The top 20 killer spider movies. An Arac-nado of spider films, from swarms of spiderlings to giant tarantulas, these are the creepiest crawlers in the movies.
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Arachnids are creepy even if they're small. Large spiders or swarms of tarantulas can be horrifying, especially if you have a phobia. That's why we love a good spider movie. Nothing is as chilling, cool, or fun to watch, as a spider crawling gracefully across the screen. If he eats a cricket or your neighbor, so much the better! This list is for the top 20 killer Spider movies in horror film history.
1 - Tarantula (1955) John Agar. The original, using a real live tarantula, has perfect direction and a great script. The giant tarantula looks creepy as it crawls over houses and cars (or models thereof).
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2 - Eight Legged Freaks (2002) Arac Attack! The daddy long-legs of modern spider movies.
3 - Earth vs the Spider (1958) A giant spider attacks a town, and two teens help a scientist to ward it off.
4 - The Giant Spider Invasion (1975) A meteor crashes in Wisconsin and hatches many small tarantulas that grow into giant tarantulas. Both small and big spiders attack. Clever use of real tarantulas and fabricated giant prop spiders.
5 - Tarantulas: the Deadly Cargo (1977) Spiders on a plane! Tarantulas infest a cargo of oranges, attack the pilots and bring down the plane. On ground, they swarm from the plane and attack the town.
6 - Kingdom of the Spiders (1977) William Shatner battles a swarm of tarantulas.
7 - The Mist (2007) Alien spiders from a portal to another dimension, based on Stephen King's story.
8 - Ice Spiders (2007) Fairly good effects and a plausible plot.
9 - Black Scorpion (1957) you get the spider that was cut from the original King Kong film, and great scorpion battles. Muy excelente!
10 - Arachnophobia (1990) A deadly spider mates with a local species to spawn a deadly spider brood in a small town.
11 - Godzilla: Final Wars (2004) for the appearance of Kumonga the giant spider.
Best Spider-related novel: Revenge of the Spiders
12 - Arachnoquake (2012) An earthquake in New Orleans opens a spider nest and lets out a swarm of giant spiders. This makes the list because the spiders are cool. The actors are bad; the writing and dialogue are embarrassing. Watch it for the arachnids.
13 - Spiders (2000) A DNA experiment gone wrong!
14 - Webs (2003) a team crosses into a parallel universe ruled by a mutant spider.
15 - Arachnid (2001) killer spiders on a remote island.
16 - Earth vs. the Spider (2001) not to be confused with the 1958 movie, this one has a man who mutates into a spider. Dan Akroyd actually appears.
17 - Spiders II: Breeding Ground (2001)
18 - Attack of the Crab Monsters (1957) Sure they're technically not spiders, but these crustaceans are arachnid cousins, and are fun to watch. Good monster movie.
19 - Infestation (2009) Comedy about an invasion of insects, spiders and zombies, and a few mutant hybrids.
20 - Camel Spiders (2011) Not a good script or acting, but the spiders are fun.
Bonus film: "The Incredible Skrinking Man" (1957) the little guy is menaced by a life size tarantula. He uses a needle to fend it off.
Honorable Mention: Shelob, the giant spider from the LOTR Return of the King, was fantastic. The spider head in John Carpenter's "The Thing" (1982) also gets a thumbs-up.
I'm still waiting for Ice Spiders vs. Snow Shark, but I'm told it won't be produced this year. WereWolf Spider, Shark-Arac and Arac-nado have also been canned, but I think spiders raining down from a storm would be workable. What will be the next big spider in the movies?
Good to see tarantula the original is still number 1
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