Most people look back on the 50's horror/sci-fi movie craze with an all-too-critical eye. Knowing now (for the most part) the true effects of all those terrifying catalysts seemingly gives them license to scoffingly look back on 1950's culture as a sort of stone age. A prime example of this being nuclear weapons: back then, radiation and fallout were mysterious menaces, causing virtually any effect that the fertile and fearful human mind desired. It could awaken slumbering beasts, it could transform you into a monster, or (primarily) it could make anything BIG. Living in America, during the Atomic Age, with the Cold War going on...the threat of nuclear danger was all-too prevalent. It's similar to the "genetically modified monster" of today. Unraveling the DNA strand is the H-Bomb of cinema's new millennium, even overtaking previously radioactive origins from the Cold War (such as the updated Hulk and Spider-Man movies). Will our grandchildren look back at clips of our anti-GMO rallies, our 6th Days, and other "genetic nightmares" with the same contempt some people seem to have for the Cold War Era?

Well, let me step off of my soapbox and get to the issue at hand: The Spider. Written, produced, and directed by the infamous Bert I. Gordon (nicknamed Mr. Big for his initials and love of those abnormally huge beasties) it gives us a raucously entertaining, if formulaic slice of b-grade goodness. Originally released in theatres way back in 1958 as Earth Vs. The Spider, it gives it all to us: giant monsters, wacky teenagers, a theremin-soaked soundtrack, and more matte shots than you can even begin to count.

The movie starts with a man driving his truck home. He's got a present for his daughter, which will never be delivered, for a huge hairy foreleg pops into frame and bashes him in the face but good. It turns out our first victim is the father to Carol, who is understandably worried. Carol's boyfriend Mike shows up and ever so sensitively makes comments about Carol's dad falling off the wagon. Carol tells Mike to bugger off, then goes to science class, where their science teacher, Mr. Kingman, must be teaching a lesson on foreshadowing that day, as he shows off his electrical arc device. During class, Mike and Carol make up, then decide to go on the hunt for Carol's missing dad. They borrow a car from their friend Joe (who looks to be about 20 years too old for high school) and head out in the direction Carol's father was in last night. All their investigation leads them to a cave, where they discover the nest of a damned huge spider. Barely escaping, they report their find to the sheriff and Mr. Kingman. A search party is assembled, and they track down the spider and douse it with DDT (great for the groundwater!). They drag its carcass back topside where Mr. Kingman has it arranged for "The University" to pick it up for dissection. However, our overage friend Joe's band practices in the gymnasium where the carcass is, and awakens it. The Spider then goes on a murderous rampage, chasing people and smacking them with its legs. How will the town survive when bullets won't kill it...flames can't hurt it...NOTHING CAN STOP IT!!!

If you're not into this sort of movie, The Spider won't change your opinions. The plot is threadbare, the acting hammy, and the whole thing is just so typical of b-grade movies. However, if you peel back that initial layer and dig in a little deeper, The Spider is much better than one would think. The special effects are surprisingly decent at times, with the titular spider casting a shadow that interacts properly with the landscape around it. Even when Gordon can't properly share the screen between his stars both arachnid and human, he uses vertical barriers (like stalactites in the lovely cave scenes) to divide the frame and keep everything interacting properly. Also of note is the genuinely good scoring of the movie, which kept certain moments quite tense and eerie. Especially neat was that the town movie theater had a flat for The Amazing Colossal Man, and Mike says he can't wait to see the new movie about "puppet people," both knowing nods to other Mr. Big classics. It may not be a thinking man's movie, but the little details and smart effects certainly made this horror dork smile.

Direct Video Distribution presents The Spider in its original black and white, and I can honestly say that I've never seen the movie look this good. Contrast was perfect, and everything was nice and clear. Occasionally edges got a little soft (particularly in daylight scenes) and there was a fair amount of print damage, but the overall appearance of the print was excellent. My one beef, however, is the decision to put the DVD out as full-frame. While most scenes were nicely cropped, some looked ridiculously cramped, and others chopped out more of the picture than I liked. The mono soundtrack was perfect, with every sound level spot-on. Dialogue was crystal-clear, and the soundtrack was nice and bassy. Extras are the same across all of the Arkoff Library discs, with the 50-minute audio interview dubbed over a slideshow and a fistful of previews for other Arkoff Library titles. Definitely nice were the picture postcards included in the packaging, each showing a different movie poster. It's almost depressing to see these beautifully hand-painted pictures from yesteryear, when all of the posters nowadays are CGI crap.

Remember that these discs are Region 2 Pal and are NOT available in the US. You will need a player that is compatible if you live in the US. All of the titles from The Arkoff Library are available at xploitedcinema.com or direct from the UK at www.dvdisc.co.uk.