In a small Texas town not much happens. Crime is typically low and the local sheriff has to settle with harassing local Chase Winstead (Don Sullivan) about his busted headlight. Chase is a happy-go-lucky young man who works as a mechanic and tow-truck driver in order to make ends meet. The typically quiet town is surprisingly disturbed one day when The Giant Gila Monster arrives and begins to terrorize its citizens. As more and more members of the close-knit community are reported missing, Chase takes it upon himself to do whatever he can to defend the town and the people he cares about. Will Chase prevail or will The Giant Gila Monster reign supreme and destroy this small town?
Horror films of the 1960’s and prior typically fail to entertain modern horror fans as they typically lack the same intensity that those modern audiences have come to expect. Films like Insidious, The Strangers and Saw have set a precedence that is more often than not difficult to live up to. Going into The Giant Gila Monster with the expectation that you’ll see something even remotely comparable to these aforementioned films will certainly leave you disappointed. Having an open mind when viewing this for the first time is the first step in understanding and appreciating it, as the film is quite impressive given its age.
I have found that older horror films spend entirely too much time developing and prepping viewers for the big reveal, ultimately leaving those viewers disappointed in the end result. Another issue that often arises with films of this nature is that supplementary stories overshadow the point of the film, dulling the scare factor and leading to a fractured and unappealing story. The Giant Gila Monster omits these issues and brings to life some semblance of a terrifying monster. Viewers are introduced to the Gila monster early in the film and are provided an understanding of what is occurring behind the scenes in this small town. Furthermore, the story of Chase’s impending success in the world is important to his development, but certainly does not overshadow the horrific events taking place in Texas.
Given the fact that The Giant Gila Monster is a low-budget, 1960’s film, expectations of the monster itself are low. Most likely won’t expect that the monster will appear legitimate in any way, or that the scare factor will exist at all. The monster, however, is created in a brilliant fashion and surrounded by a series of miniature sets in order to express the severity of what the townspeople are dealing with. Director Ray Kellogg settled on the idea to use a lizard, not much bigger than a foot in length, to play the role of the Gila monster. Rather than using CGI or prosthetics to bring this monster to life, the true reptilian nature of the animal creates a sense of understanding among viewers and helps to instill some fear in those viewers as well. To create the illusion that this normal sized lizard is as big as they say he is, a series of miniature sets were created. Head set decorator, Louise Caldwell, developed impeccable sets that allowed the monster to come to life. The sets and the use of a real Mexican Bearded Lizard allow audiences to suspend their disbelief and accept that this monster is in fact terrorizing the innocent people of the town.
The Giant Gila Monster is one of the better done horror films of the 1950’s and manages, given the right audience, to find success today as well. Writer-director Kellogg, along with his co-writer Jay Simms, develop a horror film that is able to stand the test of time and create a sense of realism. This is the most impressed I’ve been with a horror film released during this time period, as they hit the mark on nearly every aspect and bring to life a realistically scary monster. The Giant Gila Monster still falls under the category of somewhat cheesy, but with a secondary story that supplements the main plotline and a series of smart decisions made by the crew, The Giant Gila Monster is a film that deserves at least one viewing.
Directed by Ray Kellogg. Written by Ray Kellogg & Jay Simms. Starring Don Sullivan, Fred Graham, Lisa Simone, Shug Fisher, Bob Thompson, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10
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