Earth vs. the Spider (2001)

goofs-the 'factual error' on the original IMDb site page is wrong. Further along in the movie, as the lead character gets further in his transformation. Senses become heightened to the point that the ticking of the clock is overwhelming during insomnia. He picks up the clock which looks to be attached to a cord or plugged in. This is actually a better of the quote B,C or D movies...If some so called critics would bother to watch the full length of some of these screen gems. Well, you might just want to avoid listening to them all together. It is actually a fun little movie. And as with all in this genre, a little bit of lower expectations always helps the experience...Enjoy

Earth vs. The Spider (2001) 1/2 (out of 4) Remake of the 1958 cult classic doesn't have too much in common with the original film outside of the title. A wimpy, comic book reading guy gets injected with some sort of chemical, which soon has him turning into a mean spider. Dan Aykroyd plays the Detective trying to solve all the murders. This is a really horrible film even when judged on its own because there isn't an inch of talent to be seen anywhere in the film. The story is downright stupid and it's clear this is just some masturbation fantasy from a comic book lover who has never had a girlfriend. The performances are all very weak and that includes Aykroyd who falls flat on his face during all of his scenes. The special effects are just as bad as is everything else here. Several of those Arkoff films from the 50's were remade in the 90s and 00s but I hope none of the rest are as bad as this turkey.

"Earth vs. the Spider" is a sad, missed opportunity for a sleeper hit.**SPOILERS**Tired of constantly being picked up, Security Guard Quentin Kemmer, (Devon Gummersall) indulges in comic books to escape the torments of work, much to the chagrin of Nick Bezis, (Mario Roccuzzo) a fellow security guard. Following a robbery at the weapons research plant he works at, he begins to act strangely, which Stephanie Lewis, (Amelia Heinle) feels is different. As he starts to realize that he has super powers from the accident, Det. Insp. Jack Grillo, (Dan Aykroyd) begins to get involved in a series of murders that are believed to have been committed by Quentin, and he must race to stop the powers from taking over his whole persona.The Good News: There's a couple of really interesting moments in here. The final half-hour, when things really start to heat up and the action gets far more intense, are the best parts. From the beginning discovery of the body wrapped up in webbing inside a dank, grimy factory, it creates a nice atmosphere that really gets it down right. The ensuing chase scene is pretty nice, but the real kicker is the suspenseful walk-through of the building with no lights and just a flashlight. It's a long, incredibly drawn-out scene with all the clichés about a suspenseful scene played out to it's best potential, and is a really impressive sequence. This also has the final reveal of the monster, allowing for some nice cheesy moments in there with it's design and the final confrontation with it. The design is pretty cool, but it's basically apart of the really impressive ending that's the best part of the film.The Bad News: Outside of the final half hour, there isn't a whole lot to like in this one. It spends the middle part of it dealing with the discovery of the powers, but the fact that it really glosses over them with only a short amount of time devoted to them. Rather than simply being a long, drawn-out process of discovery, this has the full realization of the powers pretty quickly and easily. It really seems like a longer amount of time, as it's shown to be about a week, but it only shows snippets of that time, condensing it down considerably. It could've been a lot longer than that amount of time to what was shown, rather than just taking a highlight reel of it's best moments and make it seem a lot longer than it really was. The fact that it takes so long for him to receive his powers is also a missed opportunity. It occurs around the half-hour mark, far too long into the movie for this sort of revelation. It really could've been condensed far more and kept it rolling along much more. As it is, the beginning of the film is much to slow, as the main event is far too long coming and then a long, drawn-out realization of what's going on makes this a really long sit-through, especially in comparison to the rapid-fire and spectacular conclusion.The Final Verdict: Had it fixed a couple of problems in the first half, this might've been a good sleeper hit, but only the conclusion of the film is the only really good part. Won't make much of a dent to comic book fans or fans of the original, but it might be a possible view for the most accepting horror fans.Rated R: Graphic Language and Violence

Quentin Kemmer (Devon Gummersall) is a shy and coward security guard and a passionate collector of comic books, who lives in a junkie building and has a crush on his next-door neighbor, the nurse Stephanie Lewis (Amelia Heinle). However, he is too shy to declare his love for or invite her for a date. He works in a laboratory, which is studying and trying to develop a secret genetic weapon using the power and skills of the spiders. When the laboratory is robbed and his partner and great friend is killed with other persons by the criminals, Quentin feels under pressure with the situation and decides to inject himself the experimental vaccine. In the beginning, his strength and abilities increase and he feels like an arachnid superhero from his magazines. However, a couple of days later, he begins to transform himself into a giant spider-man hybrid, capable of throwing webs through his abdomen, developing claws in his mouth and prevailing the instincts and a non-stop hunger of the spiders over his will. Meanwhile, Quentin eliminates many persons, and Detective Jack Grillo (Dan Aykroyd) investigates the series of mysterious deaths in the neighborhood. "Spider Vs. Earth" is a surprisingly good B-movie that recalls the horror and sci-fi stories of the 50's. The plot is good, with the exception of the unnecessary participation of Theresa Russell, in the role of an adultery and drunken wife. The slow transformation of Quentin into a spider slightly recalls the dramatic situation of "The Fly". My true and honest opinion is that the IMDb User Rating is totally unfair with this film. I bought the VHS and I do not regret. My vote is seven.Title (Brazil): "A Maldição da Aranha" ("The Curse of the Spider")