Kiss of the Tarantula is a 1975 horror film about a disturbed teenage girl who unleashes her pet spiders against her “enemies.”
The movie was directed by Chris Munger from a screenplay by Daniel Cady (Dream No Evil, Garden of the Dead, Dolly Dearest) and Warren Hamilton Jr. (better known as a sound editor). It is also known as Death Kisses and was released in British cinemas as Shudder.
The movie stars Eric Mason (Scream Blacula Scream), Suzanna Ling, Herman Wallner, Linda Spatz, Beverly Eddins and Patricia Landon.
Our review:
Despite the fact that Eric Mason’s morally vapid Uncle Walter detective character is seemingly going for a bizarre world record for the number of times he can say ‘Susan’ during the movie, Kiss of the Tarantula is slightly more endearing than some of the other reviews here give it credit for, provided that you are in the mood for its languid ’70s rural ambience.
The central premise owes a major debt to Willard and Carrie yet the understated sleazy elements and the funeral parlour setting add welcome touches of creepiness. Ultimately, the lack of outright horror lies with the slowness of spiders to attack their victims thus reducing the kill sequences to an arachnid’s pace. Nonetheless, Kiss of the Tarantula is worth a watch.
Ade Smith, MOVIES & MANIA
Buy DVD: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk
Buy Italian poster reprint from Amazon.co.uk
Release:
First shown in Princeton, Indiana on 3rd October 1975.
Film Facts:
The local drive-in is showing a double-bill of Clint Eastwood classics, Dirty Harry and Magnum Force.
Trailer:
Full film free to watch online [1080p HD]:
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