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Italian Spiderman
Italian Spiderman
Italian Spiderman
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Italian Spiderman
Promotional poster
Directed byDario Russo
Starring"Franco Franchetti" (David Ashby)
"Leombruno Tosca"
Production
company
Alrugo Entertainment
Release date
  • 8 November 2007 (2007-11-08)
CountryAustralia
LanguagesItalian
English (subtitles)
BudgetAU$9,500

Italian Spiderman[a] is an Australian short film parody of Italian action–adventure films of the 1960s and 1970s, first released on YouTube in 2007. The parody purports to be a "lost Italian film" by Alrugo Entertainment, an Australian film-making collective formed by Dario Russo, Tait Wilson, David Ashby, Will Spartalis and Boris Repasky.[1]

A trailer was released, followed by a full-length short feature composed of ten mini-episodes.

Plot

[edit]

Italian Spiderman (David Ashby, credited as "Franco Franchetti") faces a stranger in a game of blackjack. The stranger suggests raising the stakes and threatens to kill Italian Spiderman if he loses, to which Italian Spiderman agrees. The stranger draws a king and an ace, and, believing he has won, prepares to shoot Italian Spiderman. However, Italian Spiderman draws the same cards and immediately attacks the stranger's henchmen with a shotgun. The stranger is revealed to be the supervillain Captain Maximum (Leombruno Tosca), who escapes by transforming into a snake as Italian Spiderman flees the scene on his motorcycle. Meanwhile, an asteroid from a distant galaxy crashes on Earth, where Professor Bernardi (Carmine Russo) discovers it. Upon researching it, he discovers that it contains a substance that can create duplicates of any living being and decides that Italian Spiderman is the only one who can have it. A crocodile-themed supervillain named Coccodrillo breaks into Italian Spiderman's home, but Italian Spiderman kills him before traveling to Professor Bernardi's laboratory to get the asteroid.

Captain Maximum, who is interested in using the asteroid for his plans, attacks in an attempt to steal it. After failing, he transforms the Professor into a snake. Captain Maximum later intercepts Italian Spiderman and steals the asteroid, but gives him the chance to win it back if he can beat him in a surfing contest. After realizing that Italian Spiderman is better at surfing than he is, he tries to win by cheating, but fails when Italian Spiderman summons penguins to help him win. When Italian Spiderman returns home, Captain Maximum's henchmen attack him and shoot him with a tranquilizer dart.

As Italian Spiderman awakens in Captain Maximum's lair, Maximum shoots Professor Bernardi. As he dies, Bernardi gives Italian Spiderman a potion made from the asteroid. Italian Spiderman attacks Captain Maximum's headquarters and, despite having the potion, overpowers his henchmen with guns and his superpowers alone. He later returns home with the Professor's niece, Jessica (Susanna Dekker). When a gigantic Captain Maximum lays siege to the city, Italian Spiderman finally drinks the potion and grows to his size to fight him.

Crew

[edit]
  • Director – Dario Russo
  • Producer – Dario Russo
  • Writers – Dario Russo, Tait Wilson, David Ashby, Will Spartalis, and Boris Repasky
  • Director of Photography – Sam King
  • Production Design – Tait Wilson
  • Costume Design and Makeup – Sophie Spalding and Chloe Spalding
  • Prop Builders – Bluey Byrne and Brad Maddern
  • Sound Design & Score – Will Spartalis
  • Original Music – Dario Russo, Will Spartalis and Josh Van Looy
  • Editor – Dario Russo
  • Gaffer – Sarah Macdonald
  • 1st Camera Assistant – Vivyan Madigan
  • Grip – Henry Smith
  • Squirrel Grip – Matt Veseley
  • Production Assistant – Sarah Bond
  • Stills Photography – Lucy Spartalis

Project history

[edit]

The project began as a trailer for a non-existent film, created by director Dario Russo. It was filmed on one 16mm roll of film in one day.[1] The trailer was partly a parody of the 1968 film Danger: Diabolik. Once it was uploaded online, the trailer went viral and got several million views. Dario Russo then went to the South Australian Film Corporation and was given an investment of 9,500 Australian dollars to expand the trailer into a full series.[2]

In May 2010, Alrugo Entertainment announced its dissolution.[3]

Due to the success of Italian Spiderman, the Special Broadcasting Service contacted Dario Russo and David Ashby expressing interest in creating a television adaptation, but copyright issues caused the project to be dropped.[4] In its place, the SBS commissioned them to create the show Danger 5[2][4] with a budget of 1.5 million Australian dollars.[1]

In 2018, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller expressed interest in including Italian Spiderman as a character in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,[5] although this never came to fruition. According to Joaquim Dos Santos in 2023, the character could not be used because he was not owned by Marvel. He stated:[6]

We watched this thing called Italian Spiderman. I don't know if you guys are familiar with it, but it's bonkers. It's completely bootleg, it's not owned by anybody except the crazy people that made it on the internet. We tried for Italian Spiderman at some point. Marvel was like, "We don't know what you're talking about, dude. That’s not ours," so yeah...

