Spider Baby (1967)

So much average

Beautiful, moving film.

Watching it is like watching the spectacle of a class clown at their best: you laugh at their jokes, instigate their defiance, and "ooooh" when they get in trouble.

It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film

It may be unintentional, but the more I think about this movie, the more it makes sense. It pretty much sends up many Gothic horror tropes-a decaying house, along with a decaying, mentally disturbed family, and a sympathetic-and, in this case, empathetic-caretaker who tries, in vain, to protect the family from outsiders, even though the caretaker isn't a family member him or herself. It even parodies the sex and violence used in movies to try and catch an audience's attention, with Virginia's off screen mutilation of the poor telegram messenger via what would have been, in "normal" circumstances, an "innocent" and silly pretense to be a spider. We also have the "auntie" stripping down, for no clear reason, and then being chased around in her black lace underwear just for shocking effect-but the one thing that I really found disturbing was how they more than implied that-once her disturbed distant kinsman, Ralph, "had his way with her," she was anxious for "more."There have been other movies mentioned that this one is similar to. The one that stands out, to me, in similarity, is "Arsenic and Old Lace," Though much darker in tone, like the earlier movie, this one uses humor to soften the troubling subject of criminal insanity addressed in the film. It also reminds me very much of "The Fearless Vampire Killers or Pardon Me, But Your Teeth Are In My Neck," which would be created after this movie, though it would end up released about the same time. That one was an unabashed send up of Hammer Studios' vampire movies, as well as Roger Corman's "Poe" movies for AIP. It even has the "twist" ending like the preceding "Spiderbaby" production.One of the standout moments, to me, is the one straight dramatic moment when-in a discussion between Lon Chaney's character and his troubled charges-you realize that they aren't so nuts that they don't understand that they are different, and they actually communicate a sorrow and regret about their situation.Sadly, not many people remember Lon Chaney, Jr. was nominated for an academy award because he ended up doing so many forgettable movies for various reasons, not the least being his own battle with the bottle. I'm glad that, in this movie, his character is portrayed as displaying an amazing calm in the midst of the insane zoo he was trying to wrangle-and not told to try and recreate Cary Grant's manic performance in the similar role in "Arsenic and Old Lace." I think he did a good job with the part.They really didn't explain much about the kid's dad. He obviously must not have suffered the genetic aberration himself, but gambled that he would not pass it on to his own offspring-a gamble he obviously lost. Since they also had "crazies" in the basement, I wonder if they were his siblings? If all you want is a "popcorn" movie, I think this one works just fine for that. If you're looking for Ingmar Bergman, then you should pass on this one. Also, though I know kids nowadays aren't "protected" from certain subjects like we oldies were, as a parent I would think about the implied cannibalism and rape/sadomasochism in the film before letting a kid watch this. A really sensitive kid might pick up on the implied cruelty amidst the silliness.

A friend showed me his copy of "Spider Baby" a couple of years ago, and to tell the truth, in spite of my bent for odd ball fringe cinema, I wasn't sure what to make of it...although I had to admit, it had its moments. However, the second time around when I saw it on one of those free streaming channels on Roku, I was much more impressed with everything.I was especially impressed with Lon Chaney's demented sad sack performance, with the air of lunacy and degeneracy that surrounded the family, and yet the real affection and bonding they seemed to have with each other. And I could see that most of the scenery and props and lighting was very effective in getting what the director wanted to convey to the audience. Part "Fall of the House Of Usher", part "Texas Chainsaw Massacre", part "House of 1000 Corpses", and yet sustaining a more delicate balance of mood and sadness and menace than any of those worthy entries...this is quite the treat if you are into weird, old movies. Go see it if you like this sort of thing.

Over the credits, star Lon Cheney Jr. sings (and howls) the film's theme song. Next, a host appears to explain how "Merrye's Syndrome" has afflicted the three children of Titus W. Merrye. The incredibly rare malady is a progressive deterioration of mental faculties, leading to deformity. Victims enter adulthood by regressing mentally. The informative host is Quinn Redeker (as Peter Howe), who will arrive at the Merrye estate with his wife Carol Ohmart (as Emily) to stake a claim. They want to take guardianship of the mentally challenged children from Mr. Chaney (as Bruno), the family's elderly chauffeur. The children are relatively sensible Beverly Washburn (as Elizabeth), spider-loving Jill Banner (as Virginia) and dog-like Sid Haig (as Ralph). Announcing the arrival of guests is messenger Mantan Moreland. He becomes the first player in the film's "Spider Baby" game. It is a most dangerous game...A Roger Corman film graduate, writer-director Jack Hill gets good impersonations with this cast and crew. The sets and setting, photographed by Alfred Taylor, are often stylish. A lack of suspense is offset by a lot of weirdness. We're not clear about what "Merrye's Syndrome" does to someone, even after being told – but this may be irrelevant. It does seem to alter a male's appearance more significantly than the female. Perhaps "Ralph" is farther along in the disease. His sisters are still quite attractive, but they receive some stiff competition when Ms. Ohmart sheds her conservative clothing to reveal underwear you usually see advertised in the back pages of sex magazines. A marvelous dinner scene is the film's "black comedy" highlight. This and other parts of "Spider Baby" may have influenced "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" (1975), for which armchair degenerates from the next forty years and beyond must give thanks.******* Spider Baby (12/24/67) Jack Hill ~ Lon Chaney Jr., Quinn Redeker, Beverly Washburn, Sid Haig

Spider Baby (1968) ** 1/2 (out of 4) Jack Hill's cult favorite about a loving caretaker (Lon Chaney, Jr.) who takes care of three mentally disturbed kids who just happen to enjoy killing. Over the past decade or so, SPIDER BABY has become one of the biggest cult films out there and it's easy to see why because it's just so strange and contains such a bizarre atmosphere that you can't help but get involved in its weirdness. I'm not going to sit here and say this is a great film or even a good one. I think there are all sorts of problems with the picture including a pacing issue but there's still enough here to make it worth viewing. For starters, people must remember that this was shot long before NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD so there's some fairly graphic moments here. Another thing that really works well are the performances, which I'd say are the greatest thing going. Chaney gives an extremely good performance and he really makes you feel as if his character loves this kids and would do anything for them. Visually you can tell the actor is in the middle of his alcoholic days and this tough look really just adds to the softness of the character in a strange way. Beverly Washburn, Jill Banner and Sid Haig are all terrific as the three mental cases and all of them really do a fantastic job with their performances. They're not Oscar-worthy performances but they certainly nail the weirdness. Mantan Moreland appears briefly and is very memorable as well. What really separates this film from many other "B" movies that were made during this era is its atmosphere. There's no question that the ultra low-budget helps but there's just something rather creepy about the entire atmosphere. SPIDER BABY isn't a masterpiece but there's certainly not another film out there like it.