There's a monster in these here swamps. Nobody believes me, but you will. Yes, you will. When the blood is sapped from your body by the giant leeches you will believe! The local game warden knows something's up, but the poor, unimaginative sheriff is not letting him investigate because the whole notion is far too silly. In fact, the sheriff may just find him a human suspect to arrest.

Attack of the Giant Leeches gets a bad rap from a lot of people. While it certainly invites some harsh criticisms from any discerning movie patron, there are a few misguided souls out there, like me, that wonder why people hate it quite so much. It has an entertaining story, good characters, and some genuinely creepy moments.

I guess I've seen too many horror movies. Whenever people are trying to convince the local authorities that some monster exists I can't help but wonder why it's so hard to believe. I have to force myself to remember that they are creating a link to reality. What real officer would outright believe in killer klowns from outer space or swamp monsters? But for some reason it's harder for me to understand why movie officers are so thick-headed. I guess it's just the way the characters react that fails to create a believable inability to believe.

This time it's one official battling another based on the evidence they have seen. It gives credibility to coming to grips with the truth when the evidence is strong enough. I guess another part of why I like this particular dynamic is that it gets away from the cliché of crazy teenagers trying to convince authorities. This time it's a professional, a game warden, yet he still might as well be a know-nothing kid in the eyes of the older, "wiser" officials.

For AotGL though, the battle between the game warden and the sheriff sells completely. In fact, their back-and-forth creates a lot of the best moments in the movie. Some people side with one or the other with a good narrative payoff towards the end. It is this conflict and the portrayal of it that drew me into the movie.

One thing that helps is that the sheriff isn't just the icon of authority. While he does serve as that, he is also a real character. He clearly wants to do his job and who can blame him for not wanting to waste time on monster chases?

We also get something beyond the scenes of teens tongue wrestling in a car only to be set upon by monsters. We get the plight of a town drunk desperate to tell what he knows and devastated at being ineffectual thanks to his chosen lot in life. We also get a subplot of a beautiful cheating wife and her dumpy, good-natured husband that everyone thinks they can walk all over because he lacks the spine or wits to do anything about it. Watching the lives of these people intertwine with the monster story makes for good cinema.

The horrific moments vary. On the one hand we have the great setting of the swamp, ideal atmosphere for any horror story. The people trapped in the dank lair of the creatures is pretty creepy. Imagine finding yourself at the mercy of some horrific predator knowing you're about to be cannibalized and helpless to stop it.

On the other hand the creatures are standard rubber suit goofiness. Thankfully the director had enough sense to not show the "leeches" too much, but even less screentime might have helped. For one thing these look nothing like real leeches. I guess you could say "leech" is just a common term applied for lack of anything better, but don't expect a worm. For another thing they flop around like the suits they are which doesn't help sell their authenticity.


CONTENT:
This is a pretty clean movie. I didn't notice any bad language. The adulterous wife has some sexuality about her, but it never gets graphic or vulgar. There is some life and death here such as people being killed and terrorized by the monsters, people being chased by a gun-toting madman, and suicide. As far as a horror movie goes it's nothing that stands out.

DVD:
These old movies get released by a number of companies since the rights are so cheap so there's no telling what kinds of DVD's are available. I think you can download this movie for free (legally) on the internet. I recommend the 50 pack of "Horror Classics:" a cheap way to own a lot of good movies (plus a lot of bad ones).
This version has audio and video quality about as good as it gets for movies of this age. While pitiful compared to digital standards it's easy to make out all the action and dialogue. It's presented in widescreen. It doesn't feature any extras.

FINAL THOUGHTS:
I don't care what you critics say, I like Attack of the Giant Leeches! In the realm of campy black and white drive-in monster horror this is a cut above the norm. I'll give it 3*.

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good for Groups
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 9 - 12