MovieChat Forums > The Cable Guy (1996) Discussion > How did they do the spider on the face?

How did they do the spider on the face?

posted 10 years ago by DeputyDippity
12 replies | jump to latest

There's a part where Jim Carrey and Matthew Broderick are on the phone with each other, and suddenly a spider crawls across Jim Carrey's face.

Was that a special effect?

I just watched it on Youtube, and it looks too good to be CGI, and it might be a shadow cast on his face.

But if that's a real spider, then Jim Carrey is my favorite actor.

How did they make the spider crawl across his face?

I`m sorry for my lack of manners, but I`m not used to escorting men.

[–] archer6749 10 years ago

I always thought he was calling from his van and the spider was going up the windshield

[–] DeputyDippity 10 years ago

Probably, but I hope it's more than just a shadow on his. I hope that it's a real spider! Because it's almost Halloween.

I`m sorry for my lack of manners, but I`m not used to escorting men.

[–] PreachCaleb 10 years ago

It's a real spider.

Can't stop the signal.

[–] DeputyDippity 10 years ago

I want to believe that, but how did they wrangle it across his face so perfectly?

I`m sorry for my lack of manners, but I`m not used to escorting men.

[–] PreachCaleb 10 years ago

The director yells, "Action," and the spider wrangler puts it on jim's face. They do multiple takes until they get several they're happy with.

[–] mark_ward1 10 years ago

CGI barely existed back in 1996 so I'm quite sure it was a real spider. It's an interesting question as to how they got the spider to walk across his face at just the right moment. Maybe they lured it with something?

Unfortunately, the spider isn't credited.

As a side note, have you ever noticed the fly that crawls in Belloq's mouth in Raiders of the Lost Ark? Actors sometimes do gross or embarrassing things if the scene calls for it.

[–] 10 years ago

[deleted]

[–] mark_ward1 9 years ago

Ah, you're right. I forgot about Jurassic Park and Forrest Gump, which did have some incredible CGI.

[–] SonicBoom77 10 years ago

Was watching the movie tonight. I thought a spider was crawling across my screen.

[–] SEINFELDbeatFRIENDS 10 years ago

To the guy that says they yell action and they drop Spider on his face and use the best one of the takes....what if in one of the takes the spider crawls into his mouth?

[–] SillyGayBoy 10 years ago

From trivia

When The Cable Guy menaces Steven with a late night phone call, the novelization tells us he's making the call from Robin's air duct above her cupboard, which he was seen crawling through earlier in the movie. That's why a daddy long legs crawls across his face in the scene. And explains why he has Robin as a hostage in the next scene.

[–] Dexter-the-Lumberjack 10 years ago

It's a real spider. On the Blu-Ray commentary Jim mentions how much he hates spiders but he was a trooper and took it. Multiple takes.