Kingdom of the Spiders (1977) 5.6 of 10 stars ⭐An above average monster movie…

 An above average monster movie…

Kingdom of the Spiders (1977) 5.6 of 10 stars ⭐

…with a fun bit of '70's nostalgia thrown in.

Basic Plot: 

Walter and Birch Colby (Woody Strode & Altovise Davis) have just lost their prize calf. They were counting on winning the Verde Valley Fair and Rodeo (and BBQ picnic). What's worse, the local vet,  Dr. Robert 'Rack' Hansen (William Shatner), says he might have to quarantine their entire ranch. He's not even sure what killed it, but he has sent off samples to Tempe to be analyzed.

Strode & Davis

Before the week's out, Diane Ashley (Tiffany Bolling), an out of place entomologist, shows up with wild theories about how the calf was killed by spider venom. 

 

Marcy Lafferty as
Terry Hansen 

At first, Rack doesn't believe her. She's got a chip on her shoulder, and won't give Rack the time of day. But as time goes on, they soften to each other, much to the chagrin of Terry Hansen (Marcy Lafferty), Rack's sister-in-law. She was widowed when Rack's brother, John, died in Vietnam. Rack and Terry have been dancing around each other since he died, but now Rack's clearly interested in Diane, and Terry isn't taking it well.

The Colby's show Rack & Diane a monstrous spider mound on their property, and all agree, it has to be destroyed. They think that will be the end of it, but will it? 

Shatner & Bolling

What Works:

*NOT JUST ANOTHER JAWS RIP-OFF At first glance, you might think this is just another Jaws rip-off, but you'd be selling this strange little monster movie short. It's really an eco-warrior movie, with lessons about what happens when you upset the natural balance. 

*IT'S VERY WELL SHOT There's nothing to complain about when viewing this, everything is very well framed, and beautifully shot. It's the kind of quality you just don't get anymore, and that's a damn shame. 

*GREAT ATMOSPHERIC The beauty of northern Arizona adds to the feeling of isolation, and the belief that the characters are beyond the reaches of help.

*THE ENDING IS VERY HITCHCOCKIAN It's not necessarily a happy ending, but neither is it a cloyingly sweet, saccharine ending either. It's very open ended, and I appreciate that. I don't need my movies telegraphed, let me decide. It makes for a better viewing experience. 

*LOTS OF GREAT DETAILS There are tons of small details that make this movie great, like the cow in the backseat of the car, and the chickens in the trunk. 

Chickens in the trunk…

…cow in the backseat.

What Doesn't Work:

*SHATNER IS SUCH A BADASS, THE VENOM DOESN'T KILL HIM?  That's a bit of ridiculousness, but I can forgive it, because you know, it's Shatner! 

To Recommend or Not to Recommend, that is the Question:

I would definitely recommend to Shatner fans, to fans of '70's nostalgia, and to cheesy monster movie fans. It made me miss the drive in.

Fun fact: 

Ve Neill did the make-up for this movie