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Spider
Directed by	Nash Edgerton
Written by	David Michôd Nash Edgerton
Produced by	Nicole O'Donohue
Starring	Joel Edgerton Mirrah Foulkes Nash Edgerton
Cinematography	Greig Fraser
Edited by	Luke Doolan Nash Edgerton
Music by	Ben Lee
Production company	Blue-Tongue Films
Distributed by	IndieFlix
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
Country	Australia
Language	English

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

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

• Nash Edgerton as Jack
• Mirrah Foulkes as Jill
• Chum Ehelepola as Gas Station Attendant
• Bruno Xavier as Gas Station Attendant
• David Michôd as Hit Driver
• Tony Lynch as Paramedic
• Joel Edgerton as Paramedic

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." 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." Wesley Morris of Boston.com said that "as well-delivered as its shocks are, this film is cleverness in the service of cruelty."

Home media

Spider was released on DVD with The Square, on 24 August 2010.

Awards and official selections

• Official Selection - Melbourne International Film Festival
• Official Selection - Telluride Film Festival
• Official Selection - South by Southwest

Notes

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

See also

• Cinema of Australia
• The Square
• Bear

References

1. "Spider - Australian Short Film". Archived from the original on 22 February 2010. Retrieved 30 April 2013.
2. ^ "Spider". Retrieved 30 April 2013.
3. "SHORT FILM SPOTLIGHT: SPIDER (2007)". Retrieved 30 April 2013.
4. "Spider SHORT FILM". Retrieved 30 April 2013.
5. ^ "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. ^ "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. ^ "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. ^ "24fpsfest 2009 WINNERS". Retrieved 30 April 2013.
26. "BEAR". Retrieved 18 May 2013.

External links

• Spider at IMDb
• Spider at Rotten Tomatoes

• 2007 films
• 2007 short films
• Australian comedy short films
• Australian independent films
• 2007 independent films
• Australian black comedy films
• Australian action adventure films
• 2000s English-language films
• Films directed by Nash Edgerton
• English-language independent films
• English-language short films
• English-language action adventure films