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Spider-Man Strikes Back
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Wikipedia article
{{Infobox film
| name = Spider-Man Strikes Back
| image = Poster of Spider-Man Strikes Back.jpg
| alt =
| caption = British theatrical release poster
| native_name =
| director = Ron Satlof
| producer =
| screenplay = Robert Janes
| based_on = Spider-Man
| starring =
| music =
| cinematography = Jack Whitman
| editing =
| studio = Charles Fries Productions
Marvel Television
| distributor = Columbia Pictures Television
| released = May 8, 1978 (Europe)
December 21, 1978 (Worldwide)
| runtime = 93 minutes
| country = United States
| language = English
| budget =
| gross =
}}
'Spider-Man Strikes Back' is a 1978 American superhero film that had a theatrical release abroad, a composite of the two-parter episode "Deadly Dust" of the contemporary television show 'The Amazing Spider-Man', released on 8 May 1978. It was directed by Ron Satlof, written by Robert Janes and stars Nicholas Hammond as the titular character, Robert Alda, Robert F. Simon, Joanna Cameron, and Michael Pataki. The film was preceded by 'Spider-Man' and followed by 'Spider-Man: The Dragon's Challenge'.
Plot
At the New York State University, Dr. Baylor, one of Peter Parker's tutors announces that they are going to carry out an experiment using plutonium. A group of students, including Peter, are appalled as they think it's too dangerous. Later on, Peter meets an attractive journalist named Gale Hoffman, who is determined to get an interview with Spider-Man after his well-publicized rescue of a suicide jumper.
Later, three students steal some plutonium from the lab. They want to use the plutonium to build an atomic bomb in order to illustrate about the dangers of nuclear power. Spider-Man appears on the scene in an unsuccessful attempt to stop them but is seen by security guards. As a result, thee police blames Spider-Man for the theft and Inspector DeCarlo suspects of Peter Parker.
Meanwhile, in Switzerland, villain Mr. White reads a newspaper report of the theft and deduces that it was the students rather than Spider-Man who stole the radioactive material. He plans to steal the plutonium so that he can obtain his own version of the weapon. He departs immediately for the United States with his monstrous henchman, Angel.
White tries to kidnap Peter, in an effort to locate the plutonium, but he manages to escape. When one of the students involved in the theft is admitted to the hospital with radiation poisoning while building the bomb, Peter changes to Spider-Man to track down the plutonium. White's henchmen engage in a fight against Spider-Man and hurl him off a twelve-story building, seemingly to his death. He saves himself by forming a net with his webbing, but in the confusion, White escapes with the bomb. Spider-Man is forced to defeat this scheming villain in order to stop him blowing up Wall Street.
J. Jonah Jameson, the owner of The Daily Bugle, discovers that White has fled to Los Angeles and arranges for Peter Parker and Gale Hoffman to travel to the west coast in search of him. Mr. White demands $1,000,000,000 in return for not setting off the plutonium bomb in a heavily populated area. The authorities assume, wrongly, that he means New York City. In fact, White plans to set off the bomb in Los Angeles at the time the President is giving a speech there.
Spider-Man finally tracks White to his lair and learns of his plans. He locates the bomb and defuses it at the last second. However, White escapes and vows that he and Spider-Man will meet again.
Cast
*Nicholas Hammond Peter Parker / Spider-Man
*Chip Fields - Rita Conway
*Robert F. Simon J. Jonah Jameson
*Robert Alda Mr. White
*Michael Pataki Captain Barbera
*Joanna Cameron - Gale Hoffman
*Leigh Kavanaugh - Linda
*Lawrence P. Casey - Angel
*Sidney Clute - Inspector DeCarlo
*Emil Farkas - Karate Thug
*Simon Scott - Dr. Baylor
*Ron Hajak - Motorcycle Salesman
Release
The film was theatrically released in European territories on 8 May 1978.https://www.filmposter.net/en/spider-man-strikes-back-original-release-german-movie-poster/ https://archive.today/20180719221606/https://www.filmposter.net/en/spider-man-strikes-back-original-release-german-movie-poster/ It received a VHS release in 1980.
Critical reception
From a contemporary review, Richard Combs of the 'Monthly Film Bulletin' declared the film was a "cut-price 'Superman'" finding that Nicholas Hammond as Peter Parker was a "good-natured earnestness one associates with Clark Kent, rather than with the gauche, spotty adolescent of the original character" and that the plot concentrates on the stunt-work with "sleek but unexciting villainy of 'Charlie's Angels' is also lacking the stylistic wallop of the comic strip". The film has been noted for its low budget and lack of technical effects."Spider Man Strikes Back" Review - Time Out https://www.timeout.com/london/film/spider-man-strikes-backhttps://thedissolve.com/news/3920-spider-man-strikes-back-gave-the-world-a-tv-sized-/ https://archive.today/20180719220805/https://thedissolve.com/news/3920-spider-man-strikes-back-gave-the-world-a-tv-sized-/https://thestopbutton.com/2017/11/03/spider-man-strikes-back-1978/ https://archive.today/20180719221103/https://thestopbutton.com/2017/11/03/spider-man-strikes-back-1978/http://filmcriticsunited.com/spidermanstrikesback.html https://archive.today/20180719222023/http://filmcriticsunited.com/spidermanstrikesback.htmlhttp://www.joblo.com/movie-news/awfully-good-movies-spider-man-strikes-back-video-339 https://archive.today/20180719220139/http://www.joblo.com/movie-news/awfully-good-movies-spider-man-strikes-back-video-339https://www.cbr.com/every-spider-man-movie-ever-ranked/ https://archive.today/20180719225258/https://www.cbr.com/every-spider-man-movie-ever-ranked/
Sequel
'Spider-Man: The Dragon's Challenge', a composite of the two-parter episode "The Chinese Web" of the contemporary television show 'The Amazing Spider-Man', screened in European theaters on 3 February 1981.
References
Sources
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