*Competition ends 1st August 2013*

Winter may be a long way away, but there’s no better way to combat the overdue warmth of July than with a classic horror film – something about watching Kensington Gore run down the screen is guaranteed to stave off heatstroke and make you reach for a jumper and, if possible, a baseball bat. Conveniently, June 17th saw the UK DVD premiere of Spider Baby (1968), Jack Hill’s iconic debut feature which is also available on Blu-Ray for the first time anywhere in the world. The film dubbed “the maddest story ever told” has been beautifully restored in a painstaking process overseen by the director himself, finally bringing this spectacular comedy horror to modern screens.

Starring cult superstar Sid Haig (House Of 1000 Corpses) alongside Lon Chaney Jr. (The Wolf Man, Abbot and Costello Meet Frankenstein) in one of his last ever on-screen roles, Spider Baby tells the unfathomable story of three orphaned siblings who suffer from “Merrye Syndrome” – a condition which causes them to mentally, socially, and physically regress backwards down the evolutionary ladder!

The credits dub this “the maddest story ever told”, a promise that’s well on the way to being fulfilled in the opening scene alone, when Virginia traps and kills a hapless deliveryman in her makeshift web. She’s one of three siblings who suffer from a unique genetic disorder that causes them to regress back to childhood, while retaining the physical strength and sexual maturity of adults. Lon Chaney Jr gave one of his most memorable late performances as Bruno, their guardian and protector, who has managed to cover up their crimes until two distant relatives lay claim to their house. When they insist on moving in, Bruno has to cross his fingers and hope that the ‘children’ behave towards their new guests…

This was the first solo feature by Jack Hill (Coffy, Switchblade Sisters), whom Quentin Tarantino dubbed “the Howard Hawks of exploitation filmmaking”, and it remains one of his wildest and weirdest. The super-deluxe dual DVD & Blu-ray edition comes LOADED with special features and bonus material, including an audio commentary with Jack Hill and Sid Haig, three new featurettes, an alternate opening sequence, extended scenes, original trailer, behind-the-scenes imagery and an in-depth collector’s booklet.

To win one of 3 DVD copies of the above simply answer the following question:

Who does Virginia kill in the opening scene of Spider Baby?
a) A hapless deliveryman
b) A delivery haplessman
c) Spider-Man

HOW TO ENTER THE COMPETITION

Email your answer to the question above to [email protected]

Please include your NAME and ADDRESS – otherwise we can’t send you your prize.

Please put SPIDER in the subject title.

NOTE: To enter the competition, please send an email. You do not need to put the answer as a comment. Good luck!

Featured on ThePrizeFinder – UK Competitions, Loquax Competitions, UK Competitions and UK Prize

*Competition ends 1st August 2013*