Kingdom of the Spiders (1977) argues that food is the reason spiders are killing livestock and humans. Excessive use of DDT is killing off the spiders’ natural sources of food, so they are becoming more aggressive and grouping as social beings to fight the enemies stealing their food, or at least that’s what the entomologist Diane asserts. They try to burn down a spider hill, but more escape beneath it. Diane (Tiffany Bolling) and Rack (William Shatner), the town vet, become a couple and protect Linda (Natasha Ryan), Rack’s niece, after her mother (Marcy Lafferty) is also killed by spiders.
When the mayor orders the crop duster to spray the area with paraphyron, a chemical much stronger than DDT, Diane erupts, arguing that pesticides only make it worse. The migration was caused by their overuse. We “killed all their food with your stupid DDT.”
Others are also killed by these giant spiders, but Rack, Diane, and Linda escape to a vacation lodge. When the deputy (Jay Lawrence) goes to town and finds it covered in spiders, and he too is killed by a driver knocking over the water tower. People are dead and wrapped in webs throughout the town within minutes.
Chemical fire extinguishers kill the spiders, so Rack, Diane, Emma (Lieux Dressler), Linda, and a visiting couple find ways to survive in Emma's lodge. Even when Rack is bitten restarting the electricity, he’s saved by treatments. The next day, Rack looks outside, and the spiders are gone. The radio announcer says it’s 61 degrees and sunny, making it seem as if they are safe. But an areal shot of the town reveals that every building is covered with spider webs, and the film ends, suggesting the overuse of pesticides cannot be overcome.
I haven't seen this but from the images you posted it looks like the spiders are real. I wonder how they wrangled the spiders on set and what the spider/actor interaction suggests. Another great post!
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