The Spider Labyrinth

1988
6.4| 1h26m| en
Details

A young professor travels to Budapest to locate a lost colleague. Once there, he gets tangled up in a supernatural mystery.

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Trailers & Clips

Also starring Roland Wybenga

Also starring Claudia Muzii

Reviews

Titreenp SERIOUSLY. This is what the crap Hollywood still puts out?
Btexxamar I like Black Panther, but I didn't like this movie.
Voxitype Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.
Rio Hayward All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.
GL84 Sent to check on a colleague, a writer travels to Hungary to investigate his whereabouts finds that he's become involved in a mysterious, spider-worshipping cult intent on making him part of the cult's legacy forcing him to find a way of stopping their activities.This here was quite the enjoyable Italian horror effort. One of the film's better qualities is the fact that there's quite a lot of really engaging work being done here that sets up the overall mystery of the first half. Starting with the frantic and bizarre behavior about his secretive meeting with the doctor and how he gets paranoid and flighty during their time alone together, this one manages quite an effective and eerie atmosphere detailing the slowly unraveling mystery he's fallen into that includes the discovery of his body, as well as the various tactics the cult attempted to keep him from the truth as he searches around the city. That leaves this with a highly enjoyable mystery that needs to be discovered here which comes off rather nicely as there's plenty to like about the way it manages to tell the rather complex storyline about the deadly cult and their followers which are introduced more in the second half. The manner of how they come back knowing the group is around is where this one really manages to work nicely, with the stalking scenes of the groups' figurehead coming around chasing after the other victims who have caught onto their plans offers some truly chilling and engaging work here going through the apartment complex chasing after the one lone victim there or the second attack in the library which really manages quite a lot of incredibly chilling sequences of the demon coming after them in an unearthly flying manner which makes them all the creepier. The other big sequences, from the hobo ambush down in the underground catacombs to the encounter with the creature in the bedroom all interject some solid action into the proceedings and really enhance the creepiness of the cult as a whole that's further aided by the finale which is what really makes this one absolutely enjoyable. Finally able to grasp the true intentions of the cult and their meanings, it features the truly phenomenal sequence of the cult taking possession of him and bringing about the resurrection of the massive spider-creature that comes off incredibly well here by going for all sorts of bizarre and terrifying imagery throughout with a fantastic look to them that's really impressive and finishes this one off on a high-note. Coupled with the fine nudity and some stellar gore throughout here, there's plenty to like even if it does stumble a few times. The biggest issue is that the obviously ongoing mystery angle in the first half makes this one feel somewhat languid and dragging in the first half with him going through the investigation rather than actually engaging in any kind of action-based variations in the storyline which is enough to really make for a troubling beginning half that comes through here. As well, there's a nice amount of gore and creature effects in the second half that showcases some goofy and somewhat silly monster work that does take out the viewer somewhat slightly with this one being so out-of-place with the vibrant, athletic creature contrasting to the on-set effects sued elsewhere. These here are the only real flaws here.Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Violence, Full Nudity, Language and a mild sex scene.
Leofwine_draca An effective, underrated Italian horror film which recalls the work of Argento and the Bavas (both Mario and Lamberto) in a good way. As we all know, the Italian film industry was dying out in the late '80s, with the classics few and far between (as opposed to having at least a couple of great movies every year like back in the '60s/'70s/early '80s). I'm happy to say that SPIDER LABYRINTH is indeed one of those classics, a rare film which plays out like a typical giallo for the first three-quarters before moving into full-blooded - and bloody - horror in the final quarter.The direction from Gianfranco Giagni is actually very good, and working hard he manages to build up a fair amount of suspense and tension as mystery surrounds the lead character. This is where the film resembles Argento the most; and is packed with bizarre characters, fine camera-work, a lot of Italian style to enjoy, and with mystery brimming off the screen. Take for example the standout yet subtle moment where the teacher takes a meal with his girlfriend. The pair are unknowingly being watched by most of the staff and other guests, which effectively builds up the paranoia and tension to fever pitch, as you expect something terrible to happen (and it soon does).Interspersed are plenty