Stars:
Chris Potter, Alex Reid, Jose Sancho, Neus Asensi, Ravil Isyanov, Luis Lorenzo,
Rocqueford Allen, Robert Gabriel Vincencio
Writer:
Mark Sevi
Director:
Jack Sholder
Feature
length: 95 minutes
Extras:
Trailers
Languages:
English Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles:
English Captions and Closed Captions and Spanish Subtitles
Packaging:
Alpha Keep Case
Chapter
Stops: 24
Sound:
Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Year
of DVD Release: 2002
Home
Video Distributor: Lions Gate Home Entertainment
MPAA
Rating: R
Reviewer:
Mark A. Rivera
Over
the Pacific Ocean, a cloaked UFO is taking samples of aquatic life through a
water funnel that literally sucks up the animal specimens into the ship. This
draws the attention of an air force jet fighter that crashes into the ship. The
remains of both ships drop onto a remote island. The pilots of both vessels
manage to eject to safety, but Earth is not the only place the alien has been
taking biological samples from and both pilots succumb to an escaped life form
that quickly sets itself up at the top of the food chain.
Ten
months later, a team made up of a pilot searching for her brother who
disappeared on the island, three mercenaries, and several biologists travel to
the island and a mysterious disturbance from the crashed UFO causes their plane
along with any powered objects, like cell phones to go out of service. Trapped
on the island with no hope for escape, the team soon discovers an island filled
with extraterrestrial mutations some of which share both insect and reptilian
qualities. They have discovered what happened and have outstanding proof of new
life, but also a message of extreme danger should the evolving organisms find a
way to adapt and escape the island. Right now they are all trapped.
Produced
by Brian Yuzna, “Arachnid” is a mildly entertaining sci-fi horror flick that
combines elements of “Predator,” “Aliens,” and “Evolution” into a
hybrid that quite refreshingly stays away from the use of CGI for a change, with
the exception of the opening sequence and relies on good old mechanical monster
mayhem. A straight to video release under the Trimark label from Lions Gate Home
Entertainment, “Arachnid” is presented in an anamorphic widescreen (1.85:1)
aspect ratio with an English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Soundtrack coupled with
optional English Captions and Closed Captions and Spanish Subtitles.
The
transfer looks great with no blemishes, grain, or color bleeding whatsoever. The
Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Soundtrack is aggressive and loud. In fact it is a
bit too loud. I had to lower the volume five decibels more to get the same
output I normally get with a Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Soundtrack on most other
films on DVD. There are straight to
video (1.33:1) trailers for “Arachnid,” “Spiders,” and “Risk,” which
are all available on DVD and VHS through Lions Gate Home Entertainment.
“Arachnid”
is available now on DVD-Video at retailers on and offline from Lions Gate Home
Entertainment.
All Rights Reserved.