The Legend of Spider Forest, Nazis and Arachnids

When the heart does the thinking, the brain turns to peanut butter. To be more specific, the blood coagulates causing clots, eliminating oxygen to the brain. Paralysis sets in as the nervous system goes haywire. Adrenaline levels spike to unhealthy amounts and if you can keep consciousness, well you will suffer a most tortuous death. Hence 1971's "The Legend of Spider Forest" (aka "Venom"), directed by Peter Sykes.

A man and a woman frolicking through the forest. The lovebirds come to a lake and engage in passionate skinny-dipping. Then to shore where the woman seduces and passionate pre-marital sex occurs. Skinny-dipping is never a good idea, especially if your partner is some sort of spider-goddess. Yep, the boy will die horribly during the mating. Okay, Paul (Simon Brent) comes to this small German town to paint. Upon painting by a brook, he meets the lovely Anna (Neda Arneric). The joke may be on him as he doesn't know she is a spider-goddess. After she disappears into the woods, he returns to the town pub and inquires. This gets the attention of Ellen (Sheila Allen). This is a very mediocre film, so let us chat about Ellen. She is an exclamation point clad in leather.

Ellen wants to know what Paul knows about Anna. To get this information she will engage in very passionate and rough pre-marital sex with him. She will later rape Paul in the forest...though Paul will enjoy it. Ellen is sent by her dad, Frau Huber (Gerard Heinz) to figure out who Paul is and why he's asking all sorts of questions. Meanwhile, our spider-goddess seems to be falling in love with Paul and keeps finding him. Ellen will follow Paul around with a riding crop and a leather outfit and engage in a few whipping scenes. Ellen warns Paul to leave town, but Paul is infatuated with the nubile goddess. Whatever secrets Paul wants to know about, Ellen is in on, but she's not talking. Uh oh...we are let in on a secret germ lab in the spider-goddess' home, run by a Nazi.

What relationship is Anna to the Nazi mad-scientist? Is Anna really a monster? Will Ellen, clad in leather, clutching a riding crop, engage in a cat-fight with the spider-goddess? Ellen is the highlight of this film as our protagonist Paul just annoys us with his arrogance.  For some interesting British horror see "The Legend of Spider Forest," and enjoy Ellen's violent persona (Paul certainly did).