Spider Baby

Infobox Film
name = Spider Baby


image_size =
caption = Film poster
director = Jack Hill
Bart Patton (assistant)
producer = Paul Monka
Gil Lasky
writer = Jack Hill
narrator =
starring = Lon Chaney Jr. Sid Haig Jill Banner Beverly Washburn
music = Ronald Stein
cinematography = Alfred Taylor
make-up = Elliott Fayad
editing = Jack Hill
distributor = American General Pictures
released = January 18, 1968
runtime = 86 min.
country = USA
language = English
budget = $65,000
gross =
preceded_by =
followed_by =
website =
amg_id = 1:46065
imdb_id = 0058606

"Spider Baby" is a 1968 black comedy horror film, written and directed by Jack Hill. It stars Lon Chaney Jr. as Bruno, the chauffeur and caretaker of a family who suffer from a unique disorder which causes them to mentally, socially, and physically regress backwards down the evolutionary ladder, starting in late childhood. Two of the family's three children, Elizabeth and Virginia, have yet to be affected by the disorder, while the third child, Ralph, is on the brink of joining the adults, in the isolated cellar of the family home. Carol Ohmart, Quinn Redeker, Mary Mitchel and Karl Schanzer also star.

The film was shot between August and September of 1964, however due to original producer's bankruptcy, the film was not released until several years later, on January 18, 1968. "Spider Baby" suffered from poor marketing as well as a series of inappropriate and unsolicited title changes, being billed alternatively as "The Liver Eaters", "Attack of the Liver Eaters", "Cannibal Orgy", and "The Maddest Story Ever Told". Though none of these alternate titles have any relation to the plot, the latter two appear in the lyrics of the opening music sung by Chaney, "This cannibal orgy is strange to behold in the maddest story ever told." The opening titles of the film also dub it "Spider Baby or, The Maddest Story Ever Told".

A remake of "Spider Baby" is currently being directed by Jeff Broadstreet, with the film's original writer and director, Jack Hill, acting as executive producer. This remake is expected to be released during 2008. [http://www.fangoria.com/news_article.php?id=5412 FANGORIA® - America's Horror Magazine ] ]

Plot

Three children of the Merrye family live in a decaying rural mansion with their guardian and chauffeur, Bruno (Lon Chaney, Jr.). The children suffer from "Merrye Syndrome", a genetic affliction unique to members of their family, which causes them to mentally, socially, and physically regress backwards down the evolutionary ladder, starting in late childhood. When two distant relatives and their lawyer arrive to take control of the property as rightful heirs, Bruno's shaky control over the children is lost. Chaos and insanity take over. [http://www.rickmcgrath.com/jack_hill_movies/spider_baby.html/]

The children, played by Sid Haig, Jill Banner, and Beverly Washburn are inbred, demented and dangerous. They are overgrown teen "psycho" children, exhibiting playfulness and even innocence blended with brutality and feral madness. One of the daughters, Virginia (Jill Banner), is obsessed with spiders, thus, "Spider Baby". She stalks and eats bugs, moving in a strange and spider-like grace. She also wraps unsuspecting victims in her rope "web", and then "stings" them to death using two butcher knives. In one scene, while murdering an innocent delivery-man (played by Mantan Moreland), Virginia cuts off one of his ears, which she then keeps in a match box.

Spider Baby's brother, Ralph, is perfectly, creepily played by Sid Haig. Ralph is a cat-killing, sexually advanced, but mentally deficient simpleton who travels through the house viathe dumb-waiter speaking only in grunts and leers.

Such strange goings on have been hidden from public view until the snooping greedy relatives, Peter and Emily, arrive to take possession of the property. Bruno (Chaney), the children's sworn and even loving protector, has, up until now, been able to maintain control and keep the family secrets. But once Peter and Emily arrive with their lawyer and his assistant, they insist on staying at the house. Dinner is served, and it includes a dead cat, insects, unknown mushrooms, and other repulsive dishes. Ralph munches happily on the cat he has killed.

