The Giant Spider Invasion (1975)

User Rating:

2.8/10   

Director:

Bill Rebane

Writers:

Robert Easton (writer)
Richard L. Huff (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

October 1975 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Creeping!...Crawling!...Crushing!

Plot:

Giant spiders from another dimension invade Wisconsin.

Plot Keywords:

Spider | Black Hole | Giant Spider | Observatory | Reverse Footage

Cast

Steve Brodie	...	Dr. J.R. Vance
Barbara Hale	...	Dr. Jenny Langer
Alan Hale Jr.	...	Sheriff Jeff Jones
Robert Easton	...	Dan Kester
Leslie Parrish	...	Ev Kester
Christiane Schmidtmer	...	Helga
Kevin Brodie	...	Dave Perkins
Tain Bodkin	...	Preacher
Bill Williams	...	Dutch
Diane Lee Hart	...	Terry
Paul Bentzen	...	Billy Kester
J. Stewart Taylor	...	Deputy
William W. Gillett Jr.	...	Paul Rider
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
David B. Hoff	...	Helicopter Pilot (voice) (uncredited)

Directed by
Bill Rebane

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Robert Easton		writer
Richard L. Huff		screenplay
Richard L. Huff		story

Produced by
William W. Gillett Jr.	....	executive producer
Richard L. Huff	....	producer
Dick Plautz	....	associate producer
Bill Rebane	....	producer
Jack Willoughby	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Bill Rebane		(as Ito Rebane)

Cinematography by
Jack Willoughby

Film Editing by
Barbara Pokras

Set Decoration by
Jutta Rebane

Makeup Department
Sue Brodie	....	hair stylist
Tom Schwartz	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Barbara J. Rebane	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Kevin Brodie	....	first assistant director
Barbara J. Rebane	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Bill Rebane	....	set designer (as Ito Rebane)

Sound Department
Jim Bryan	....	sound effects editor

Special Effects by
Richard Albain	....	special effects
Robert Millay	....	special effects

Stunts
Robert F. Nelson	....	stunts
Dennis Wilder	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Dick Plautz	....	key grip (as Richard Plautz)
Alan M. Rebane	....	gaffer (as Alan Rebane)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Robin Brodie	....	wardrobe supervisor

Editorial Department
Tikki Goldberg	....	assistant editor
Barbara Kress	....	assistant editor
Andrea Scharf	....	assistant editor

Music Department
John H. Arrufat	....	music editor (as John Arrufat)
Bill Rebane	....	music editor (as Ito Rebane)

Other crew
Barbara Kress	....	continuity

Production Companies

• Cinema Group 75
• Transcentury Productions

Distributors

• Group 1 International Distribution Organization Ltd. (1975) (USA) (theatrical)
• Astral Films (1976) (Canada) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1978) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• BijouFlix Releasing
• Cut Entertainment Group (2004) (worldwide) (all media)
• Dutch FilmWorks (DFW) (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Retromedia Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Rhino Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• VCL (video)
• World Beyond Video (video)

Also Known As:

Invasion of the Giant Spiders

Runtime:

84 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Netherlands:12 | UK:A | Australia:PG | USA:PG | UK:15 (DVD rating)

Filming Locations:

Gleason, Wisconsin, USA

Company:

Cinema Group 75

Trivia:

There was supposed to be a shot of a big spider in a tree bursting into flames. To achieve this, the director covered a large prop spider with gunpowder and had two crew members sitting above it in the tree who would drop a match on the spider. The director got the camera up to a very fast fps to achieve a slow motion look, and had them drop the first match. Nothing happened, so they dropped a second. Still nothing happened, so they lit the entire book of matches and dropped it on the spider. With nothing happening, the director turned off the camera - and immediately afterwords a huge explosion and fireball shot up, burning the hair off of the crew members and starting several small brush fires. The director was furious that he wasn't able to get the shot on film.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Terry uses a steam iron to kill a tarantula, she is shown wearing a sleeveless yellow tank top. However, in the close up of the spider being killed, someone else is obviously wielding the iron. The arm shown is much longer than Terry's, the shirt is a different color than the one she was shown wearing, and it has a sleeve which has been rolled up. After the spider is killed, Terry is once again shown wearing a sleeveless yellow tank top.

