Frogs

Frogs (1972)

Directed by: George McCowan
Written by: Robert Blees and Robert Hutchinson
Starring: Sam Elliott, Ray Milland, Joan Van Ark, Adam Roarke, Judy Pace, Lynn Borden, Mae Mercer, David Gilliam, Nicholas Cortland, George Skaff, Holly Irving, Lance Taylor Sr., Dale Willingham, Hal Hodges

One of those 'environmental rage against mankind' pics from the '70s, along the same lines as Night of the Lepus. This time, nature's revenge comes in the form of killer frogs. Not giant frogs, unfortunately (as the groovy poster would have us believe). Not even frogs, really. I'm pretty sure most of them were toads, but I guess they were supposed to be frogs.

Yeah, the frogs/toads get pissed off and attack a bunch of assholes celebrating the Fourth of July, but not without help from their swamp dwelling comrades. Snakes! Spiders! Lizards! Turtles! Moss... swear to God, killer moss.

I'm not entirely sure what to say about this movie. It really left me kind of speechless. Everything from the thought of some PA dropping frogs on Ray Milland (a lot of the time the frogs look like they're falling from the sky, onto the cake or the record player or whatever. Biblical) to the writers trying to come up with some way for a gecko to kill a person. While we were watching it, Mr. Green said 'the only way a gecko could kill you is if you choked on it'. Quite so.

I mean, at least a giant killer rabbit sort of works. If a giant rabbit bit you, it'd probably kill you. I dunno about a frog. They don't even have teeth.

The movie seemed pretty cheap, too (American International Pictures!). Yes, they had to hire some snakes, geckos, a sea turtle and about seven hundred toads (actual, there were probably, like, five), but they used the same shots over and over again.

Still, watching a bunch of creatures killing a bunch of jerks was strangely satisfying. I've always felt a connection with reptiles and amphibians and arachnids so I was really rooting for those little guys.

And Sam Elliott, I guess. I always thought he seemed really trustworthy, so I was hoping the frogs didn't get him.

Anyway, yeah, Frogs. Hours of pure entertainment.

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