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11 out of 12 people found the following comment useful :-
It wasn't bad, actually, 3 March 2001
Author: SdrolionGM

Unlike a lot of movies given a good workover by the fine folks on Mystery Science Theater 3000, "The Leech Woman" is fairly watchable. The idea is that an aging woman who wants to restore her beauty finds a magic that will allow her to become young again- but only for a day at a time. The spell, unfortunately, also requires her to kill men.

Of course, she doesn't particularly care about the lives of men, which is where the main plot starts. I won't spoil it for you, because this is a film I think you might actually enjoy.

The movie suffers, unfortunately, from some drab performances by members of the cast. The main stars, however, play their roles pretty well, and the elderly priestess featured in the beginning of the film is particularly creepy.

Also, the plot, though good in theory, seems to get bogged down at times. The movie crawls along and can get very boring. But there are some excellent sequences in there that really bring the movie back from the gutter.

In any case, I recommend at least trying to find the MST3k version of the film...during the more boring sequences you'll appreciate the boys' humor, and even the good parts certainly aren't hurt by a little good-natured jesting.

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12 out of 14 people found the following comment useful :-
Timeless, thoughtful thriller, 20 August 2000
8/10
Author: ronnie from United States

There's a key scene in the film where Estelle Hemsley, as an old African woman about to be given the gift a youth, states how a man growing old gains wisdom and respect while for an aging woman there is nothing. She is pitied. Unfortunately, this is, for the most part, true today, especially in films. A much older actor can pair with a decades-younger actress, and there's no fanfare. The opposite rarely occurs, and if it does, there's much ado. In this film, Coleen Gray receives this gift and does have to kill to keep her youth, but *SPOILERS AHEAD* only to selfish, dangerous people: her cruel husband (Philip Terry), a guide who ditches her (John Van Dreelen), a crook (Arthur Batanides) and a jealous would-be killer (Gloria Talbot). She won't harm her new boyfriend (Grant Williams), because she loves him. Gray has several classics to her cinema credits, but she'll be remembered for this role: convincing makeup are given full-bodied mannerisms, voice inflections that amazingly reflect old, middle, and young age. Yes, it's a small budget, with much stock footage, and could have been more developed, plot-wise. But the cast is earnest, particularly Hemsley, expert as the native old woman, Kim Hamilton as her younger counterpart, Terry as the nasty, rotten-to-the-core husband. But the aspects of male vs. female aging will stay with you after the final fadeout.

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10 out of 11 people found the following comment useful :-
Not nearly as bad as has been claimed, 24 March 2006
8/10
Author: JAPfeif

I won't go in to the plot much here, as anyone who is reading these summaries knows it by now. I personally find this to be one of the more satisfying of the 50's/60's-type Sci-fi films. I'm not sure why other reviewers are surprised or disappointed with the stock footage in the African scenes. It's a low-budget horror flick! Every low (or even some medium-to-high)-budget film (& not just horror/sci-fi) from that era used stock footage to represent exotic locals. Why should anyone be critical because "The Leech Woman" did the same? Also, unlike many others, I found the acting to be quite believable, and subtle (ex: Sally (to the rejuvenated June (a.k.a. Terri Hart), after seeing that her fiancée is obviously attracted to Terri): "I'm Sally...I guess your aunt described ME to you as well". Terri: "Yes she did". Sally: "Well then I guess she mentioned that Neil and I are engaged". Terri: "No, she didn't...why should she?" Sally (in a really catty tone) "Oh, I don't know....I just thought I'd mention it"). Dialogue like this, with it's underlying tone & subtleties, are a joy in a cheap flick like this one. I also found the weasle-like antics of June's doctor husband, who obviously has ulterior motives for suddenly calling off their divorce & wanting her to come to Africa, quite fun to watch, especially in his look of surprise when, after June is given her choice of any man for the sacrifice that will make her young again, picks HIM (especially after, just moment earlier, his idea of a "great escape plan" is to leave his wife there occupying the savages while he & the guide make a run for it, with the promise that "we'll be sure to come back for you tomorrow"!).

