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James Best, Ingrid Goude, Baruch Lumet, Ken Curtis, Gordon McLendon ... see more see more... , Alfredo de Soto , Dupree , J.H.

Ken Curtis, former singing cowboy and Gunsmoke's Festus, joined right-wing radio's Gordon McLendon in producing this hilariously bad monster movie about a horde of outsized rodents run amok on an isol... read more read more...ated island. The creation of mad scientist Baruch Lumet (father of acclaimed director Sidney Lumet), the monster shrews (portrayed by collies in goofy rubber masks!) escape the lab during a hurricane and devour nearly every other animal on the island before seeking human prey -- including star James Best and girlfriend Ingrid Goude (1957's Miss Universe), who are stranded on the island by the same storm. The survivors manage to escape to safety thanks to some goofy contraptions constructed from trash cans. This one is best remembered by bad-film buffs for its tail-wagging canine stars and a multitude of famous names on both sides of the camera. Curtis and McLendon's companion film The Giant Gila Monster is slightly less ridiculous. ~ Cavett Binion, Rovi

Flixster Users

25% liked it

2,362 ratings

Critics

50% liked it

10 critics

Unrated, 1 hr. 10 min.

Directed by: Ray Kellogg

Release Date: June 25, 1959

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DVD Release Date: August 30, 2005

Stats: 210 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (210)

  • ajv2688
    November 21, 2010
    ajv2688
    Why are the actors standing around talking and drinking for almost all of this movie? The ending has some exciting moments, but they're kinda crazy too. This is a pretty bad excuse for a film.
  • middleeasternfilms
    October 25, 2010
    middleeasternfilms
    Boring, horrible acting and a highly implausible storyline make this truly a bottom-of-the-barrel piece of trash. Nothing at all good about this film except that it's not much more than an hour so the pain doesn't last too terribly long.
  • mjgildea
    April 27, 2007
    mjgildea
    Horrible dialogue, the most pathetic of acting and a weak story have framed Plan 9 From Outer Space as the worst movie ever made when the culprit is right here. You've got the classic "small band of survivors fighting allegedly frightening antagonists" plotline here. I was remind... read moreed of Night of the Living Dead a few times throughout the mind-numbing 75 minutes and I'm pretty sure they've got the same score. You might enjoy it if you expect a comedy (which I kind of did) but beyond that it's going to be downright painful. Bite the pillow because this one's going in dry...
  • patrickdol
    March 20, 2008
    patrickdol
    You probably need to put your cheezy sci-fi goggles on for this one, because within the time and genre this sucker holds up. It's only 70 minutes that's a buck, ten that actually delivers. The monsters are quite laughable, the dialogue is silly, but at that it's still a pretty ex... read moreciting flick, and it almost all action in the last half of the film. Although the shrews, when in a long shot, aren't too hard to see are just dogs with yucky fur and tails tacked on, the close ups are kinda creepy, even if fake looking. Also this film is NOT boring at all, as certain films of the ilk tend to be, this one will definitely keep you entertained throughout, and that's really all you can ask from a movie. As for intellectual stimulation: you can look at it as a period of the time and study the local, monsters, and overall aesthetic, as I did (fucking nerd).
  • TheCreeper11
    September 12, 2011
    TheCreeper11
    If the name didn't suggest enough sci-fi cheese, them ovie itself is pure in that nature.

    PLOT:A captain (James Best) stops off on a deserted island to drop off cargo to a doctor Milo Craigis (Baruch Lumet, yes Sidney Lumet's father) while there's a hurricaine on the way. He's... read more invited to stay for dinner with the doctor, his jerky assistant, Jerry (Ken Curtis); his other assitant, Radford (Gordon McLendon); and his daughter Ann (Ingrid Goude). Their testing is an experiment on how overpopulation can rule over a civilization. He uses (accidentally) mutated shrews for this experiment. They're hungry and out of food, so the team has to survive the hurricaine and make it away from the shrews as fast as possible. It is a typical-sounding 50s sci-fi/horror plot, executed by the way of mediocrity and cheese. No doubt it does almost the best it can pertaining to plot, but it didn't have much potential to start with!

