Region: 1
Video: Enhanced Widescreen Letterbox for 16x9 TV
DVD Aspect Ratio: Theatre Wide-Screen (1.85:1)
Audio: 5 full-range channels. Includes 3 for the front speakers, 2 surround channels for rear speakers, & 1 low-frequency effects (LFE) channel to carry deep bass effects
  PCM stereo
Language: English
Subtitles: English
Weight factor: 1 item(s)

Plot Synopsis

Referring to the fear of spiders, Arachnophobia features a particularly deadly species of spider that manages to make its way from the Venezuelan rain forest to a small California town, thanks to the many oversights of entomologist Julian Sands. Yuppie doctor Jeff Daniels, fed up with the dangers inherent in big-city living, has resettled in this town on the assumption that nothing untoward could ever happen here to himself and his family. Before long, however, Daniels is trying to make sense of a series of sudden deaths-and to figure out why each of the corpses has been drained of blood. The audience, of course, knows that the culprits are those pesky South American spiders, which grow larger with each kill. To make matters worse, Jeff Daniels suffers from a profound case of arachnophobia. John Goodman supports the cast as a slovenly exterminator, and Frank Marshall, longtime producer of Steven Spielberg's films, makes his directorial debut in Arachnophobia. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Editorial Reviews:

This giggly big-budget horror film manages to mix thrills and laughs better than most and features nifty special effects from Chris Walas and Matt Sweeney. Arachnophobia is a fun throwback to the bug films of the 1950s and 1970s, but lacks either the Cold War paranoia of the former or the ecological awareness of the latter. Thus, the film blissfully stays at the creepy-crawly level without even the rudimentary depth of the classic ecokill movies. It may not be as campily enjoyable as Kingdom of the Spiders, but it has its moments. Director Frank Marshall and the cast (especially John Goodman as a gung-ho exterminator) are obviously having fun with the material, and the photography is marvelous. This is a great movie for Halloween, and, despite some mild gore, it is fun for children as well. This is the scariest spider movie ever made, however, so if you have a weakness for furry eight-legged horrors with sharp venomous fangs, be forewarned. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide