History Film / EightLeggedFreaks

* TrainingThePeacefulVillagers: Subverted. As the townsfolk arm themselves in the mall, it looks like there's going to be a massive battle with the spiders. Then when the spiders break in, the vast majority are too scared to do anything and simply retreat en mass.

* TakeThat: [[RogerEbert Roger Ebert]]'s [[http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20020717/REVIEWS/207170301/1023 review]] opened by saying that this film delivered everything that ''[[Film/MenInBlack Men In Black II]]'' did not.

It's set in [[Film/{{Them}} an Arizona nowhere town called "Prosperity"]] - which [[Film/DawnOfTheDead just happens to have a mall, just so survivors can battle spiders with improvised weapons]]. There are mine shafts for that SurvivalHorror feel. There's even a [[ExtremeSportExcusePlot scene where jumping spiders chase dirt bikers]]. Get some popcorn and watch spiders gobble bystanders and get squished by the heroes! NarmCharm!

* AffectionateParody: The film is one of old mutant monster movies. It's not hard to notice that it doesn't take itself seriously.

* AllWebbedUp: Being a movie about giant spiders, obviously this happens there.

* AutoErotica: Bret tries to have sex with Ashley in his pickup truck. She refuses.

* BoomHeadshot: Kari Wührer's a damned good shot. Pistol, rifle, shotgun, crossbow; result the same - [[HighPressureBlood fountains of spider guts]]!
* ChainsawGood: In a mall, Pete manages to lift the garage-door-style mesh that locked one of the stores, since the caretakers apparently neglected to lock it. He logrolls under and slams it down. However, the spiders reach their legs through, yanking him right up against the mesh but unable to bite him. His solution? Grab a nearby chainsaw and slice through all their limbs.

* GenreSavvy: The kid is the only one who knows fully well he's in a horror movie, and is well aware of what the spiders are gonna do. He's also well aware that no one will believe him, and lampshades it constantly.

* SpiderSwarm: Part of the course.

->''"The biggest... ''nastiest...'' '''mutant spider movie''' '''''of all time!!!!'''''"''
->-- '''Alternate Tagline'''

* PragmaticCoward: Unlike the more heroic characters, Bret drives away fast when his dad gets pulled off his bike. But let's face it, what could he have done?

* SpidersAreScary

* ZergRush: The jumping spiders.

* GiantSpider

->''"The [[AttackOfThe50FootWhatever biggest]]... ''[[CoveredInGunge nastiest]]...'' '''[[AttackOfTheKillerWhatever mutant spider]] movie''' '''''[[OverlyNarrowSuperlative of all time]]!!!!'''''"''

** And then there was this advert: "If you're only going to see one film this summer about a [[Film/SpiderManTrilogy giant mutant spider]], make sure [[TakeThat it's the right one]]."

* BigBad: The female Orb Weaver.

* ThisLoserIsYou: David Arquette plays Chris [=McCormick=], a well-meaning, sensitive schmuck just trying to save what's left of his hometown and pour his heart out to his high school crush. Actually a rather respectful application of the trope; he listens carefully to the ChildProdigy, and runs right to him once he gets real evidence. He never fails to fight hard for the town. Result? ''KarmicJackpot.'' The girl, after one too many CanNotSpitItOut moments, exasperatingly admits that yes, she knows he beat up her philandering husband for her, came back to town because he genuinely wants to help, that he loves her, and that she loves him back. ''And then he finds the Mother Lode and makes the entire town filthy stinking rich!'' ''(Too bad a large majority of townspeople have become spider food by that point...''

* ThisLoserIsYou: David Arquette plays Chris [=McCormick=], a well-meaning, sensitive schmuck just trying to save what's left of his hometown and pour his heart out to his high school crush. Actually a rather respectful application of the trope; he listens carefully to the ChildProdigy, and runs right to him once he gets real evidence. He never fails to fight hard for the town. Result? ''KarmicJackpot.'' The girl, after one too many CanNotSpitItOut moments, exasperatingly admits that yes, she knows he beat up her philandering husband for her, came back to town because he genuinely wants to help, that he loves her, and that she loves him back. ''And then he finds the Mother Lode and makes the entire town filthy stinking rich!''

* FanService: 17-year-old ScarlettJohansson in a bath towel... And [[VaporWear without a bra]]...

* WrongGenreSavvy: Harlan thinks the spiders are aliens as opposed to genetic experiments.

* TooDumbToLive: One character simply sat, watching TV, completely unaware of the thousands of [[GiantSpider Giant Spiders]] outside and one IN THE ROOM. He does not live.

* DyingLikeAnimals: Every character brought by the male spiders to the female as a present and eaten by her.

** Ostriches may not be geniuses, but the ones standing around calmly as their fellows are being yanked out of frame by the trapdoor spider seem to have forgotten how to run.

** And then there was this advert: "If you're only going to see on film this summer about a [[Film/SpiderManTrilogy giant mutant spider]], make sure [[TakeThat it's the right one]]."

''Eight Legged Freaks'' is a 2002 horror-comedy film directed by Ellory Elkayem, executive produced by [[Film/{{Stargate}} Roland]] [[Film/IndependenceDay Emmerich]], and starring David Arquette, Kari Wührer, ScarlettJohansson and Doug E. Doug. The plot concerns a collection of spiders that are exposed to toxic waste, causing them to grow to gigantic proportions. Yeah. It's a 50s monster movie made with 21st century visual effects, and it's '''exactly''' what you're expecting.

* HotMom: Kari Wührer. Her daughter doesn't fall too far from the tree...

!! This movie contains examples of

* SpiderSwarm

It's set in [[{{Them}} an Arizona nowhere town called "Prosperity"]] - which [[Film/DawnOfTheDead just happens to have a mall, just so survivors can battle spiders with improvised weapons]]. There are mine shafts for that SurvivalHorror feel. There's even a [[ExtremeSportExcusePlot scene where jumping spiders chase dirt bikers]]. Get some popcorn and watch spiders gobble bystanders and get squished by the heroes! NarmCharm!

-> ''Do you hate spiders? Do you REALLY hate spiders? Well, they don't like you, either!''
->-'''TagLine[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1WhVnLahvM]]'''

-> The [[AttackOfThe50FootWhatever biggest]]... ''[[CoveredInGunge nastiest]]...'' '''[[AttackOfTheKillerWhatever mutant spider]] movie''' '''''[[OverlyNarrowSuperlative of all time]]!!!!'''''
->-'''Alternate TagLine[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sU-Gw_22R6E]]'''

* AffectionateParody: It's not hard to notice. The spiders panting in exhaustion and squeaking "uh-oh" are pretty obvious signs that it doesn't take itself seriously.
** There is also a scene where a spider jumps on a moose's head, mounted on a wall, and takes a bite, only to visibly complain about the taste.

** And then there was this advert: "If you're only going to see on film this summer about a [[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Film/Spider-ManTrilogy giant mutant spider]], make sure it's the right one."

** Interestingly, that line didn't start out as a TitleDrop; the title of the movie was originally ''Arach-Attack'' according to the commentary. Unfortunately, the title has UnfortunateImplications when said out loud (the movie came out not long after the war between America and ''Iraq'' started), so the title was changed at the last minute to reflect the line--which was, incidentally, ''ad-libbed'' on-set by David Arquette.

* {{Expy}}: Chris bears a few similarities to Dewey from the ''Film/{{Scream|1996}}'' films, another character played by David Arquette.