Attack of the Giant Leeches is a low-budget 1959 science fiction film from American International Pictures, directed by Bernard L. Kowalski and produced by Gene Corman. The screenplay was written by Leo Gordon. It was one of a spate of monster movies produced during the 1950s in response to cold war fears; in the film, a character speculates that the leeches have been mutated to giant size by atomic radiation from nearby Cape Canaveral.
The film has also been released as Attack of the Blood Leeches, Demons of the Swamp, She Demons of the Swamp, and The Giant Leeches.< name="imdb-rel"></>

Plot

In the Florida Everglades, a pair of larger-than-human, intelligent Leech are living in an underwater cave. They begin dragging local people down to their cave where they hold them prisoner and slowly drain them of blood.
One of the first people to be so taken is the local vixen, Liz Walker, played by Yvette Vickers. After a couple of gratuitous displays of flesh (Vickers appeared as the centerfold in the July 1959 issue of Playboy), and some running around on her husband (Bruno VeSota), Liz finds herself a prisoner of the leeches along with her current paramour. Game warden Steve Benton (Ken Clark (actor)) sets out to investigate their disappearance. Aided by his girlfriend Nan Grayson (Jan Sheppard) and her father, Doc Grayson, he discovers the cavern.
The monsters are finally destroyed when Steve, Doc, and some state troopers blow up the cavern with dynamite.

Cast

• Ken Clark (actor) as Steve Benton
• Yvette Vickers as Liz Walker
• Jan Shepard as Nan Greyson
• Michael Emmet as Cal Moulton
• Tyler McVey as Doc Greyson
• Bruno VeSota as Dave Walker
• Gene Roth as Sheriff Kovis
• Dan White (actor) as Porky Reed
• George Cisar (actor) as Lem Sawyer
• Guy Buccola as Giant Leech
• Joseph Hamilton as Old Sam Peters
• Walter Kelley as Mike
• Ross Sturlin as Giant Leech

Production

The film was shot in eight days, including outdoor sequences at the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden. During filming Gene Corman came down with pneumonia and wound up in the hospital.

Release

Home media

• Attack of the Giant Leeches has received numerous "bargain bin" releases.
• The MST3K version of the film was released by Rhino Entertainment as part of the "Collection, Volume 6" box set.

Reception

In July 1992, Attack of the Giant Leeches was featured as a fourth-season episode of movie-mocking television show Mystery Science Theater 3000. Attack of the Giant Leeches was also featured on the nationally-syndicated horror host television show Cinema Insomnia.< name="CinemaInsomnia.com"></> It was also featured in episode two of season five of "Shilling Shockers", a New England based television show hosted by the witch Penny Dreadful XIII.< name="ShillingShockers.com"></>

Remake

A remake of the film was released by Brain Damage Films in 2012.

See also

List of films in the public domain

Category:1950s horror films
Category:1959 films
Category:American International Pictures films
Category:Black-and-white films
Category:English-language films
Category:Giant monster films
Category:Films featured in Mystery Science Theater 3000 episodes
Category:Films directed by Bernard L. Kowalski
Category:Films shot in New Orleans, Louisiana
Category:Monster movies