Quotes:

Ev Kester: Sometimes the only way I know you're alive is when I hear you flush the toilet!

Movie Connections:

Featured in "TCM Underground: Monster a Go-Go/The Giant Spider Invasion (#1.50)" (2008)

There were giants in those days.

I try to watch this movie every year or so. It reminds me of my youth when I didn't have any preconceived notions about what a film should or shouldn't be. A time when I had total suspension of disbelief.

I remember when my ten-year-old eyes first caught a glance at the greatest horror movie poster that ever hung in the hallowed foyer of our local movie theatre, The D&R in Aberdeen, Washington. The poster featured a gargantuan spider bearing down on a group of terrified people. Suspended in the air above the monster were three helicopters and lying crumpled at the spider's legs were a couple of burning cars while spotlights filled the sky. One of the terrified was a busty young blonde wearing only a negligee. I was sold.

Every kid in town must have seen the `coming soon' poster because the next day in school all halls were abuzz with nervous anticipation of what was going to be the greatest cinematic experience of our young lives: THE GIANT SPIDER INVASION! Our local newspaper (The Daily World) had a beautiful half-page advertisement featuring the glorious poster art. I cut it out and hung it on the refrigerator so my mom wouldn't forget.

After a torturous week of school, the opening day finally arrived. Packs of kids, with parents in tow, rushed to secure a place in line at the D&R. The line wrapped around the block. Aberdeen hadn't seen this much excitement since Jaws played there the previous year.

Once inside the lobby, ushers showered the crowd with little black plastic spiders. Kids scrambled everywhere – clawing and climbing over each other to get their hands on these rare collector's items. I snagged a few off the ground and then rushed into the theatre to secure a seat for my Mom, my brother and me.

The theatre was filled to capacity. Those who did not make it in for the first show were forced to wait until the 9:00 p.m. show. Back in the seventies there were only two show times during the weekdays: 7:00p.m. and 9:00p.m. It was truly Darwin's `survival of the fittest' in action.

At precisely 7:00p.m., the theatre grew dark and the screen was illuminated with the coming attraction: Squirm! The theatre was filled with whoops and screams as slime-coated killer worms with fangs tore into flesh, but soon a collective kid-groan could be heard as the rating `R' flashed after the preview. Thankfully, our attention was focused off the fact that most of our parents would not permit us to see the `R' rated film when the title: The Giant Spider Invasion filled the screen.

For the next 85 minutes, we were treated to a town exposed to a `miniature' black hole' that creates a `space warp' inviting in alien-spiders that grow to mammoth proportions. The film really delivered the goods! A grungy farmer discovers a half-eaten body whose rib-cage is partially exposed, a girl comes out of the shower baring her breasts and, in a glorious shower of blood, the spiders suck up a couple of people into their puckered-festering mouths! Cries of horror and disbelief could be heard throughout the auditorium. A couple of ushers had to remove a bawling friend of mine after he saw the partially eaten remains of one of the victims – too much for his delicate sensibilities. I sat transfixed. This was the greatest movie ever made. The next day, I dragged a few of my friends to watch the matinee – we stayed for the remaining showings and returned the following day. The movie played in Aberdeen for only a week, but I must have seen it a dozen times.

Years later, I found The Giant Spider Invasion at a video store and immediately purchased it. I watched it with the same glee I did back in 1975 and the fond memories I held came flooding back.

Watching it now I chuckle as Alan `The Skipper' Hale delivers lines like, `He's a strange man and he's building up a big head of steam.' But, seeing the spiders, which seemed so real back in the good old D&R, crawl over the beautiful Wisconsin countryside, still gives me a small thrill. Even though it's obvious the spiders are badly made up VW Beetles, it still takes me back to a time when all movies I watched were magical.

There were giants in those days.