Rating: 
Summary: Move Over Spider-Man!!
Review: Amazingly, "Earth vs. The Spider," has eye-poping special effects, thanks to monster-maker Stan Winston (Jurassic Park III, A.I. Artificial Intelligence, Aliens). At first, I didn't know what to expect when I bought the "Earth vs. The Spider" DVD. I just knew that it would be a good flick, because of Stan Winstan and co-star Dan Aykroyd!If you've never heard of "Earth vs. The Spider," this is a story about a man named, Quentin who loves comic books. He works as a security guard at a biotech research lab. He spends his nights at home dreaming of becoming his favorite comic book superhero: The Arachnid Avenger. A spider-man like human that goes about saving the city from evil-doers, much like "Spider-Man." Only more like a "real spider-man." When some thugs ambush the lab, and kill his partner. He injects himself with a top-secret drug made from the blood of a laboratory spider. Slowly, the effects of the injection changes his body. Instead of trying to become like a superhero he once dreams of, he becomes more like spider insticts that infect his body. Hmmm...interesting. All in all, this is an excellent monster movie, that will make the hairs on your neck stand up...
Rating:
Summary: Move Over Spider-Man!!
Review: Amazingly, "Earth vs. The Spider," has eye-poping special effects, thanks to monster-maker Stan Winston (Jurassic Park III, A.I. Artificial Intelligence, Aliens). At first, I didn't know what to expect when I bought the "Earth vs. The Spider" DVD. I just knew that it would be a good flick, because of Stan Winstan and co-star Dan Aykroyd! If you've never heard of "Earth vs. The Spider," this is a story about a man named, Quentin who loves comic books. He works as a security guard at a biotech research lab. He spends his nights at home dreaming of becoming his favorite comic book superhero: The Arachnid Avenger. A spider-man like human that goes about saving the city from evil-doers, much like "Spider-Man." Only more like a "real spider-man." When some thugs ambush the lab, and kill his partner. He injects himself with a top-secret drug made from the blood of a laboratory spider. Slowly, the effects of the injection changes his body. Instead of trying to become like a superhero he once dreams of, he becomes more like spider insticts that infect his body. Hmmm...interesting. All in all, this is an excellent monster movie, that will make the hairs on your neck stand up...
Rating: 
Summary: Just Like the Good Old Days
Review: Back in the 50s, monster movies most often revolved around the mutation of a human being into a morphed killer, who kept on killing right until the closing credits. In EARTH VS THE SPIDER, director Scott Ziehl captures the essence of the innocent days when a man monster places himself squarely against society in a way that elicits some sympathy from the audience. Modernized versions of the transformation movie usually attempt to interject some politically correct philosophical underpininning, much as Jeff Goldblum tried in his update of THE FLY. David Summersall plays Quentin, a nerdish security guard who protects his boss's arachnid DNA experiments by day and dreams of being Spiderman by night. Quentin is your typical post-adolescent who is shy about asking out his pretty neighbor, played by Amelia Heinle. During a break-in by thugs who kill his best friend, Quentin tries to do on purpose what Peter Parker did by accident in SPIDERMAN. Quentin deliberately injects spider DNA into his body with predicatble results. But in the world of EARTH VS THE SPIDER, spider powers accompany a spider's body. Quentin slowly changes into a spider that must feed on fresh human blood. It is at this point, that director Ziehl succeeds admirably in fusing the world of the comic hero with the world of the 50s mutant hero. Many of the scenes blend seamlessly from stark horror to bemused comedy. Dan Akroyd, for one of the few times in his career, plays a straight role as Lieutenant Grillo, who seeks this new webbed killer. Theresa Russell, however, is miscast as his slatternly wife, who sleepwalks through her role as a boozy flirt. The charm of EARTH VS THE SPIDER lies not in the special effects of Jeff Winston, who does his usual superlative job of making the impossibly gross seem inevitably straightforward, but in the comforting feeling that unpretentious fright flicks like this one can take the viewer back to a more innocent time when angry villagers with torches storm the mad scientist's castle to remove an evil presence. This is a gem of a movie that deserves to be on the shelf of any serious fan of the gothic genre.
