Lavalantula

Last updated

Lavalantula
Lavalantula.jpg
Promotional poster
Written by
  • Neil Elman
  • Mike Mendez
  • Ashley O'Neil
Directed byMike Mendez
Starring
Music byChris Ridenhour
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Executive producers
Producers
CinematographyRichard J. Vialet
Editors
  • Robert Días
  • Mike Mendez
Running time83 minutes
Production company CineTel Films
Original release
NetworkSyfy
ReleaseJuly 25, 2015 (2015-07-25)

Lavalantula is an American 2015 science fiction comedy horror thriller television film that takes place after a series of volcanic eruptions in Los Angeles unleashes a swarm of gigantic, lava-breathing tarantulas [1] from which the film draws its title. It was directed by Mike Mendez and stars Steve Guttenberg, Nia Peeples and Patrick Renna. Ian Ziering appears as Fin Shepard, tying the film into the Sharknado universe. [2] It premiered on Syfy on July 25, 2015. [3]

Contents

Plot

A-list actor Colton West has an argument with Darren the film director, and storms off in his car. An earthquake hits, and Colton sees the Santa Monica Mountains erupt, spewing volcanic bombs all around him. A large fire-spitting spider comes out of the car in front of him. Colton runs and drives out of the traffic back onto the main road to escape.

Colton arrives home, and tells his wife Olivia about the giant spiders and that they need to leave. He takes a shotgun from his house and drives off in his car to find his son Wyatt, who had left the house under the guise of going to a soccer game.

In reality, Wyatt is out with his friends Jordan, Eli and Travis when they hear an explosion and see much smoke in the distance, and go to investigate. The teenagers find the source of the explosion to be a sink hole. Spiders come out of the hole spitting fire and start attacking people. Terrified, the teenagers flee to a warehouse, but Eli is caught by a spider and killed.

Colton's car is damaged when he hits a lava sinkhole. He gets out and finds a tour bus full of people further up the road. He tricks the driver and steals the bus. As he is driving, a spider jumps onto the bus. He brakes heavily and the spider falls off the front of the bus, after which he runs it over. The front of the tour bus starts dissolving because of the spider's blood being acidic. Colton stops the bus and evacuates it just before it blows up.

A spider comes down the chimney in Olivia's house but she shoots it. The army starts moving into the city, and they rescue Olivia from her house.

Colton gets a lift from his friend, Pirate Jack, a film stunt man. Jack's car gets a puncture after hitting a lava vein in the road. Spiders come out of sink holes and chase them into a museum. They meet a scientist in the museum, who is researching the spiders and the volcano. He works out that the spiders were buried in the magma millions of years ago. Because the spiders became active, they are causing the volcanic eruptions, and that the only way to stop them is to kill the Queen spider.

A spider gets in through a window in the warehouse where the teenagers are hiding and tries to attack them. Wyatt fights the spider with a fire extinguisher. Jordan, who was burnt earlier, has a fit and dies. Then loads of baby spiders crawl out of her as she catches fire. The baby spiders then attack Travis, setting him on fire and killing him. Wyatt runs to the roof of the warehouse where he gets a phone signal and texts his location to Colton.

The spiders attack the army truck Olivia is in, she hides under a fire blanket as they breathe fire inside the truck. The soldiers all get killed and Olivia kills the spider and drives off in the army truck to try and find Colton.

Meanwhile, the spiders break into the museum. Jack is killed, but Colton manages to escape. Olivia finds Colton and they drive off to rescue Wyatt.

Wyatt climbs off the roof of the warehouse, and is attacked by a spider. Olivia and Colton arrive and run over the spider with the Army truck. Colton realizes that liquid nitrogen can be used to fight the spiders. They all go to the special effects store, where Colton finds his colleagues from the film set.

Colton makes a plan to kill the queen spider with a liquid nitrogen bomb, made using items from the special effects store. He leaves with his film crew, to drop the bombs into the queen's underground chamber. They plant the bombs around the chamber and detonate them. Many spiders come out of sinkholes to the surface. The film crew shoots them all down. Then, the giant queen spider comes to the surface. Colton uses a jet pack from the film set and flies off a building towards the queen spider. He drops a nitrogen bomb into the spider's mouth, killing it and saving the city.

