Arachnophobia (1990)

Director:

Frank Marshall

Writers (WGA):

Don Jakoby (story) &
Al Williams (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

18 July 1990 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Sci-Fi | Thriller | Horror

Tagline:

Eight legs, two fangs and an attitude.

Plot:

South American killer spider hitches a lift to the US in a coffin and starts to breed and kill.

Plot Keywords:

Spider | Doctor | Small Town | Coffin | Exterminator

Awards:

2 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Jeff Daniels	...	Dr. Ross Jennings
Harley Jane Kozak	...	Molly Jennings
John Goodman	...	Delbert McClintock
Julian Sands	...	Doctor James Atherton
Stuart Pankin	...	Sheriff Lloyd Parsons
Brian McNamara	...	Chris Collins
Mark L. Taylor	...	Jerry Manley
Henry Jones	...	Doctor Sam Metcalf
Peter Jason	...	Henry Beechwood
James Handy	...	Milton Briggs
Roy Brocksmith	...	Irv Kendall
Kathy Kinney	...	Blaire Kendall
Mary Carver	...	Margaret Hollins
Garette Ratliff Henson	...	Tommy Jennings (as Garette Patrick Ratliff)
Marlene Katz	...	Shelley Jennings
Jane Marla Robbins	...	Edna Beechwood
Theo Schwartz	...	Bunny Beechwood
Cori Wellins	...	Becky Beechwood
Chance Boyer	...	Bobby Beechwood
Frances Bay	...	Evelyn Metcalf
Lois De Banzie	...	Henrietta Manley
Warren Rice	...	Dick Manley
Robert Frank Telfer	...	Mayor Bob
Michael Steve Jones	...	Irv's Assistant
Fiona Walsh	...	Little Girl
Terese Del Piero	...	Mom
Nathaniel Spitzley	...	Todd Miller
Jay Scorpio	...	Mover
Mai-Lis Kuniholm	...	Girlfriend
Robert 'Bobby Z' Zajonc	...	Reserve pilot
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Juan Fernández	...	Miguel Higueras (uncredited)

Directed by
Frank Marshall

Writing credits (WGA)
Don Jakoby		(story) &
Al Williams		(story)
Don Jakoby		(screenplay) and
Wesley Strick		(screenplay)

Produced by
William S. Beasley	....	associate producer
Robert W. Cort	....	co-executive producer
Ted Field	....	co-executive producer
Don Jakoby	....	co-producer
Kathleen Kennedy	....	producer
Frank Marshall	....	executive producer
Steven Spielberg	....	executive producer
Richard Vane	....	producer

Original Music by
Trevor Jones

Cinematography by
Mikael Salomon		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Michael Kahn

Casting by
Mike Fenton
Valorie Massalas
Judy Taylor

Production Design by
James D. Bissell		(as James Bissell)

Art Direction by
Christopher Burian-Mohr

Set Decoration by
Jackie Carr

Costume Design by
Jennifer L. Parsons

Makeup Department
Carolyn Elias	....	hair stylist
James Lee McCoy	....	makeup artist (as James L. McCoy)
David Quashnick	....	makeup artist
Dione Taylor	....	hair stylist

Production Management
William S. Beasley	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Bruce Cohen	....	first assistant director
David D'Ovidio	....	second assistant director
Steven Spielberg	....	second unit director (uncredited)

Art Department
Max E. Brehme	....	set dresser
Thomas E. Brown	....	paint supervisor
Ernest Depew	....	construction coordinator
Louis S. Fleming	....	property master
Martin A. Kline	....	storyboard artist
Scott W. Leslie	....	set dresser
Edward T. McAvoy	....	assistant art director
James Passanante	....	stand-by painter
Suzanne Lee Peck	....	art department coordinator
Eric S. Saperstein	....	painter
Tom Southwell	....	production illustrator
Carl J. Stensel	....	senior set designer

