The Giant Gila Monster

Rating:
Summary: Only the 50s Could Have Produced This One
Review: The term 'campy' was probably intended to describe cheesy monster movies of the 50s like THE GIANT GILA MONSTER. Horror films preceding this decade and following it have tried to scare audiences in a serious way, usually with middling success. In the 50s however, the possibility of a nuclear holocaust convinced more than a few directors that a new and untrod direction in cinematic fear was needed. This direction was to dump some truly ridiculous monsters on the screen, usually with dancing rock and rollers, and go for the cheap laughs. Such a direction was undoubtedly facilitated by an equally cheap budget that did not allow for convincing special effects or a talented cast or gifted script writers. Director Ray Kellog is typical of his contemporaries in that he presents a menace to mankind in which the monster's lethality is confined to a limited target population, either country bumpkin types or jitterbugging teens. The 'monster' was either a giant reptile, as the Gila monster in this movie, or smaller and recognizable variants of known animals like the predatory shrews of THE KILLER SHREWS (also directed by Kellogg). It is difficult to assume that Kellogg really believed that a sequence of shots with a lizard slithering around and through some toy mockups would scare anyone over the age of ten. Far more likely is the belief that he wanted to use the non-existent fear factor as a blanket by which he could raise some threads and peek at an assortment of 50s style themes and fads. It cannot be a coincidence that the scourge of rock and roll, which was thought by the stiff collar crowd to be the undermining of our youth, was loudly trumpted in nearly every third scene. Don Sullivan, who plays the ukelele plunking hero, sings some truly awful songs that are meant to be a jibe at rock and roll but emerge more as an abortive aspirant to star in Hee Haw. TGGM contains the usual range of cinematic cliches from the hayseed but earnest sheriff to the goofy teens (played by actors at least ten years olders than their parts) to a monster that leaves the audience truly gasping at its inept level of non-lethality. As often was the case in this genre only the youthful protagonist could figure how to to slay the dragon. The ending reminded me of that which often closed television juvenile shows of the era--the remaining cast gathered in a circle to hold hands and laugh, possibly to reassure us that the dragon has been banished, but more likely to indicate that they could hardly believe that anyone would pay the price of a ticket to see this one.

Rating:
Summary: A huge slithery tongue
Review: This is a picture of life before CGI. The contrived dialog is part of the mystique. You get to see hotrods and large lizards. The blob it is not; but it is a necessary addition to any 50' collection.

A teenage boy and a teenage girl disappear together and the law is getting suspicious.
I want to ask the monster if teenagers taste like chicken?
Watch for your self.

Rating:
Summary: Best lousy movie I've ever seen!
Review: This movie is LOUSY! That's what makes it so much fun to watch! The gila monster is never shown in the same shot with the people he is supposedly attacking, the sheriff is a whiny, ineffective fool who couldn't solve a jaywalking case, and the main character, Chase, is so annoying with his "goody-goodness" and horrendously bad musical numbers,that you will relish the prospect of watching him get torn limb from limb by the gila monster (which unfortunately does not happen!). Having stated all that, let me say that if you like campy sci-fi you couldn't find a better movie if you raided Ed Wood's own personal movie vault! You'll savor every agonizing minute! Buy it now!

Rating:
Summary: The Giant Gila Monster
Review: Well, to begin with I first saw the "Giant Gila Monster" on the late-night program called "Creature Feature" when I was a teenager back in 1972 and when I saw the movie I found really something out of the ordinary because of the fact that it showed a monster terrorizing a small town instead of a big city like New York or Chicago. And even though I did not know any of teh actors at the time I think that they all did a very good job. But the thing that really got to me was the crippled little girl and how her older brother helped her to get the braces that she needed. In my own opinion I think that a lot of people today can learn from that.

Rating:
Summary: Good Hokey 1950 Giant Monster Classic
Review: Where do I start on this turkey? The stupid story, the bad acting or the even worse singing. Yes, that's right, singing. This is the Sci-Fi movie that doesn't know if it's a story about a giant lizard or a vehicle to promote a new singing sensation. Well, they should have stuck with the lizard, because the singer was definitely not the next Bobby Darin. I awarded 2 stars because of the movie's saving grace: its unintentional humor.

Rating:
Summary: A movie saved only by its unintentional humor...
Review: Where do I start on this turkey? The stupid story, the bad acting or the even worse singing. Yes, that's right, singing. This is the Sci-Fi movie that doesn't know if it's a story about a giant lizard or a vehicle to promote a new singing sensation. Well, they should have stuck with the lizard, because the singer was definitely not the next Bobby Darin. I awarded 2 stars because of the movie's saving grace: its unintentional humor.

Rating:
Summary: Thought is was a classic - 50ish great -
Review: Wish they were still making movies like this one - didn't care for Don but loved Shug Fisher (Mr. Harris) and the cute Pat Simmons (Sherry). You should give both a good credit for putting some class into this film. Where are they today?