Attack of the Giant Leeches

A village near a swamp faces giant leeches who capture people that wander into their waters. Since the waters usually have alligators, this seems like a fair trade. But the local game warden (Ken Clark), the very archetype of maleness, will not leave those pesky leeches alone.

This film is ranked under 3 out of 10 on the Internet Movie Database, with many people having voted a "1" (the most popular vote). Believe me, this film is far from a one -- it is actually rather interesting and well put together. Much better than other films with "giant" animals and the explanation revolving around "radiation" -- and I can especially say this after seeing the rubbish that is "Beast of Yucca Flats".

It is amusing to see the dynamic between the shop owner (Bruno VeSota) and his wife (Playboy centerfold Yvette Vickers). She seems upset because he calls her "baby" every sentence. But the man she is seeing on the side shows up and calls her "baby" every sentence, too... so I guess she just does not like fat, balding men.

The dialog is actual one of the better parts of this movie. The conversations give the characters more depth than most horror or science fiction films and all the villagers interact quite a bit. Everything is explained and the background is rich.

The leeches? Okay, the leeches are cheesy and obviously men in squid suits. But this does not take away from the overall film. In fact,it adds a special flavor that seems appropriate.

The reason this film is ranked so low, in my opinion, is the quality of the film. Public domain copies (which look terrible) are easily available, and it is easy to dismiss the film on picture quality alone. Also, it apparently appeared on "Mystery Science Theater", and people have a tendency to instantly rank MST3K films as 1 or 2 (for reasons unknown to me). If someone took the time to digitally remaster the movie, I think it would have much better reviews... but who would invest time and money into a public film?

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.

I can't believe my aunt actually bought this movie, let alone felt it was just what I needed for Christmas one year but she did. Of course it wasn't until early March that I was bored enough to actually watch it. I have to say for a B-movie blast from the past, it really wasn't bad at all. The plot was coherent, the acting wasn't bad but typical for the era, and the leech costume actually had some value to it. There were some good, slightly extended underwater shots that made me feel bad for the guy in the leech costume. (The thing had to weigh a ton!) So for a few good laughs gather your pimpled-faced friends and rent this movie!

Another of the many giant creature movies from the '50's, this one being somewhere in the middle of the bunch. This time, it's swamp hicks who are being menaced by leeches. Not just leeches, but big, mean leeches! I tell you, it's a load of cheese from beginning to end, but this is what one would expect from a genre movie of this era. It's a movie that leaves you asking, "why don't the fools just get a pound of salt and waste 'em?" Anyway, it's an OK effort with some decent acting. But those leeches, oh boy! The monsters are strictly tongue-in-cheek! So, B-movie fans should love this one, it's a wonder it took four years for this movie to make it to Mystery Science Theater 3000. In any event, proceed with caution into the boggy swamps of schlock.

** out of ****

This film is often trashed because of superficial details. I feel the film itself is an artifact of the times and the location. Despite the silly sci-fi subplot, the real story is in the southerners who made and star in the film. The outdated boogie woogie instrumentals that blare constantly in the -background, the steamy heat that leaves the average people sweaty and the fat shopkeeper swimming, work together to show the oppressive effects of heat and isolation on the people who live and make their living from the swamp. When viewed in light of it's intended audience (who could be expected to identify with the cast and expect the "everyday" details of the story to appear normal...) I find it not only enjoyable, but an interesting view of a time and place that no longer exists.