Spider (2007 film)

This article is about the Nash Edgerton film. For the David Cronenberg film, see Spider (2002 film).

Spider
Directed byNash Edgerton
Written byDavid Michôd
Nash Edgerton
Produced byNicole O'Donohue
StarringJoel Edgerton
Mirrah Foulkes
Nash Edgerton
CinematographyGreig Fraser
Edited byLuke Doolan
Nash Edgerton
Music byBen Lee
Production
company
Distributed byIndieFlix
Release dates
  • 17 June 2007 (2007-06-17) (Australia, Sydney Film Festival)
  • 18 January 2008 (2008-01-18) (United States, Sundance Film Festival)
  • 9 April 2010 (2010-04-09) (United States, Theatrical release)
Running time
9 minutes
CountryAustralia
LanguageEnglish

Spider is a 2007 Australian black comedy short film directed by Nash Edgerton and written by David Michôd and Nash Edgerton.[1][2][3][4] The film had its world premiere in competition at the Sydney Film Festival on 17 June 2007.[5] After that the film competed at number of film festivals and was later released theatrically together with Edgerton's feature-film The Square.[5][6][7]

Plot

A couple, Jack and Jill, are driving in a car. Jill is angry at Jack, so he enters a gas station and buys a card, flowers, chocolate, and a toy spider. As Jill re-fills the gas tank, Jack hides the spider in the sun visor above her seat. Jill ignores the flowers and card but is won over by the chocolate. She pulls down the sun visor, causing the spider to fall out and the car to nearly crash. After the car stops, Jack laughs and tosses the spider towards Jill, who jolts backwards into the road and is struck by a passing vehicle. Paramedics arrive, and as one is about to insert a syringe into the unconscious Jill's arm, he is startled by the spider toy and accidentally throws the syringe into Jack's eye.

Cast

Reception

Critical response

The film earned mainly positive reviews from critics. Jason Sondhi of short of the week gave film the positive review said "It’s for sure a superior film, I just think I loved everything about it except the parts that I assume everyone loves."[8] David Brook of blue print review gave the film four out of five stars and said "A simple one-gag comedy-short that works surprisingly well due to some accomplished naturalistic direction and performances. A nice touch at the end, although unnecessary, went down well with the audience too."[9] Wesley Morris of Boston.com said that "as well-delivered as its shocks are, this film is cleverness in the service of cruelty."[10]

Home media

Spider was released on DVD with The Square, on 24 August 2010.[11][12]

Awards and official selections

Year Award Category Recipient Result
2007 Sydney Film Festival Best Short Film-The Satellite Venues (Audience Award) Nash Edgerton Won[13]
Australian Film Institute Awards (AFI) Best Visual Effects Mike Seymour Nominated[14]
AFI Fest International Shorts Competition Grand Jury Prize Nash Edgerton Won[15]
Australian Directors Guild Best Directing in a Short Film Nash Edgerton Nominated[16][17]
2008 Anchorage International Film Festival Best Super Short Film Nash Edgerton Won[18]
Aspen Shortsfest Hi-Five To Lo-Fi Award Nash Edgerton Won[19]
Best Comedy (Jury Award) Nash Edgerton Won[19]
Flickerfest International Short Film Festival Best Editing an Australian Short Film Nash Edgerton
Luke Doolan 		Won
IF Awards Best Short Film Nash Edgerton
Nicole O'Donohue 		Nominated[20]
Indianapolis International Film Festival Best Short Film (Audience Award) Nash Edgerton Won
Nashville Film Festival Best Narrative Short (Honorable Mention) Nash Edgerton Won[21][22]
San Sebastián Horror and Fantasy Film Festival Best Short Film (Audience Award) Nash Edgerton Won[23]
Best short film youth jury award Nash Edgerton Won[23]
St Kilda Short Film Festival Best Short Film (Audience Award) Nash Edgerton Won[24]
Sundance Film Festival Honorable Mention in Short Filmmaking Nash Edgerton Won
2009 24FPS International Short Film Festival Best Short Film (Audience Award) Nash Edgerton Won[25]
Best Editing Nash Edgerton
Luke Doolan 		Won[25]

Notes

Edgerton directed a follow-up of Spider, a short film entitled Bear which was released in 2011.[26]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Spider - Australian Short Film". Archived from the original on 22 February 2010. Retrieved 30 April 2013.
  2. ^ a b c d "Spider". Retrieved 30 April 2013.
  3. ^ "SHORT FILM SPOTLIGHT: SPIDER (2007)". Retrieved 30 April 2013.
  4. ^ "Spider SHORT FILM". Retrieved 30 April 2013.
  5. ^ a b "SPIDER (2007)". Retrieved 30 April 2013.
  6. ^ "SUNDANCE 2008 SHORT FILM PATROL: SPIDER". Retrieved 30 April 2013.
  7. ^ "Director Nash Edgerton and Joel Edgerton Interview THE SQUARE". Retrieved 30 April 2013.
  8. ^ "Spider IT'S ALL FUN AND GAMES UNTIL SOMEONE LOSES AN EYE". Retrieved 30 April 2013.
  9. ^ "CELLULOID SCREAMS SHORTS 2011". Retrieved 30 April 2013.
  10. ^ "Short and sweet - at least, some of them". Retrieved 30 April 2013.
  11. ^ "This Week's Short Film – Spider". 30 April 2013. Archived from the original on 12 September 2013.
  12. ^ "The Square (2008)". 30 April 2013.
  13. ^ "Sydney Film Festival announces Audience Award winners". Retrieved 30 April 2013.
  14. ^ "AACTA 2007 Winners & Nominees". Retrieved 30 April 2013.
  15. ^ "AFI FEST 2007 Awards". Retrieved 30 April 2013.
  16. ^ "AUSTRALIAN DIRECTORS GUILD ANNOUNCES 2007 ADG WINNERS" (PDF). Retrieved 30 April 2013.
  17. ^ "AUSTRALIAN DIRECTORS GUILD ANNOUNCES NOMINEES FOR INAUGURAL ADG DIRECTORS AWARDS" (PDF). Retrieved 30 April 2013.
  18. ^ "Anchorage International Film Festival:Jury Prize Winners". Retrieved 30 April 2013.
  19. ^ a b "And the Aspen Shortsfest winners are ..." Retrieved 30 April 2013.
  20. ^ "IF Awards 2008: the complete list". Archived from the original on 12 April 2012. Retrieved 30 April 2013.
  21. ^ "Nashville Film Festival". Retrieved 30 April 2013.
  22. ^ "Nashville Film Festival Wraps". Archived from the original on 21 October 2012. Retrieved 30 April 2013.
  23. ^ a b "19TH HORROR AND FANTASY FILM FESTIVAL (2008)". Retrieved 30 April 2013.
  24. ^ "St Kilda Short Film Festival:PAST WINNERS". Archived from the original on 14 December 2014. Retrieved 30 April 2013.
  25. ^ a b "24fpsfest 2009 WINNERS". Retrieved 30 April 2013.
  26. ^ "BEAR". Retrieved 18 May 2013.