The Cave of the Silken Web (1967)
aka Pan si dong
Article 5763 by Dave Sindelar
Date: 5-8-2020
Directed by Meng Hua Ho
Featuring Chien Yu, Liang Hua Liu, Meng Tien
Country: Hong Kong
What it is: Oriental fantasy classic

When a monk is kidnapped by seven spider monsters, it is up to his three companions to rescue him before he is consumed.

I’m always delighted to rediscover a title I didn’t know I had. This is the third of a four-part movie series that adapts a classic Chinese tale called “Journey to the West”. I’ve not seen the other three, but I do know that I’ve encountered the four main characters in another movie; a monk, a warrior, a man-pig, and the monkey king. The spider monsters are disguised as beautiful women, and much of the plot revolves around the monkey king tricking them into turning against each other; several characters appear to have the ability to disguise themselves as others. It’s not quite satisfying on its own (possibly because it’s one of the middle chapters of a series, but it is colorful and energetic, and it does have its moments. At any rate, I’m always happy to see fantastic movies from other countries and explore other cultures.