Spider (2002)

[Henry Gale]

Title: Spider

Tagline: The only thing worse than losing your mind... is finding it again.

Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller

Director: David Cronenberg

Cast: Ralph Fiennes, Miranda Richardson, Gabriel Byrne, Lynn Redgrave, John Neville, Philip Craig, Bradley Hall, Gary Reineke, Sara Stockbridge, Cliff Saunders, Tara Ellis, Arthur Whybrow, Nicola Duffett, Jake Nightingale, Donald Ewer, Joan Heney, Peter Elliott, Alec Stockwell, Scott McCord, Rachel Taggart

Release: 2002-11-06

Runtime: 98

Plot: A mentally disturbed man takes residence in a halfway house. His mind gradually slips back into the realm created by his illness, where he replays a key part of his childhood.

Someone must have seen this by now, it opened last Friday on a limited basis.
Does anyone know the release schedule, town by town?

 

[Michael Reuben]

Like so many limited-release films, this one has been reviewed in the 2003 Foreign, Alternative and Independent Films, which is always the first place to check in this forum when looking for comments on "smaller" releases. The second post in the thread contains an index, which is updated weekly.

(In fairness, I should also note that Spider was first reviewed here last year in the 2002 Alternative Thread (now archived, and also indexed at the beginning).

M.

 

[Henry Gale]

Thanks Michael!
I should not have counted on just searching "Titles" in the "Movie Forum."
Of course, I still don't know where to find the release schedule, which is what I'm asking about.

 

[Michael Reuben]

Believe me, Jim, if I knew where to look, I'd tell you.

AFAIK, it's still only playing on a single screen in New York City. In the L.A. area, there are at least five theaters showing it.

M.

 

[Michael Pakula]

In Toronto it's playing in 4 Theaters. I still
have yet to see this film. Ive been falling a little
behind in movies lately, but Im really looking forward
to seeing this film.

-Mike

 

[Henry Gale]

Got to see it in Austin last week, for those of you near San Antonio, Spider is playing at Regal Fiesta Stadium 16 Theatres.

 

[Henry Gale]

Thanks for mentioning this Jim!
I'm gonna check the Express News movie schedule and see it this weekend.

 

[SteveGon]

Just caught this on DVD and it may very well be Cronenberg's most accomplished film. Subtle, restrained, and featuring a fascinating performance by Ralph Fiennes, this is a must-see.

Edit: FWIW, I'd rank Spider with Dead Ringers.

 

[Michael Reuben]

I'd rank Spider with Dead Ringers.

They're the two creepiest films Cronenberg has ever made. And I mean that as a compliment.

M.

 

[Kevinkall]

It is a great movie, caught it awhile back in the theaters. Why do I not have the dvd?

 

[Joshua_Y]

Ordered it on DVD...cant wait for it to arrive...Ralph Fiennes is a brilliant actor!

 

[The Drifter]

Resurrecting this ancient thread for Cronenberg's Spider (2002), since I wanted to discuss the film & didn't want to create a new thread.

I just re-watched this - amazing & disturbing movie, and a real slow-burn. I had first seen this theatrically in early 2003, and then again on DVD years later. I've only seen it about three times total. I have to be in the right mood to view this; it's a somewhat tough watch due to the subject matter.

This is definitely one of Cronenberg's least talked-about films, even though I consider it right up there with many of his top movies. It's definitely underrated.

Amazing casting here. Both Ralph Fiennes & Miranda Richardson deserved awards for their acting in this film.

Spoiler: SPOILER

Not for the first time - I noted that Mrs. Cleg (Spider's mother) and Yvonne (the blonde woman who "replaced" the mother) were both played by Miranda Richardson, in a "dual" role. This was brilliantly done, given that - as the blonde - she genuinely looked like a completely different person. I.e., it wasn't just the hair/make-up/personality - but the teeth, etc.

The reveal at the end was extremely disturbing, and it was then that we realized why Spider was sent to the mental institution when he was a child.

I also liked the extreme attention to detail here. Obviously the half-way house that the adult Spider went to (at the beginning of the film) was in the same general neighborhood where he grew up in East London years before. There were some changes in the seemingly 20+ years since he had left, but much was still the same.

I also liked the re-creation of what appeared to be a 1950's setting (when he was a child) to a later 1970's?! setting (when he was an adult). However, neither the era or a specific year are mentioned in the film.

I know a Blu-ray was released in late 2022, but I still don't have this yet.

I may read the Spider novel (Patrick McGrath, 1990) at some point.