Meteor lands on Wisconsin farm, opening up a black hole that unleashes giant spiders into a hick community!!

Oh boy. Legendary horror cheese filmed in Wisconsin by B movie director Bill Rebane is the perfect example of a film that's so bad it's good! The Giant Spider Invasion is best remembered as the movie in which a VW Beetle was used for the monster spiders! The special FX consists of live tarantulas, unconvincing puppets, and of course those VW's complete with long furry legs. Between those amusing FX, a ridiculous premise, and some funny dialog this cheap horror film never has a dull moment.

Yet as poor as the quality of the film is the cast (which has a number of veteran actors) isn't that bad. In a way it's their serious, well semi-serious, performances that make the occurrences even more humorous.

The Giant Spider Invasion is one of the most unintentionally hilarious horror films ever made and whether you like it or not, you can't deny that it's entertaining! A definite must-see for fans of campy B horror.

** 1/2 out of ****

Judging from what has been said from other commentators I was expecting one of the worst movies ever made. Make no mistake The Giant Spider Invasion is a bad movie- very bad in fact, the 2.7 rating is about right for it- but not atrocious and a long way from one of the worst movies ever made. Barbara Hale and Steve Brodie are decent, there is some unintentional entertainment value and a couple of the attacks are appropriately gruesome. To say that The Giant Spider Invasion is poorly made though is an understatement, often what is seen is close to incoherent. The spider is not a convincing threat at all, more goofy than menacing and the cheap puppet-like design is no help. The music sounds stock and inappropriate, when you can hear the dialogue you are kind of glad actually that the sound is poor and the story is thinly plotted, completely lacking in atmosphere and predictable. Apart from Barbara Hale and Steve Brodie, the acting is so terrible- especially from Alan Hale- that it's not worth any comments. All in all, not as atrocious as heard and expected but very bad. 3/10 Bethany Cox

Noting in the cast and credits behind the camera a number of folks named Brodie I imagine this was something that star Steve Brodie had a lot to do with. The veteran character player got his whole family involved including son Kevin who had a bit of a career himself.

I imagine the best of Hollywood's talents were not available to the Brodies. Cheesy special effects and a story that left a lot to be desired, The Giant Spider Invasion is not the best of science fiction out there.

I'm not sure of the science fact that's supposed to underline this story. A black hole which travels like meteor collides with earth and the hole opens up. Out come a lot of spiders and as they eat they grow. Big ones, small ones, some as big as house. All a bit much for the local sheriff Alan Hale, Jr. to deal with. The former skipper of the S.S. Minow is used to breaking up drag races and arresting drunks to sleep it off in his tank.

Scientists Steve Brodie and Barbara Hale are on the job. But in the meantime these growing arachnids are wreaking havoc in rural Wisconsin.

I think the Brodie family was trying for a satire that at best was a hit or miss proposition.