— Joaquim Dos Santos

Notes

[edit]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Italian Spiderman

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Italian Spiderman is a Australian short that parodies low-budget Italian action-adventure movies from the and , featuring a titular who battles villains using exaggerated powers in a deliberately campy, poorly executed style to mimic the era's exploitation cinema. Directed, produced, and co-written by Russo as part of a collaborative effort with David Ashby, Will Spartalis, Boris Repasky, and Tait Wilson, the 40-minute follows Italian Spiderman (played by Ashby) as he confronts the evil Captain Maximum, who steals an otherworldly substance capable of to unleash chaos on the world. Released initially as a on with a trailer in November 2007 and episodes starting in May 2008, it quickly gained viral popularity for its absurd humor, intentionally shoddy , over-the-top , and references to Italian tropes like nonsensical plots and abrupt action sequences. The production's low-budget aesthetic, shot on video with minimal resources, amplifies its satirical take on foreign rip-off , earning it a among fans of cinema. Critically, it holds an user rating of 7.8 out of 10 based on over 1,300 votes as of November 2025, praised for its clever homage to B-movies despite some mixed opinions on the humor's consistency.

Overview

Concept and parody style

Italian Spiderman is an Australian parody series that satirizes the low-budget Italian action-adventure films of the and , particularly those that served as unauthorized knockoffs of American superheroes like . Created by Italian-Australian filmmaker Dario Russo as a university project, it presents itself as a "lost" Italian production from 1968, exaggerating the era's cinematic tropes through absurd humor and stylistic . The parody's core concept revolves around mocking the conventions of Italian B-movies, including nonsensical narratives, over-the-top machismo, and stereotypical character behaviors such as in films. Russo drew inspiration from directors like and films such as Danger: (1968), amplifying the original works' poor production values and cultural clichés for comedic effect. Stylistically, the series employs footage from period adventure films, overlaid with newly recorded Italian-dubbed audio featuring exaggerated and mismatched lip-sync to ridicule the practices common in exported Italian cinema. This approach highlights satirical themes such as shoddy , illogical plot progression, and the awkward cultural translations in dubbed foreign media, positioning Italian Spiderman as a meta-commentary on the "" subgenre akin to spaghetti westerns.

Series format and episodes

Italian Spiderman is structured as a 10-episode that the style of Italian action-adventure films, presented as chapters of a faux feature-length production. The episodes were released weekly on starting May 22, 2008, and concluding on July 24, 2008, forming a continuous narrative arc that builds from initial setup to escalating conflicts and a climactic resolution, all delivered in an absurd, over-the-top manner typical of the series' . Each episode runs between 2 and 5 minutes, contributing to a total runtime of approximately 40 minutes when viewed sequentially. The episodes interconnect seamlessly, with recurring motifs and character developments advancing the overall story while maintaining the low-budget, exploitative aesthetic of Italian B-movies. A trailer was released on November 8, 2007, to build anticipation, mimicking the bombastic promotional style of era-specific films. Additionally, supplementary content including a was made available in 2008, offering glimpses into the production process without revealing narrative spoilers.
EpisodeTitleRelease DateStructural Role
1Italian Spiderman Part 1May 22, 2008Setup and introduction to core elements
2Italian Spiderman Part 2May 29, 2008Initial escalation and world-building
3Italian Spiderman Part 3June 5, 2008Rising action and complication
4Italian Spiderman Part 4June 12, 2008Further development of conflicts
5Italian Spiderman Part 5June 19, 2008Midpoint intensification
6Italian Spiderman Part 6June 26, 2008Heightened tension and twists
7Italian Spiderman Part 7July 3, 2008Approaching climax buildup
8Italian Spiderman Part 8July 10, 2008Escalation toward resolution
9Italian Spiderman Part 9July 17, 2008Pre-climax confrontations
10Italian Spiderman Part 10July 24, 2008Climax and conclusion

