The Killer Shrews (1959)

Sadly Over-hyped

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

OK, the titular shrews are thinly disguised dogs and the shoestring budget is apparent but this tale of people trapped on an island, in an increasingly shrinking safe zone, surrounded by ravenous, poisonous shrews the size of wolves isn't all that bad. The characters and dialogue is typical for the genre but the quasi-scientific backstory is better than most (unusually, radiation is not involved), as metabolic manipulations designed to produce smaller shrews backfire. The growing tension between characters as the shrews close in is reasonably well done and the solution to their problem is novel (although a bit ridiculous). Not surprisingly given the title and content, The Killer Shrews, won't have many viewers outside of fans of the genre but for the most part, they will appreciate the film for what it is: a reasonably will done example of bargain-basement 1950's'nature-gone-wild' monster films.

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.

Yeah, by today's standards it's an awful movie. But think of the time it was made, for a low budget horror film, especially a Fifties one, it was pretty good. Even if it isn't scary it sure is funny. The acting is generally pretty decent, especially Rook, Mario and Dr. Baines. The shrews were at least worth laughing at (they were actually dogs in rat suits), and it remained suspenseful towards the end. There was a very "so lame it's funny" moment at the end when the captain says to the scientist woman, "I'm not worried about overpopulation just yet!" and kisses her. Four characters die; Rook gets eaten alive by shrews as he hides in a small tree. Mario gets bitten and dies in the basement. Baines gets bitten in the crotch and types out his final moments. Jerry, the alcoholic scientist, acts stupid and loses his life that way. He is the main antagonist, not counting the shrews. It's worth watching if you want to laugh and have fun with your friends.

Now, wasn't '59 a gas year for movies? We stumbled on to 'The Killer Shrews' Saturday evening (when else?), and I came away with these impressions before my viewing mate said "Enough": The interior set design was bad-drunk good, with the wonderfully grimy walls, windows that look out onto nothing but gates and teeth, and that killer bar in the corner under the mirror, where I imagine the sane folk gathered while the hurricane of terror just swirrlled around them..this was either a career maker or breaker for the fellow playing ever- compliant Mario, the bartend..Gordon McLendon ("the Old Scotsman") was a heavy in radio broadcasting, and sonorously ran 'beautiful music' (an extinct format that sounded like elevator music) KABL in San Francisco..the real lift this odd little offering brought me was in seeing a portrayal of a black man--the 'mate Griswold--without any buffoonery, racial stereotyping or condescension, relating to his boss (Thone) as one neighbor to another. (This changes to "Help me, Massa" screams as he's turned into dinner by the shrew/dogs.) I can recall but too other such examples from the non-p.c. era: the escapee in "My Sweet Charlie" and the 'hero' in "Night of the Living Dead". If going to Heaven means doing what I want,..I want to go to Heaven so I can bend men's minds into believing that 'Killer Shrews' swept the Oscars for that year.