You won't be disappointed!

I'll tell you why so serious

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

A species of South American killer spider hitches a lift to the United States in a coffin and starts to breed and kill.This film came out when I was young, so I probably first saw it when I was 10 or 12. And I recall it being pretty funny. Watching it now (2017), it does not have the humor I recall. Even John Goodman seems to come up short.Now, if anything, it should be better than I remembered because Julian Sands is in it, as well as Jeff Daniels. Names and faces I love but would not have known about as a kid. How did this film age so poorly.... or did I just enter it in the wrong frame of mind?

Arachnophobic doctor Ross Jennings (Jeff Daniels) moves with his wife (Harley Jane Kozak) and kids to a small town in the country where he intends to set up practice. Unfortunately, the new family home becomes over-run by highly venomous spiders, the offspring of a Venezuelan arachnid that hitched a ride to the States in the coffin of a dead photographer.If you're one of those people who turn to jelly at the sight of a spider, then Arachnophobia is guaranteed to terrify. It might be strictly PG, but thanks to the use of real creepy-crawlies throughout (with just a few not-so-convincing animatronic arachnids for the larger specimens), the film will have arachnophobes on the edge of their seats from start to finish.Even if you're not afraid of the eight-legged horrors, Arachnophobia should still prove a fun ride for the duration, with slick direction from Frank Marshall, spirited performances, some well-executed jump scares, and the great production values one expects from a Steven Spielberg-backed flick.

Released in 1990 and directed by Frank Marshall, "Arachnophobia" is a horror film about a killer South American spider that hitches a ride in a coffin to a small town on the central Californian coast where it breeds and causes wholesale havoc. Jeff Daniel is a new doctor in town with Harley Jane Kozak as his wife. John Goodman is on hand as a redneck exterminator while Julian Sands plays the spider expert with Brian McNamara as his protégé. "Arachnophobia" plays like any number of Syfy creature features, but with a blockbuster budget and a somewhat Disney-esque vibe. It's horror, but its more polished and family friendly than the typical horror flick, plus there's a comedic edge, particularly with Delbert the exterminator (Goodman). I'm not afraid of spiders, but there are several genuine jump scares and Marshall effectively makes the critters creepy with the clever use of shadow, camera angle,etc. Moreover, Daniels makes for a great protagonist. Unfortunately, the movie fumbles the ball in the female department. Beyond Kozak, whose role is relatively peripheral as the protagonist's wife, where are the babes? Cori Wellins as Becky Beechwood could've worked, but her part is limited to a brief shower scene, which is competent as far as arachnid creepiness goes. To be clear, I'm not talking about female nudity or sex scenes; I'm just talking about one or two prominent good-lookin' women in the cast, like Kari Wuhrer and Scar-Jo in 2002's "Eight Legged Freaks."Speaking of which, how does "Arachnophobia" compare to other spider-oriented horror flicks, like "Eight Legged Freaks," 1958's "The Spider" (aka "Earth vs. the Spider") and 1977's "Kingdom of the Spiders"? I think it's the best of the lot, babes or no babes. The movie takes its time, but is compelling from a dramatic viewpoint, as it slowly builds suspense; and the awesome Venezuelan scenes in the prologue don't hurt. The movie runs 103 minutes and was shot in Angel Falls, Canaima National Park, Venezuela; Cambria, Pasadena, Venice & Burbank Studios, California. GRADE: B+

James Atherton (Julian Sands) leads an expedition in the Venezuelan jungle to hunt for unique insects living in an isolated ecosystem. They find many unusual creatures including a spider he suspects is a drone. This would be a new species of spiders with many drones. A male kills one of the team and sneaks into the coffin. It hitches a ride back to the States to the small town of Canaima where it mates with a local spider creating an even more deadly new species. Dr. Ross (Jeff Daniels) and Molly Jennings (Harley Jane Kozak) are new in town with their two kids leaving behind the big city. Ross is deadly afraid of spiders. Molly deals with any spider relocation. The old town doctor changes his mind and refuses to retire. And he gets off to a bad start with the town sheriff. The worst part has to be the spiders that have made a nest in their barn.Spiders are creepy. If you're afraid of them, this will not help at all. Every close up is creepy. Jeff Daniels is great as the scaredy cat. He brings a lot of charm and humor to the role. The light heart tone really sets up the horror perfectly. It is one scary movie.