Runtime: 74 minutes
Directed by: Ray Kellogg
Starring: Don Sullivan,
Fred Graham, Lisa Simone, Shug Fisher, Bob Thompson
From: Hollywood Pictures
Corporation
I should have gone up to a soda jerk and asked for “a snort of that there so-dee pop!” for consumption while viewing this.
This is another motion picture that I've seen, albeit many, many years ago. The spooky season seemed like the best time to revisit such a silly giant animal film. Gila was literally made by a Texan who owned a series of drive-in theatres (Gordon McLendon) and wanted his own double feature, so that is why this has already been connected to another 50's schlock classic, The Killer Shrews. TGGM is more about rural teens who love sock hops and drive around in hot-rods-and there isn't much in the way of character development or plot progression when it comes to most of them... then again, the titular monster here is a Mexican Beaded Lizard and not a Gila Monster; I guess they featured no one would know any better.
I wish this would have been more exciting as I actually did not mind any of the characters (the one true villain was at least a genuine A-hole) and I was amused by how much they made the lead-Chase Winstead-into a cool hero. I mean, he sings, loves hot rodding, has a beautiful French girlfriend (Lisa Simone, a beauty pageant contestant who was once Miss France; they barely addressed how she was in the middle of rural Texas) and even helps the sheriff with towing wrecked cars. It was at least a nice twist to see law enforcement be friendly with the 50's greasers and rodders; he is not a pushover yet I was glad he wasn't the stereotypical strict drill sergeant type either. It was a treat seeing older rural characters, such as the typical town drunk.
Of course the effects are lo-fi and it's mainly the Beaded Lizard trampeling around miniature sets and (to steal a line) usually by accident causing such events as car crashes and a train derailment. Those were quaint and have their charm but like I said, I wish this story would have more excitement, especially when it came to the monster action. Then again, I imagine those who saw this in their '55 Pontiac Star Chief probably didn't notice, due to extracurricular activities... Still, it was not a regret seeing this without MST3K providing assistance.
This is another motion picture that I've seen, albeit many, many years ago. The spooky season seemed like the best time to revisit such a silly giant animal film. Gila was literally made by a Texan who owned a series of drive-in theatres (Gordon McLendon) and wanted his own double feature, so that is why this has already been connected to another 50's schlock classic, The Killer Shrews. TGGM is more about rural teens who love sock hops and drive around in hot-rods-and there isn't much in the way of character development or plot progression when it comes to most of them... then again, the titular monster here is a Mexican Beaded Lizard and not a Gila Monster; I guess they featured no one would know any better.
I wish this would have been more exciting as I actually did not mind any of the characters (the one true villain was at least a genuine A-hole) and I was amused by how much they made the lead-Chase Winstead-into a cool hero. I mean, he sings, loves hot rodding, has a beautiful French girlfriend (Lisa Simone, a beauty pageant contestant who was once Miss France; they barely addressed how she was in the middle of rural Texas) and even helps the sheriff with towing wrecked cars. It was at least a nice twist to see law enforcement be friendly with the 50's greasers and rodders; he is not a pushover yet I was glad he wasn't the stereotypical strict drill sergeant type either. It was a treat seeing older rural characters, such as the typical town drunk.
Of course the effects are lo-fi and it's mainly the Beaded Lizard trampeling around miniature sets and (to steal a line) usually by accident causing such events as car crashes and a train derailment. Those were quaint and have their charm but like I said, I wish this story would have more excitement, especially when it came to the monster action. Then again, I imagine those who saw this in their '55 Pontiac Star Chief probably didn't notice, due to extracurricular activities... Still, it was not a regret seeing this without MST3K providing assistance.
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