From Executive Producer Roger Corman comes one of the most iconic B movies of all time, 1959's "Attack of the Giant Leeches." Directed by Bernard L. Kowalski, this horrific tale is king of the public domain nasties, yet classic all the way. Some of the imagery and scenes in this film are truly horrific and may have inspired some other great horror, like the 'Alien' franchise. Still, we have nubile babes in much peril, useless square-jawed hunks, and some slimy and menacing creatures...what more can we ask for?
A poacher is scared out of the swamp by a giant leech. No one believes this guy's story. Steve (Ken Clark) is the fish and game cop, but he's too busy drinking coffee to do anything except romance the beautiful Nan (Jan Shepard). Nan's dad, Doc is a ...doctor! He wants to dynamite the swamp and bring up any monster being...yes!!! Steve says no... and drinks more coffee instead. Swamp skank Liz (Yvette Vickers) is fooling around on her fat husband Dave (Bruno VeSota). The sultry dame will sneak off to the swamp with Cal (Michael Emmet) for some extra-marital sex. Dave will follow and at the point of a shotgun order the two into the swamp. Liz and Cal will then be grabbed by giant leeches and pulled down to an underwater cavern where the monsters will slowly feed on their blood.
Dave tries telling everyone about the monsters but no one believes him except Doc, who wants to dynamite the swamp. Steve tells him not to and drinks more coffee. Some poachers go out looking for Liz (and maybe Cal) and get abducted, too. The fiends continue feeding off their abductees and Doc sneaks off to the pond with dynamite. Steve drinks more coffee. Steve continues to romance Doc's beautiful daughter, as she makes him coffee. The leeches don't need coffee as they feed off Liz's blood. Poor Liz, the sultry swamp skank is less beautiful as each frame of the film goes by.
Will fish and game cop Steve stop drinking coffee long enough to do something to save the virtue and purity (okay, she's not virtuous and pure, but she is quite the looker) of the sultry Liz? Will Doc's penchant for blowing up things make him the hero of this film or Steve's latest arrestee? When the leeches get through with the sultry Liz, will they find a need for the sultry Nan? After all, slimy blood suckers need love, too. This is an action and horror packed horror film that shows Roger Corman makes films that people actually want to see. For a bloody and explosive good time while watching a horror film, see "Attack of the Giant Leeches."
Blood and coffee, ahhhh, there's a classic combo,and Roger that for Corman, he's the man.
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