KISS OF THE TARANTULA (1975)
Director: Chris Munger
VCI

Hyped on the back cover as "A drive-in classic!", KISS OF THE TARANTULA is one of the many WILLARD rip-offs to crawl out of the 1970s, this time with lethal spiders instead of rats and a blonde female rather than a blonde male.

The film starts off with a flashback of a little girl who learns that her mom plans to off her father with the help of his brother (who she happens to be sleeping with). She unleashes her venomous pet tarantulas and mom ends up dead. Luckily dad runs the local mortuary (which is situated in their home) so the body doesn't have to be moved too far.

Years later, Susan (Suzanna Ling) grows up to be an attractive teenager, but is still weird, still something of an outcast, and still likes to play with spiders. When three smart asses barge into her home and badger her pets, she plots a creepy crawly revenge. Two of them are besieged by the buggers while double-dating at a drive-in movie, and the third guy is attacked while working in a closed airduct.

While scenes like this are limited and staged rather shoddy, much of the film involves the bizarre relationship between Susan and her lusting, incestuous uncle, who also happens to head the local police department and covers up her crimes. He's played sleazily well by Eric Mason, a familiar character actor in other 1970s era schlock like GRAVE OF THE VAMPIRE and SCREAM BLACULA SCREAM. Aside from Mason and Ling--an actress with appeal who unfortunately only made one feature--the rest of the cast is second-rate and the thrills are too seldom.

KISS OF THE TARANTULA is one of the first videos I rented during the days of "ma and pa" rental shops, and it was the final feature of a marathon that lasted until 6 in the A.M. I wasn't too impressed then, and I ain't too impressed now, but the film has that undeniable, unequaled "late night" TV quality that only certain low budget 1970s horror films evoke. KISS OF THE TARANTULA also includes one of the most inventive prolonged death/murder scenes of any film of this sort.

VCI has presented KISS OF THE TARANTULA on DVD in its most handsome video presentation to date, transferred widescreen at an approximate 1.85:1 aspect ratio with Anamorphic enhancement. Colors are strong, despite fleshtones looking muted and on the pink side, and the image is sharp with very limited grain. There is a good amount of dirt and speckling on the print source, but this does not distract from the viewing experience. The mono audio is surprisingly effective for such a cheap movie, with clear dialog, and the music is especially robust.

The DVD's menu has some very cool graphics that reveal hairy tarantulas crawling across the TV screen. Extras include the trailer for the film itself, as well as other current and future VCI releases: DON'T OPEN THE DOOR, CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD and HORRORS OF THE BLACK MUSEUM. (George R. Reis)

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