Horror
United States of America
Kiss of the Tarantula is a low-budget horror film released in 1976. The story revolves around Susan Bradley (played by Suzanna Ling), a troubled teenager who lives with her father in a small town. Susan is deeply disturbed by the recent death of her mother, who was killed in a freak accident involving a tarantula.
Susan has a peculiar hobby of breeding and taming the spiders. She also has a crush on her science teacher, Mr. Brownley (played by Eric Mason). However, her obsessive behavior soon turns into vengeful violence against those who she feels have wronged her or her beloved spiders.
Susan's enemies include her abusive stepmother, her father's mistress, and her classmates who bully her. She releases her pet tarantulas on them, leading to gruesome and often fatal attacks. The town sheriff, played by Dean Jagger, suspects that Susan is the culprit but is unable to prove it due to lack of evidence.
As the body count rises, Susan becomes increasingly unhinged. She even tries to seduce her teacher, whom she believes is the only person who understands her. However, when he rejects her advances, she decides to take her revenge on him as well.
The film builds up to a dramatic climax, where Susan confronts her father and Mr. Brownley in a final showdown. Kiss of the Tarantula is known for its cult status and has a reputation for being a classic '70s B-movie with a cheesy script and low-budget special effects.
