NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Anolis Blu-ray (January 2023): Anolis have transferred Bernard L. Kowalski's Attack of the Giant Leeches to Blu-ray. This Corman super-cheapie has existed in unwatchable dark DVDs for a couple of decades. It is in the public domain; the copyright was never renewed. We've compared captures to a painful Alpha digital-iteration below and it's a pleasure to finally see the film in 1080P although the elements remain in lower-grade quality with clunky textures. While imperfect, this HD presentation of Attack of the Giant Leeches is a breath of fresh air for lovers of the genre, who have existed with middling-to-very weak DVDs. 

NOTE: We have added 60 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Anolis offer DTS-HD Master dual-mono tracks (16-bit) in the original English language and a German DUB. Attack of the Giant Leeches has no dominant aggressive moments but relies on an occasionally electronic-based score by Alexander Laszlo (The Amazing Mr. X, The Great Flamarion, The Atomic Submarine) to heighten tension. Audio is far from ideal but sounds acceptable in the lossless transfer - again, a notable improvement over the Alpha DVD. Anolis offer optional German subtitles on their Region 'B'-locked Blu-ray.

The Anolis Blu-ray offers a German-language commentary by Ingo Strecker and Alexander Iffländer. There are no subtitles. There are also American trailers in two ARs and an image gallery with posters, still etc. There is a 16-page booklet with plenty of photos and a German-language essay. The package has a second disc PAL DVD of the feature.

An 'Easter Egg' exists in the form of the Kowalski / Corman Night of the Blood Beast in 1080P! Unfortunately it is only via a German DUB with no subtitles. The film includes about one third of the scenes shot from Attack of the Giant Leeches only now you actually get to see the monster - with the similar costume also used in Corman's Teenage Cave Man from the previous year. See captures below. It does have the recognizable Ed Nelson and scenes, from Leeches, with Yvette Vickers and Bruno VeSota. Like Attack of the Giant Leeches it starts with the German titles and may be some form of export version. I don't know. It runs 1-hour 12-minutes with a high bitrate and while the image is stronger than Leeches - it still has its marks and inherent limitations. I stumbled across it in the root of the disc and don't know how to access it from the menu although I bet you can somehow. To reiterate it is only the German DUB - not English-friendly.  

Bernard L. Kowalski's Attack of the Giant Leeches was released by American International Pictures on a double bill with A Bucket of Blood. It's characterized by the rarely seen, fatally-poor costumed, titular 'giant leeches' (black raincoats stitched together?), the appealing swampy Florida Everglades milieu and the hot, adulterous, character of Liz Walker played by Yvette Vickers (Playmate centerfold in July 1959) - now we can finally see her! The Cold War fears and giant mutations (atomic radiation, doncha know) are not fleshed out - although this may not reflect Leo Gordon scripting after Corman-esque pragmatism went into full effect. I really appreciated the vast improved a/v but the film fell short of my re-visitation expectations. A Tim Lucas commentary would have changed that. The Anolis Blu-ray has Attack of the Giant Leeches in 1080P and Night of the Blood Beast, in German, for the curious. Roger Corman completists should nab it.

Gary Tooze