As a film enthusiast who has witnessed the evolution of visual effects over the years, I must say that Frank Marshall‘s work on “Arachnophobia” stands as a testament to practical filmmaking at its finest. Coming from someone who has watched countless films, both old and new, I can confidently say that this movie showcases a unique blend of realism and creativity that is hard to find even in today’s era of high-definition CGI.
Spiders… why did it have to be spiders? The answer is simple: Frank Marshall liked the script.
By the end of the 1980s, Steven Spielberg’s regular collaborator had grown eager to take on the role of director. This ambition to guide the course of the feature film became a reality with the release of “Arachnophobia” in 1990, a comedic tribute to B-movies that revolved around a San Francisco doctor (portrayed by Jeff Daniels) who moved his family to a peaceful California town, only to find it besieged by a swarm of lethal spiders.
Arachnophobia director Frank Marshall recalls origin of 1990 horror-comedy
Prior to that moment, I had been handling a significant amount of second unit directing. In a Zoom call with SYFY WIRE in 2022, Marshall explained this, saying, “Jeffrey Katzenberg presented the script to me and suggested, ‘We believe it’s time for you to step into the leading role.’ Upon reading the script, I felt it contained aspects that intrigued me and that I was capable of managing.
Drawing inspiration from timeless movies he cherished in his childhood, this novice filmmaker aimed to infuse a touch of Alfred Hitchcock’s style into the spider species that send shivers down the spines of 3% to 15% of humanity.
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“I felt that it had a nice blend of horror and humor and that we could emphasize that,” he continued. “I liked what Hitchcock did with The Birds, where the movie wasn’t really about birds; it was really this story about romance and these two characters in this town, and then the birds take over. I wanted to do that in Arachnophobia, where Jeff Daniels and his family move. There’s a whole other story going on and then the spiders become the main character, just like in The Birds.”
Marshall laughs when asked if he has a fear of spiders in reality. He clarifies, “I don’t suffer from arachnophobia.” Instead, his intention is to create an uneasy feeling among the audience by incorporating spiders into ordinary scenarios that we usually overlook.
Marshall pointed out, ‘Your shoe and your popcorn are in the bathroom.’ He explained, ‘Places we don’t usually expect, but encounter daily. That’s what makes it more terrifying than setting up a peculiar or extraordinary scenario. I believe the everyday situations with spiders scare everyone.’
Steven Spielberg’s contribution to Arachnophobia
Grounding the terror in a touch of authenticity significantly enhanced its impact on the viewers’ minds. For example, the movie begins in the dense jungles of Venezuela, where a team of arachnid specialists, headed by Dr. James Atherton (Julian Sands), uncovers a previously unknown venomous spider species. This deadly creature eventually finds its way to the U.S., causing havoc in a specific region, only appearing within a confined area.
In simpler terms, Marshall stated, “We found out that the Venezuelan tepuis contain mysterious sinkholes, possibly harboring undiscovered species – some could be as strange as extraterrestrial life or, in this instance, a venomous spider yet to be identified. After reading about it in National Geographic, we decided to explore these tepuis, and I exclaimed, ‘This is where we need to film!’
They indeed carried out their plan, filming on-site in South America — “we truly ventured to the tepuis and camped, even shooting atop them; we helicoptered in” — and also building an elaborate jungle set at MGM for the scene where Dr. Atheron and his team gathered specimens by stunning them with thick clouds of smoke. This lends a sense of authenticity that enhances the audience’s belief that such events could occur, making it all the more chilling.
Executive producer Steven Spielberg visited this particular set and even helped set up a shot.
Marshall shared with us how impressive the scene is,” Marshall told us. “It’s the scene where Julian Sands manages to catch one of the spiders falling from the jungle canopy in a jar, and when he brings it close, the tarantula suddenly jumps out. That’s a real tarantula! Steven specifically designed that shot for me. He instructed us to bring it closer for a detailed view. And it turned out wonderfully.
Can spiders be funny?
Infusing humor made sure that events remained light-hearted instead of getting overly intense. Given that the concept of deadly spiders is naturally cheesy, it was smart for Marshall and his crew to embrace the absurdity of their scenario. This quirky aspect harmonized flawlessly with the terror brought by the fanged creatures.
In difficult moments, it’s comforting to find some amusement, and that’s where comic relief comes into play, making light of situations or characters. This allows us to feel fearful one moment, then relaxed the next as we laugh. This approach was greatly influenced by collaborating with writer Wesley Strick in crafting such scenes, and it was further enhanced by casting John Goodman, who significantly contributed to the overall effect.
He’s clearly talking about Delbert McClintock, the quirky pest controller who steals the spotlight even with minimal screen time. Actors often incorporate their personal experiences, as Marshall pointed out, and Goodman did just that, drawing inspiration from a standout biology teacher from his high school days. This is what gave the character its humor. The first time he appeared, Goodman simply performed the character, and I was instantly captivated, telling him to do more of it.
Since Jurassic Park hadn’t yet popularized Computer-Generated Imagery, the movie Arachnophobia relied on realistic animatronics and live spiders like tarantulas and Delenas, a non-harmful species indigenous to New Zealand.
Marshall reminisced about examining visual effects from the past and deciding that CGI spiders weren’t advanced enough to be practical. “There was only one CG shot in the film, which was a wide-angle view of the house covered in spiders,” he said. “To address this, we used real spiders, along with a few animatronics for the larger spider named ‘Big Bob.’ The smaller spiders, however, were all genuine.
On the film set, renowned insect handler and arachnid expert, Steven R. Kutcher, handled the real spiders. As it is not feasible to train spiders as one would other pets, special techniques were employed to reposition them during specific scenes.
Marshall shared an interesting technique: “We figured out how to encourage the spiders, often using a hairdryer,” he said. “To keep them away from certain areas, we’d spray furniture polish like Pledge. The spiders would slide on it, making it a sort of invisible barrier. Blasts of hot air moved them around, and during filming, I’d let the spider choose its own actions for the scene.
He went on to explain: “We held a mini spider competition, discovering that some spiders ran faster than others and could climb higher than their counterparts. We housed these spiders in a spider apartment complex, complete with numerous drawers. It contained swift spiders, climbing spiders – all belonging to the same species. Some excelled at certain tasks more than others, so we categorized them similarly to how you would group stunt performers.
The legacy of Arachnophobia
Fear-of-spiders (Arachnophobia) climbed up a waterspout and entered movie theaters on July 20, 1990. Supported by favorable critiques (“an exhilarating and delightful experience,” as Empire Magazine stated), it earned approximately $53 million domestically, surpassing its production cost of $31 million.
Although the movie was both critically and financially successful, Marshall openly admitted he hadn’t seriously pondered about making a sequel. Instead, his focus lay on creating different films about various topics. He didn’t really give it much thought. Over the past 32 years, this experienced filmmaker has directed four other projects, such as the highly praised 2020 Bee Gees documentary titled “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart”.
Although a sequel to “Arachnophobia” was not produced (further details below), it did contribute significantly to the development of comedies featuring spiders, such as “Eight-Legged Freaks” by Ellory Elkayem (2002) and Mike Mendez’s “Big Ass Spider!” (2013).
Back in the scorching summer of 2018, I was thrilled to learn about Amblin Entertainment teaming up with James Wan and his Atomic Monster studio for a fresh take on the iconic 1990 film. The talented Chris Landon, known for “Happy Death Day” and “Freaky,” is currently set to helm this project. As an executive producer, Marshall is along for the ride, although at the time of our chat, he wasn’t certain if it would be a follow-up or a complete overhaul. He promptly added, “I’ll find out soon.
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2024-10-02 18:32