Make no mistake, you'll find no great cinema here. The acting, dialog and special effects are very B-grade. Yet I find it compellingly fun to watch.Perhaps it is the non-stop drinking that occurs throughout the film that makes me want to join in. Such drab, dour characters sipping martinis in such a drab, dour location fascinates me. One would think scientists would want to be a little more alert in a dangerous situation but apparently they prefer to be well-lubricated. There is one scene that makes me think of "synchronized swigging" and always makes me smile.The stunning Swedish beauty who should be prancing merrily in heels walks about all droopy and slack-shouldered. Almost as though totally bored with the whole idea that they may all be devoured by ravenous beasts before the break of dawn.The grim scientist who appears blinded to all but his work only brightens when he holds a tiny shrew in his hand - not with a look of curiosity and fascination, but with a lip-smacking leer suggesting he is ready to gobble it up in one bite.I pull this out at least once a year with a full supply of my own favorite mind-altering beverage to join in the fun. It makes me wonder if I need to look into AA.

Starting with the Great and Unforgettable Title, this Drive-In Double Biller (The Giant Gila Monster) is the Butt of Many a Carpet Dog Jokes made by a Bunch of Echo Chamber Imbeciles who couldn't make a Movie this Imaginative or Entertaining with a Million Dollar Budget. Lead by TV Ghouls who make Money off of other People's Efforts Wisecracking away showing Their Ignorance and Under Appreciation for Primitive Art, the Folks are being Mislead.The Movie has a Horror Movie Tone that George Romero would Imitate and the Much Maligned "Shrews" are Scary Ultra-Fang-Toothed in Knawing Closeup. The Actors are Competent and bring a Stiff Style that Works Well with these things. The Dialog has some Scientific Gravitas and the Intent is Noble.Forget what You have been Told. The Makers Drain Every Penny from the Budget and Deliver a Midnight Movie that has Stood the Test of Time and Gains Reputation with Each Passing Year. Granted sometimes, actually, Most of Time, for the all the Wrong Reasons. Definitely a Classic of its Kind.

The Killer Shrews (1959) *** (out of 4)You'd think a hurricane coming through would be the most dangerous thing for a small group of people on an island but it isn't. No, it's the giant killer shrews that are going to be the most dangerous for the people who soon find themselves trapped inside a house with the creatures trying to get it.This film was shot around the same time as THE GIANT GILA MONSTER from the same production company who planned on using them as a double feature. I will gladly hold my head up high and admit that I really love both of these pictures. Yes, both are extremely low- budget pictures that has countless flaws but at the same time both of them are so darn entertaining that I can't help but have a good time with both of them.THE KILLER SHREWS is notorious for the fact that the giant shrews are actually played by dogs with costumes. These costumes look incredibly fake and more times than not they're crooked on the dogs or falling off all together. I'm sure you could cry foul at this but if you do so then you'd be taking the film way too serious. These types of movies were meant to fill up drive-in screens so they weren't meant to be Oscar-winning movies.One thing I really like about this film are some of the performances. While there are many issues with some of them, the cast is still quite likable and that includes James Best as the leader, Ingrid Goude as the semi love interest and Gordon McLendon and Baruch Lumet as the doctors. At just 68 minutes the film moves at a very good pace and even the dialogue is slightly entertaining in its own way. Still, the main reason to watch THE KILLER SHREWS is for its "dogs/shrews" and they are worth the price of admission alone.

This is an awful horror film. It is, well, laughable. I guess if it doesn't scare you then it's sure to get a few laughs out of you - it certainly did me.The film started out irking me due to the fact that the "Captain" was unworried about his first mate out in a hurricane alone. This fact alone was enough for me to dislike the film right off the bat! Any real captain would have either went back out to weather the storm with his first mate or tried to see if the first mate could stay in the home and have dinner as well.As the film progressed I was somewhat bored and somewhat entertained at the nonsense on the screen. Towards the climax of the film and ending I got a few laughs out of the movie. The welded barrels was enough to get me giggling.If everyone in this film was eaten by the shews it would have been alright by me - that is how awful this film is. But I did get some giggles out of it so I will have to rate this film a big "4".4/10