney, because of his deep conviction and heartbreaking emotion in the character of Bruno, Haig, because of his absolutely hilarious insanity throughout, and Banner as Virginia, because she was so evil at times, yet she would still seduce you into loving her with her unreal beauty and innocent persona. Hill's direction in this movie was quite brilliant, because he nailed the macabre aspects of the story, and also kept such a lighthearted and goofy vibe throughout. Finally, the ending was awesome, because it left the viewer to their imagination, and gave a good laugh to conclude.  

Full View of the Arrow Release

Arrow Video has done nothing but impress me with the items I have bought from them, but this product went even farther beyond the others in quality. With both DVD and Blu Ray versions of the movie, a fantastic 39 page booklet about the film that includes writing by writer Stephen R. Bissette and interviews with the cast and crew, a reversible sleeve with two stunning artworks, and an outstanding amount of special features, this set gives "Spider Baby" the definitive tribute it deserves. The Blu Ray transfer of the film is absolutely beautiful, with completely clear picture, and wonderful sound. The booklet is so interesting, and it was the longest and most in depth that I have seen from the company so far. The special features had me hooked, and for once I actually watched them all in a row. They include a short film by Jack Hill called "The Host," which was a bizarre but intriguing student movie that he made starring Sid Haig. Director Francis Ford Coppola actually called this little known film his inspiration for the last parts of "Apocalypse Now." Also included were an audio commentary with Jack Hill and Sid Haig, an extremely interesting panel discussion that took place at the Academy's FILM-TO-FILM Festival, a very informative documentary about the movie called "The Hatching of Spider Baby," a short but wonderful featurette about composer Ronald Stein called "Spider Stravinsky: The Cinema Sounds of Ronald Stein," an extended scene, an alternative title sequence, the official trailer of the film, a featurette about the house "Spider Baby" was made in called "The Merrye House Revisited," and a photo gallery. I have never bought a Blu Ray that was so beautifully put together, and I will honestly say it is worth every cent. 

"Spider Baby" may not be a household name, but it is a cult classic for a reason. This gem from the 1960's is one of the funniest and most atmospherically creepy movies I have ever seen, and I was blown away from the start to the finish. I cannot recommend this film enough, because it should be seen by every fan of the cinema. 

Grade: 10/10

Blu Ray Grade: 10/10