When Bruno leaves on an errand, despite warning the children to "behave", events spiral downhill as the Merrye kids run merrily amok. The smarmy lawyer, apty named "Schlocker" (played by Karl Schanzer) is murdered. Strange beastly relatives who live in the basement are unleashed. Ladies wander about in black undies, and Ralph enjoys the loose women.

Bruno returns, knowing that he has lost control and that family secrets will be revealed... but he ends it all with a mess of dynamite, blowing himself, the house, and the children to bits.

We are led to believe that the explosion destroys not only the kids, but also the family curse of "Merrye Syndrome". But a question remains: Is that really the case?

The tone of the film is dark and weirdly humorous. Several references are made to the 1941 "scary movie", The Wolf Man, which is one of Chaney's most famous character creations. Cheyney "sings" the theme song that plays over the opening titles... sounding like a parody of the pop-song, "Monster Mash."

Cinematography is by Alfred Taylor, who had previously worked on the cult movie "The Atomic Brain", and who later became famous for his work on the television series "The Paper Chase". The entire production cost about $65,000, and took only 6 to 7 days to shoot in black and white.

Cast

* Lon Chaney, Jr. as Bruno
* Carol Ohmart as Emily Howe
* Quinn Redeker as Peter Howe
* Beverly Washburn as Elizabeth Merrye
* Jill Banner as Virginia Merrye
* Sid Haig as Ralph Merrye
* Mary Mitchel as Ann Morris
* Karl Schanzer as Schlocker
* Mantan Moreland as the messenger
* Carolyn Cooper as Aunt Clara
* Joan Keller Stern as Aunt Martha

Legacy

tage adaptations

A musical version is making the rounds of small community theaters looking for a wider audience. It opened at the Empty Space theater in Bakersfield, California on Halloween 2004. In October 2007, it opened in Brookings, Oregon at the local Grange Hall, and in Orlando, Florida at the Black Orchid Theater.

In 2008 a concert/reading is planned by the Thrillpeddlers as part of the Shocktober fest at the Hypnodrome in San Francisco California.

In 2009 a full stage version is planned at Bakersfield Community Theatre in Bakersfield California

Another interesting tidbit is that the soundtrack for the musical version was the very last thing recorded at Buck Owens famous recording studio in Bakersfield CA

Scenes from the Oregon production can be found on YouTube.

Remake

In 2007, independent film producer Tony DiDio began preparing a remake of the film. It will feature the 1968 version's director Jack Hill as executive producer and Jeff Broadstreet as director .

Broadstreet stated in an interview “We’re going to stick very closely to the basic story of the original film, and at the same time dig deeper into the backstory of the inbred Merrye family". The new script by Robert Valding “expands on the themes of unconditional love, and also the story elements of cannibalism and the mutant relatives in the basement" .

The film is expected to have a budget of $3-5Million, and according to IMDb, is due for release sometime in 2008 [ [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1141273/ Spider Baby (2008) ] ] .

DVD release

In 1999, a DVD of the film's original Laser Disc transfer was released. The DVD included a cast and crew re-union and a commentary track by Hill. In 2007, Dark Sky Films released the definitive version featuring Hill's Director's Cut, a new commentary with co-star Sid Haig and multiple documentaries on the making of the film.

ee also

* Smith Estate (Los Angeles, California), the Merrye House

References

External links

*
* [http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/spider_baby/ "Spider Baby"] at Rotten Tomatoes
* [http://www.rickmcgrath.com/jack_hill_movies/spider_baby.html/ "Spider Baby"] reviewed by Rick McGrath
* [http://www.myspace.com/spiderbabythemusical "Spider Baby the musical"]
* [http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=239293959&MyToken=abf5d457-6832-46e5-bd98-ef461f20170d/ "Spider Baby the musical" in Brookings Oregon]
* [http://www.fangoria.com/news_article.php?id=5412 "Spider Baby" remake] at "Fangoria"