Production

Development and creation

Alrugo Entertainment, an Australian filmmaking collective formed by Russo, David Ashby, Tait Wilson, Will Spartalis, and Boris Repasky in , , around 2007, created Italian Spiderman as a student project. The creators' motivations stemmed from the viral success of early parodies and their fascination with Italian exploitation cinema from the 1960s and 1970s, including works by directors like and . The project originated as a mock trailer produced by Russo for his final-year Screen Studies assessment at . They conceived it as a way to dub over footage with Spider-Man-themed elements, satirizing the over-the-top and stylistic excesses of Italian movies while poking fun at tropes. Key development milestones included shooting original footage and incorporating from 1960s-era films as the visual backbone of the . They scripted absurd, anachronistic dialogues in with heavy Italian accents, establishing the central "" persona as a mustachioed, womanizing anti-hero who frequently breaks the and engages in nonsensical fights. This scripting process took several months, iterating on voice recordings to capture the exaggerated stereotypes without descending into outright offensiveness. During creation, the team faced challenges related to legal considerations for using stock and ensuring the project qualified as under Australian and international laws, particularly given Spider-Man's status owned by Marvel. They consulted basic to confirm that the transformative nature of their —adding original audio, humor, and commentary—protected the work from infringement claims, allowing them to proceed without licensing the source or character. These hurdles reinforced their commitment to a bootstrapped, DIY approach, completed largely on home computers with minimal budget.

Filming and post-production

The filming of Italian Spiderman took place in , , primarily at , where the production utilized the institution's 1960s concrete architecture and nearby pine forest as key locations to evoke the era's Italian film aesthetics. As a final-year project for the university's Screen Studies course, the principal new footage—featuring original characters such as Italian Spiderman and his villains—was shot over a single day using 16mm film stock, emphasizing the low-budget, guerrilla-style approach typical of student filmmaking. In , the team focused on assembling the through that integrated the newly filmed scenes with archival-style elements drawn from Italian action-adventure films, employing composite techniques to blend them into cohesive action sequences and enhance the mock-vintage look. Italian-accented voice was recorded separately in post to create an overblown, non-synchronized audio layer, while cheesy sound effects and a period-appropriate were layered in to amplify the absurdity and mimic the practices of Italian B-movies from the era. These techniques were executed with basic digital tools suited to the project's modest scale. The initial production operated on a minimal student budget, later supplemented by a $9,500 development grant from the for additional episodes, underscoring the resourceful, DIY ethos that defined the series' creation.

Plot summary

Italian Spiderman (David Ashby, credited as "Franco Franchetti") begins by facing a stranger in a game of , who reveals himself as the supervillain (Leombruno Tosca). After escaping an ambush, Italian Spiderman learns of an that has crashed to , containing a substance with properties discovered by Professor Bernardi (Carmine Russo). The professor entrusts the asteroid to Italian Spiderman, but Captain Maximum attacks, steals it, and transforms the professor into a snake. Italian Spiderman pursues Captain Maximum, engaging in a contest to win back the , aided by summoned . Captured and taken to Maximum's lair, Italian Spiderman receives a from the dying derived from the . Using his powers and weaponry, he assaults Maximum's headquarters and rescues the professor's niece, Jessica (Susanna Dekker). In the climax, a giant Captain Maximum attacks the city, prompting Italian Spiderman to drink the and grow to match his size for a .

Cast and crew

Principal cast

David Ashby portrays the titular Italian Spiderman, embodying the character's exaggerated Italian accent, signature mustache, and bombastic heroic persona that pokes fun at the melodramatic style of dubbed films. His performance, delivered with deliberate overacting and , is central to the parody's humor, highlighting the absurdity of low-budget action tropes through clumsy fights and nonsensical dialogue. Chris Asimos takes on multiple roles, including the primary antagonist Captain Maximum, whose villainous schemes and luchador-inspired appearance add to the film's chaotic energy. Asimos's versatile , often involving voice work and physical stunts, underscores the production's resourceful use of a small ensemble to populate the story's roster of foes and henchmen. Supporting characters, such as Professor Bernardi (Carmine Russo) and various minor villains, are played by actors including Anna Cashman (Jessica), Michael Crisci, and members of the production team like Dario Russo in cameos. These roles contribute to the through brief, eccentric appearances that amplify the amateur aesthetic. The cast was drawn entirely from friends and non-professional collaborators of the creators, chosen for their natural comedic timing rather than acting credentials, which reinforces the series' intentional low-fi charm and satirical edge.

