Nayan Gough A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

Keeley Coleman The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

Mandeep Tyson The acting in this movie is really good.

Hattie I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

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!

udar55 Dallas-based religion professor Alan Whitmore (Roland Wybenga) is sent over to Hungary when Prof. Roth mysteriously stops contact after reporting he founds some sacred tablets. Whitmore arrives in a strange little town, only to have the paranoid Roth hand him a secret black book and shoo him away. Hours later Roth is found hanging by his neck and covered in a giant spider web. This event sends Whitmore on a quest to find out what is going on, despite the warning from the local "you're doomed" crazy man (William Berger) to leave town. This is an interesting little Italian horror film with definite shades of THE WICKER MAN (1973). Debuting director Gianfranco Giagni creates some nice horror and suspense scenes with some stylistic nods to Argento. The plot is a bit flimsy when you really think about it (INVASION OF THE SPIDER PEOPLE?), but it sure looks nice. It also benefits from some atmospheric locations in Hungary, including an underground stone bath and creepy caverns.

BA_Harrison Professor Alan Whitmore (Roland Wybenga), co-ordinator on a project investigating a strange religious sect, travels to Budapest to retrieve a missing report where he becomes entangled in a web of intrigue, murder and occult activity.Although its stylish cinematography, shocking violence and dreamlike atmosphere were undoubtedly influenced by Dario Argento's supernatural classics Suspiria and Inferno, and its narrative is eerily similar to Roman Polanski's under-rated occult horror The Ninth Gate, The Spider Labyrinth is no second-rate knock off: in my humble opinion, it is far a more accomplished work than either of Argento's celebrated movies, and it preceded Polanski's film by more than a decade.Morphing slowly from a giallo-style murder mystery into a surreal Lovecraftian horror where ancient gods and their murderous followers secretly conspire to spread their evil around the globe, The Spider Labyrinth is a brilliantly crafted nightmare, tinged with a sense of paranoia and madness, packed with cool visuals, laced with eroticism, and topped off with several standout scary moments: appearances by a supernaturally strong, knife-wielding hag are guaranteed to send a shiver up the spine; a suitably freaky finale features some truly unsettling FX work from Sergio Stivaletti; meanwhile, fans of sexy Euro-babes are catered for by the lovely Paola Rinaldi as Genevieve Weiss, Whitmore's enigmatic (and frequently naked) contact in Budapest, and Claudia Muzi as hot hotel maid Maria.As far as I know, The Spider Labyrinth still awaits an official DVD release, which I think is a travesty for such a fine film; until some enterprising company snaps it up and gives it the treatment it deserves, fans of bizarre Euro-horror will have to make do with the bootleg version that is available, a VHS transfer I believe, but still well worth getting one's mitts on.