of shock scenes which work, like the old "object being thrown through a window" scare which actually makes you jump here. There are plenty of minor clues and mysteries which are cleverly explained at the end, like the appearance of weird black balls which turn out to be spider eggs! The film has its fair share of grue, with a bloody knife murder of an innocent servant girl in a white-sheeted corridor being the highlight; coupled with the stylish photography and disorientating music, you could be forgiven for thinking that you're watching Argento. Other scenes to watch out for include a walk through a corpse-strewn cavern which is very spooky and atmospheric, and the final confrontation between the lead (didn't note the name) and the perpetrator of the crimes, a hideous vampire-like witch woman who stabs with a knife. The bizarrity culminates in a weird religious ritual in which the lead is himself attacked by an incredible "spider baby" and he himself becomes one of the followers, destined to kill and infect others. The ending is thus suitably downbeat and violent.The acting is generally spot-on, with lots of actors and actresses playing weird or imposing minor characters well. Old-timer William Berger lends solid support and the leading actor is fine. Some very icky makeup by effects ace Sergio Stivaletti (responsible for the DEMONS films) compliments things nicely, with the blood flowing quite thickly at moments and the vampire witch woman's appearance being very similar to those of the monsters in DEMONS. The highlight is the "spider baby" itself, a yellow-eyed creature of evil which proceeds to gruesomely transform into a giant spider - great stuff! One thing I did hugely appreciate was the use of stop-motion to animate the various evil arachnids, a rare occurrence in an Italian movie which is an extra bonus. So, with equal parts conspiracy and paranoia and old-fashioned gory supernatural horror, SPIDER LABYRINTH is a big success. It's kind of like an unpredictable, stylish variant of the INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS theme and is just as good. I recommend that you check it out!
HumanoidOfFlesh An American professor of archeology Alan Whitmore is ordered by his superiors at his university to go to Budapest.He travels there to work with another researcher and stumbles into pagan worshippers of a giant subterranean spider monsters.A crazed demonic killer is slaughtering those who stumble unto the secrets of 4000 year old cult and there seems no way out of the labyrinth."Spider Labirynth" is an eerie and very stylish homage to Italian horror as well as the film with extremely dense Lovecraftian atmosphere of terror and menace.The use of colors in "Spider Labirynth" reminds me Dario Argento's brilliant "Suspiria" and "Inferno".The special visual effects by Sergio Stivaletti are gruesome and bloody and the suspense slowly builds up.9 out of 10.Along with Michele Soavi's "Deliria" definitely the best Italian horror movie of late 80's.
The_Void This largely unknown Italian horror movie encapsulates the best of Italian horror. We've got Giallo elements, supernatural elements, surreal ambiance and a dark, sinister plot. Despite a lovely murder scene that takes place in the middle of a load of bed sheets, the first half of the film is largely rather uninspiring; but as the film moves on, it mutates into one of the most grisly assaults that I've ever seen from Italy. Many people that have seen this movie have labelled it a Giallo, and while the film does have it's Giallo moments in the first half - I'd put Spider Labyrinth in with the robust Gothic horror films such as Kill Baby Kill, Inferno and Suspiria before listing it amongst the likes of Solange and The Bird With the Crystal Plumage. The plot follows a professor who is sent to stay with a fellow professor for reasons that are always left rather vague. It's not long before his professor host ends up dead, and our hero is being plunged into a world of mystery and sinister cults, which all seems to focus around some strange 'fist-sized' black balls.Italian horror is well known for not making a lot of sense and this film suffers from a screenplay that adheres to that 'rule'. The intrigue is generated towards the start mainly because of the fact that the film is so difficult to follow, but once the film enters it's more satisfying second half, these problems are somewhat resolved. Even while the film isn't making a whole lot of sense, however, it still remains interesting by way of its atmosphere. Atmosphere tends to be more important in this sort of film anyway, so the fact that this one relies on it is largely to its credit. The beautiful Italian locations are well shot and the lighting in the scenes indoors gives the film exactly the right mood. The underground scenes towards the end represent the film's strongest location shoots, and are one of the main reasons why it ultimately succeeds. The special effects look extremely cheap and are mostly stop-motion. However, they're really disgusting also, and the final scene; even though the 'monster' is a doll, really is nightmarish. Overall, I could easily understand anyone that doesn't like Spider Labyrinth; but it hit the nail on the head for me, and I definitely recommend it to my fellow Italian horror cinema fans!