Man, this film is some sort of weird and twisted fun! It tells the story of an inbred family with secrets- and skeletons- in their closet.The family is overseen by the caretaker, who has been watching over the children- that suffer from disabilities and psychological impairments- since the death of their father, a few years back.But now, some greedy distant relatives of the family are wanting to put the children into foster care, so that they can sell and cash in on the estate.Unless, the creepy sisters and their brother can do anything about it.This film is a very sexy weird right from the get go...and it only gets more twisted from there on in.In the basement, the family keep the older members of their family...who suffer from ailments like werewolfism, deformities, and cannibalism...all stemming from their inbred past.The caretaker swore to his master, that he would care for the children, and watch over his estate...and he plans on keeping that promise...no matter what it takes.The girls are among the sexiest, weirdest, creepiest characters I've ever seen in a horror film. While, their brother reminds me of the twins from AHS: Freakshow. And Lon Chaney does a great job as Bruno- the caretaker- as well.I'm not exactly sure why...but I loved this film. The characters are really over the top in a humorous, yet still creepy, way. And it makes for one helluva entertaining flick.Definitely check this one out.7 out of 10.

As a rule I don't generally get on too well with those films championed as 'cult favourites' by fans, such as THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW, and so it proves with SPIDER BABY. It's an okay film for sure, and given the lack of money that went into it, it's pretty decent at times, but it's a film I mildly enjoyed rather than loved and I think that other low budget independent features from the 1960s, like THE TERROR, DEMENTIA 13, or TARGETS, are more interesting.This one's a variant on the 'old dark house' genre, with a house full of crazies. As expected, there's a whole lot of overacting going on throughout, with various demented characters shouting and arguing and occasionally knifing each other. Oh, and a few spiders scuttle about here and there. I found the whole thing a bit overwrought in comparison to other psycho-thrillers of the decade. This is chiefly of interest for the good performances from the guest stars, including a never-kookier Sid Haig and old-timers Mantan Moreland and Lon Chaney Jr., the latter on particularly good form.

There are bad movies, there are really bad movies and then there is "Spider Baby", Lon Chaney and a house straight out of "Psycho" notwithstanding. This is the kind of cult movie that makes you realize that cults can be a bad thing. The director was Jack Hill who made his reputation in exploitation cinema, (he made the incredible "Switchblade Sisters" as well as the more mainstream blaxploitation picture "Foxy Brown"), but this is probably what he's best remembered for though God knows why. By today's standards there is no gore and fewer frights. Chaney was obviously cast to 'sell' the movie and he 'acts' as if he believed every ridiculous word. If there is anyone here to keep you watching it's Carol Ohmart, an actress who always deserved better than she ended up with.

Spider Baby (1968) ** 1/2 (out of 4) Jack Hill's cult favorite about a loving caretaker (Lon Chaney, Jr.) who takes care of three mentally disturbed kids who just happen to enjoy killing. Over the past decade or so, SPIDER BABY has become one of the biggest cult films out there and it's easy to see why because it's just so strange and contains such a bizarre atmosphere that you can't help but get involved in its weirdness. I'm not going to sit here and say this is a great film or even a good one. I think there are all sorts of problems with the picture including a pacing issue but there's still enough here to make it worth viewing. For starters, people must remember that this was shot long before NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD so there's some fairly graphic moments here. Another thing that really works well are the performances, which I'd say are the greatest thing going. Chaney gives an extremely good performance and he really makes you feel as if his character loves this kids and would do anything for them. Visually you can tell the actor is in the middle of his alcoholic days and this tough look really just adds to the softness of the character in a strange way. Beverly Washburn, Jill Banner and Sid Haig are all terrific as the three mental cases and all of them really do a fantastic job with their performances. They're not Oscar-worthy performances but they certainly nail the weirdness. Mantan Moreland appears briefly and is very memorable as well. What really separates this film from many other "B" movies that were made during this era is its atmosphere. There's no question that the ultra low-budget helps but there's just something rather creepy about the entire atmosphere. SPIDER BABY isn't a masterpiece but there's certainly not another film out there like it.