GILA! - William Dever - "B Movie Nation" (2012)

 I like this poster because it introduces the members of the main cast, so now I don't have to do it!

 When I first started this blog, I never thought I'd be writing about a movie from 2012, because all I really wanted to do was put a renewed spotlight on a handful of teen horror movies from the 50's and 60's that featured at least one song being performed, or at least mimed! The movies I'm talking about in chronological order are BLOOD OF DRACULA (1957), ATTACK OF THE PUPPET PEOPLE (1958), HOW TO MAKE A MONSTER (1958), FRANKENSTEIN'S DAUGHTER (1958), GHOST OF DRAGSTRIP HOLLOW (1959), EEGAH (1962), THE HORROR OF PARTY BEACH (1964), THE BEACH GIRLS AND THE MONSTER (1965) etc, and of course, from 1959, THE GIANT GILA MONSTER!

 So, I didn't even know they made a remake of "The Giant Gila Monster" called "GILA" in 2012, and even if I did, I probably wouldn't have cared, but I stumbled upon it the other night on "Prime" and I'll just say that I was pleasantly surprised enough to want to make it this week's Wayback Wednesday offering!

Well, I'm just learning stuff right and left, so the reason "GILA!" is so well done is because the Producer is a gentleman named William Dever, who has a real love of  'B' movies, to the length that he has a website I never knew about until right now called "B Movie Nation," and I suggest you go there right away if you'd like to know from A to Z about 'B's!

Brian Gross has the lead role of  hot rodder Chase Winstead! Brian has also had the role of Captain Kirk in "Star Trek New Voyages: Phase II."

 For my money, the monster ain't all that bad, especially considering the meager budget this film was made for! It's a little awkward, but at least it's a lot more effective than the original!

Great marquee shot! I'm still waiting for "Ho Ho Horror" to come out!

Nice shot of this 78 cranking out "Rock-A-Beatin Boogie" by Bill Haley and the Comets! Reminds me I need to try and sell some of my 78 collection! They didn't use all the same music as in the first version, but added a lot of songs from the era to pump it up a little bit!

 

"GILA!" is worth watching just to see the beautiful olde cars like this classic 1960 T Bird!

After he eats the farmer's wife, the gila monster spits out the bloody pitchfork she was carrying like it was a chicken bone!

The always fun to watch Kelli Maroney as Deputy Wilma takes a bead on the giant critter!

Kelli has been in a remarkable array of movies over the last 30 years like "Slayground," "Night Of The Comet," "Chopping Mall," "Not Of This Earth," "Scream Queens Hot Tub Party," etc etc. etc.

In the original "Giant Gila Monster" there was a barn dance with a local radio station DJ, and Chase performs a couple of tunes, but in the remake, there's a band playing called MG and the Gas City Three performing "Red River Rock," and then Christina DeRosa performs "Fever" with the boys, and it almost becomes "Grease"-like, but never to the point of being cloying!

Give William Dever some credit for bringing the original Chase Winstead, Don Sullivan, in for a quick role as the guy who was the authority on reptiles! Don Sullivan might only have twelve acting credits to his name, but he should he a household name just because of a couple of them besides being in two giant gila monster movies. He was also the lead in Jerry Warren's "Teenage Zombies," literally one of the worst movies ever made, he was in the super classic "Monster Of Piedras Blancas," and he was in Gene Fowler's beatnik heist flick, "The Rebel Set," and he had a small part in "Curse Of The Undead," and he was in Hugo Haas's last film, "Paradise Alley!"

Now that's what I call recreating a scene!

To wrap it up, the whole cast sings "Laugh, Children, Laugh," a song written by Don Sullivan! What could be more fitting than that? I hope Don got a decent royalty check! I'd give you a sound clip but I don't want to get sued by somebody I respect so much!

More than just a movie, "GILA!" is more of a tribute to Don Sullivan and all the 50's 'B' movies! Maybe there is hope for the future after all thanks to guys like William Dever!