Review

by Adam K

underrated

Grotesque gigantic mutant leeches attack and feed on the various local yokels in a seedy Florida stick swamp hamlet. Bernard L. Kowalski directs the admittedly ludicrous premise with admirable seriousness, coaxing solid acting from a sturdy cast, maintaining a steady pace throughout, and ably creating a brooding, spooky and pungently sordid Southern-fried backwoods atmosphere. Leo Gordon's deliciously lurid and melodramatic script plays like a blithely low-rent redneck version of "Peyton Place" with ghastly beasts tossed into the mix to spice things up. The colorful hillbilly characters are a real hoot (Gene Roth is especially amusing as a huffy bonehead sheriff). Ken Clark contributes an engaging performance as the stalwart ranger hero.