Available Now
$29.95 | $19.95
September 26, 2023
The Giant Gila Monster + The Killer Shrews
A 2-Disc Collection of Overgrown Proportions
A double feature of overgrown animals?! We call that a perfect pairing.
BD: $29.95 | DVD: $19.95
The classic era of drive-in schlock was near its end in 1959, but there was still time for The Giant Gila Monster and The Killer Shrews, a pair of no-budget howlers from producer Gordon McLendon. In The Giant Gila Monster, a lizard takes on a small town. If that's not enough for you, there are plenty of cool cars and some ersatz rock 'n' roll sung by the movie's star, Don Sullivan (The Monster of Piedras Blancas). The Killer Shrews stars James Best (The Dukes of Hazard) as a riverboat pilot stuck on an island where the shrews are the size of German Shepherds. The cast includes Ken Curtis (Gunsmoke) and Ingrid Goude (Miss Universe, 1957). These two features were originally released on a double-bill. Trust us – they belong together!
The Specs
The Film Elements
The Giant Gila Monster
from 35mm original film elements, scanned in 4K
​
The Killer Shrews
newly restored HD version
The Disc Specs
DISC ONE
The Giant Gila Monster
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 & 1.33:1
Run Time: 74 minutes
Commentary track
Trailer from 35mm, 4K scan
Archival Don Sullivan Interview
DISC TWO
The Killer Shrews
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 & 1.33:1
Run Time: 69 minutes
Commentary Track
Ray Kellogg: An Unsung Master
Archival Radio Spots
​
These Discs are Region Free and include English SDH.
​
Audio is DTS-HD / Dolby AC3s.
The Contributors
The Giant Gila Monster
The Monster Party Podcast joins us for a rousing commentary of this wild tale!
​
Author Don Stradley provides the liner notes, "Pirate radio, presidential assassinations, and Gila monsters:
All in a Life’s Work for Gordon McLendon."
​
The Killer Shrews
Professor Jason A. Ney provides an informative look in his commentary. He also presents his original essay, "The Unkillable Killer Shrews."
Special Features
Ballyhoo Motion Pictures presents an original production, an in-depth look at the director of these two features, Ray Kellogg, entitled, "Ray Kellogg – An Unsung Master"
Contributes include: Courtney Joyner & Tim Lucas
​
A newly restored 4k transfer of the original "The Giant Gila Monster" trailer.
​
Original radio spots for both films, courtsey of Gary L. Prange.
​
Archival Interview with Don Sullivan, provided by author and interviewer, Bryan Senn.
The Giant Gila Monster
"Only Hell could breed such an enormous beast. Only God could destroy it!"
​
Dir. Ray Kellogg
Starring: Don Sullivan, Fred Graham, Lisa Simone
1959 | HD | 74 minutes
​
Only Hell could breed such an enormous beast. Only God could destroy it! Well, if not God, how about a heroic hot-rodding teenager? That's the idea behind this independent slime fest from the same film company that produced another low budget "classic," The Killer Shrews. Both were directed by Ray Kellogg, a special effects specialist and second unit director who would eventually work on some of Hollywood's biggest pictures, including Cleopatra and The Green Berets. In 1959, though, it was all about Gila monsters and revved up teens. If there's a schlock Hall of Fame, this one deserves its own wing!
The Killer Shrews
"They had to eat 3 times their body weight each day... OR STARVE!"
Dir. Ray Kellogg
Starring: James Best, Ingrid Goude, Ken Curtis
1959 | HD | 69 minutes
​
Maybe they’re just dogs wearing fake snouts and tails, in a low budget movie filmed in Texas by the same group that gave us The Giant Gila Monster. But suspend your disbelief, and they’ll become mutant, killer shrews, created by a mad scientist. Starring James Best (TV’s The Dukes of Hazzard), this howler has some good things going for it, namely a creepy musical score by Harry Bluestone and Emil Cadkin, and some solid direction by Ray Kellogg. If nothing else, this slice of schlock heaven may help answer the question, “What the heck is a shrew?”
 |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
 |  |