The ending WAS a bit abrupt, but again, this was a cheap sci-fi flick, coming in at the very tail-end of the Golden Age of Sci-Fi, and I think that one needs to be realistic & forgiving if it isn't up to the standards of today's films, or even those made earlier when budgets were a bit more generous. And as for the "no-name cast", as one other reviewer put it, you've got Grant Williams from "The Incredible Shrinking Man" and "The Monolith Monsters", Phillip Terry from 1944's "Monster and the Girl", Gloria Talbott from "I Married a Monster From Outer Space" and "The Cyclops", and Coleen Gray from 1957's "The Vampire". Obviously someone doesn't know their classic Sci-Fi movie stars! All in all, a very satisfying film, too good to have been lampooned on that bastardization abomination, MST3K. Give it a try if you haven't.

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5 out of 6 people found the following comment useful :-
A movie designed especially for latecomers, 29 November 2006
6/10
Author: JohnHowardReid

Speedily put into production in order to offer exhibitors a second-feature lure with bookings of The Brides of Dracula, this little movie suffers from a tedious First Act. The initial scenes were obviously designed merely to fill in time, so that latecomers would not feel at any disadvantage. We're told absolutely nothing that doesn't develop later on in the plot. A bit of judicious trimming here would do wonders. And in any event, Coleen Gray doesn't seem nearly old enough in these early scenes to make her motives credible. Fortunately, she is marvelously made-up later on—and in these sequences she also gives by far the best performance of her career.

Despite Dein's flat-footed direction and the obvious constraints and inhibitions imposed by a tight "B" budget, interest is kept at a high level in the last half of the movie not only by Gray's forceful portrayal (and the skillful way she is lit and make-up) but by some neat yet unexpected plot twists

Alas, the film cheats on special effects, the transformations being accomplished without camera trickery in a most tame and disappointing manner.

Nonetheless, although horror devotees will find the going pretty dull until the halfway mark, the movie does eventually hit its stride. In fact, I'd describe it as a key item for any keen fan's personal collection.

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5 out of 6 people found the following comment useful :-
'E-e-evil woman!!', 16 January 2006
6/10
Author: SickBoySimon from Brentwood, USA

While traveling through the African wilderness, an aging woman discovers the secret of youth, but she will have to kill to stay young.

A clever story and an outstanding performance from Coleen Gray uplifts this old B thriller. You've gotta give Leech Woman a little more credit for being a drive-in movie from the late 50's that doesn't rely upon some 'monster' to drive it. Leech Woman is instead a more thoughtful thriller that examines a woman's desperation. It's low budget indeed, but does have some decent makeup FX, a nice music score, and a better-than-average cast to hold it together.

** 1/2 out of ****

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3 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :-
Wanted: Men for milking & consuming pineal gland; then throw away!, 20 October 2008
6/10
Author: Coventry from the Draconian Swamp of Unholy Souls

The low rating and numerous negative reviews around here as well as on external websites warned me to approach "The Leech Woman" with caution and an absolute minimum of expectations, but I honestly didn't think it was such a bad movie. Admittedly the script is incoherent and extremely predictable, but the rudimentary story lines are original and engaging and - unlike so many other contemporary cheap Sci-Fi movies - this one at least doesn't feature any overlong boring speeches and dull padding footage. The screenplay of "The Leech Woman" is already pretty stuffed as it is, with the tone of the film shifting no less than three times, so there really isn't any room for boredom. It may perhaps offer just a few surprises and even less shocks, but at least you won't constantly be staring at the timer, wondering when it'll be over. The film opens with a wondrous sequence of a married couple viciously bickering. He's a heartless and obnoxious scientist continuously preoccupied with his work (the secret to rejuvenation) and she's a depressed and alcohol addicted wreck due to his cruelty. When Dr. Talbot meets the 152 year old Malla, he realizes her native tribe holds the secret of eternal youth and follows his patient to the heart of the African jungle. There they witness a ritual that turns the old and wrinkled Malla into a stunning beauty with just a few drops of juice coming from a dying man's pineal gland. The slick Dr. Talbot wants the formula and attempts to win his wife back in order to use her as a guinea pig, but the joke turns against him when the rejuvenating woman needs to select a man to sacrifice and, obviously, June picks her beloved husband. She returns to the States as a young and stunningly beautiful young woman, but she needs to kill random men and milk their pineal glands in order to stay desirable.