Cast

Sequel

A sequel to Lavalantula called 2 Lava 2 Lantula premiered on Syfy on August 6, 2016. Some of the cast from the original film returned, including Steve Guttenberg, Marion Ramsey and Michael Winslow. [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ian Ziering</span> American actor

Ian Andrew Ziering is an American actor best known for his role as Steve Sanders on the television series Beverly Hills, 90210, which he played from 1990 to 2000. He is also the voice of Vinnie on Biker Mice from Mars. From 2013 to 2018, he starred as Fin Shepard in the Sharknado film series. In 2019, he played the DC Comics character Blue Devil on the series Swamp Thing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Guttenberg</span> American actor, author, businessman, producer, and director (born 1958)

Steven Robert Guttenberg is an American actor, author, businessman, producer, and director. His lead roles in Hollywood films of the 1980s and 1990s include Cocoon, Police Academy, Three Men and a Baby, Diner, The Bedroom Window, Three Men and a Little Lady, The Big Green, and Short Circuit.

<i>Kingdom of the Spiders</i> 1977 film by John Cardos

Kingdom of the Spiders is a 1977 American science fiction horror film directed by John "Bud" Cardos and produced by Igo Kantor and Jeffrey M. Sneller. The screenplay is credited to Richard Robinson and Alan Caillou, from an original story by Sneller and Stephen Lodge. Part of the eco-horror subgenre, Kingdom of the Spiders centers on a rural town in Camp Verde, Arizona which lies in the migration path of a horde of tarantulas turned aggressive due to pesticides having depleted their normal food sources. The film was released by Dimension Pictures. It stars William Shatner, Tiffany Bolling, Woody Strode, Lieux Dressler, and Altovise Davis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marion Ramsey</span> American actress (1947–2021)

Marion Ramsey was an American actress and singer. She was a regular on the series Cos but is best known for her role as the soft-spoken Officer Laverne Hooks in the Police Academy series. Later she appeared in the films Recipe for Disaster and Return to Babylon, and in the television films for SyFy, such as Lavalantula and 2 Lava 2 Lantula!.

<i>Three</i> (2006 film) 2007 film

Three is a 2007 Christian horror thriller film adaptation of the novel of the same name by Ted Dekker. Directed by Robby Henson and written by Alan B. McElroy, it stars Marc Blucas, Justine Waddell, Max Ryan, and Bill Moseley. It was shot on location in Łódź and Warsaw, Poland. The film grossed $1.4 million and has a 5% approval rating at Rotten Tomatoes, which called it a "thrill-free thriller" in its critical consensus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steven Webber</span> Soap opera character

Steven Webber is a fictional character from the American ABC soap opera, General Hospital. Steve was born in 1977, the character has appeared briefly in three different storylines, played each time by a different actor. As an infant in the late 1970s, the character was portrayed by Martin Hewitt. From 2004 to 2005, the character was portrayed as an adult by Shaun Benson. In late 2009, Scott Reeves was cast in the role, with Steve initially on recurring status as the head of the ER trauma unit at General Hospital. In February 2010, Reeves' status was upgraded to contract. Reeves appeared from December 9, 2009 to March 5, 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cassie Scerbo</span> American actress, singer and dancer

Cassandra Lynn Scerbo is an American actress, singer and dancer. She was one of the members of the all-girl pop band Slumber Party Girls in the CBS children's music variety series Dance Revolution. In acting, she starred as Brooke in the film Bring It On: In It to Win It (2007), as Lauren Tanner in the ABC Family comedy-drama series Make It or Break It (2009–2012), and as Nova Clarke in the Sharknado film series alongside Ian Ziering and Tara Reid (2013–2018).

<i>Ice Spiders</i> American TV series or program

Ice Spiders is a 2007 science fiction horror film which premiered on June 9, 2007 on the Syfy Channel. A team of young Winter Olympic hopefuls must slalom to safety when a hoard of giant mutated spiders spin their way out of a top secret laboratory. Ice Spiders stars Patrick Muldoon, Vanessa Estelle Williams, Noah Bastian, K. Danor Gerald and Matt Whittaker and was released on DVD in 2007.

<i>Dick Tracys Dilemma</i> 1947 film by John Rawlins

Dick Tracy's Dilemma, released in the United Kingdom as Mark of the Claw, is a 1947 American action film based on the 1930s comic-strip character of the same name created by Chester Gould. Ralph Byrd stars as Dick Tracy, reprising the role after Republic Pictures's 1937 Dick Tracy serial and its three sequels. Preceded by Dick Tracy vs. Cueball, the film is the third installment of the Dick Tracy film series released by RKO Radio Pictures.

Competition (<i>The Spectacular Spider-Man</i>) 5th episode of the 1st season of The Spectacular Spider-Man

"Competition" is the fifth episode of the animated television series The Spectacular Spider-Man, which is based on the comic book character Spider-Man, created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. In it, Spider-Man must face the Sandman, a former petty thug who now can manipulate his sand body at will.

