The Giant Spider Invasion

The Giant Spider Invasion (1975)

Runtime: 79 minutes

Directed by: Bill Rebane

Starring: Steve Brodie, Alan Hale, Jr., Barbara Hale (no relation), Robert Easton, Leslie Parrish

From: Cinema Group 75/Transcentury Productions

Well, at least it made for a great MST3K episode…

In the past I saw that episode from the 8th season yet until last night hadn’t experience the film on its own. Bill Rebane’s reputation perhaps isn’t great due to all the schlock he made during his career. Yet, I won’t hate on him for establishing a career as a regional filmmaker in Wisconsin, the place he emigrated to from Latvia-heck, this apparently earned quite a profit. While I’d rather watch this all the time than experience a modern version of “interdimensional spiders from outer space land in Wisconsin and deal with rednecks” filled with putrid CG, that don’t make this great.

Those not familiar, in fact this does feature meteorites landing in rural Wisconsin which actually hatch space spiders-and somehow that is connected to black holes and what sounds like The Breach from Pacific Rim… yes, the science is rather questionable-one of which grows to the size of a Volkswagen Beetle, because that prop was made with a Beetle as its base. There are also rednecks in a trashy little town; I’ve known forever that there is white trash all over the place, not just the South. After all, they were present in the Northern Illinois area I grew up, northwest about 90 miles from Chicago. The “highlight” of the white trash spectacle is the main family we follow… a gross man who is abusive and has affairs, his alcoholic wife, and his sister-in-law who is either 17 or 18 who he hits on—and there is a cousin who resembles Charles Manson does the same! The movie does ramp up the repulsion.

I’m not sure why Rebane portrayed his home area in such a fashion yet this does have plenty of campy charm, especially when the titular creature shows up. It’s not scary-unless you have arachnophobia-but this does provide a modicum of entertainment which at least has some familiar faces: Steve Brodie, Alan Hale, Jr., and Barbara Hale (no relation). Unfortunately, there are plotting issues and while the huge spider itself doesn’t look horrible for the miniscule budget, the ending is a wet fart which ends this on a sour note. I understand the production was troubled but even then, a shame.

Honestly, the best way to see this is the MST3K version; while it was a surprise to discover that this had a topless scene, hearing some Minnesotans eviscerate Wisconsin… even though there are also scummy people like this in the Land of 10,000 Lakes.