Rating: 
Summary: Loved This Movie
Review: I had never seen or heard of this movie I was browsing the DVD rental store picked it up went home and popped it into the dvd player and then couldnt walk away. I thouroghly enjoyed this movie. I never rent B movies i dont know why I rented this one but I'm happy I did. The opening song was hilarious , The family was creepy, there was overacting , under acting, and good actinig Filmed in Black and White,It was probably ahead of it's time. This movie is now one of my Favorite Movies List So I orderd me a copy of this movie on DVD
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful lost cult film finally gets its due
Review: I had read about this film for years and never really bothered to track down a copy. I hate to say it now, but based on some of Jack Hill's other work (e.g. Blood Bath) I was expecting something more along the lines of, say, House of the Black Death, or an Al Adamson movie. Nothing could be further from the truth; all the praise heaped on it below is totally accurate. The story/screenplay is fresh, funny, and completely bizarre, evoking earlier AND later movies/TV shows like Psycho, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Hills Have Eyes, and The Addams Family, but really very unlike any of them. The cast is uniformly terrific (unlike most low-budget schlock of this era); it's actually hard to single out anyone, although Lon Chaney, icy/hot Carol Ohmart, Quinn Redeker, and Jill Banner (in her first acting role) are especially impressive. And if you (like myself) have reservations about most "horror comedies," relax: this isn't the broad, dated, farcical humor of, for example, roughly contemporary Roger Corman flicks; Spider Baby is played straight, with the humor (and the horror) allowed to arise from the situation, as in all the best comedy. You don't want to know any plot details, just buy this movie; having finally seen Spider Baby, it's leaped instantly into my top ten must-see list. This is one "cult classic" that really deserves its reputation.
The Image DVD does this film a long-delayed justice. The quality of the source print is fantastic, crisp and detailed, with very good contrast and tonal scale, and only the slightest traces of wear (some very minor speckling and a few blemished frames here and there). I agree with another reviewer that the rediscovered "lost" footage IS vital to the movie and should be reincorporated into any future reissue. The audio commentary by Jack Hill, while a little more laid back than, say, Tom Weaver on the Universal discs, is quite interesting and informative. I'm amused that he and several of the principals involved can't seem to understand why their film has such a fervent cult. And after hearing all the comments from Hill and the actors (in footage from the cast and crew reunion) about how much they all believed in the movie, it's heartbreaking to know that it immediately got sucked into litigation and sat essentially unreleased and "lost" for so many years. I could go on and on, but all you need to know is: if you're any kind of cult, horror, exploitation movie freak, see Spider Baby! And remember, it's not nice to hate.
Rating: 
Summary: Spider Baby never looked so good!
Review: I love re-releases, no better way to re-release this little gem than on DVD. the QUALITY OF THE TRANSFER IS MAGNIFICANT! Spider Baby goes down as one of the all-time great cult classic films. Jack Hill's best right next to Switchblade Sisters. This DVD includes 8 minites of long lost footage, that was recently found when they where looking for a good print to use in the transfer. Dvd includes a great little Documentery on the theatrical re-release, with the aging cast remeniscing about to good ol' days, and Jack hill answering a few questions for his cult following. Highly reccomended, check it out if you are into weird movies with simple plots.
Rating: 
Summary: Marginal, at best
Review: I purchased this DVD solely after reviewing the filmographies of two favorites Carol Ohmart and the late Mantan Moreland (who sadly last only about 5 minutes at the beginning of the film). After the initial excitement of the purchase and the thrill of opening the box, the anticipation ended. As a fan of B-pictures, I would hardly call this an essential. I rather felt for the reunited actors in the lame "reunion" section of the DVD. They all look embarrassed at this picture. Its not hard to imagine why. This low budget shocker has few shocks. The script is rather convoluted and the pacing slooooow going. Carol Ohmart gives another riveting performance, but even she is forced to "make the best" of the material. Lon Chaney Jr. gives an often poignant performance, but its hard to him to rise above the circus around him. While there are some genuinely "B movie" moments, this film must be for very acquired tastes, even among B-movie fans. As for the technical aspects of the film. This DVD does boast a superior print. There are very few flaws noted other than some really distracting blotchiness during the last 5 minutes or so (probably age related). The film is framed nicely and the soundtrack is passable. The menu screen is just wonderful and the added features a real bonus. The "30 year reunion" at the Nuart in L.A. is far from a stellar affair. The actors upon leaving the screening look kinda embarrassed but mostly gracious. I have to agree with the Jack Hill's comment in the program regarding not understanding this film's appeal. But this could be said for a lot worse films.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: I was lucky enough to catch this on a big screen at the Cleveland Cinematheque a while ago. SPIDER BABY is an ominous study of hereditary evil that's not afraid to elicit laughter
along with its frights. Wonderfully warped in every way.
