The Killer Shrews

source: The Killer Shrews

Trailer—The Killer Shrews

The Killer Shrews

Okay, it's a bad movie. Laughably bad. Hideously bad. MST3K bad (and they DID, too...). It's the kind of bad that makes you wonder just what color of shoe polish the producer was drinking when he agreed to buy it. It's also LOADS of fun. I highly recommend anyone who likes campy old flicks to pick this up for the laughable screenplay. The characters aren't bad; in fact, they're the bright spot of the movie, more or less wasted on a sad production. The acting really wasn't too bad in this film, nor were the characterizations, themselves. James Best, as Captain Thorne Sherman (que macho, eh?), stands out as the best-acted of the troupe in his role as the freelance boat captain stranded on the island by a hurricane, and forced to rally the few inhabitants against the menace of the shrews. I'm not going to kid you; against, say, 'Citizen Kane' or 'The General', this movie won't even RATE. But in the annals of B-grade or worse thrillers, this is definitely a must-see.

This film is a wonderful example of how to make a decent movie without spending millions of $$. I found the plot creditable, the acting better than most crap made this days, & James Best (one of my favorite actors) excellent in the lead role The 1950's was a decade when many fine sci-fi, horror films were made on shoestring budgets. I remember those films with great fondness & "Killer Shrews" is one of my favorites. While the special effects are nothing compared to what can be done these days, the "shrews" were very believable monsters. Watch this movie with the lights off on a stormy night with a full bowl of popcorn & Pepsi Cola. Oh, & your best girl snuggled under your arm. What's that noise? Is something scratching at the walls out there?

This is one of my favorite all time schlocky movies from the fifties. The shrews themselves look like...well what they are, collies (or is it greyhounds?) in fur coats. The acting ranges from good (James Best, Ken Curtis) to non-existent (Ingrid Goude, Gorden McLendon.) The dialogue is lame. The editing bad and music poorly inserted; ominous music plays when James Best goes to wash his hands! That being said, I have to take exception with those that say giant shrews are a silly idea. Shrews are primitive mammals with high metabolism rates. They consume their own weight in food every couple of hours. They are known to attack animals larger than themselves. At least one species is mildly poisonous. The great naturalist Roger Carras, in his book, DANGEROUS TO MAN, in the chapter on poisonous mammals and montremes, states that shrews the size of collies would wreck unthinkable ecological havoc. Now you just learned something new.

The story is intriguing: a scientist experiments with rodents, who turn into giant mutants, running loose on a island of seven people, including his daughter. When their food supply runs out, the creatures turn cannibalistic. Ingrid Goude is good as the lone female, while James Best is best as a seaman who tangles with a drunkard (Ken Curtis) for her affections. But the romantic entanglements soon dissipate when the giant shrews, seeking food, start gnawing at the house of the islanders. This theme predates "The Birds" (1963), "Night of the Living Dead" (1968), even "Signs" (2002).If the monster costumes disappoint, the music, sound effects, performances, atmosphere and pacing more than compensate.

A disparate group are trapped on a remote island by a hurricane. On the island, a doctor works to make humans twice as small as we already are. This, apparently, will help prevent over population. Unfortunately, his experiments have also created some giant shrews. As the shrews run out of smaller animals to eat, they move in on the people in the house. This is a really good low budget film from the 50's. It moves, it's scary and it's well done given the low budget. I can remember watching this as a kid on Chiller Theatre. It stands up to the test of time.

I got this movie from the 100 pack at Wal Mart. once I found out who was in it I just had to jump right in,, James Best.. Sheriff Roscoe P. Coltrain. apparently on an island somewhere, overpopulation has become a real problem, and these Giant Killer Shrews are taking over the population and the island. just imagine yourself on an island like that where you are being over run by these huge gigantic shrews, I thought James Best did a wonderful job in this.. he was very funny, and his acting was also pretty good,, I guess back in the late 50's you could say that the undertone to this movie was a warning about overpopulation and what it will mean in the future if we as humans try to take over a certain land mass or area... very decent film from the 50's that isn't Oscar material, but not bad either,, I would recommend it even if I never heard of James Best.

The Killer Shrews is a low budget B horror movie from 1959. Are there problems with it? Does it seem simple and not as scary as modern horror films? Yes and yes, I just said it was a low budget B movie from 1959. Don't expect too much. Considering this, I've watched this movie several times over the years and find it to be a fun, suspenseful, and entertaining movie. I also believe it to be under rated and well worth viewing. Being under rated, it also is very reasonably priced. You just have to sit back, relax and enjoy it. This type of movie however could not stand up to a close examination. If it's taken too seriously or is put under a microscope, it just won't be able to stand the inspection.