Other Releases Available:

Releases Reviewed:

The Giant Gila Monster is yet another old public domain flick that has a monstrous mound of releases through which to sort.

As usual there is a metric ton of stand-alone DVD releases and at least as many more combo packs with other old public domain flicks.

I got it in a 50 pack of “Horror Classics.”

Video:

1.33: This is the TV standard "full-frame" ratio. The picture has the typical trash, can be too dark at times while washed out at others, and has a few short moments of obvious negative damage. I've seen worse, but don't wish for too much out of this one.

Audio:

1.0 mono: The audio isn't too bad considering its age. I could understand all the dialogue which is about the most I hope for in a budget pack of really old movies.

Packaging:

This disc is housed in a cardboard sleeve contained in a Velcro-fastened box though I think it's been repackaged in plastic. You can read about the set as a whole in great detail in the Horror Classics (50 pack) guide.

Extras:

There are no extras of any kind.

Other Editions:

The only release that I found which stands out from the others is an Image produced DVD which lists a 1.85 widescreen presentation and an essay as a bonus feature. It lists Dolby Digital 2.0 mono for the sound. While there is no official mention of remastering at least one comment praises the presentation.

There is a 2 pack that says it offers a colorized version from Legend. It's supposedly a bit cleaner than other versions.

Beyond that all releases sound like they are the same specs and quality as the 50 pack version I detailed above.

Final Thoughts:

If you're wanting the movie on its own merits it sounds like the Image DVD is going to be the best choice from the ones I've seen. If you're more concerned about getting a bargain just find any good deal on a combo pack. I've been pleased with the 50 pack of mine.