Rating:
Summary: How Charles Addams envisioned his cartoon/TV family
Review: If I could give this movie ten stars, that's what it would get! No cult movie collection, B-movie collection, or just movie collection in general is complete without this "lost" film. If you like the bizarre with a comic twist, this is your film. No real blood and gore here, just a neat little movie with a black and white, Sixties TV show kind of look. This movie was way ahead of its time, with an Addams Family feel to it. In fact, from watching the Addams Family on TV and enjoying the Charles Addams cartoons, I always had the feeling that this creepy stuff was really what they were doing just off camera or in their cartoon basement. The camera work, direction, and most of the acting are excellent. Also, the added features, the 30th cast reunion and newly-discovered eight minutes (an interesting curio that really doesn't add to or take away from anything in the theatrical cut) adds to the overall package. My only complaint is the sound level seems to drop in a few places in the movie, but considering how rare this film is, that is a very minor observation. I don't mind hitting the volume control a couple of times to get to enjoy this gem over and over. Jack Hill and his Spider Baby cast rock big time!
Rating:
Summary: "It's not nice to hate" this movie!
Review: Imagine if the Addams Family were cannibalistic and really killed people and Wednesday tried to seduce her relatives. That's Spider Baby in a nutshell. Lon Chaney Jr is fantastic as Brunno, the family chauffer and caretaker of the Merrie children, who suffer from Merrie Syndrome, a disease which causes mental deterioration, and consequently killed the Merrie children's parents. It only affects the Merrie family, as it is the product of generations of inbreeding. Anyway, the childrens' Aunt & Uncle stop by unexpectedly with their lawyer so they can take control of the estate and the children. This movie isn't shocking of gory, but it is a sick little gem that no fan of bizarre cinema should be without. This movie will go straight to the top of your favorite movie list! Do yourself a favor and get a copy before it goes out of print!
Rating:
Summary: Amazing!
Review: In the past, I have always approached Jack Hill's movies with a little bit of excitement, a little bit of curiousity, and a little bit of trepidation, as I do with any cult movie. Let's face it, cult is a genre which is truly hit or miss - some of the movies are amazing, and others are, well, downright horrible. As always, Jack Hill delivers. 'Foxy Brown' was above expectations. 'Switchblade Sisters' truly blew me away. And 'Spider Baby...' I could have never expected what I ended up with. This movie was awesome! The directing is top-notch. The shots, the camera work, the acting are all exactly as they should be in a piece of this genre (the horror/bizarre thriller type). The story, too, is a wonderful one, and the writing adds all the necessary touches to make this a great piece of work. There are many cult-classics out there that have earned their place because of their incessant weirdness, their ultra low-budget feel, or their niche appeal. 'Spider Baby' has earned its place because it is, quite simply, a damn good movie - well-made, well-written, interesting, and unique. All the people I have showed this film to loved it, whether they were cult fans or not. I would recommend this movie to absolutely everyone. (Alas, I have not seen the DVD version and cannot comment on it. The VHS is perfectly wonderful, however.)
Rating:
Summary: Sweet Young Things
Review: Jack Hill's <i>Spider Baby</i> (1964) is a genuinely creepy romp through the finals days of the Merrye family, complete with cannibalism and homicidal jailbait (how sweet it is). The plot is fairly straightforward: family chauffeur Bruno (Lon Chaney, Jr. in one of his last and best roles) has taken on the guardianship of a trio of deranged "children". He tries to protect his wards from their own psychotic tendencies, and from the grasping relatives who try to make a profit from the children's tragic dementia, but ultimately it proves too much for him. It's a wickedly delightful film, full of surprises.
Rating: 
Summary: These cuties pack a sting
Review: Pretty good horror/black comedy has its weird and surreal moments, but is otherwise not all that much out of the mainstream, at least the drive-in movie mainstream. Worth a view for the general weirdness, Lon Chaney's sensitive performance, and the two cute actresses who play the deranged young women Chaney's caretaker character watches over. The print on this Image Entertainment DVD is quite good, and there are some interesting extras. The memorable "X-Files" episode featuring the extremely grotesque hillbilly family suffering from all kinds of in-breeding problems owes a lot to this movie, as does the film "Deliverance", whose strange, scary, and bald banjo-playing weirdo is almost an exact duplicate of the "Ralph" character here. "Spider Baby" is the perfect choice if you're in the mood for something a little off the beaten track.
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