Earth vs. the Spider (1958)

31% of users liked it
(462 ratings)

A man driving along a lonely back road at night is suddenly startled by what he sees, and is promptly killed by something that crashes through his windshield. The next day, in the nearby town of River Falls, teenagers Carol Flynn (June Kenney) and Mike Simpson (Gene Persson) decide to go looking for… More A man driving along a lonely back road at night is suddenly startled by what he sees, and is promptly killed by something that crashes through his windshield. The next day, in the nearby town of River Falls, teenagers Carol Flynn (June Kenney) and Mike Simpson (Gene Persson) decide to go looking for her father, who didn't get home last night. They find his wrecked truck and enter a nearby cave to begin searching for him. There they find his blood-covered hat and other signs of human remains and, as they go deeper inside, suddenly get trapped in a huge web -- then they spot its maker, a spider the size of a small house. They manage to escape and alert the county sheriff (Gene Roth), who doesn't take them seriously but does heed the warning of Mr. Kingman (Ed Kemmer), the science teacher at the local high school, to bring a pest-control crew along with his deputies, and a tanker loaded with DDT. They encounter the creature, and, after losing one of their men, dispatch it with the insecticide. Kingman persuades the sheriff to bring the carcass into town so that he can arrange to have it studied, leaving it in storage at the high school recreation room, for lack of anywhere bigger to keep it. As it turns out, the creature isn't dead, just stunned. As the local rock & roll band rehearses, the giant spider comes to bloodthirsty consciousness, breaking out of the building and ravaging the town. Bullets won't hurt it -- as Kingman says, you could punch holes in it all day without hitting a vital spot -- and the town is soon cut off when the telephone lines are knocked down. ~ Bruce Eder, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 12 min.
Directed By: Bert I. Gordon
Genres: Horror, Mystery & Suspense, Classics, Science Fiction & Fantasy

In Theaters: Sep 1, 1958 Wide
Studio: American International Pictures

Critic Reviews

Steve Crum, Video-Reviewmaster.com
One of those so-bad-it's-good '50s horror/sci-fi "classics."
Steve "Uncle Creepy" Barton, Dread Central
There is never a wrong time to watch this film. It's one of those things that are guaranteed to bring a smile to your face.
James Plath, Movie Metropolis
there's no earth versus anything, only Aykroyd poking around like a paunchy Columbo
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
Typically hokey Gordon fun!

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

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Featured Audience Ratings

Bruce B

This film is part of the Samuel Z Arkoff Cult Classic Collection. Not a bad film, I'm sure a good Drive In Crowd draw during 1959. About a small town with a pretty dumb sheriff who is invaded by a Giant Spider. It takes a Science teacher and a small town road crew to do away with… More
This film is part of the Samuel Z Arkoff Cult Classic Collection. Not a bad film, I'm sure a good Drive In Crowd draw during 1959. About a small town with a pretty dumb sheriff who is invaded by a Giant Spider. It takes a Science teacher and a small town road crew to do away with this beast. Comical in some parts, It amazes me that this type of film capture my attention as a kid as I would sneak up at night to see chiller theater. One scene during movie was a movie theater shot where posters for puppet people and War of Colossal Beast was shown. All in all as far as science fiction Black & white Movies are concern its worth 4 stars.
Keiko A

I really enjoy these crappy monster flicks with horrible acting and storys. But HANG ON! The effects aren't too bad flawed YEAH but still anything more awesome then Wood ever pulled off. Poor acting no doubt made because of the Godzilla craze (MONSTER MOVIES!)
AJ V

Another giant spider? You gotta watch those insects don't you? This movie is pretty cheesy, but it has some cool scenes.
Jason O

While searching for her lost dad in a big cavern, Carol (June Kenney) and her friend Mike (Eugene Persson), accidentally find a scientific marvel in the form of a HUGE spider. Little do they know that this spider may soon choose to leave its huge silk web in the dark cavern, and start… More
While searching for her lost dad in a big cavern, Carol (June Kenney) and her friend Mike (Eugene Persson), accidentally find a scientific marvel in the form of a HUGE spider. Little do they know that this spider may soon choose to leave its huge silk web in the dark cavern, and start on a venture to taking over the nearby community of people. If that happens, it will probably take more than gun shots or bug spray to get rid of this terrorizing creature. "Earth Vs. the Spider" is one of those old classic horror movies (it was made in 1958) that feature an everyday creature that a lot of people are scared of (a spider in this case). It's a black & white film that is interesting, compelling, and real enjoyable. The spider has good special effects for the time, all the actors/actresses in the movie do a convincing job of acting, and everything else about the movie is just like it should be. If you're a fan of caverns or caves, you'll be seeing a lot of footage inside a towering cavern. If you like the classic spook shows such as the ones in which Godzilla goes up against another creature, or "Creature From The Black Lagoon," I recommend getting "Earth vs. the Spider." You won't regret it. It's just good old basic and classic horror, and it's good. NOTE: That was my Amazon review from the year 2002. Good classic that I'd never heard of here.
Cassandra M

This is a true gem from the world of unintentionally comic monster movies. A giant spider arises from the earth and vents its rage against all humanity. It is knocked senseless and then brought back to town where it is awoken by Rock and Roll music (Egads! The evils of Rock and Roll!)… More
This is a true gem from the world of unintentionally comic monster movies. A giant spider arises from the earth and vents its rage against all humanity. It is knocked senseless and then brought back to town where it is awoken by Rock and Roll music (Egads! The evils of Rock and Roll!) Along with a witty script, there are scenes of a rope-net 'web', a tarantula (which even in black and white is obviously not the same spider throughout the film) walking over shoe-boxes posing as houses, a giant full-size prop which looks nothing like a spider's leg, and strange dubbed-on roaring noises. There are some tarantulas which can make hissing noises by rubbing the bristles on their jaws together, but I can't say I've ever heard any spider growling or roaring. That said, this film is great entertainment whether you love or hate spiders.