Countdown to Halloween: “The Burbs” and “Arachnophobia”

It’s time to talk about a couple light-hearted horror picks from 1989 and 1990 that were moderate hits that also gained a cult following throughout the years - “The Burbs” (1989) and “Arachnophobia” (1990).

In the 1989 comedy/horror/mystery “The Burbs,” settling in for some time off in his suburban home, Ray Peterson’s vacation becomes a horror when the Klopeks, a suspiciously odd family, move in next door.

Enlisting the aid of his paranoid buddy, Art, and his militia-man neighbor, Rumsfield, Ray sends his son and wife away while they investigate the Klopeks. When a neighbor disappears, Ray and his cohorts risk their lives to save their cul-de-sac from the clutches of evil.

“The Burbs” was a critical flop upon its initial 1989 release and became a moderate success. Over the years, the movie gained a significant cult following with many fans appreciating its unique blend of dark suburban humor and a bit of horror. In fact, “The Burbs” initial audience response was mixed due to its tonal blend of comedy and horror, which I think really works for this movie.

The movie’s unique blend of comedy and some horror elements creates an entertaining experience. The movie’s director, Joe Dante, was actually perfect for this movie since Dante also blended the same genres together a few years prior with “Gremlins.”

“The Burbs” can really deliver us quite a few humorous moments, from the neighbor’s late night stake outs to see what’s going on with the Klopeks, to Ray’s next door neighbor Art being too paranoid sometimes, to Bruce Dern’s scene-stealing military-obsessed character. With all the funny antics they cause, it can make you wonder what the Klopeks thought of them.

This movie also features some entertaining horror elements, which include a nightmare that Ray has and a mysterious flickering glow from the neighbor’s basement window late at night, which stokes their fears and provides the initial start of their investigations, among a few other moments.

Years after its release, despite the heavily mixed initial reviews, “The Burbs” developed a passionate cult following and a nostalgic favorite. Fans of the movie praised its quirky humor, memorable characters and atmospheric blend of suburban life with eerie, “Twilight Zone”-esque mystery.

In the 1990 movie “Arachnophobia,” after a nature photographer dies on assignment in

Venezuela, a poisonous spider hitches a ride in his coffin in his hometown in rural California, where arachnophobe Dr. Jennings has just moved in with his wife and young son.

As town residents start turning up dead, Jennings begins to suspect spiders, and must face his fears as he and the no-nonsense exterminator fight to stop a deadly infestation.

“Arachnophobia” serves as an effective thriller mixed with some great humor, while some of the horror elements can be a bit on the frightening side - especially if you hate spiders! The movie uses close up shots and shadows to make the spiders a central, unsettling element of the movie.

I really enjoyed this movie’s effective blend of genuine scares, laugh out loud humor (mainly from John Goodman) and the thrilling suspense of a classic creature feature. I also really enjoy the practical effects for the spiders and the clever ways they were directed to move using techniques like hot air and vibrating wires, creating a sense of realistic menace.

A lot of the humor comes from Goodman’s gung-ho but incompetent exterminator, Delbert McClintok. The character’s over the top antics offer a lot of comic relief against the backdrop of a deadly spider infestation. While Goodman has quite a few humorous moments, there’s a scene where he encounters one of the deadly spiders and when he’s asked if he brought it with him, he simply replies, “Actually, he’s probably still at the bottom of my show. You really can’t tell what it is anymore.” Goodman’s line delivery really made me laugh during that moment.

“Arachnophobia” is considered a classic within its genre, praised for its ability to be both scary and funny without resorting to excessive gross out humor. Its combination of a simple premise, engaging characters and masterful use of small, creepy-crawly stars makes it a highly enjoyable and sometimes suspenseful viewing experience.

You can currently stream both “The Burbs” and “Arachnophobia” on Tubi.”

• Walter's toy poodle Queenie was played by the same dog that played Precious in The Silence of the Lambs (1991).

• Tom Hanks improvised the scene where he picks up the gurney and puts himself into the ambulance.

