by alex davis
USA, 81 minsThey certainly knew how to title films in the old days, didn't they? This one is (if memory serves me right) the oldest film we've looked at here at Film Gutter, and might well be one of the oldest we ever get the chance to look at, especially if you roll with the argument that 1963's Blood Feast was fundamentally the first gore film. This movie certainly has built up a cult following, and stars none other than Lon Chaney – the Wolfman himself, among many other roles – so let's take a look what it's all about. The story follows the Merrye family, a strange band of children look after by their chauffer, Bruno. We begin with an intro telling us all about 'Merrye Syndrome', the rare psychological disorder the family suffers with, before we see the two girls of the family kill a mailman delivering them a letter. That letter says that some distant relatives are on their way to visit the family, along with a lawyer, to see them again and check the kind of lives they are living. Bruno strongly encourages them to behave and be normal whilst all this is going on, but of course things do rather go horribly wrong when a normal element of society comes calling... It's funny to think this movie is fifty years old, because there were many elements here than I had seen in much newer films. The concept of creepy or killer kids practically pervades modern horror, but was relatively new at this point in time, and the younger members of the family are certainly memorably portrayed (including a young Sid Haig in the role of Ralph). Chaney is also pretty likeable as the put-upon Bruno, trying to bridge the gap between the troubled kids and the real world that unexpectedly comes to their door. But this was the 60s, and while there are moments that are pretty creepy and points that are somewhat disturbing, it's to no small extent played for laughs. At heart Spider Baby is a good horror comedy, playing with many of tropes and doing so with panache as well as love and respect from them – a lot of horror comedies, for me, miss the mark because their parody of the genre is too unpleasant and comes from a place of not understanding what it is that makes the genre great. Jack Hill's offering nods to plenty – including a couple of sneaky Wolfman references in honour of Lon Chaney – whilst having its own identity and freshness. Overall, it's an enjoyable little film, although I was left with an overall feeling that it probably could have been creepier than it ultimately was. The start and the end deliver a good bit in terms of unsettling moments, but the middle focuses more on the comedy – which isn't bad, but it does feel slightly unsettled as a movie. If the horror and comedy were woven together a bit better throughout, I think I would have liked this even more. It has energy and it has some great performances but it's a little too disjointed to really hit the heights. RATING: 7/10. Spider Baby is certainly quirky, and I can understand why it has built up a cult following over time – it's got a lot of good qualities to it, and it's hard not to like to at least some extent. Lots have liked it more than me from the looks of it, but it feels as though an unnerving opening and closing are bookending a central section very much focused on comedy. All those segments work, in their own way, but it leaves the movie feeling a bit odd in terms of pacing. So it's a very decent 7/10 for this cult favourite. 
BOOK REVIEW: NIGHT ROADS BY JOHN FOSTER |
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