"The Leech Woman" definitely has a pretty cool and eventful script; you just need to overlook a copious number of plot holes, improbabilities and continuity errors. There's no real suspense to enjoy, but nonetheless plenty of action and a handful of impressive make-up effects (especially the make-up that makes old women look even older). However, the movie's greatest achievement is presumably an unintentional one: pure and genuine irony! Although a story that constantly revolves on beauty and popularity, the cast of characters only includes shallow, substantially ugly and insupportable individuals. At least Dr. Talbot is a bastard right from the start, but all the others gradually turn into intolerable people. The pitiable and humiliated wife becomes a relentless killer, the fragile old lady becomes a stone-cold tribe leader, the helpful guide transforms into a shallow runaway lover, the devoted attorney becomes an adulterous jerk and the cherubic fiancée changes into a jealous fury. Honestly, I've rarely seen such an unpleasant and even downright misanthropic collection of people playing together in one film … and that's sort of fascinating!

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3 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :-
one of ms.grays best, 4 August 2001
Author: phlflip from new jersey

Leech Woman was a great flick,regardless of what anybody says about it.Colleen grays acting was powerful and convincing as the bitter alcoholic wife of an opportunistic rat who wants to use her as a guinea pig for his youth serum experiments.If you ask me colleen should have gotten a face lift instead.And dig that estelle helmsley,she looked like a human prune.Gloria Talbott also added interest to the film as the jealous rival.As for grant williams,he was just a cad,typical easily tempted weak male.To constantly have to kill people with a ring to stay beautiful,what,s wrong with makeup and hair dye? As for colleens killing it was a toss up,some of the people deserved it and some did,nt.

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3 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :-
A stiff neck, puberty, and the old woman next door., 24 May 1999
Author: cinema-11

I remember watching "The Leech Woman" when I was twelve years old. There is something absolutely terrifying about this movie, but yes I agree it isn't Oscar caliber. For a movie made back in 1960 I don't think it's that awful. (Ever mindful that another movie one year later came out called "Psycho") There is something sensual in the way men and women are punctured in the back of the neck and then their blood is consumed by a woman. Or perhaps at twelve my testosterone was starting to make itself known. I vividly remember the very end of the movie with Colleen Gray laying flat on her back looking like some old tattered witch. It terrified me. Know why? Because the old woman that lived next door to us looked very similar! For a long time after seeing this movie I went outside wearing a turtle neck sweater!

Not a great movie but certainly not as bad as others .

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4 out of 5 people found the following comment useful :-
could have been better, 12 December 1999
Author: Philippe Gagnon (film_33@hotmail.com) from Hull, Québec

This film has two chief assets: an excellent performance by Colleen Gray and Bud Westmore's expert makeup. The script, though, leaves a lot to be desired. It's on the dull side and there is very little excitement or chills. It just drags along. Grant Williams, here in a supporting part, is bland as usual. And when Phillip Terry, who plays the lousy husband/doctor, dies, I cheered! Of course the story is unbelievable. That's why they call it science FICTION. A lot promised but little delivered. But see it for Colleen Gray and some convincing old/young makeup.

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2 out of 2 people found the following comment useful :-
Well Acted and Pretty Good, 19 June 2005
Author: mrb1980 from Arizona

"The Leech Woman" is a film that's a lot better than its title. Coleen Gray plays the older wife of Phillip Terry, a doctor who's been experimenting with various mixtures in order to find the fountain of youth. The acting is quite good by a group of old pros, and the film throws in about everything: the older woman/younger man plot twist, alcoholism, tribal rituals, emotional abuse, love triangles, several murders, smart-mouthed cops, journeys into darkest Africa, revenge and betrayal, explosions, quicksand...well, you get the idea. Gray does quite well with a difficult role, with fine support from Terry, Grant Williams, Kim Hamilton, and Gloria Talbott. I thought the ending was a little weak, but otherwise it's an entertaining take on an unusual story regarding rejuvenation. Worth catching.

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