Well, I told you DDT was dangerous...

SPOILER WARNING! SPOILER WARNING!

"Kingdom of the Spiders" is the kind of film that probably scared you stiff as a kid. Even as a teenager, you probably liked it - provided you were a somewhat uncool teen around 1977, when this classic (starring William "Captain Kirk" Shatner) was originally released.

The plot is relatively simple: a quiet small town somewhere in Middle America is besieged and attacked by thousands of tarantulas gone mustang. Apparently, DDT has killed off their natural prey, so the hairy arachnids band together in ant-like colonies, preying on cows, pets and (surprise) humans. Weirdly, they also have five times more noxious venom.

All the usual stereotypes are in there: the cold female scientist warmed up by the local hero, the silly mayor who refuses to listen to science, vicious attacks on cute kids and nice grannies, and the final mega-attack on the town itself. The only thing missing is the happy ending. "Kingdom of the Spiders" ends with the *spiders* winning, spinning a gigantic cocoon all around the town, and (presumably) planning new excursions into the rest of Arizona...and the world?

This production is too slow paced for my tastes, but I'm willing to give it the OK rating. Besides, I *told* you DDT wasn't good for our collective health, didn't I? :D