(1977) Directed by Don “Bud” Cardos; Written by Richard Robinson and Alan Caillou; Original story by Jeffrey M. Sneller and Stephen Lodge; Starring: William Shatner, Tiffany Bolling, Woody Strode, Lieux Dressler, Marcy Lafferty and Roy Engel; Available on Blu-ray and DVD.
Rating: ***
“Look, it’s not just a bunch of spiders, it’s a migration caused by some kind of imbalance – probably because a lot of ignorant people like yourself have killed off all their food with your stupid DDT. And I’ll tell you something else, sir, there’s not just a few spiders out there, there’s millions of them, and your town is right in their path.” – Diane Ashley (Tiffany Bolling)
“Jeff Sneller and I were sitting in a restaurant across the
street from CBS Studio Center, and he said, ‘How would you like to write a
horror picture?’ And I said, ‘Well, what’s the thing that scares you the most?’
And we both thought for a minute, and both of us at the same time said, ‘spiders.’
And so, we went to a library and checked out a book on spiders, read it as
quick as we could, and by the next morning we were writing.” – Stephen Lodge
If there was a golden age for nature-out-of-balance movies, the 1970s certainly fit the bill. Featuring more killer bug movies than you could spray a can of Raid at (Phase IV, Bug, Empire of the Ants, etc…), audiences were left perennially wondering what sort of creepy crawlies awaited them in the dark. Original story writer Stephen Lodge cited Jaws, The Birds, and a steady diet of ‘50s horror flicks as his (and co-writer Jeffrey M. Sneller) inspiration for Kingdom of the Spiders. With many (if not most) people accustomed to fearing the eight-legged creatures,*/** the filmmakers had a built-in audience.
* Fun Fact #1: Only about 0.1 to 0.3 percent of spiders are considered dangerous to humans (“Why So Many People Fear Spiders and Snakes,” Psychology Today).
** Fun Fact #2: According to psychologist Vanessa LoBue, her research with young children suggested fear of spiders (and snakes) isn’t something that’s ingrained, but socialized (ibid).
Terror comes to the formerly peaceful small town of Verde Valley, Arizona (filmed in and around Sedona, Arizona), when a poor farmer’s (Woody Strode) prize calf suddenly keels over dead. Veterinarian Dr. Robert “Rack” Hansen (William Shatner) is perplexed by the death, so he contacts the local college for an expert to investigate. Diane Ashley (Tiffany Bolling)*/** arrives to a mystery, discovering not only a species more venomous than previously known, but the normally solitary arachnids coordinating in groups.*** After overcoming Rack’s initial cynicism about the threat, they combine forces to warn the rest of the town, but they meet resistance in the oblivious Mayor Connors (Roy Engel), who seems to have been cut from the same cloth as Amity’s mayor in Jaws. Connors has the upcoming county fair on his mind, and he’s not about to let some spiders ruin his town’s biggest annual event. But the spiders have different plans.
* Fun Fact #3: Before Bolling joined the project, two other actresses, Donna Mills and Barbara Hale were considered for the role of Diane Ashley, except both were terrified of spiders. Since Bolling didn’t mind working with them, she clinched the part.
** Fun Fact #4: Prior to Kingdom of the Spiders, Bolling appeared in another arachnid-adjacent role, in Sid and Marty Krofft’s Electra Woman and Dyna Girl (1976), as the crimefighting duo’s archnemesis, Spider Lady.
*** Despite being an “expert,” she refers to the spiders as
insects. But perhaps the most unbelievable aspect of the story was how she
managed to afford a new Mercedes convertible as a (presumably) state employee.
William Shatner is no stranger to playing smug characters, but Rack Hansen */** might have been specifically sent down from the heavens to harass women. When Diane checks into a motel, a brief exchange with the proprietor implies he’s at least dated (if not slept with) every female resident of legal age. As written (and portrayed by Shatner), he’s a cartoonishly sexist character who thinks being condescending is his idea of flirting. In the most egregious scene, he pursues her in his pickup truck, cuts her off the road, throws her in the passenger seat of her own car and takes the wheel (Our hero, folks). If this is typical Rack behavior, one has to wonder how or why he hasn’t been slapped with several restraining orders. To state Rack and Diane don’t share the greatest chemistry is putting it mildly, since he starts off on the wrong foot and continues to tread with said foot in their interactions. Eventually, he wears her down, although she seems more resigned to her fate than smitten by Rack.
* Fun Fact #5: Bo Svenson was the filmmakers’ first choice for the role of Rack Hansen, but he turned it down.
** Fun Fact #6: Shatner was offered $20,000 for the part, as well as a percentage of the profits, but his agent was adamant against him accepting the role for what he considered a paltry sum. Shatner ending up saying “yes” to the part, subsequently firing his agent.
*** Fun Fact #7: According to co-star Bolling, Shatner kept
hitting on her, despite the fact that his then wife Marcy Lafferty was on the
set.
Let’s face it. We don’t give a hoot whether Shatner and
Bolling hook up in the end – we’re just here to see spider-based mayhem, and
oh, does it deliver. The real acting kudos belong to the movie’s unsung performers,
several thousand tarantulas. The filmmakers brought in several different species,
some of which were more “people friendly” than others, using the more docile varieties
(such as the Mexican red-kneed tarantula) for interactions with the human
actors and more aggressive species (Haitian brown tarantulas) for long shots. According
to spider handler Jim Brockett, spiders can’t be “trained,” so they needed to
be coaxed (often a blast of compressed air did the trick). It was quite a daunting
task managing the tarantulas during the shoot, while ensuring that as many as
possible survived. Despite the cast and crew’s best efforts, you can clearly
see there were some casualties along the way, especially when there are
multiple cars and people.
Kingdom of the Spiders’* concept of spiders co-existing in a colony was later recycled in Arachnophobia (1990), but recent discoveries proved it’s not entirely fantastical. The behavior was recently observed in Madagascar, with a previously unknown species, so the premise isn’t entirely wonky. The plot’s recipe is simple yet effective: introduce killer spiders, watch them multiply, repeat. While the film score is far from original (Twilight Zone fans will appreciate or be annoyed that the filmmakers chose to repurpose some of Jerry Goldsmith’s musical cues from the TV show), it’s eerily effective when used sparingly. Kingdom of the Spiders tests the mettle of its audience. Even those who don’t mind a spider or two,** might find the hordes of arachnids in the film to be unsettling. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself checking your clothes and bedding for unwanted guests.
* Fun Fact #8: Shatner had originally planned to direct and star in a sequel to Kingdom of the Spiders with Cannon Films producing, but the deal fell through when Cannon went out of business.
** Fun Fact #9: Yours truly kept a Chilean Rose tarantula named “Bela” (much to the chagrin of visitors) for about a decade.
Sources for this article: DVD commentary by John “Bud”
Cardos, Igo Kantor, Spider Wrangler Jim Brockett, and Cinematographer John
Morrill; “Interview with Writer Steve Lodge” (2010); “Spider Solidarity: Scientists Discover New Species With Unprecedented Social Behavior,” by Carolyn
Bernhardt, M.A., Entomologytoday.org (March 30, 2023);
“Why So Many People Fear Spiders and Snakes,” by Vanessa LoBue Ph.D., Psychologytoday.com
