It’s no secret that Syfy’s “B” monster movies have an impressive cult following since the success of Sharknado. Included in the long list of outrageous films about killer piranhas, sharks, and crocodiles is a movie titled Lavalantula that premiered on the channel in 2015.
Steve Guttenberg plays Colton West, an out of touch actor from the 80s. After witnessing the Santa Monica volcanoes erupt with massive lava-spurting tarantulas, he is on a mission to save his family and all of Los Angeles.
While driving a stolen sight-seeing bus, West meets his new sidekick, played by Patrick Renna (The Sandlot). The strange pair get caught up in all sorts of hilarious scenarios fighting off the over-sized arachnids. Guttenberg’s wife in the film, played by Nia Peeples, has to fight off the invasion of lavalantulas using kickboxing and various prop weapons throughout their home. The couple’s teenage son is also caught in the middle of the lavalantulas as he tries to get himself and two friends safely through the city. You quickly realize that the film is a story about a family reuniting set in a chaotic, and apocalyptic backdrop.
The writers made sure to throw in countless tongue in cheek one-liners. Lavalantula is spewing with just as many film and television references of the past as the tarantulas spew volcanic lava. And you aren’t able to dodge either. In one particular scene, there is a Sharknado cameo, and you find yourself saying “of course there is.”
I’m usually cheering for practical low budget effects, but Lavalanutla doesn’t disappoint when it comes to the CGI of the actual tarantulas. They look incredibly terrifying, and the lava inside of them adds an extra level of horror. The explosions are also pretty impressive, especially the scene in which West performs his final act to save the city.
Overall, I definitely enjoyed Lavalantula, mostly because of how the monsters looked. However, I didn’t really understand 90% of the references they were throwing at me. If a film buff can get past the absurdity of it all, then they might find themselves chuckling a time or two. Lavalantula is streaming on Amazon Prime.
Brittany Fernandez is a Lifestyle Writer for SoBros Network as well as one half of the Haunted Home Video team. She’s a Nashville native covering events on the local scene, B-movie horror reviews, and everything in between. Her go-to karaoke song is “No Diggity.” Follow on Twitter: @brittbutspooky
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