Frogs 1972 George McCowan

Well, now I've seen it.  That's about all I can say for this movie.  I always saw it in the bargain DVD racks and used at record stores, but something always kept me from pulling the trigger on picking this up.  Thankfully, Netflix Instant has saved me the indignity of owning this movie, but I still feel a little ashamed that I actually sat through the whole thing.

In case you care, Sam Elliot plays Pickett Smith, nature photographer and all around eco-warrior.  One day while out in his canoe, he's almost run over by two drunken rich folks in their brand new speedboat.  Once they lift him out of the water, they do what any self respecting member of an old money family would do - they invite him home for the weekend to help celebrate their grandfather's birthday.

So far, no frogs.  But here comes Ray Milland, as the cantakerous crippled grandfather who lords over his family, while they all wait for him to die and inherit his money.  Turns out, old Ray has been using whatever he can find - poison, guns, traps - to rid his private island of frogs and other critters.  Captain Planet Sam Elliot tells him this is the wrong way to go, but Milland doesn't want to listen to such hogwash.



See, it's called Frogs.  Not Family Spat.
Frogs!!!

 Pretty suspenseful, huh?

The spoiled family members complain that the frogs (they finally show up) are making too much noise, but mostly they just want to get grandpa's birthday over with.

Up unitl this point, Ray Milland's character kept reminding me of the "Father's Day" episode at the beginning of Creepshow.  Honestly, if he would have once blurted out "Where's my cake, Bedelia?", I could have almost liked this movie.  No such luck.



Yes, she's in the movie.
Too bad this is just a publicity still.



It's at this point that cast members start dying..  Remember that this movie is called Frogs?  Well, no one else seemed to.  The murderous animals -at least the ones doing the heavy lifting - consist of snakes, komodo dragons, salamanders (?), geckos (??), spiders, alligators, and whispering willows (?!?!?!).  The frogs of the title sit back and watch.  Over and over.  Apparently, the frogs are in charge and they demanded top billing for this movie, which would have made more sense if it was titled Reptiles, or even Amphibious Assault.

 And just when you think it should be over, you get one last shocking scene to remind you of just how much fun Creepshow is, and how much of your life you've wasted watching Frogs.  And you'll never get it back.  The choice is yours.