Attack of the Giant Leeches

Them folks down on the swamp there darn gone and got themselves killed or worsen. Yes giant inflatable swamp critters attack and suck the blood out of their victims. Just joking around there folks. Honestly this was much better than I was expecting although it really doesn't hold any surprises(but may cause you to laugh a time or two). Still for a low budget film, I felt it was well-done and benefits from being only 62 minutes in length. I really enjoyed this one.

My imagination ran riot when, at the age of 12, I read this movie's title in TV Guide. When it came on a few nights later, it fell a bit short of what I was anticipating (imagine my disappointment when I saw THE BEAST WITH 1,000,000 eyes!)but I did enjoy the cheap creepiness of it. The concept and its execution were pretty gruesome,if not entirely convincing, for the time. I also liked the idea of combining the "swamp trash" and monster genres. The theme music,which director Kowalski also used in NIGHT OF THE BLOOD BEAST was genuinely eerie as were the sounds the giant leeches made. The underwater scenes also had a neat sound and look to them. There was a general ambience of dread throughout the whole film. The characters seemed to have things bad enough already,before some monsters came along to cause trouble. Thirty years later, I have this movie on video. I enjoy the sleazy subplot involving poor Bruno VeSota and his cheating(sexy)tramp of a wife(Yvette Vickers) more than I did back then. My only real complaint, now and as a 12 year old is the abrupt ending(which I won't reveal here). Oh, well. There's nothing worse than a movie that overstays its welcome.

Plot-- people go disappearing mysteriously in a backwoods swamp leading the authorities to a guessing game while the missing continue to pile up.

So how did I miss this drive-in special back in '59; maybe I had a back-seat 12-pack that made me forget. Anyhow, I'm glad to catch up with this Corman special. Okay, I'm in a minority, but the flick's on the whole competently made. The monster is the only really cheesy part (surprise, surprise). Still, it's wisely kept in shadow so we never get a really good look. Otherwise, the script, acting, and staging are all credibly done. For a cheap budget, the Cormans got their money's worth, especially with the LA Arboretum. Then too, was there ever a better screen vixen than the great Yvette Vickers. Here she grabs us guys in the first part with her seductive specialty and a lot of leg. No wonder the leeches were saving her for their vampire dinners. And catch the hillbillies. Their backwoods lingo and grimy looks are really colorful and well acted.

Anyway, I can't say the cheapo's a campy laugher like most Corman monster flicks. On the whole, however, it is a quality cut above and held my interest all the way through, Vickers or no.

Regardless of the rabid fans of MST3K (myself included), attack of The Giant Leeches isn't the horrid film they make it out to be. Certainly it is low budget, but trying to shine through the lackluster production is a film that has some good writing, few plot holes, and exhibits an actual knowledge of the subject (swamps, critters, rednecks who are a danger to themselves and others...).

As far as Corman flicks go, this one has a good feel to it. Some drama, tragedy, comedy (well, some that was intentional), and an attempt at a real story. The screenwriter, Leo Gordon, has created a good feel for the south, and is an accomplished (although not great) practitioner of his trade. So, laughs aside, watch this movie again and focus on the plot when you can. There is no hocus pocus, minimal pseudo-science, and some likable characters.

Oh yeah, and please don't be a danger to yourself or others...

I have yet to see the MST3K version, and I'm sure it will be hilarious, but frankly, this sticks out as a movie that is not quite bad enough for their taste, and as much is admitted in their book. Yes, the Leech is obviously two guys in painted raincoats, yes some of the acting is wooden and the southern characters stereotyped and hilarious, but the plot moves along fairly well, and for a Corman production, the screenplay is pretty tight. I enjoyed this. Worth a serious watch. One of the few pieces of MST fodder that it is possible to watch by itself. Oh, and that Liz character is hottest women I've seen in a black and white movie EVER. Until the end of course: she looks pretty rough at that point.