Spider Baby (1967)
Posted: Sat Oct 21, 2017 2:01 pm
Since we are talking about Halloween movies, I post a little write-up of Spider Baby (1967), or The Maddest Story Ever Told which I thought was fantastic!
It's a dark comedy/horror film that really is essential; I can't believe I have never heard of it until recently when I saw it on a movie list, and figured I'd try it out.
Spider Baby centers on the Merrye family, who are 'strange' to say the least. The three Merrye children are orphans who suffer from a disease called the Merrye Syndrome, so named because only their family has it. The Merrye Syndrome is a degenerative disease that makes them digress in behavior until they are less than infants. Implausible as the premise is, it carries if you suspend your disbelief.
The Merrye children live in their family home with Lon Chaney Jr., who is their caretaker. (This guy rocks!) There are two girls, Virginia and Elizabeth, and a boy, Ralph. Ralph is the oldest, and therefore the one in which the disease has progressed the most. He strongly reminds me of one of the people in Tod Browning's 'Freaks'. The girls are not as progressed in the disease, but one eats spiders and likes to play "Spider" which is really not as fun for the victim as it is for her.
The dark haired sister, who is the spider baby of title, really carries the entire film, although all players are great in it.
Spider Baby is fantastic for a fun Halloween movie, and gives me that same beatnik feel that other dark comedies such as Bucket of Blood (a huge favorite of mine) and Little Shop of Horrors (another huge favorite!) gave me.
I highly recommend this one!
This trailer is not the official one, but I hate the official trailer. Here, this one is better. It has the awesome theme in it, too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wSGLxo2OCY&t=
It's a dark comedy/horror film that really is essential; I can't believe I have never heard of it until recently when I saw it on a movie list, and figured I'd try it out.
Spider Baby centers on the Merrye family, who are 'strange' to say the least. The three Merrye children are orphans who suffer from a disease called the Merrye Syndrome, so named because only their family has it. The Merrye Syndrome is a degenerative disease that makes them digress in behavior until they are less than infants. Implausible as the premise is, it carries if you suspend your disbelief.
The Merrye children live in their family home with Lon Chaney Jr., who is their caretaker. (This guy rocks!) There are two girls, Virginia and Elizabeth, and a boy, Ralph. Ralph is the oldest, and therefore the one in which the disease has progressed the most. He strongly reminds me of one of the people in Tod Browning's 'Freaks'. The girls are not as progressed in the disease, but one eats spiders and likes to play "Spider" which is really not as fun for the victim as it is for her.
The dark haired sister, who is the spider baby of title, really carries the entire film, although all players are great in it.Spider Baby is fantastic for a fun Halloween movie, and gives me that same beatnik feel that other dark comedies such as Bucket of Blood (a huge favorite of mine) and Little Shop of Horrors (another huge favorite!) gave me.
I highly recommend this one!
This trailer is not the official one, but I hate the official trailer. Here, this one is better. It has the awesome theme in it, too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wSGLxo2OCY&t=
