Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		0.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

The Giant Spider Invasion 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov March 28, 2025

Bill Rebane's "The Giant Spider Invasion" (1975) arrives on 4K Blu-ray courtesy of Dark Force Entertainment. The only supplemental feature on the release is an exclusive new audio commentary by Demon Dave and friends. In English, without optional English SDH subtitles. Region-Free.

The arrival

Below are a couple of indisputable facts about Bill Ribane’s film The Giant Spider Invasion that should help you decide whether it is worth your time:

It is a cheapie, but not poorly made. That’s right, it was shot on a budget, with Ribane doing the best he could to impress, and the end product is a perfectly coherent film.

Everyone that signed up to do The Giant Spider Invasion knew exactly what type of project was being put together. How do we know this? Attitudes don’t lie. The actors are having a ball before the camera, and it is plain as day that they aren’t taking their roles too seriously. However, they aren’t fumbling their roles either -- they are in the story, not just passing through it. So, there was a team of actors working in unison under Ribane’s direction.

The story is goofy. Not bad, just goofy, of the kind that is perfect for a late ‘50s, ‘60s, and ‘70s American horror film. So, The Giant Spider Invasion is a goofy horror film that it just as effective as a whacky low-budget black comedy. (Even though it comes from a different decade, Joe Dante’s Matinee is exactly the same type of goofy horror film. It was made with a much bigger budget, much better cast, and by a much more skilled director, but it offers the exact same type of entertainment).

Now, here's another fact that could make or break The Giant Spider Invasion for different groups of viewers. The special effects add flavor to the story, not visual thrills of the type that technicians and contemporary computer wizards use to impress. It is why Ribane’s camera spends as little time as possible on the spiders after they begin attacking the sleepy Wisconsin community. So, the paranoia and chaos are far more terrifying than the big creatures and their exploits.

This is it. Now you should have a crystal clear idea what to expect from The Giant Spider Invasion. And this is what matters the most -- your expectation, which has to be defined by your clear understanding of what Ribane did and for what purpose. Vintage and current promotional materials for The Giant Spider Invasion could be awfully misleading because they hype up a film that quite simply does not exist. Yes, it is how the game is played, but they are doing a huge disservice to The Giant Spider Invasion because they aren’t selling it right. Go in for the silly atmosphere -- which is awfully good for an American cheapie from the ‘70s -- and you will have a great time watching a bunch of cheeseheads getting chased and terrorized by a couple of fluffy ‘monsters’. The Giant Spider Invasion is a bad film, for sure, but it is so bad that it is actually pretty darn entertaining.

Ribane’s cast included plenty of serious actors, like Bill Williams (Hell’s Horizon), Barbara Hale (TV’s Perry Mason), Steve Brodie (Out of the Past), Alan Hale Jr. (TV’s Gunsmoke), Leslie Parrish (The Manchurian Candidate), and Christiane Schmidtmer (Ship of Fools.

*Dark Force Entertainment’s 4K Blu-ray release of The Giant Spider Invasion is sourced from an exclusive new 4K master graded with HDR.

The Giant Spider Invasion 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Dark Force Entertainment's 4K Blu-ray release The Giant Spider Invasion does not have a Blu-ray copy of the film. If you need one, you must try to track down this release.

Please note that all screencaptures included with this article are taken from the 4K Blu-ray disc and downscaled to 1080p. Therefore, they do not accurately reflect the quality of the 4K content on the 4K Blu-ray disc.

I am quite surprised to see that this very entertaining but very small film received a 4K Blu-ray release. Dark Force Entertainment's original Blu-ray release of it offered an outstanding technical presentation, and I was quite certain that it will remain its definitive release. So, how does the native 4K presentation look? And, if you have the previous Blu-ray release, should you consider an upgrade?

First, the 4K Blu-ray does not offer just a higher resolution presentation of the previous excellent presentation of the film. The native 4K presentation is graded with HDR, framed differently, and has some color adjustments. I thought that its overall quality was great, but also even more revealing of some of the film's native limitations. For example, during the darker nighttime footage, in some areas there is more nuanced information, but at the same time it is easier to tell that lighting conditions are far from optimal. Additionally, some density fluctuations are more prominent now, particularly when the film is viewed on a very large screen. The improved dynamic range of the visuals is undeniable, but if you have seen the previous presentation of the film, you will easily agree that this is not a consistent upgrade. What does this mean? The previous presentation was excellent, so on the new 4K presentation, in some areas, typically in darker indoor or nighttime footage, the difference is either very small or minimal. All colors are stable, lush, and natural. Some primaries looked a tad warmer, welcoming a bit of pink, but the difference is very small, or at least in areas where it feels like it could have been bigger. For this reason, I do not think that this is a meaningful discrepancy. The bigger, more meaningful discrepancy is directly related to the HDR grade, which is quite good for a film of this caliber. I noticed one big mark, but did not see any cuts, debris, stains, warped or torn frames to report. So, should the 4K Blu-ray be on your radar if you already have the previous Blu-ray release? I am unsure. In native 4K, the film looks great, but it is not a visual stunner, so the important benefits of 4K Blu-ray are inconsistent. On the other hand, discerning viewers will probably find enough to be impressed with.

The Giant Spider Invasion 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The original soundtrack will leave audiophiles underwhelmed. Even during the action footage, which is also not great, dynamic intensity is very, very modest. The music and effects sound good, but are typical for a B/C film. Of course, none of this should be surprising considering how The Giant Spider Invasion was shot. The important detail is that the lossless track accurately replicates the native qualities of the original soundtrack without retaining any distracting age-related imperfections. Also, unlike the Blu-ray release, this 4K Blu-ray release presents the film with optional English SDH subtitles.

The Giant Spider Invasion 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by Demon Dave, Joe Rubin (Vinegar Syndrome), and a few more guests.

The Giant Spider Invasion 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

When a few years ago Dark Force Entertainment released The Giant Spider Invasion on Blu-ray, I had a great time with it, because I instantly knew that it will be one of those small, goofy genre films whose identity is shaped primarily by their sense of humor. I made sure to see it in the wee hours of the night, which is the only time any such genre film must be experienced. I was very happy with how The Giant Spider Invasion looked on Blu-ray, but now there is a 4K Blu-ray. This is great, but I would not place the 4K Blu-ray near the top of any wish list because there are many more, much better upgrades to consider before it. This said, if The Giant Spider Invasion is one of your dearest guilty pleasures, grab the 4K Blu-ray for your collection. You will be very happy with it. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.