20 Things You Didn't Know About Raiders Of The Lost Ark
3. The Spider Shot Only Worked With A Female Tarantula
In the opening scene, Indy enters a hidden Peruvian temple with his partner, Satipo. When Satipo notices tarantulas crawling on Indy's back, he asks his partner to turn around to check him. This leads to a marvellous shot which reveals dozens of arachnids creeping around Satipo's body. It's a terrifying but humorous moment that probably served as nightmare fuel for arachnophobes for years to come.
However, Steven Spielberg had trouble shooting this scene because the spiders refused to move. This frustrated the director as he was worried the spiders would come across as fake if they remained still.
Consulting an expert, Spielberg learned the little critters weren't moving because they were all male. They would only get worked up if they detected a female in their vicinity. After Spielberg located a female tarantula, he placed it on the actor's back The spiders immediately went nuts, allowing Spielberg to get the shot he needed.
It's also worth mentioning that Satipo is played by Alfred Molina, who went on to play Doctor Octopus in Spider-Man 2. That's right. In his two biggest films, Molina's scenes revolve around spiders. What are the odds?