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

ADDITION: Film Masters (Philip Hopkins' The Film Detective) Blu-ray (September 2023): Film Masters have transferred Ray Kellogg's 1959 Drive-In Double Features The Giant Gila Monster + The Killer Shrews to Blu-ray. The films are on separate dual-layered Blu-ray discs in 1080P and both films are offered in the option of 1.85:1 or 1.33:1 aspect ratios. It appears as though superfluous information on the top and bottom of the frame are lost. The Giant Gila Monster is from 35mm original film elements, scanned in 4K and The Killer Shrews is a "newly restored HD version". Both films are black + white and look quite appealing in these HD presentations. The contrast gradation benefits the image quality, both films are clean with only minor speckles and there are apparent textures. Only a brief scene in The Killer Shrews seems compromised (see sample below.) There is depth apparent and we hope the screen captures below give you an idea of the solid video quality. 

NOTE: We have added 84 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-rays, Film Masters use a DTS-HD Master dual-mono track (24-bit) in the original English language. The films have creature noises - a hissing live Mexican beaded lizard (not an actual Gila monster) and snarling shrews (visually; puppets or coonhounds costumed as the shrews) in the second feature. The Giant Gila Monster has a score by Jack Marshall (the The Munsters TV theme) and Don Sullivan performs his own The Mushroom Song, My Baby, She Rocks and I Ain't Made That Way. The Killer Shrews has few aggressive attack-animal moments and a score by Harry Bluestone + Emil Cadkin (Night of the Living Dead.) It sounds flat and authentic in the lossless. Film Masters offer optional English (SDH) subtitles on their Region FREE Blu-rays.

The Film Masters Blu-ray offers a new commentary on The Giant Gila Monster by Larry Strothe, James Gonis, Shawn Sheridan, and Matt Weinhold from The Monster Party Podcast. It's fun, occasionally mocking the film's weaknesses and they are having an enjoyable time. There is a commentary of The Killer Shrews by Professor and Film Scholar, Jason A. Ney. Jason doesn't take the 'joke route' (which I appreciated) instead he breaks down specific scenes, talks about the people who made the film, got into the 'behind the scenes' details of its production history, its distribution, and critical reception and where The Killer Shrews fits under the larger umbrella of 1950's sci-fi, and how it has become a cult favorite. Excellent. The commentaries are accessible on both aspect ratio presentations. There is also a Ballyhoo Motion Pictures documentary, Ray Kellogg - an Unsung Master, written by C. Courtney Joyner and narrated by Larry Blamire that details the brief career of the special effects artist and film director. It runs just over 1/4 hour. Included is a length recorded audio interview with Don Sullivan ('Chase Winstead' in The Giant Gila Monster) conducted by author Bryan Senn (The Werewolf Filmography: 300+ Movies) in 2009. There is an original trailer for The Giant Gila Monster and a dozen minutes of vintage Radio Spots for both films. The package has a color inserted 24-page booklet with essays by Don Stradley ("Pirate radio, presidential assassinations, and Gila monsters: All in a Life’s Work for Gordon McLendon." ) and Jason A. Ney - "The Unkillable Killer Shrews."

Ray Kellogg's The Giant Gila Monster + The Killer Shrews are low-budget companion films by Hollywood Pictures Corporation that were shot back to back - at same time with the same crew. The Giant Gila Monster had Lisa Simone, a French contestant for the 1957 Miss Universe pageant. The Killer Shrews had Ingrid Goude the 1956 Miss Sweden. Creature effects are very weak - a Mexican beaded lizard (not Gila) beside miniature model sets and shag-carpet costumed coonhounds (or puppets, at times) for the shrews - and both films have been satirically riffed by Mystery Science Theater. There is certainly a vibe of Attack of the Giant Leeches also made in 1959 but not at the level of Corman's Attack of the Crab Monsters from 1957. In the right mood these are enjoyable; drive-in nostalgia, a sock-hop dance, cult-worthy 'so-bad-it’s-good' obviousness... yes, I'll be keeping these. The Film Masters Blu-ray package has plenty to offer from dual-ratios, commentaries, interviews and a liner notes booklet. 50's sci-fi genre fans will enjoy these creature-feature curiosities of days gone by - warts and all.

Gary Tooze