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Excellent but underrated film

Fanciful, disturbing, and wildly original, it announces the arrival of a fresh, bold voice in American cinema.

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

A friend showed me his copy of "Spider Baby" a couple of years ago, and to tell the truth, in spite of my bent for odd ball fringe cinema, I wasn't sure what to make of it...although I had to admit, it had its moments. However, the second time around when I saw it on one of those free streaming channels on Roku, I was much more impressed with everything.I was especially impressed with Lon Chaney's demented sad sack performance, with the air of lunacy and degeneracy that surrounded the family, and yet the real affection and bonding they seemed to have with each other. And I could see that most of the scenery and props and lighting was very effective in getting what the director wanted to convey to the audience. Part "Fall of the House Of Usher", part "Texas Chainsaw Massacre", part "House of 1000 Corpses", and yet sustaining a more delicate balance of mood and sadness and menace than any of those worthy entries...this is quite the treat if you are into weird, old movies. Go see it if you like this sort of thing.

Merreye Syndrome is defined as a disease that causes regression to a primitive state suffered by the inbred Merrye family. A messenger delivers adoption notice to the isolated Merreye home. He gets caught in Virginia's web and killed by Elizabeth. Bruno the driver (Lon Chaney Jr) returns with Ralph (Sid Haig) to clean up the mess. Distant cousins Peter and Emily Howe come to take over and sell off the estate. Lawyer Mr. Schlocker and his assistant Ann Morris come to administer and plan to put the 3 children into institutions.This is a schlockfest B-movie. Filmmaker Jack Hill is in the same vein as the likes of Roger Corman. Lon Chaney is a good co-lead. Sig Haig is pretty good as the mute brute. It's got camp appeal with hot young cannibals. The kills aren't scary. It's simple B-movie fun.

Over the credits, star Lon Cheney Jr. sings (and howls) the film's theme song. Next, a host appears to explain how "Merrye's Syndrome" has afflicted the three children of Titus W. Merrye. The incredibly rare malady is a progressive deterioration of mental faculties, leading to deformity. Victims enter adulthood by regressing mentally. The informative host is Quinn Redeker (as Peter Howe), who will arrive at the Merrye estate with his wife Carol Ohmart (as Emily) to stake a claim. They want to take guardianship of the mentally challenged children from Mr. Chaney (as Bruno), the family's elderly chauffeur. The children are relatively sensible Beverly Washburn (as Elizabeth), spider-loving Jill Banner (as Virginia) and dog-like Sid Haig (as Ralph). Announcing the arrival of guests is messenger Mantan Moreland. He becomes the first player in the film's "Spider Baby" game. It is a most dangerous game...A Roger Corman film graduate, writer-director Jack Hill gets good impersonations with this cast and crew. The sets and setting, photographed by Alfred Taylor, are often stylish. A lack of suspense is offset by a lot of weirdness. We're not clear about what "Merrye's Syndrome" does to someone, even after being told – but this may be irrelevant. It does seem to alter a male's appearance more significantly than the female. Perhaps "Ralph" is farther along in the disease. His sisters are still quite attractive, but they receive some stiff competition when Ms. Ohmart sheds her conservative clothing to reveal underwear you usually see advertised in the back pages of sex magazines. A marvelous dinner scene is the film's "black comedy" highlight. This and other parts of "Spider Baby" may have influenced "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" (1975), for which armchair degenerates from the next forty years and beyond must give thanks.******* Spider Baby (12/24/67) Jack Hill ~ Lon Chaney Jr., Quinn Redeker, Beverly Washburn, Sid Haig

Made in 1964 but not released until 1968. This is significant since Movies and attitudes about Movies changed considerably in those four Years. If this was unleashed to Theatres in 1964 it probably would have caused seizures among League of Decency types and would have been along with H.G. Lewis' Blood Feast (1963) another example of the decline of Western Civilization.This Ultra-Low-Budget Quickie is remarkable in the way it looks so Professionally done. The Actors all perform like seasoned Pros. Given the Bizarre Script, subject matter, and overall depravity it wasn't a given that this was at all nothing more than the lowest common denominator types that would later become known as "Nasties". Words like retarded, incest and brain rot are delivered in a stark explanation.But apparently it was the Dark Humor that made it palatable for the Filmmakers and Audiences to endure this dementia as some kind of Fun. As it turned out, it was and still is to this Day. If You looked up Cult Movie in the Dictionary there just might be a reference to this seminal Film.A hoot and a holler, this is simply one of the best B-Movies ever made and is disturbingly Entertaining and a must see for Fans of Cult Movies, B-Movies, Horror, Black Comedy, and Primitive Art lovers. This is Writer/Director Jack Hill's first and most Personal Film and it is a must see.