<i>Sharknado</i> 2013 film by Anthony C. Ferrante

Sharknado is a 2013 American made-for-television science fiction comedy disaster film directed by Anthony C. Ferrante. It tells about a waterspout that lifts sharks out of the ocean and deposits them in Los Angeles. It is the first installment in the Sharknado film series. It first aired on the Syfy channel on July 11, 2013, and stars Tara Reid, Ian Ziering, and John Heard. It was also given a one-night-only special midnight theatrical screening via Regal Cinemas and Fathom Events, where it earned $200,000 from 200 screenings. The over-the-top premise and theatrics of the film quickly earned it a cult following.

<i>Sharknado 2: The Second One</i> 2014 film by Anthony C. Ferrante

Sharknado 2: The Second One is a 2014 American made-for-television science fiction action comedy horror disaster film and a sequel to the 2013 television film Sharknado and the second installment in the Sharknado film series. It was directed by Anthony C. Ferrante, with Ian Ziering and Tara Reid reprising their roles from the first film. The film premiered on July 30, 2014, and was the highest-premiering film on the Syfy Channel.

<i>Scarecrow</i> (2013 film) American TV series or program

Scarecrow is a 2013 television horror film directed by Sheldon Wilson and starring Lacey Chabert, Robin Dunne, and Nicole Muñoz. A Syfy original film, it premiered on Syfy on October 19, 2013, and was released on DVD on February 25, 2014.

<i>Avalanche Sharks</i> 2014 Canadian TV series or program

Avalanche Sharks is a 2014 Canadian made-for-television horror film directed by Scott Wheeler and written by Taj Nagaoka. The film stars Kate Nauta, Emily Addison, Alexander Mendeluk, Mika Brooks, and Jack Cullison.

<i>Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!</i> 2015 film by Anthony C. Ferrante

Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No! is a 2015 American made-for-television science fiction action comedy disaster film and the third installment in the Sharknado film series, following Sharknado and Sharknado 2: The Second One. The film was directed by Anthony C. Ferrante with Ian Ziering, Tara Reid, Cassie Scerbo, and Mark McGrath reprising their roles from the previous installments. Also joining the cast are David Hasselhoff, Bo Derek, Ryan Newman, and Jack Griffo.

<i>Sharknado</i> (film series) American film series

Sharknado is a series of six American made-for-television science fiction action comedy horror disaster films released by Syfy between 2013 and 2018. It has since been expanded into video games and comics, including a spin-off film, Sharknado: Heart of Sharkness, that was released in 2015. The first two films received mixed to positive reviews from critics, while the others received negative reviews.

<i>Sharknado: The 4th Awakens</i> 2016 film by Anthony C. Ferrante

Sharknado: The 4th Awakens is a 2016 American made-for-television science fiction action comedy disaster film and the fourth installment in the Sharknado film series, following Sharknado, Sharknado 2: The Second One, and Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!. The film was directed by Anthony C. Ferrante with Ian Ziering, Tara Reid, David Hasselhoff and Ryan Newman reprising their roles from the previous installments. New people joining the cast in the film include Tommy Davidson, Masiela Lusha, Imani Hakim, Cheryl Tiegs and Gary Busey. In the film, Fin Shepard and his allies, five years after the last sharknado, contend with a group of sharknado variants, such as a "cownado" and a "lightningnado".

<i>Sharknado 5: Global Swarming</i> 2017 film by Anthony C. Ferrante

Sharknado 5: Global Swarming is a 2017 American made-for-television science fiction comedy disaster film and the fifth installment in the Sharknado film series, following Sharknado, Sharknado 2: The Second One, Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!, and Sharknado: The 4th Awakens.

<i>Arachnoquake</i> 2012 American TV series or program

Arachnoquake is a 2012 made for television horror film directed by Griff Furst and starring Megan Adelle, Gralen Bryant Banks, and Paul Boocock. It aired on Syfy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fin Shepard</span> Fictional lead character of the Sharknado film series

Fin Shepard is a fictional character and the protagonist of the Sharknado film series. He is a former surfer and shark hunter, who is played by Ian Ziering in all the films. He is a positive hero, protecting his family and the rest of the world from the evil sharks and hurricanes that bring sharks from the sea to land.

References

  1. "Syfy - Lavalantula" . Retrieved December 12, 2017.
  2. "Why Steve Guttenberg Said 'No' To 'Sharknado' and 'Yes' To 'Lavalantula'". Santa Monica Daily Press. July 24, 2015.
  3. "Interview: Steve Guttenberg talks about Syfy's "Lavalantula"". Channel Guide Magazine. July 20, 2015.
  4. "Watch Ridiculous Trailer For Lavalantula Sequel 2 Lava 2 Lantula!". Ihorror. June 15, 2016. Archived from the original on September 12, 2017. Retrieved June 11, 2017.