Now on Blu-ray and DVD Big Ass Spider takes you back to the era where insects, dinosaurs, lizards and Jungle beasts were all the horror rage. Not a lot of that survived over the years except for the Japanese fable Godzilla that will be released May of this year. With this creature film however, the insect horror genre gets a face lift and a shot of energy from modern day CGI special effects, very good likeable characters and a nice direction job by Mike Mendez. If you like your horror that comes at you out of the crevices and strikes with a web of terror, then run out and grab a Big Ass Spider.
The film opens with Alex (Greg Grunberg), a pest exterminator saving Mrs. Jefferson (Lin Shaye) from another night of lost sleep by catching a rodent. On the way back to his truck he gets bitten by a spider that has crawled onto his uniform. Being cautious he goes to the nearest hospital and gets a shot. While there a dead body gets wheeled down the hall past him and into an examining room. When the examiner turns his back on the black bag, out craws a huge spider and attacks him.
The incident gets discovered while Alex is about to pay his bill and a team of military come busting into the reception room. Alex overhears Major Braxton (Ray Wise) and Lieutenant Karly Brant (Clare Kramer) that they made a mistake and they need to find a spider that has escaped from their lab. It seems that Alex has a special feel for spiders and knows how they react to the environment. With the aid of Jose (Lombardo Boyar) a hospital security guard they start on the trail of the scientifically produced spider that quadruples in size every 4 hours.
The two spider hunters, Alex and Jose are a perfect, but they find themselves over their heads in this frightening ordeal. Director Mike Mendez (Gravedancers, The Convent) delivers Gregory Gieras’s wild and wacky script with aplomb, creating a very cool scary film with just the right amount of comedy to carry it through to its tenacious attacking spider ending.
A tip of the hat to stars Greg Grunberg (TV’s “Heros” and “Felicity”) and Lombardo Boyar (Next Day Air) who makes this insect horror project work. The two make up the perfect buddy team that put on a great show bouncing physical and ethnic humor off each other during some of the most terrifying moments on film. From the moment the two meet in the film you just know there’s going to be a lot of chaos happening throughout.
But, what would a good horror flick be without a dazzling lady to bring a share of romance to the film. That’s Clare Kramer as the hot and temperamental Lieutenant Karly Brant. She knows how to handle a gun and she uses it often and in the nick of time to save Alex from near death. Kramer has just the right balance of comeliness and fire that keeps Alex interested in more than killing a big ass spider.
There are some of the best computer graphics seamlessly moving around in the movie. From a very huge tough plated spider, buildings crumbling under its spike feet and explosions going on all of Los Angeles. The killing looks actual and gory and the web nets the spider shoots out looks really sticky. In several scenes we see the spider wrap its victims and then gobble them down, yuck!
Big Ass Spider has been rated PG-13 by the MPAA for sci-fi violence and gore. There is also some rude language in the film. If you have a fear of spiders, just keep saying to yourself “remember it’s only a movie”.
BONUS FEATURES: The film has a couple of good bonus features that are worth a watch. “SXSW Featurette” shows the crowds at the screening of the film at the film festival. There comments are priceless. “Interview with the cast” has Greg Grunberg and Lombardo Boyar talking about their roles and some of the scenes in the film. But the best bonus is the Audio Commentary by Grunberg and director Mike Mendez. For sure, turn this on by going to “Set-up” after you have seen the film for a lot of very funny comments on what they did during each of the scenes, sets and spider CGI.
Specifications and additional film information:
Cast: Greg Grunberg, Lombardo Boyar, Ray Wise, Lin Shaye, Clare Kramer, Patrick Bauchau,
Director: Mike Mendez
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for sci-fi violence and gore
Genre: Sci-Fi, Horror, Terror
Running Time:1 hr 20 min
Video Release Date: January 7, 2014
Original Film Release Date: March 12, 2013
Language: English
Format: Blu-ray/DVD
Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1 and 2.0
Video: Widescreen 1.78:1 Aspect Ratio fills 16×9 TV Screens
Subtitles: None
Number of Discs: 1 Disc Blu-ray
Distributed by: Epic Pictures Group
Writer, critic, film editor John Delia, Sr. has been on all sides of the movie business from publications to film making. He has worked as a film critic with ACED Magazine for more than 20 years and other publications for a total of 40 years. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Florida. John is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association and Critics Association of Central Florida Send John a message at jdelia@acedmagazine.com
