Attack of the Giant Leeches (1959)

As I wait for the final two episodes of Twin Peaks: The Return to start tonight, I decided to finish up one of the flicks I watched yesterday. That film is the 1959 low budget/ no budget entry Attack of the Giant Leeches.

Plot/ A backwoods game warden and a local doctor discover that giant leeches are responsible for disappearances and deaths in a local swamp, but the local police don't believe them.

How can you not enjoy anything that Roger Corman is involved with? Honestly, just the name alone should draw you into a low budget schlockfest. That is exactly what this film is, although it actually offers some depth in the scripting department (albeit with some plot holes). This movie offers a solid combination of comedy, drama, and even some horror elements and a decent understanding of the cultures involved. Yes, the production values are limited by the low budget and there are some (okay many) laughable moments with uneven performances and low dollar effects, but that is part of the charm. In the end, this is a decent flick to spend some time on, even if it is a time that you are just searching for a few laughs.

The Alligator People (1959)

After spending the weekend dealing with rain and heat at a USSSA Memorial Day Super NIT softball tournament, I needed some down time today to recover (and I didn’t even play). Having some time before heading out to grab the kids, I decided to kick back and watch something different. I decided on the 1958 creature feature The Alligator People.

Plot/ A woman in a hypnotic state recounts to two doctors the details of a horrific experience from her past life that began with the mysterious and sudden disappearance of her husband.

After talking with my youngest brother earlier today, I was in the mood for a classic 1950s creature feature and I settled on this one. I am glad that I did because what I found was much more entertaining than I expected. Complete with a solid cast including Beverly Garland and Lon Chaney, this film offered an interesting storyline, inspiring cinematography, and some decent effects for the era and budget. I definitely looked like a film that would have been done on a larger scale. Yes, there are some rough moments and some of the performances are uneven, but honestly, that is part of the charm with the classic no-budget creature features of that period. In the end, if you are looking to pass 75 minutes, this is a great choice; it is one of the better 1950s Creature Features out there.

Swamp Devil (2008)

 

 

With Documentary Week behind us, it was time to get back into the swing of movie watching. For me, I wanted to watch a good old-fashioned creature feature (yes, still have the adrenaline from the Bigfoot expedition). Unfortunately, there is little on Netflix ) that I have not seen) that fit into what I wanted. In the end, I decided on Swamp Devil from 2008.

 

 

Plot/ A young girl finds out some disturbing supernatural truths about her father, who has been a suspect to multiple murder cases.

 

 

While I knew from the title what I was getting into with this one, I was actually a bit more disappointed than usual. This flick has a lot to like with solid acting, some good production values, a decent score and some awesome locations / set design. Unfortunately, as good as some of those attributes were the utter horrendous attempt at special effects and make-up are laughable (at best) and the storyline is riddled with cliché and predictability. And, that does not include the overall lack of any type of atmosphere or creepiness. In the end, the movie definitely could have been worse, but it really offers very little in the way of entertainment value. Watch it if you must, but there are many other options that are better choices.

 

 

Creature (2011)

If you have read my blog, you know that I love creature features and cheesy low budget flicks. Honestly, is there anything better than a schlockfest with a man in a rubber suit? Well, I am sure there is, but whenever the flick is based on a reptilian Bigfoot like Lock Jaw, it cannot be all bad, can it? Hmmm, I guess it can. What movie am I talking about, Creature from 2011.

Plot/ In the back country of Louisiana, a group of friends unearth a terrible secret that unleashes a monster from the depths of the swamp.

A creature feature with Sid Haig, could you ask for anything more? Well, yes, but as a low budget (relatively speaking) flick with a man in a rubber suit, I have seen much worse.  This one has everything one could imagine from a cheap creature feature, it has all the cheesiness, violence, nudity, and blood splatter that make these tolerable. Yes, it is full of cliché, the acting is uneven, the scripting predictable, and the creature effects were laughable, but hey, it was a cheesy schlockfest that was at least good for a laugh. Sure, it is not up to classic B-Movie creature feature standards, but it has a few interesting moments and some awesome scenery (and boobs). I may not run out a buy it, but it is far from the worst flick I have seen. 

Muckman (2009)

I am so excited that information is starting to come out about Blobfest 2012, there is no better event in the US. I mean, what could be better than remembering one of the best loc budget movies ever. In thinking about that, I decided to watch something right up that alley, in 2009s no-budget Creature Feature Muckman…

Plot/ Mickey O'Hara is a TV producer whose career was virtually destroyed when his attempt to discover the legendary backwoods demon, Muckman, was exposed as a pathetic fraud on live TV. Using his in with sexy trash TV personality Asia Buchanan as leverage, he persuades small time cable mogul Otto Van Sant to give him one last chance to redeem himself. The creature appears big as life, chaos ensues, there is blood and dismemberment, but all is not as it seems.

First off, if you did not get no-budget B-movie from the title, I guess you deserve what you got when watching this one. If you love these flicks as I do, this one is definitely for you. Yes, it has a few flaws as is typical with some uneven story development, pacing and honestly there was not enough of the Muckman, but honestly, this one was such a breath of fresh air inside a stagnant genre, I may have overlooked a bit. The script is funny, with a couple laugh aloud moments, the characters are fun, and the locations and effects (especially the real Muckman costuming) were definitely better than expected out of a reported $50 thousand budget. Director and co-writer Brett Piper is truly a genius in the no-budget indie arena and I cannot wait for his next entry. In the end, if you like this type of B-Move homage to the cheesy Creature Features of days gone by, then you should find this one as entertaining as I did. If you do not like those, please, stay away from it, instead of pretentiously slamming it in a review. Yes, it is not Oscar worthy, but it is a humorous trip into the woods with enough cheese and schlock to keep fans fulfilled.