Now this is what I’m talking about. When I think “Classic Horror”, I think of stuff like the 1959 cheesefest ATTACK OF THE GIANT LEECHES. It’s got a silly premise, idiotic characters, and some of the dumbest-looking monsters I can recall ever seeing on film. I mean, let’s face it, if you can’t scare me, the least you can do is be entertaining in other ways. ATTACK OF THE GIANT LEECHES succeeds.

The story takes place in some unnamed backwoods swamp community where game warden Steve Benton (Ken Clark) is charged with the task of protecting the local wildlife. But when bodies start piling up, and all the evidence points to something in the swamp, Steve must choose between his duty to the animals and his desire to save the lives of his neighbors.

It starts when one of the poachers claims to have put five rounds of buckshot into a creature he spotted earlier one night. When he goes back to check on his traps, he finds out there was more than one.

Then the local store-owner Dave (Bruno VeSota) discovers his wife Liz (Yvette Vickers) and her lover Cal (Michael Emmet) and forces them into the swamp where the gators are. He only wanted to scare them, though, so he tells them to come out of the water. But he’s too late and creatures Dave’s never seen before rise up and pull Liz and Cal under. The police think Dave is using the old poacher’s tale of a swamp creature to cover up his crime and he’s put in jail where he later hangs himself.

Meanwhile, Steve and his girlfriend Nan (Jan Shepard) have been combing the swamps looking for anything out of the ordinary. Nan’s father, Doc Greyson (Tyler McVey) tries to convince Steve they can use dynamite to blow any bodies that might be trapped underwater back to the surface, but Steve refuses, vowing to keep safe any innocent wildlife in the water.

When two more good old boys who’ve also gone looking for the bodies of Liz and Cal turn up missing, Doc Greyson takes matters into his own hands and sets off the dynamite anyway. Three bodies float to the surface--but they’re looking for four. And these bodies, while having been missing for days, show signs of only having died a few hours ago. They think Liz may still be alive somewhere, perhaps trapped in an underwater air pocket.

Steve and a friend don their diving gear and go searching. When they run into the creatures, it’s an underwater struggle with all the excitement of an afternoon nap.

This movie is hilarious--not in any real attempt at humor, but looking back at the behavior of the characters, and the stereotypes involved, you can’t help but laugh. The times, they have certainly changed since 1959.

Steve, Nan, and Doc Greyson all sit around the Greyson house, smoking and drinking coffee while discussing the creatures that may or may not be in the water. When Steve and Nan are out on the boat, Nan offers Steve coffee, and later, when Steve is about to arrest Doc Greyson for using the dynamite, Doc asks, “Do we have time for a cup of coffee first?”

The secondary characters have the thick southern accents, and dialogue that would be at home in any BEVERLY HILLBILLIES episode, while the main characters are strong, good-looking, well-educated. It’s obvious from his interactions with the other characters that Steve isn’t local--so obviously he’s the only hope to save the day, because that’s how it always works. The outsider comes to the rescue.

The budget was obviously small, and the creatures couldn’t have cost more than $10 at most to put together. They looked like the actors playing them had been draped in black garbage bags, then had giant plastic suckers glued to their faces. Most of the characters are always covered in sweat, which lends a nice touch of reality to the swamp locale. You begin to feel the heat just watching them.

The sound is bad and in some places it’s almost impossible to make out what the characters are saying, but none of it is anything that interrupts the story.

There’s some excuse given toward the end that the proximity of Cape Canaveral may be to blame, since the rockets use atomic energy in take-off. I like how, when exposed to radiation, the animals don’t just grow to enormous size, but they also grow legs and arms.

I had a lot of fun with ATTACK OF THE GIANT LEECHES. It’s short (62 minutes) and entertaining without being preachy. The only message this movie wants to convey is “There are giant leeches in the swamp, and they’re going to drain your blood.”

This movie didn’t gain the respect similar films like CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON did, and rightfully so, but it’s still an enjoyable, goofy way to spend an afternoon. And at that length, you can easily make it a double-feature and not feel like you’ve lost too much of the day in front of the television. ATTACK OF THE GIANT LEECHES is a silly little movie, but I dug it.


other Horror Classics
Carnival of Souls: http://www.epinions.com/content_403446140548
Atom Age Vampire: http://www.epinions.com/content_403512856196
Creature from the Haunted Sea: http://www.epinions.com/content_403596349060
Nightmare Castle: http://www.epinions.com/content_404037799556
Black Dragons: http://www.epinions.com/content_404796575364
The Invisible Ghost: http://www.epinions.com/content_405221379716
One Body Too Many: http://www.epinions.com/content_405861076612
White Zombie: http://www.epinions.com/content_405939326596


Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older