Creepy Crawlys & other things that go bump in the night

Some of my favorite B movies are those that involve critters, both small and large. My husband teases me regularly about my fetish for this type of film, which lately I only seem to find via NetFlix or the SCI-FI Channel. Most days the sci-fi channel is banned in my house but on days when my better half allows me to indulge myself, he'll watch sci-fi with me and even pretend to enjoy the show. Well, that is provided giant bugs don't start eating people.

I've put together a small list of some the really cheesy B's I've liked over the years. I'm sure the list is much more extensive than what you see here, but I wanted to pick a couple from different animal families, without boring you with 10 pages of movies. Feel free to add any of your favorites in the comments as I am always looking for "new" ones that I have not yet had the pleasure of watching.

Rattlers, 1976

A horde of chemically altered rattlesnakes become ruthless killers in the Mojave Desert in this B film classic. Not only do they bite people but they impale them as well, as easily as a knife stabbing butter! There was one scene in this movie where a lady is taking a bath and snakes begin coming out of the drain and faucet and proceed to "brutally" kill her (yes brutal! I did say they impale people, didn't I?) I remember for months after seeing this movie that I kept a very close eye on the drain and faucet in my tub, making sure to stay as far back as possible. I even checked the toilet periodically in case they got inventive (hey, I was 8 - what do you expect?.)

The Swarm, 1978

This one came out when I was 10. Although it is considered by some to be one of the worst "disaster films" ever made, I got a big kick out of it. The Swarm is the story of killer bees from South America that migrate to the United States. After dozens of dead bodies are discovered as the apparent victims of multiple bee stings, an entomologist just happens by to explain the situation. It seems this entomologist has been tracking massive swarms of these bees which harbor amazingly potent venom, and he's afraid that millions more will die before the bees can be stopped. Eventually he is enlisted by the president to do whatever it takes to stop the bees horrific killing spree. This movie starred former A-listers such as Michael Caine, Richard Chamberlain, Patty Duke, and Henry Fonda, among others.

The Giant Spider Invasion, 1975

Some sort of a meteor shoots out of the Crab Nebula and makes it's way to Earth, where it lands in the back yard of a family of hillbillies. A giant spider emerges and starts laying rock like eggs all over the place, which produce a bunch of creepy crawly tarantulas. I don't remember what scared me more - the spiders or the backwoods hillbillies! Another B classic for the archives. (And if you liked this one, you won't want to miss out on Attack of the Killer Tomatoes. Not only are they big and ripe, but they eat people too. Thankfully NASA steps in to save the day. You might not know whether to laugh or scream, but it will definitely leave an impression!)

Alligator, 1980

Ramon the alligator is flushed down the toilet as a baby and grows to monstrous proportions by eating the corpses of disposed laboratory animals, victims of questionable growth hormone experiments. There's no way this couldn't lay the plot for a giant man-eating alligator, terrorizing the shadows of Chicago! Only he doesn't always stay in the shadows and usually it's too late to run away when you do see him. It always amazes me how stupid people are in the movies. I do understand they need to be stupid in order to do the mindless things that cause the chain of events, but I keep wishing that there is going to be someone, anyone, who fights back and lives. Or better yet, who realizes there is a giant 40foot alligator coming around the corner, instead of standing there with their thumb up their butt just begging to get eaten. I don't know about you guys, but I am pretty sure that could ruin your whole day. I know it would ruin mine!

Slither, 2006

Who wouldn't love a modern day B movie about sluglike parasites that turn you into a zombie wannabe? (The only other slug-like movie I remember was The Faculty, where the slugs were also of alien origin; this movie ranks very high on my list of favorites! Check it out for early roles for both Salma Hayek and Josh Hartnett.)

While Slither does not rank high on my list of favorites (I can't decide if it ranks on my list at all) I must confess there are parts of this movie that I found most entertaining. One of which was the zombie type trance induced by the possession of the slugs. Another was the way the movie waffled back and forth between gross and funny, altho the giant blob-thing was a bit intense and beyond flavorful cheese. Anyway you slice it, I must say it was definitely worth watching the first time.

Eight Legged Freaks, 2002

Call me a "freak" but I love this movie!!! Anything with David Arquette is bound to make me laugh, but throw in giant spiders and you are talking my language! A chemical spill sets the stage for 100's of spiders to mutate to monstrous proportions and proceed to eat all the livestock and pets of a small town before anyone can bat an eye. When people start missing however, and spiders start attacking in daylight, its up to Detective Dewey, I mean engineer Chris (played by Arquette) to save the day!

So there you have it. A handful of some of my favorite creepy crawly, make ya laugh, make ya cringe, B horror movies of the years past. There are so many more but I want to hear from you guys. Come on - I know you can hook me up with something I haven't seen!