Another classic in the creature feature genre. Man (in the form of Leo G. Carroll's driven but likeable Prof. Deemer) is messing with things he doesn't understand, with terrible consequences. While trying to find a growth nutrient to help the food shortage that will occur when the world population grows too far, Deemer has injected several creatures with the growth hormone with spectacular results. The guinea pig and the monkey I could understand, but why on earth did he have to inject a tarantula? Anyway, the beastie starts to grow, and through a set of even more unlikely circumstances escapes to wreak havoc on the surrounding population.
With its eerie desert setting, and great special effects this is a genuinely scary film. Using a real tarantula rather than models the sight of a giant spider on the screen is quite unnerving, even to a non arachnophobe. The implausible plot moves along at a nice pace, and the film delivers thrills and chills on a regular basis. The stereotypes are all here, dotty scientist, another scientist who just happens to have the answers, the cute girl in danger, wooden actors, improbable dialogue, etc, etc. A absolute classic of the genre, with the added bonus of an early role for Clint Eastwood. Highly recommended.