This film is fun, in a cheezy way. Not the singing, of course. (I got that Mushroom song stuck in my ear for a few days, so now mute the sound when that comes on.)
But I rather liked the way the rock-n-roll and eerie swamp music came together at the end.

One thing bugs me, though. Chase is telling the sheriff he can't afford a new headlight for $4 because he's saving for his sister's leg braces, but a little earlier, he's offering Harris $150 for his old car. He lost credibility with me at that point.

One more thing-what good is that sheriff, anyway? He drops the ball in every possible way in this film. Can't even take a good photo of skidmarks.

***

This was your prototype 50's drive in classic. The kind of movie you'd take your Gal with to see at the drive in and not watch too much of the film...wink.....

Anyway, it had a decent plot. To show you how times have changed early in the film the Sheriff is questioning Chase about the disappearence of Pat Wheeler and his girlfriend and asks Chase is they were 'In any kind of trouble?"...Chase slowly replys, "What do you mean trouble?" The Sheriff cocks his head sideways and replys, "You know what I mean."....obviously he was implying as to whether or not the two missing teens were going to be a Mommy and Daddy?....It's obvious in those days you could not come out and say it. These days they'd probably showed the two going at it in the back seast prior to the Giant Gila Monster coming down on them like he did!

I liked the film and plan to purchase on DVD as I have a large collection of Sci-Fi drive-in type films from the 50's and 60's.

I have to comment on the opening scenes in the teen hang out after the film's opening credits roll out. There is this kid sitting at the counter with his girlfriend doing this nutty looking dance while sitting down. Everyone looks out a window to the left of the scene as people drive up, yet, all the people come in from the opposite side of the scene through the door. So this is called "crossing the line" in the editing business.

Also, the girl Jenny who is with her guy in the center of the others, seems to have "eyes" for Chase, and glancing resentment toward Lisa Simone who plays Chase's girlfriend. Watching this entire scene and the way Jennifer looks at Chase, seems to suggest maybe they hooked up or she was jealous of the girl playing Chases girlfriend.

I am an editor and had to re-edit some of the sound for a company who released this on a DVD. I had to watch this film over and over again and caught some pretty funny bloopers, especially here in the opening scene.

JE

I can aciualy remember this movie and one could rraly tell that it was a regular sized gilamonster walking amounst matchbox cars

Wait...there's bloopers in this film? Who woulda thought?! You destroyed my perfect image of it! 

You know what's hilarious about this movie? There's not actually a Gila monster in it at all! The car-shoving, model-train set wrecking, teenager-stalking reptile is actually a Mexican beaded lizard, which is also venomous and very closely related to the Gila. Oh yeah, both these lizards essentially feed on things that can't move away or they trap in a hole, like quail eggs or baby gophers, so the majority of the victims could just've broken into a jog and told that big lizard to eat their dust.

All that aside though, this is one of my all-time favorite cheesy monster-on-the-loose 50's flicks. I love Chase's character, and the theme music I find to be truly haunting and chilling.

Unfortunately, I also had to endure the agony of listening to that excruciating song not once, but TWICE! I've heard power saws that were less irritating!