Spider Baby

Umbrella Entertainment

R4 DVD

Web: http://www.umbrellaent.com.au/

Spider Baby is an extremely weird film; it is a superb example of 1960’s schlock cinema combining horror, comedy and just plain weirdness into one unforgettable package. Originally shot in 1964 but not released until 1968 thanks to some major financial problems, Spider Baby (also known under the more sensationalist titles Cannibal Orgy or The Maddest Story Ever Told) is a strange viewing experience. For many years a good copy was very hard to find so a Director’s cut is a truly joyous experience.

Chauffer Bruno (played superbly by Lon Chaney) looks after a decaying and isolated gothic mansion where the very last generation of the Merrye family reside. While wealthy, they have been cursed by a disease brought on by generations of inbreeding. It seems that when they reach the age of ten the members of the clan begin to regress, becoming more and more childlike until they cross a threshold and reach a state of “pre-human savagery and cannibalism”. All of the remaining family members are suffering from the syndrome; the most advanced are already safely locked in cells in the basement where they have literally become like animals, physically and mentally. Ralphie is the most far gone and may have to go downstairs soon, while Virginia, stunningly played by Jill Banner, thinks she is a spider and wanders the house with a net and daggers drawn waiting to “play spider”. Elizabeth is the most normal of the three but is easier led and seemingly obsessed with hating everything and everyone, sadly the syndrome is slowly catching up with her as well. This is surely the Adams family meets the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, a sort of cannibal inbred version of the Munsters !

The film opens when a postman comes to make a delivery and Bruno is away. He puts his head throw a window to see if anyone is at home, since the house is in a state of decay the frame falls down and catches him. Virginia sees this as a chance to play “spider” and throwing a net over his head stabs him repeatedly, slicing off his ear before killing him. When Bruno returns he arranges for the mess to be cleaned up and opens the letter that the postman was delivering, it is from a lawyer advising that he is bringing some relatives to see the Merrye clan and they are coming today.

It seems these distant relatives have their eye on the Merrye wealth and have decided to force the children into care and throw Bruno out on the street but things don’t quite turn out as planned. It seems that Virginia when confronted with danger becomes homicidal and slowly with the help of Elizabeth and Ralph their guests experience a very unusual night.

This is a superbly bizarre film, it offers beautiful black and white cinematography which has been most lovingly restored, a superb soundtrack (including a truly kooky intro song about a cannibal orgy sung by Lon Chaney himself no less) and awesome performances. Lon Chaney is cool, charming and unflappable even when the girls have slaughtered with abandon, Jill Banner is really something to see. The spider obsessed girl is a lesson in madness which is just so odd it keeps your eyes glues to the screen.

This is the full restored Director’s Cut of the film and also includes some great extras. An audio commentary, a 32 minute documentary “The Hatching of Spider Baby”, Spider Stravinsky on the music of Spider Baby, the Merrye House Revisited, an alternate opening sequence, an extended scene and a stills gallery.