Giant Gila Monster 2001 Horror Movie Review

The tranquility of a small Texas town is ruined when an enormous rear-projection lizard begins to terrorize the place! At first, the adults dismiss the kids’ hysterics as nonsense. The sheriff is helpless and the adults fail miserably to defeat the thing, so it’s up to the teenagers to take it on.  Though this movie relies a little too heavily on plot and characters and not enough on giant lizards, it’s still a fun slice of ‘50s camp. The lead character (played by Don Sullivan) sings some wildly inappropriate and goofy songs for some unintended comic relief. Rock & roll, hot rods, teenagers, huge monsters… all the elements are in place for this faintly ridiculous ‘50s funfest. —Jerry Renshaw