Big Ass Spider - DVD

Content: Exterminator and spider expert Alex (Greg Grunberg) is actually a pro at dealing with pesky bugs and annoying customers. But even to him it happens now and then that he is stung and bitten. And so Alex ends up in the hospital at the exact moment when a particularly nasty spider escapes from a body bag there. Together with security guard Jose (Lombardo Boyar), Alex is tasked with recapturing the critter, which proves to be unexpectedly difficult. When the military, led by the ruthless Major Tanner (Ray Wise), shows up and locks down the entire building, the exterminator realizes that he's dealing with a particularly dangerous eight-legged creature. But he does not suspect that the spider grows and grows and soon not only the hospital inmates, but all L.A. in great danger hovers...

After in recent years masses of mutated B-movie creatures such as the Sharktopus, the Piranhaconda or the Dinocroc attacked the home theaters, it could be confidently assumed that it would also be Big Ass Spider similarly simply knitted cheap goods. Of course, the giant spider movie is a typical B-movie, which does not necessarily come up with sophisticated dialogues and a profound dramaturgy. But compared to the productions that genre fans have just been presented by the channel SyFy, the new film by Mike Mendez (The Gravedancers) performs much better in almost every area.

Because not only the effects can really be seen for a low budget production in many moments. Also, the heavy dose of self-irony and the amusing play with the clichés of the genre make Big Ass Spider an entertaining fun, which one forgives minor weaknesses only too gladly. With Greg Grunberg (Heroes, Alias) a leading actor was engaged who doesn't fit the typical cliché of a movie hero, but who can convince with tongue-in-cheek charm. And Ray Wise (Twin Peaks) and Clare Kramer, who has already been seen in The Gravedancers, also deliver good-humoured performances, through which the already decent fun factor of the film is once again raised to the heights.

Sure, quite high intellectual level should not be expected in a film like this. Big Ass Spider is a movie to completely tune out, which is also only really fun if you just take it for what it wants to be. So if you've had fun with the monster spiders in movies like Arac Attack, don't miss this entertaining home movie premiere. Recommendable!

Picture + Sound: Although the film can not compete audiovisually with expensive cinema productions. But nevertheless, the technical realization on the DVD can be quite seen and heard. The picture is absolutely clean, the sharpness is over long stretches at a good to very good level and also the powerful coloring leaves a positive impression. The sound pleases with well understandable mixed dialogues, which are embedded in a coherent mixture of soundtrack and surround effects. Good!

Extras: Bonus features include a mini interview featurette (approx. 1:21 min.), as well as a special from the SXSW premiere (approx. 4:55 min.).

Conclusion: Big Ass Spider is an entertaining B-movie fun, which provides a lot of humor, a sympathetic hero and decent effects for a good mood. Admittedly, the low budget makes itself felt every now and then and dramaturgically there are some weaknesses. But overall, director Mike Mendez has staged an absolutely worth seeing monster spider film, which is clearly better and more self-ironic than all SyFy productions a la Sharknado together. No masterpiece, but an entertaining pleasure that can be warmly recommended to fans of films like Arac Attack

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp