Back in the late 1980s, Disney CEO and chairmanMichael Eisner, in an attempt to appease the growing ranks of his production executives, decided that instead of one adult-skewering in-house division, he neededtwo. Touchstone, which was established shortly before Eisner joined Disney and in the years since was responsible for producing some of the company’s all-time biggest hits (likePretty WomanandThree Men and a Baby), would now be joined by Hollywood Pictures, a division whose logo was, for some reason, a sphinx and not anything remotely Hollywood-y. The first movie released under the banner wasArachnophobia, co-produced bySteven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment, and a movie that we very much should be celebrating as a creature feature classic, 30 years after its initial release.
Arachnophobia, directed by longtime Spielberg confederateFrank Marshalland produced by his wife, future Lucasfilm leaderKathleen Kennedy, concerns a lovely couple played byJeff DanielsandHarley Jane Kozak, who along with their family move from San Francisco to his hometown of Canaima, a sleepy northern California hamlet. He’s the new town physician and as such is struck, almost immediately, by a series of bizarre deaths that, it turns out, are linked to a lethal South American spider species. (The movie’s cold open, which plays before we even meet our main characters, follows a spider as it makes its way from the jungle to Canaima.) Oh, and it’s probably worth mentioning that Daniels’ character has a debilitating fear of spiders that has roots in childhood trauma (a scene that, while not dramatized in the movie, was rendered vividly in the movie’s tie-in comic book – something I still cannot shake). So that’s fun.
At the time Disney had no idea what to do withArachnophobia. Unlike other studios like Universal, the studio had no real experience making or marketing horror movies. And even Spielberg’s involvement seemed like a tenuous link to make, especially when their relationship with the director soured following a disagreement over the placement of a new Roger Rabbit short film that summer (he wanted it onArachnophobia, Disney wanted it onDick Tracy; Disney ultimately won out). Instead of attempting to earnestly explain whatArachnophobiawas, which very much has a rollicking, roller coaster-y “Steven Spielberg presents” vibe, they instead chose to coin a new phrase that they never, ever used again. To DisneyArachnophobiawas the first-ever “thrillomedy.” This word actually appeared in marketing materials before the film was released and is even spoken aloud in the theatrical trailer. It was meant to establish the mixture of thrills and comedy you’d definitely experience while watchingArachnophobiabut it was also probably used to assure families that, yes, the PG-13 movie was scary, but this was Disney and you’ll have some laughs too.
And it’s a shame, too. Because while trying to describe something deeply, it ended up saying nothing much about the movie itself. AndArachnophobiais awesome. It’s truly a creature feature classic, from a period of cinema that you don’t closely associate with successful monster movies. And what makes it so powerful is that it is so relatable – every house, no matter how new or elaborate, has spiders. They’re always just hanging around. To have those spiders, which at the very least are a scary nuisance, turn into something deeply threatening, is incredible.Arachnophobiaweaponizes the humdrum. And the results are deeply scary.
The screenplay, by genre veterans Wesley Strick and Dan Jakoby, tips its hat to the genre’s past, particularly in the elaborate “find the queen, destroy the nest” final act. But there’s enough wit and character in there, too, that it all feels very human. Daniels, for instance, when he first enters the town, is somewhat shut out, with many of the townsfolk still pledging allegiance to the ailing doctor who had agreed to retire. When the deaths start to happen (including the elderly doctor), suspicion falls on Daniels. This kind of small-town intrigue adds color and layers to what could have otherwise been fairly straightforward. And Marshall made some genuinely genius choices when it came to the supporting actors that populate the movie. In particular,Julian Sandsas the spider expert, who gets to indulge in somebig moments, carries an air of exotic sophistication. He’s the only one who can save the small town, or at least impart some knowledge, precisely because he is so removed from its insulated ecosystem. (Brian McNamaraexudes youthful graduate school enthusiasm as Sands’ second-in-command.) AndJohn Goodman, on the complete opposite end of the spectrum, adds much of the “comedy” to the “thrillomedy,” as a local exterminator. Goodman’s performance is a complete character piece; he wears Coke bottle glasses and talks in a mushy, marble-mouthed way. you’re able to feel that he was pulling away from the character so many had known him from television, but that he was still willing to embrace that every-man mentality. His character might be a goofball, but he knows his stuff and becomes a key ally in defeating the eight-legged foe.
If you’ve never seenArachnophobia, now is the time — and luckily it’s currently available onMovies Anywhereand iseligible forScreen Pass. It’s one of those movies they rarely make anymore – a standalone, super-fun movie that everyone can see and has just the right amount of scares to make you jump. The movie builds brilliantly until it becomes a skin-crawling free-for-all, thanks largely to superb editorial work by Spielberg regularMichael Kahn. Also worth noting is the beautiful photography by Danish cinematographerMikael Salomonand a score byTrevor Jonesthat always perfectly captures the scene, oscillating between triumph and dread. (Goodman’s character has a twangy, almost cowboy-ish theme; the spiders’ is much more intense.) This is one of those movies where everything came together in just the right way and even if it isn’t appreciated yet as the classic that it is, it will be one day.Arachnophobiaforever.
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