Key production personnel

The production of Italian Spiderman was spearheaded by a close-knit team of five Australian filmmakers, graduates and collaborators in their early 20s, who multitasked across roles to maintain the project's ultra-low budget of 9,500 Australian dollars, funded by a grant from the . Dario Russo served as the primary director, co-creator, lead writer, producer, editor, and composer, guiding the satirical tone through scripting and to mimic 1960s Italian exploitation films. The writing team, including Russo alongside co-writers David Ashby, Tait Wilson, Will Spartalis, and Boris Repasky, crafted all dialogues for comedic effect, drawing from collaborative brainstorming sessions to tropes with absurd plot elements. Editing duties fell to Russo, who assembled the footage to enhance the series' choppy, low-fi aesthetic reminiscent of B-movies. and scoring were handled by Will Spartalis, who researched soundtracks and incorporated sampled elements to create an authentic yet exaggerated audio layer, including overdubs for the faux-Italian effect. Under the banner of Alrugo Entertainment, the team managed art direction and props with Tait Wilson leading efforts to source inexpensive, era-appropriate items, such as a bargain costume altered for visual humor, while Sophie Spalding oversaw costume and makeup to evoke colorful, technicolor-inspired styles using minimal resources like hot-wax lighting setups. This hands-on collaboration among the core group of 5 to 10 individuals ensured cost efficiency, with members like Sam King contributing as director of photography to replicate Mario Bava's lighting techniques on a shoestring.

Release and distribution

Initial YouTube release

The initial YouTube release of Italian Spiderman began with the upload of its trailer on November 8, 2007, to director Dario Russo's channel (dariotown), under the production banner of Alrugo Entertainment. This low-budget , presented as a "lost" Italian , immediately captured for its absurd humor and stylistic mimicry of dubbed action cinema. To build hype, a second followed on February 14, 2008, further teasing the episodic structure ahead of the main rollout. The full series premiered with Episode 1 on May 21, 2008, adopting a serialized format with weekly drops—Episodes 2 through 4 released on May 29, June 5, and June 12, respectively, followed by later installments through July, completing the 10-episode run by July 24, 2008. This schedule allowed for sustained viewer engagement on the platform, where the content was distributed freely without traditional barriers. The trailer's rapid virality exemplified YouTube's emerging role in independent filmmaking, accumulating 50,000 views within its first week of upload. Episodes were optimized for web consumption through short runtimes (typically 2-4 minutes) and integration with YouTube's community features, such as comment sections that fostered discussions and shares, amplifying its spread among online audiences.

Later availability and formats

In 2012, a edit compiling the episodes of Italian Spiderman was released as a "" on , allowing viewers to watch the in a single, continuous format rather than episodic segments. This compilation contributed to the series' enduring online presence, building on its initial upload success by offering a more cinematic experience. A DVD edition was produced by the creators' company in 2010, featuring the full uncut version along with extras such as trailers, music videos, and remixes. This physical release provided fans with higher-quality access to the content, including presentation and English , marking an expansion beyond digital platforms at the time. Following the initial YouTube era, the series became available on platforms like and various streaming sites through fan uploads, as the original official channel went inactive. In 2012, official uploads faced removal from due to music rights issues, prompting re-uploads by fans that preserved the content across multiple sites. As of 2025, the official Alrugo Entertainment channel remains inactive, with no new content or promotions, and the series has not secured major streaming deals on platforms like or Prime Video, continuing to exist primarily as a free web relic accessible via fan-maintained sources. It is preserved on sites such as the , where the full video is available for and streaming since 2016. Fans have attempted HD remasters of the footage, including denoised and interpolated versions uploaded to YouTube in 2012, AI upscales to 1080p in 2020, and widescreen remasters in 2022, enhancing visual quality for modern viewers despite the original low-budget production. Merchandise tie-ins, such as T-shirts featuring the character's likeness, were limited to early fan-driven sales around the series' peak popularity, with no ongoing official lines as of 2025.

Reception and legacy

Critical and audience response

Italian Spiderman received positive critical reception for its clever of low-budget Italian superhero films from the and , with reviewers praising its resourceful production and satirical humor. On , the film has received positive reviews from two critics as of 2025, described as "deliberately cheesy but also amazingly resourceful on slim means." Critics noted its ability to evoke the era's flaws while delivering an "esoteric spoof" that appeals to fans of exploitation cinema. Minor critiques focused on the intentional repetition of tropes, which some found overly reliant on absurdity without deeper payoff. Audience metrics reflect strong engagement from niche viewers, with the YouTube trailer and episodes accumulating over 2 million views by mid-2008 and continuing to grow virally. On , it maintains a 7.8/10 rating from over 1,300 user votes, indicating solid approval among those familiar with genres. Fan feedback has established a dedicated , drawn to the film's absurd , over-the-top voice acting, and chaotic energy that mimics poorly dubbed foreign action films. Common praises highlight its originality and hilarious execution of satirical elements, such as the protagonist's improbable escapes and stereotypical Italian flair. However, some fans criticize the pacing in later episodes for becoming too random and repetitive, leading to moments of baffling irrelevance. The series received no formal awards or nominations, though its viral success prompted mentions in media as a prime example of internet-born parody inspiring further spoofs.

