Villain(s)  Wolf-sized shrews

Actor(s):  James Best, Ingrid Goude, Ken Curtis, Gordon McLendon

Brief Description  The Killer Shrews (1959) is an independent American sci-fi horror B-movie directed by Ray Kellogg and produced by Ken Curtis and Gordon McLendon. The film follows a small group of people trapped on a remote island during a hurricane who must survive an onslaught of giant, mutated, highly venomous shrews created by a scientific experiment gone wrong. Filmed on a micro-budget outside of Dallas, Texas, the movie is famously known for its campy special effects—specifically, using coonhounds costumed in fake fur, masks, and long tails to portray the giant monsters.

Plot:
Captain Thorne Sherman (James Best) and his first mate, Rook Griswold, arrive by boat to deliver supplies to a remote island. On the island, scientist Dr. Marlowe Craigis (Baruch Lumet) lives with his daughter Ann (Ingrid Goude), her cowardly fiancé Jerry Farrell (Ken Curtis), and research assistant Dr. Radford Baines (Gordon McLendon). They warn Thorne that a massive hurricane is approaching and he must stay ashore overnight. Dr. Craigis reveals he has been genetically engineering shrews to isolate the biological factor controlling body size. His goal was to shrink humans to half their size to prevent future global overpopulation. However, his test subjects mutated, grew to the size of wolves, escaped into the wild, and multiplied rapidly. As the hurricane hits, the island's natural food source is depleted. The starving, hyperactive shrews—which must eat three times their body weight every 24 hours—converge on the compound. The beasts begin chewing through the building's walls and digging beneath the foundations.

The humans discover a terrifying twist: the shrews' bites are laced with a highly lethal venom, meaning even a minor scratch results in immediate death. Dr. Baines is bitten and managed to type out his symptoms and the biological nature of the poison before dying. As the shrews infiltrate the house, the remaining survivors (Thorne, Ann, and Dr. Craigis) construct makeshift armor by welding large oil drums together. Crawling underneath this upside-down metal shield, they slowly move toward the beach while the shrews frantically bite at the metal. Jerry panics, refuses to join them, stays behind, and is swiftly devoured. Thorne, Ann, and Dr. Craigis successfully reach the ocean, dive into the water, and swim safely to Thorne's boat, leaving the remaining shrews to starve on the island. The movie was produced back-to-back with The Giant Gila Monster using the same crew and overlapping cast members. Because of its hilarious practical effects—switching between close-ups of real puppet shrews and wide shots of dogs wearing rugs—the film has earned a massive cult following.