Review: Spider Baby

This strange time capsule of late 1960s dementia more or less lives up to its oddball reputation.

Spider Baby
Photo: American General Pictures Inc.

Though hampered by bad distribution deals and multiple title changes, word of mouth helped Spider Baby to connect with fans of schlock cinema. This strange time capsule of late 1960s dementia more or less lives up to its oddball reputation—too unnerving to fall into the category of horror comedies but too cutesy to be labeled as a straight-up shocker a la The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. In other words, it’s unclassifiable, which has amplified its cult appeal. Loyal family chauffer Bruno (Lon Chaney) watches over the isolated gothic house where the last generations of the wealthy Merrye clan reside. Cursed by a debilitating disease brought about by inbreeding, the family members have regressed to a state of “pre-human savagery and cannibalism.” The youngest, Virginia (Jill Banner), thinks she is a human spider and lurches around the house with daggers drawn searching for prey. The eldest, Ralphie (Sid Haig), prowls around the yard snatching up cats to roast for dinner. When some distant relatives and their shyster lawyer appear trying to commit the family to a home and put Bruno out of a job, Bruno knows it’s not going to end well for anyone. Yes, those residing at the old family mansion are pretty far gone, but they’re much happier than Leatherface’s disenfranchised slaughterhouse family, marching toward their inevitable doom with cheery, reckless abandon. The eerie black-and-white cinematography and freaky performances (tempered by Chaney’s laidback, sympathetic turn as the caretaker) go a long way toward smoothing over the film’s low-budget limitations. And, in case you weren’t sold yet, Chaney sings the title song, which is a kooky spoken-word anthem about a cannibal orgy that’s “strange to behold,” with priceless lyrics such as: “Frankenstein, Dracula, and even the Mummy are sure to wind up in somebody’s tummy.”

Score: 
 Cast: Lon Chaney, Carol Ohmart, Quinn Redeker, Beverly Washburn, Jill Banner, Sid Haig  Director: Jack Hill  Screenwriter: Jack Hill  Distributor: American General Pictures Inc.  Running Time: 84 min  Rating: NR  Year: 1964  Buy: Video

Jeremiah Kipp

Jeremiah Kipp is a New York City based writer, producer and director with over ten years experience creating narrative and commercial films.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.