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A Dead Man Hung in the Web
A promotional film poster for "A Dead Man Hung in the Web"
Directed by	Fritz Böttger
Produced by	Gaston Hakim Wolf C. Hartwig
Written by	Fritz Böttger Eldon Howard Albert G. Miller
Starring	Alexander D'Arcy Barbara Valentin Rainer Brandt Harald Maresch Elfie Wagner Dorothee Parker Helga Franck Helga Neuner
Music by	Karl Bette Tony Crombie Willy Mattes
Cinematography	Georg Krause
Editing by	Heidi Genée
Distributed by	Centra Films
Release date(s)	16 April 1960 (West Germany) 22 July 1960 (Finland) March 1962 (United States)
Running time	89 mins.
Country	Germany Yugoslavia
Language	German

A Dead Man Hung in the Web is the literal translation of Ein Toter hing im Netz, title of a German-Yugoslav sci-fi film, a 1960 film directed by Fritz Böttger. The film was dubbed and released in the United States as an adult-only feature titled It's Hot in Paradise in 1962, and later re-issued in 1967 in a slightly edited version called Horrors of Spider Island.^[1] The film was featured in the tenth season of movie-mocking television series Mystery Science Theater 3000 (MST3K).

Plot

The film begins with a scene in the talent office in New York City, where girls try out for a job in a nightclub in Singapore by dancing for Gary (Alexander D'Arcy), the manager. Some are chosen (including one who strips in the office), and others rejected before they start their journey to Singapore with Gary. While flying over the Pacific Ocean, they are involved in a horrific plane crash subsequent to their plane spontaneously splitting in half and falling into the sea while spewing fire. Miraculously, all but the pilot survive and get in a life raft.

After five days at sea with no food and little water, they spot land. Soon after they find a cabin, and inside is a man hanging from a gigantic spider web. Gary proceeds out onto the island where he is bitten by the giant spider, turning himself into some type of spider-man beast and flees into the woods. The next day, Gary kills one of the girls. Shortly after the girl's death, two male research assistants show up on the island in a small rowboat to help the now-deceased professor with research. Discovering that the professor is dead, the two men promise to take the girls back to civilization with them. Before leaving the island, Gary returns and kills one of the men and another girl. The group then has to figure out how to stop Gary before he kills again.

Cast

• Alexander D'Arcy as Gary
• Rainer Brandt as Bobby
• Walter Faber as Mike Blackwood
• Helga Franck as Georgia
• Harald Maresch as Joe
• Helga Neuner as Ann
• Dorothee Parker as Gladys
• Gerry Sammer as May
• Eva Schauland as Nelly
• Helma Vandenberg as Kate
• Barbara Valentin as Babs
• Elfie Wagner as Linda

DVD releases

The film has been released by numerous companies as a "bargain bin" disc. The MST3K version of the film has been released by Rhino Home Video as part of the Collection, Volume 11 box set.

See also

• List of films in the public domain

References

1. ^ Erickson, Hal. "Horrors of Spider Island". AllMovie. http://www.allmovie.com/work/95621. Retrieved 2009-04-12.  

External links

• A Corpse Hangs in the Web at the Internet Movie Database
• Horrors of Spider Island available for free download at the Internet Archive [more]
• A Corpse Hangs in the Web at Allmovie
• A Corpse Hangs in the Web at Google Video (Adobe Flash video)

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Category:German horror films