THE GIANT SPIDER INVASION

US, 1975, 84 minutes, Colour.
Steve Brodie, Barbara Hale, Leslie Parrish.
Directed by Bill Rebane.

The film starts as an above average science fiction film. There in an eerie invasion from outer space and the mysterious invaders turn out to be ordinary menacing spiders. As the giant spider grows with reasonable special effects, the plot and the running time seem to diminish. There is a lot of talk of astronomy early in the film but the action proceeds rather quickly as various members of the cast are destroyed by the invading spider. Perhaps the producers ran out of funds to fill out the story. As it is, the film is quite an interesting and enjoyable outline and a reasonable contribution to the animal menace series. 'Tarantula' of 1957 is a precursor of this kind of film. The better film 'The Kingdom of the Spiders' of 1979 also takes up the theme.

1. How interesting and satisfying an example of animal menace and disaster? Particular qualities of the film, short-comings?

2. The focus of the title on the giant spiders and audience expectations? How well satisfied? The using of the invasion theme and its presentation throughout the credits? The reason given for the invasion? The linking of this with the religious revival programme, the denunciations of the preacher, the plagues, the punishment and people learning from such an invasion? Did the film's screenplay illustrate this well or not?

3. The setting of the small American town, its ordinary way of life, the sheriff and his role there illustrating the interests and problems of the town, Dave as the hero and his work on the paper, Dan and his work on the farm, his treatment of Ev and the background of their dead child, Dan and his seeming strictness but his lies and going off for an affair, Ev and her drinking, Terry and her adolescent precociousness? The people at the bar? The revival and the people present at it? A cross-section of America? Ordinary people living their lives, good and bad, some destroyed, some punished?

4. Audience response to the spiders? Fear, menace, shock? The musical score indicating the presence of the spiders? The crash of the meteor, their presence and the gradual revealing of their number their scaring people, the irony of the diamonds in the rocks, the visuals of the spiders and their presence in Dan's house, scaring Ev, killing people, the webs? The special effects for the giant spider? Its presence devouring Dan, the sheriff? Chasing the people? Its destruction? how credible were the events?

5. The portrait of Dan and Ev and their way of life, the home clashes, the background? Well rounded characters and tensions? Ev and her proposition to Dave, Dan and his adultery? Their searching over the fields, seeing the dead cattle, the discovery of the dead people? The build-up to Ev's destruction with her wandering the house, lying down, the webs, Dan and his searching and his being devoured?

6. The reasons behind the people who wore killed or not killed? Why was the sheriff devoured? Why did Terry not die?

7. The other strand of the film with its scientific background and jargon, the talk of astronomy, the crashing of the bomber, the scientific apparatus? Vance and his role and investigation? As a type? Dr Langer, her reports, lecture? Their combining the search, the theory about energy, the helicopter, the car, the attack and their fear? Their authority in solving the problem? Their relationship with the sheriff, with Dave?

8. The posse mentality and the anger of the townspeople as they went to destroy the spider? The film's comment on the posse and vengeance mentality?

9. The set sequence of the people at the carnival and the menace of the spider and their fleeing, fear and panic?

10. The quick destruction of the spider? How convincing? The people who were saved? The recurrence of the religious theme throughout the film and its comment on the invasion, people's behaviour, punishment?

11. How satisfying was the film an horror and audiences' enjoyment of horror films? Serious science fiction? Serious animal menace film? Themes of human nature, evil, punishment, fear?