Sound Department
James Ashwill	....	foley mixer
Ed Bannon	....	sound effects processing (as Edward Bannon)
Destiny Borden	....	assistant sound editor
Mary Erstad	....	sound effects processing
Richard Friedman	....	supervising adr editor
Hilda Hodges	....	foley artist
David J. Hudson	....	sound re-recording mixer
Robert Jackson	....	boom operator
Ron Judkins	....	sound mixer
R.J. Kizer	....	supervising adr editor
Tom C. McCarthy	....	supervising sound editor
Mel Metcalfe	....	sound re-recording mixer
Terry Porter	....	sound re-recording mixer
Tanya Sharp David	....	adr mixer (as Tanya David)
David Williams	....	sound editor
Oscar Mitt	....	sound (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Carol Bauman	....	animatronic technician
John Drouillard	....	animatronic technician
Jamie Hyneman	....	special effects technician
Kelly Lepkowsky	....	animatronic engineer
Michelle Lyman	....	special effects crew
Valerie Sofranko	....	special effects technician
Bob Stoker	....	special effects foreman
Matt Sweeney	....	special effects supervisor
Danny Wagner	....	animatronic engineer
Chris Walas	....	creature effects supervisor
Michael Wick	....	creature fabricator
David Wiezer	....	special effects: CWI
Gary Zink	....	special effects (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Craig Barron	....	director of matte photography
Krystyna Demkowicz	....	executive in charge of production: Matte World
Michael Olague	....	visual effects crew
Michael Pangrazio	....	matte artist supervisor
Alison Savitch	....	visual effects coordinator
David Sosalla	....	visual effects supervisor
Paul Theren	....	creature effects

Stunts
Clarke Coleman	....	stunts (as Clark Coleman)
Johnny Hock	....	stunts (as John Hock)
John Robotham	....	stunts
Lincoln Simonds	....	stunts
Jeff Smolek	....	stunts
Chuck Waters	....	stunt coordinator
James Waters	....	stunts (as Jim Waters)
Spice Williams-Crosby	....	stunts (as Spice Williams)
David Powledge	....	stunt double (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Rebecca Baehler	....	camera loader
Alicia Brauns	....	second assistant camera
Dwight Campbell	....	gaffer
Jesse Chavez	....	best boy grip
Peter Clarson	....	chief rigging gaffer
Richard Foreman Jr.	....	still photographer
Ian Fox	....	first assistant camera
Adam Glick	....	set lighting technician
Eric J. Goldstein	....	camera operator
Bobby Huber	....	key grip
Ron Kunecke	....	musco light operator
Jimmy Leavens	....	dolly grip
David Luckenbach	....	second assistant camera
Ralph Nelson	....	still photographer (as Ralph Nelson Jr.)
Andy Ryan	....	best boy electric
Christopher Duddy	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Casting Department
Barbara Harris	....	adr voice casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Elaine Maser	....	costumer: women

Editorial Department
Gary Burritt	....	negative cutter
Stephen R. Sheridan	....	color timer

Music Department
Lawrence Ashmore	....	orchestrator
Michael Boddicker	....	musician: synthesizers
Thomas A. Carlson	....	music editor
Guy Dagul	....	orchestrator
Sandy DeCrescent	....	orchestra contractor
Steve Jones	....	music coordinator
Russ Kunkel	....	music arranger: songs
Russ Kunkel	....	musician: drums
Michael Lang	....	musician: piano (as Mike Lang)
Tommy Morgan	....	musician: harmonica
John Richards	....	score mixer
Tom Scott	....	musician: saxophone
Victoria Seale	....	music coordinator
Shirley Walker	....	conductor
Shirley Walker	....	orchestrator