Cultural impact and influence

The release of Italian Spiderman on YouTube in 2007 quickly established it as a within , amassing millions of views and inspiring widespread sharing of clips featuring absurd fight scenes, such as the protagonist's confrontations with villains like Turkish Batman. By , the series had exceeded 2 million hits, contributing to its status as an early example of user-generated content that resonated through online communities. This virality extended to remixes and GIFs of iconic moments, like the door-opening reaction, which became staples in meme-sharing platforms during the late 2000s and 2010s. The film's satirical dubbing and low-budget aesthetic echoed earlier works like (2002), while its success influenced subsequent projects, particularly in the realm of overdubbed exploitation cinema homages. Creator Dario Russo leveraged the online buzz—reaching nearly 10 million views by 2011—to secure a development deal with Australian broadcaster SBS, leading to the 2012 TV series , a surreal action-comedy that replicated the retro style. This transition from web short to network television highlighted Italian Spiderman's role in bridging amateur online content with production. Key legacy moments include the 2011 hoax announcement in the official video descriptions declaring "Italian Spiderman is dead" due to "mostly evil ones," which played into the parody's meta-humor and reignited fan discussions. In the , fan communities have sustained interest through digital remasters and creative edits, including AI upscales, though no major official revivals have emerged as of 2025. The work has been referenced in analyses of 's early history as a platform for viral , underscoring its contribution to the genre's evolution. Beyond memes, has broadened appreciation for Italian exploitation films of the and , ironically exaggerating tropes like and poor to spotlight the era's unauthorized superhero adaptations. It fits into a lineage of unofficial parodies without prompting any documented response from Marvel, emphasizing its niche as a cult artifact in global pop culture.

References

  1. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2705436/
  2. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/italian_spiderman
  3. https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/lunch-with-tv-writer-and-actor-dario-russo-20150101-12ahoz.html
  4. http://www.iitaly.org/magazine/focus/art-culture/article/italian-spiderman-mistery-parody-and-stereotypes
  5. https://www.thetvdb.com/series/italian-spiderman/allseasons/official
  6. https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/12061/italian-spiderman/episodes
  7. https://www.thetvdb.com/series/italian-spiderman
  8. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhHhXukovMU
  9. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVVXjq9K6OA
  10. https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/WebVideo/ItalianSpiderman
  11. https://news.flinders.edu.au/blog/2008/05/13/italian-spiderman-spawns-ten-sequels/
  12. https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/worldtoday/students-italian-spiderman-nets-film-funding/2466292
  13. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2705436/fullcredits/
  14. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/italian_spiderman/cast-and-crew
  15. https://www.alternateending.com/2024/11/italian-spiderman-2007.html
  16. https://medium.com/theoffline/dario-russo-ae51eb421f4c
  17. https://letterboxd.com/film/italian-spiderman/
  18. https://www.dinosaur.pizza/spiderman.html
  19. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NG7xYvaI7ig
  20. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvNLlwkwP64
  21. https://thetvdb.com/series/italian-spiderman/allseasons/official
  22. https://thetvdb.com/series/italian-spiderman
  23. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zen_zRmbKaM
  24. https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/subcultures/italian-spiderman
  25. https://mediacollectibles.com/super-heroes/968-italian-spiderman-deluxe-edition-with-many-extras-dvd.html
  26. https://www.ebay.com/itm/127286064131
  27. https://vimeo.com/42254051
  28. https://archive.org/details/ITALIANSPIDERMAN
  29. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDB0HcHVw-I
  30. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVl5WDUxlQU
  31. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUuzte5RVjk
  32. https://www.redbubble.com/shop/italian%2Bspiderman%2Bt-shirts
  33. https://48hills.org/2023/07/screen-grabs-cinema-ann-arbor-movies-yuliya-solntseva/
  34. http://www.iitaly.org/magazine/focus/life-people/article/italian-trash-and-stereotypes-their-highest-youtube-phenomenon
  35. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2705436/reviews/
  36. https://archive.nytimes.com/laughlines.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/03/16/italian-spiderman/
  37. https://www.safilm.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/SAFC-2007-2008_Annual-Report.pdf
  38. https://www.ojcmt.net/download/engaging-audiences-through-multi-platform-television-danger-5-and-the-diamond-girls-12450.pdf
  39. https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/getmedia/0cb16fc9-5821-4ebe-ac22-b7b97bc4bac3/Submission_Cultural_Policy.pdf
  40. https://efanzines.com/Herald/FromAlienShores04.pdf
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