    ACTING:Yes and no. James Best was definitely NOT the best. There were times when he was okay, and there were times where it seemed his dialogue was laughable. Everybody else did a decent job, except for Lumet, who IMO played a great mad scientist character.

    SCORE:It's typical. It makes everything that happens seem like a dramatic twist and horror element. It's merely there for entertainment.

    EFFECTS:You gotta be kidding me. The giant shrews were dogs with long tails and "shrew" masks that were just....not scary and somewhat obnoxious. These are some of the worst effects I've seen in a movie. But think forward to Case 39, then back to this. This right here; it's better.

    OTHER CONTENT:This movie is nothing but 50s sci-fi cheese merely made for simple entertainment. Aside from all of those things forementioned, it also contained a cheesy screenplay. the last lines of the movie comfirmed this. After all is over and (SPOILER) the remaining members have escaped on the boat, the doctor is talking about how his experiment of overpopulation worked. Then, the captain and Ann are holding hands, and the captain says: "I don't think we're concerned about overpopulating at the moment." CHEESY!!!! This movie wasn't the worst, considering it was made for entertainment with decent acting, but it is certainly no better than this. And yes, I'm being generous!

    OVERALL,a cheesy sci-fi that's not bad but not good, with a typical plot, mostly decent acting, misplaced score, very bad effects, and a cheesy screenplay. But considering the type, it wasn't all that bad.
  • manishboy
    April 29, 2009
    manishboy
    1962. I've not seen this in years. I loved it as a boy. It represents an 'ideological change' from 50's 'atomic guilt and fear' Sci-Fi to 60's 'loss of innocence and corruption within' Sci-Fi.
  • HornyJesus
    January 6, 2009
    HornyJesus
    The Killer Shrews can be summed up in joke context - a black guy, a mexican and a gaggle of alcoholic nerds are trapped on an island... I've seen much funnier crappy movies but this one will do in a pinch. If you drink I'd recommend having a couple before you start the movie so y... read moreou can be in the same book rather than on the same page as the actors.
  • MovieDude1221
    August 9, 2008
    MovieDude1221
    I actually bought this for Halloween years ago but didn't review it because it's...
    I can't describe it. I'ts got wooden acting, sci-fi cliches, dogs with rugs on them for monsters, and it's boring. Don't watch it.
  • mpghoul1973
    January 28, 2008
    mpghoul1973
    Starring Rosco P. Coltrane from the Dukes Of Hazzard. Funny stuff. Dogs with carpet on their backs. Actually kinda scary in its own little way. The scene were they are jumping at the black guy in the tree is awsome. I love this film.
  • levelboss15
    January 14, 2008
    levelboss15
    Watch people stand around and drink until they're eaten. Sucks with a capital SUCKS. A Joel episode of MST3K.

View All The Killer Shrews Reviews

Critic Reviews

Rob Humanick
October 26, 2011
Rob Humanick, Suite101.com

Not particularly watchable until the climax. Full Review

Dennis Schwartz
December 15, 2007
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews

If you get a few laughs from the bizarre acting and dumb story, that's the most you can expect from this bad film. Full Review

Staci Layne Wilson
January 2, 2005
Staci Layne Wilson, StaciWilson.com

Shrew'd & Spoofy! Full Review

Rob Thomas
July 17, 2003
Rob Thomas, Capital Times (Madison, WI)

Carpet remnants attack! Very funny "MST3K" version, unwatchable on its own.

Ken Hanke
April 24, 2003
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

Too campily amusing not to like.

Shane Burridge
September 20, 2001
Shane Burridge, rec.arts.movies.reviews

The film's pre-credit voiceover is laughable, and the opening lines of dialogue not much better, but I don't think it deserves its much-maligned reputation

August 19, 2004
Chicago Reader

Click to read the article Full Review

Emanuel Levy
November 2, 2005
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

No review available.

Linda Cook
May 8, 2005
Linda Cook, Quad City Times (Davenport, IA)

No review available.

Philip Martin
December 30, 2002
Philip Martin, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

No review available.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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The Killer Shrews Trivia

  • In "The Killer Shrews," what stood in for the title characters (under very bad makeup)?  Answer »
  • Is this a real movie title? The Killer Shrews (1959...maybe)   Answer »
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