Earth vs the Spider Blu-ray

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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r

(aka "The Spider" aka "Earth vs. the Giant Spider")

Directed by Bert I. Gordon
USA 1958

Moviegoers had already been exposed to giant ants and a man turning half-fly when The Spider creeped onto movie theater screens. Producer/writer/special effects supervisor Bert I. Gordon was just the man to bring this giant arachnid to the screen, having frightened moviegoers with films like Attack Of The Puppet People and The Amazing Colossal Man.

Quiet River Falls is the town awakened by the insect's devastating rampage. Two teens discover the monster, see it temporarily disabled by gas ... and then watch in terror as it unfolds its eight arms of doom. Will our heroes survive? Or will the entire town fall prey to this unstoppable fanged horror?!?

***

This is attempting to follow in "Tarantula's" footsteps, which was released with a modicum of success just a few years earlier. It encapsulates all the 'giant-bug' movie principles - we rarely see the offending insect, but we know we must kill it. We meet the two youths who discover the spider and, of course, a skeptical sheriff coupled with a science teacher who can help unravel the mystery behind the offending-ly huge arachnid. It is weak, even by the genre's low standards, but its does have appeal with its one dimensional characters and limited plot points (huh?). Not my favorite 50's sci-fi bungle but it has its moments.

Posters

Theatrical Release: September 20th, 1958

Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews

Comparison:

Lions Gate - Region 1 - NTSC vs. Shout! Factory - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

Box Cover
		Bonus Captures:
Distribution	Lions Gate - Region 1 - NTSC	Shout! Factory - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
Runtime	1:12:33	1:12:38.666
Video	1.33:1 Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 7.45 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s	1.85:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 31,702,133,522 bytes Feature: 21,770,668,032 bytes Video Bitrate: 36.00 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate:
Bitrate Blu-ray:
Audio	English (Dolby Digital mono)	DTS-HD Master Audio English 1703 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1703 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit) Commentary: Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps
Subtitles	None	English (SDH), None
Features	Release Information: Studio: Lions Gate Aspect Ratio: Aspect Ratio 1.33:1 Edition Details: • War of the Colossal Beast on the same disc DVD Release Date: January 10th, 2006 Keep Case Chapters: 12	Release Information: Studio: Shout! Factory 1.85:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 31,702,133,522 bytes Feature: 21,770,668,032 bytes Video Bitrate: 36.00 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video Edition Details: • NEW Audio Commentary By Filmmaker/Film Historian Ted Newsom • Mystery Science Theater 3000 - Earth Vs. The Spider (1:37:41) • 8mm Version Of Earth Vs. The Spider (9:01) • Theatrical Trailer (1:50) • Still Gallery Of Rare Photos Including Behind The Scenes Images (21:16) Blu-ray Release Date: June 23rd, 2020 Standard Blu-ray Case inside cardboard sleeve Chapters 12

Comments:

NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Shout! Factory Blu-ray (June 2020): Shout! Factory have transferred Bert I. Gordon's Earth vs the Spider (aka "The Spider") to Blu-ray. This is in the correct 1.85:1 aspect ratio described as being from a "NEW 2K Scan Of The Negative". The DVD was poor - interlaced and has chroma (see wrecked car in bushes below.) I think the 1080P has had some black level boosting - maybe too much and moiring may be visible. It's such a giant leap over the DVD, widescreen but very flat and some possible digitization, that most won't complain too much.

NOTE: We have added 48 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Shout! Factory use a DTS-HD Master 2.0 channel mono track (24-bit) in the original English language. It is another advancement in the film's effects - the spider makes some odd sounds - but mostly the score by Albert Glasser (Attack of the Puppet People, Abilene Town, The Cyclops, I Shot Jesse James, Behind Locked Doors) that can be quite intense in the lossless. Shout! Factory offer optional English (SDH) subtitles on their Region 'A' Blu-ray.

The Shout! Factory Blu-ray has a new audio commentary by filmmaker/film historian Ted Newsom who makes some great comments on the film's strengths and, obvious, weaknesses - like spending too much time in the caves. He digs pretty deep remarking on Bert I. Gordon's penchant for intentional redundancy, quick takes and how, although they thank Carlsbad Caverns National Park in the credits - that they didn't come within 500 miles of that park. He talks about the actors June Kenney, Mickey Finn, Hank Patterson (Fred Ziffel from Green Acres) and others. Shout! Factory also include the Mystery Science Theater 3000 take on Earth Vs The Spider with their regulars Crow T. Robot / Dr. Clayton Forrester (Trace Beaulieu), Joel Hodgson, Jim Mallon etc. As a curiosity there is also the 9-minute 8mm Version Of Earth Vs The Spider, a theatrical trailer and a lengthy stills gallery of rare photos including behind the scenes images.

Bert I. Gordon's Earth vs the Spider (aka "The Spider") is really bad cinema - its biggest value is nostalgia, imo - and that is okay with me. I liked the Newsome commentary and for many the inclusion of the full Mystery Science Theater 3000 episode is a bonus. Even as cheap and weak as Earth vs the Spider is - the Blu-ray image and audio are so much better than the old Lions Gate DVD - that it still makes this a must-own for fans of these low-budget 'monster' rip-offs. For everyone else I would say 'pass'.

Gary Tooze

ON THE DVD (2006): Both films are on the same side of a dual-layered DVD without subtitles, audio bumps or extras. For tube viewing the image quality is poor in close examination it is non-progressive with visible combing in motion sequences and chroma bug. Aside from that I guess we should just be happy it got released as neither film would warrant the production expense of a grand package.

I think Earth vs. the Spider may have a slightly superior contrast level, and may even be moderately sharper. It is in the incorrect t 1.33:1 aspect ratio. These are still bare bones releases relying upon the opposing film as the purchasable enticement.