Rating:
Summary: Just Like the Good Old Days
Review: Back in the 50s, monster movies most often revolved around the mutation of a human being into a morphed killer, who kept on killing right until the closing credits. In EARTH VS THE SPIDER, director Scott Ziehl captures the essence of the innocent days when a man monster places himself squarely against society in a way that elicits some sympathy from the audience. Modernized versions of the transformation movie usually attempt to interject some politically correct philosophical underpininning, much as Jeff Goldblum tried in his update of THE FLY. David Summersall plays Quentin, a nerdish security guard who protects his boss's arachnid DNA experiments by day and dreams of being Spiderman by night. Quentin is your typical post-adolescent who is shy about asking out his pretty neighbor, played by Amelia Heinle. During a break-in by thugs who kill his best friend, Quentin tries to do on purpose what Peter Parker did by accident in SPIDERMAN. Quentin deliberately injects spider DNA into his body with predicatble results. But in the world of EARTH VS THE SPIDER, spider powers accompany a spider's body. Quentin slowly changes into a spider that must feed on fresh human blood. It is at this point, that director Ziehl succeeds admirably in fusing the world of the comic hero with the world of the 50s mutant hero. Many of the scenes blend seamlessly from stark horror to bemused comedy. Dan Akroyd, for one of the few times in his career, plays a straight role as Lieutenant Grillo, who seeks this new webbed killer. Theresa Russell, however, is miscast as his slatternly wife, who sleepwalks through her role as a boozy flirt. The charm of EARTH VS THE SPIDER lies not in the special effects of Jeff Winston, who does his usual superlative job of making the impossibly gross seem inevitably straightforward, but in the comforting feeling that unpretentious fright flicks like this one can take the viewer back to a more innocent time when angry villagers with torches storm the mad scientist's castle to remove an evil presence. This is a gem of a movie that deserves to be on the shelf of any serious fan of the gothic genre.
Rating:
Summary: The Path Spiderman Could Have Stumbled Upon
Review: Ever want to be a superhero? Well, Quentin certainly did, dreaming about being a hero like his idol, the "Arachnid Avenger." He found himself very inadequate in real life, however, with his job as a lowly security guard at a biotech company not allowing him to live his dreams. He couldn't stop local crime in his neighborhood, get the dream girl living in the apartment next door, or even feel good about himself. Still, all of this changes when the company he works for is infiltrated and things go terribly wrong, leaving him with a dead partner, a former occupation, and the chance to inject himself with a secret weapons research project involving extracts from spiders. That's when things go wonderfully wrong.
To me, this movie felt like a classical superhero story at first, with the challenges of life inflicting someone who found themselves in a position of inferiority. Then, out of the blue, a chance to become more presents itself and Quentin, being obsessed with the idea of having superpowers, can't pass it up. With them comes instant gratification, and he finds himself becoming something he never dreamed of, a man with strength, speed, and other, stranger (spider-like) abilities. Still, the bubble bursts soon enough when he finds that Stan Winston isn't interested in a superhero at all, and that Creature Features are just that.
Having seen all the hype behind Spiderman's impending release, I found this movie a bit too fun to pass up. I know how Winston gets with his monsters, and I knew that the "boy wonder" wouldn't have that happy ending he had been longing for. Despite being a bit predictable, the movie still had a lot to offer, and you can actually taste everything going wrong at first and began to wonder when everything would stop going wrong by the end. I really wasn't disappointed in the least, except in one small regard, the fact that I could have used a bit more of that wonderful finished monster product. Still, its a worthy "remake" and definitely worth buying.
Rating:
Summary: Surprisingly Good!
Review: Having only bought this because I am A)a horror fan B) a Dan Akroyd fan and C) A Stan Winston fan (I say only but those are three good reasons right there...oh well) I must say I didnt have high hopes for it. I had prior knowledge that they attempted to make a newer version of an old B movie so my expectations were low and I was ready to give it more than a fair chance. What I got was actually a pretty good story line (although hokey and cliche) with good acting and awesome special effects. This also displayed some interesting cinematic techniques at times like transitions from comic book pages (which the movie is based around) to live shots. Of course, I have to give the standard BS warning. If you're looking for an Oscar winner, look elsewhere. Blah blah blah. The intent wasn't to win an Oscar, it also wasn't to make a butt load of money, it was to create something fun and fairly original (yes it is a "remake" but it has its obvious differences). The actors, director, and producers went into this knowing that and the end product is something better than you'd expect. So if you like cheesy horror movies, you'll be surprised at the lack of cheese and the valiant effort to actually make a decent movie. Still, I'd recommend you go into it with the lowest expectations because when the end credits role you'll have a better appreciation for it. I also heard the rest of the movies in the Creature Feature series aren't nearly as admirable.
Rating:
Summary: Spiderman Gone Bad
Review: I ordered this DVD thinking it was either an enhanced version of the 1950's black and white sci-fi flick "Earth vs. the Spider" or a remake of that same classic. It was neither. In tune with the relase of the box-office smash "Spider-man" this two year earlier horror film has a plot completely contrary to the comic book character. This human turned spider is a bad guy...and instead of having normal hands and legs that give him the ability to climb walls, he grows EIGHT new limbs. It, too, has a love interest storyline. Dan Akroyd is the detective. This is a great film to see AFTER "Spider-man". I would, however, love to see the original 50's classic of "Earth vs. the Spider" on DVD.
Rating: 
Summary: Almost unwatchable
Review: I regret buying this one, I couldn't even finish watching it. If you are intrigued by the positive reviews, rent don't buy!
Rating: 
Summary: Nerds, spiders, and noir setting! Oh My!
Review: I'm a fan of B-style movies. So when I heard of the new Creature Feature series, I thought this series would be fun! Well, I found "Earth Versus the Spider" to be merely average, with occasional touches of greatness. When nerdy security guard Quentin's partner is killed by thugs, Quentin takes matters into his own hands by injecting himself with a mysterious 'spider' juice, which temporarily gives him really cool powers. Unfortunately, the side affects are monstrous- quite literally, thus begins a "Jekyll and Hyde" story for the modern age. Pro's: I liked the film 'noir' setting. The cool costumes, and the acting. Cons: I just didn't like the Quentin character. Perhaps if he'd been a more likeable guy, I would've felt sorry for him. As it was, he was just a little too weird and a little too nerdy for me to care what happened to him. Plus, despite the comic book interest he wasn't nerdy enough. I much prefer "She Creature" another title in this series..
Rating:
Summary: Surprisingly Good!
Review: The B-horror movie seems to be in vogue. For a long time we were inundated with huge, expensive blockbusters, of which I need provide no examples as there are so many. However, a number of recent releases proves that the B-movie, the staple of the drive-in theater, is not dead. In a variation on the "Spiderman" theme, nerdy Quentin Kemmer (David Summersall) dreams of being a superhero. Working at a biotech facility, Quentin has an opportunity to inject himself with a serum that gives Quentin the powers of a spider. Quentin almost immediately saves Stephanie Lewis (Amelia Heinle) from a rapist/murderer. As the movie progresses, it turns out that beautiful Stephanie likes Quentin, and may even be interested in him. Unfortunately for Quentin, his new spider powers come with the terrible side effect of turning him into a real spider, with the hunger of a real spider. Soon Quentin has all sorts of interesting physical changes that make him unsuitable for lovely Stephanie. In the best tradition of the B-movie, Stephanie doesn't give up on Quentin even when he's threatening to make her his next meal. Dan Ackroyd also has a lead role in this movie as the appropriately named Detective Jack Grillo. Dan never quite puts his finger on the situation until near the end of the movie, when he realizes that just maybe a really big spider is killing everyone. Unfortunately, he also loses his lovely, but unfaithful and apparently alcoholic, wife Trixie (Theresa Russell). In one of those wonderful coincidences so common to the B-movie, Trixie's lover Officer Williams (Christopher Cousins) also meets his fate at the fangs of the spider. Interestingly, the normally humorous Dan Ackroyd plays a serious character, but is just over the top enough to be a caricature of an old-style gumshoe. The special effects of Sam Winston are good and valuable in this movie, yet the success of the movie hinges not on the special effects, but on the plot. The characters provide a nearly believable innocence found in the monster movies of yore. We want Quentin to be good and to recover. We fall in love with the innocent, naïve Stephanie, and want Quentin and her to be together. We feel sorry for hard-working Detective Grillo, whose wife does not understand his commitment to his job. An old-fashioned monster movie pulls us in and allows us to relive the days of "I Was a Teenage Werewolf." This movie is worthy of a horror fan's collection, and certainly worth at least one watch. This movie is most particularly worthy of a Saturday night in the fall, with someone by your side to pull in close when the spider strikes.
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