• The film was shot in sequence and was filmed during the writer's strike of 1988. The film was rushed into production to avoid a Writers Guild of America's (WGA) strike. Principal photography began the same day the strike went into effect, May 19, 1988. Although Dana Olsen, the writer, appeared in the film, he was prohibited from contributing anything to the script while on set. For this reason, Joe Dante encouraged the actors to improvise many scenes. One example was the moment when Rumsfield rips the Klopeks' wallpaper, an idea from Bruce Dern. Rick Ducommun ad-libbed many of his lines, including the "Satan is good, Satan is our pal" dialogue. Tom Hanks and Carrie Fisher came up with the idea of playing along with Jeopardy! (1984) at home.

• The film was originally slated for a Christmas 1988 release but due to reshoots, the film was pushed back to February 1989. By that time, Tom Hanks would be nominated for an Oscar for Big (1988).

• There was a writer's strike that lasted 6 months while the film was in production. This film and Fletch Lives (1989) were the only movies filming at the Universal backlot during April - June 1988; many in the cast and crew described it as a "ghost town". Filming was scheduled to end July 31, 1988 to avoid an anticipated technicians' strike.

• Due to the writer's strike, director Joe Dante could not have actor/writer Dana Olsen to consult or do any rewrites on the screenplay on a daily basis. Pretty much most of this movie is improvisation and ad-libbing. Dante did eventually find a way for Olsen to be on set and hired him as an actor so that way he could consult with him indirectly without violating the Writers Guild rules.

• Tom Hanks and Joe Dante were initially disappointed with the films reception and felt Universal marketed it as another light as a feather type comedy as Big (1988) Hanks' previous movie had been and that audiences were maybe not ready to yet see a dark comedy with Hanks as the lead because he was known more as a lightweight comic actor at the time. The movie opened very strongly at the box office as it had been announced at the same time that Hanks was nominated for an Oscar for Big and audiences wanted to see his new film as a result on opening weekend but ticket sales began to decline in subsequent weeks due to poor critical reviews and because the film had a different tone than what audiences were expecting. The movie ended up making back double its budget $36 million domestically on a budget of $18 million, making it a box office success but also one of Hanks' lower grossing films of the time. However it's reception has improved significantly since it's original release with Dante saying it is his most discussed film by people after Gremlins (1984) and it is also now regarded as one of Hanks best comedies before he transitioned into more serious roles in the early 1990's such as Philadelphia (1993) and Forrest Gump (1994).

• Originally the film was intended to be a spoof of Rear Window (1954) and there is one scene that depicts that homage, during the rainstorm where Tom Hanks is looking at the Klopeks digging three holes in their backyard.

• The safety of the spiders was paramount throughout the entire production, so for one scene where McClintock (John Goodman) had to spray an arachnid with insecticide, then squash it with his boot, the production went to extreme measures: first, a dummy spider was sprayed, then Goodman donned special boots with a hollowed out sole for the squash shot, so that the spider would just curl up inside and wait for the next take.

• The small spiders used in the film were Avondale spiders (Delena Cancerides), a harmless species from New Zealand that were provided by Landcare Research in Auckland. Despite their fierce appearance, this spider is a docile member of the crab-spider family and is, in fact, harmless to humans. They were not allowed back in New Zealand for quarantine reasons. The giant "spider" used in the film was a species of a bird-eating tarantula, which can attain a legspan of eight inches or more. Those types of tarantulas are not easy to handle and can give a nasty bite. The spiders in the film were managed and handled by famed entomologist Steven R. Kutcher.

• The live spiders were housed separately in a temperature-controlled area. Since spiders can't be trained, an entomologist devised other means to guide the spiders such as vibrating wires (they wouldn't cross over them), and Lemon Pledge Furniture Wax which the spiders refused to walk on. The spider wranglers worked with the actors on how to handle the spiders so as not to mishandle or mistreat them.

• The first film released under Disney's Hollywood Pictures label, which was also created so the studio could release more adult-oriented fare.