Hidden away in a decaying estate are the last descendants of a family suffering from Merrye's syndrome, a rare disease that causes drooling regression. The idiotic Ralph, a six-foot toddler; Elizabeth, a whiny twentysomething who dresses like a moppet; and Virginia, the aspiring arachnid, bide their time in full genetic deficiency. Only their guardian Bruno (played with wolfish sincerity by Lon Chaney, Jr.) attempts to keep a lid on their domestic lunacy. Spider Baby, as she's known, is the real trouble as she lures victims to her jerry-rigged web, killing them with "stingers" made from butcher knives. "The spider is very clever...she very cleverly drains the vital juices from the bug's body. And that makes the bug stop squiggling," says the original webmaster. Director Hill (Switchblade Sisters) has rendered the family as one big bug-eyed creepshow. About five minutes of rediscovered footage has been added.