Big Ass Spider!

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Big Ass Spider! is a 2013 American science fiction action film directed by Mike Mendez. It follows a small-time exterminator who teams up with a hospital security guard and the military to stop a giant spider that’s rampaging through Los Angeles after being exposed to alien DNA.

Plot in brief:
- Alex Mathis, a cash-strapped exterminator in Los Angeles, helps a mortician with a spider problem and ends up in debt to the hospital. A spider bursts from a dead body, grows quickly, and escapes into the building’s vents.
- José Ramos, a hospital security guard, joins Alex to track the spider. The military arrives to study the spider and its origin.
- The spider becomes enormous, kills several people, and heads toward the city. The pair discover that alien DNA mixed with a growth hormone has accelerated its growth.
- The spider nests in a high-rise, and Alex and José race to save hostages, including Lt. Karly Brant, as an airstrike is planned to destroy the creature.
- Alex learns the spider can be killed by destroying its spinneret, and he uses a rocket launcher to shoot it. The spider explodes, ending the threat, and Alex and Karly share a kiss in relief.
- A mid-credits scene shows a giant cockroach climbing the Statue of Liberty, hinting at future trouble.

Cast and production:
- Stars: Greg Grunberg, Lin Shaye, Patrick Bauchau, Clare Kramer (with Ray Wise and Lombardo Boyar in supporting roles).
- Director: Mike Mendez. The film’s extras were cast from the director’s Facebook friends list due to budget limits.
- The screenplay was originally titled Dino Spider. Some wanted to rename it Mega Spider, but the director kept Big Ass Spider! as the title.

Reception and release:
- Release: October 18, 2013. Runtime: 80 minutes. Produced by Epic Pictures Group and released by Epic Pictures Releasing.
- Home media: DVD and Blu-ray released January 7, 2014.
- Critical response: Mixed to positive. Rotten Tomatoes shows about 78% approval from critics, praising its cheesy, tongue-in-cheek B-movie vibe. Metacritic cites a score around 53/100. Some reviews praised its fun, low-budget charm, while others found it predictable or uneven.

Overall, the film is a light, over-the-top creature feature that embraces its campy premise with unapologetic humor and action.