Article Response: Spiders vs Insects

Needless to say, fantastic, hurrah for Mr. Baran! I don't think I've ever read something specifically on spiders and horror films, and what's even better is how well it's written. Earth Vs. the Spider is a great minor example of the 50s monster film -- professionally made, but not really relying on anything other than the spider's size to cause fear (as opposed to 'ew, creepy and alien and NOT HUMAN!'). Still, the use of the real spider (like Pete mentioned) causes some bemusingly furry moments in close-up.

One other point about the cube law is that weight obviously increases with volume (cube) while strength of limb increases with cross-section (square) => legs of giant versions of anything will snap.

You don't know serious arachnophobes: I was worried for my ex-wife when I saw the billboards for 8LF (especially one on Gower Street with a big model spider climbing over it) because she would, I guarantee, scream and completely lose control of the car if she saw such when driving. She shakes for minutes on seeing a small picture of a normal spider.

You ignore the one possibly great film in either genre (if you insist they are separate genres): the mighty Saul Bass's Phase IV (ants, not giant).

You don't mention giant rabbits, as in Night Of The Lepus. Similar, surely? Though I guess few people cuddle (non-giant) spiders and insects.

I think you should do something else with the footnotes, Tom - either with hyperlinks and anchors, or better still make them rollover popups, like on my favourite history site. This is the perfect way of doing web footnotes, I think.

Anthony "next-but-one" I said i.e. next. The person who deserves apology is David H - just didn't have time to format your stuff :(

For pedantry's sake - this bit about Verhoeven's bugs may not be *strictly* true, as a friend of mine once used what was supposedly a authentic 'Troopers' giant bug leg in his house as a Halloween party prop.

p.s. spiders are icky

Martin-
No one has yet tried giant kittens, except possibly Alan
...and The Goodies!

Agree with you about the footnotes. I didn't bother with any after the first one.

Jeff W - what about the Incredible Shrinking man? (Its the cat which is menacing in that, right? I suppose anopther Giant Cat creature. I can do a follow up).

Re the footnotes. They are bad form in general and merely the sign of a disorganised mind who couldn't adequately fit the points in I wanted to make.

yeah for bill bailey.

unfortunately they let loose spectres abroad across the multiverse, who eat men's souls

Land of the giANTS.