Transportation Department
Randy Burke	....	transportation captain
Dan Marrow	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
John Connell	....	gyrosphere assistant
Renee Dupont	....	assistant to producer
Dow Griffith	....	location manager
Mark Harden	....	animal trainer
Paul Hargrave	....	location manager
Jurgen Heimann	....	spider spotter
Christie Johnston	....	production coordinator
Michael Kelem	....	gyrosphere assistant
Chuck Kristensen	....	spider consultant
Jim Kundig	....	live spider coordinator
Steven R. Kutcher	....	supervising entomologist
Arnold Peterson	....	spider consultant
Julie Pitkanen	....	script supervisor
Bonne Radford	....	production controller
Kelly Richards Ralston	....	first payroll accountant
Marsha Robertson	....	unit publicist
Lisa Rodgers	....	post production coordinator
Mikael Salomon	....	gyrosphere operator
Brian Steward	....	production assistant
Phil Todd	....	wind synthesist
Robert 'Bobby Z' Zajonc	....	aerial coordinator

Production Companies

• Amblin Entertainment
• Hollywood Pictures
• Tangled Web Productions

Distributors

• Buena Vista Pictures (1990) (USA) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1995) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Cuatro (2005) (Spain) (TV)
• Gativideo (Argentina) (video)
• Hollywood Pictures Home Video (video)
• Warner Bros. (Germany)
• Warner Bros. (France)

Special Effects

• Industrial Light & Magic (ILM)
• Matte World Digital

Other Companies

• Clairmont Camera  camera equipment provided by
• Hollywood Records  soundtrack
• Unique Movie Cars  picture cars

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby SR (35 mm prints)

Certification:

USA:PG-13 (certificate #30592) | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Chile:14 | Finland:K-16 | Germany:16 | Iceland:14 (original rating) | Iceland:16 (video rating) | Netherlands:12 | Norway:15 | Peru:14 | Singapore:PG | South Korea:12 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG

Filming Locations:

Angel Falls, Canaima National Park, Estado Bolívar, Venezuela

Company:

Amblin Entertainment

Trivia:

The sound of a spider being crushed by John Goodman was made by the foley artists crushing a couple of potato chips

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: When the three girls are driving away after being warned about the spiders, one of them says "Yo, Dr.Death" yet none of their mouths move.

Quotes:

Delbert McClintock: [after stepping on a spider, a dog barks in the background] Yeah, that's right... I'm bad!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Good Eats: Okraphobia (#10.9)" (2006)

Soundtrack:

Goin' Ahead

Freakish thriller

"Arachnophobia" is a very entertaining horror movie produced by Steven Spielberg. It's takes the fear of spiders to the next level. The film opens with an expedition in South America where a very deadly tarantula puts the bite on an American photographer, killing him in the process. Just before the body gets transferred back to the U.S., the spider sneaks into the coffin. Once in the states, the tarantula quickly mates with a domestic house spider and that creates the ultimate nightmare. Before you know it, a new strain of spiders have been born, that these little creepy crawlers are just as lethal! Jeff Daniels is excellent as the new doctor in town who hates spiders. He begins to realize something strange is happening. A couple of deaths occur, and the doc feels that these unexpected demises might be spider related. And man it's a scary ride to the finish. "Arachnophobia" literally gave me the creeps. And it's also funny. Many of the film's comedy is provided by John Goodman as the town exterminator. He's literally a hoot. The thing about this movie that surprised me is that I was pulled into the story right from the beginning and it kept my attention all the way to the end. "Arachnophobia" was directed by Frank Marshall, Spielberg's long time collaborater, in his directorial debut. Marshall did a very good job his first time out helming a film which looked like a promising career move at first. He made his second film, "Alive" a few years later (I've not seen this one yet). Then he made "Congo", which was one of the worst movies of 1995, and hasn't directed another movie since (at least not to my knowledge). But "Arachnophobia" was an above average debut for Marshall. He's got good potential as a director. This isn't a brilliant movie, but a good one. And it's lots of fun. One word of warning: if you have a fear of spiders, don't watch this. You'll probably hate it. Don't say I didn't warn you.

*** (out of four)