Hell Comes to Frogtown is a 1987 cult science fiction mutant monster film created by Donald G. Jackson (The Demon Lover). The screenplay was written by Jackson and Randall Frakes (Bad Karma). It was directed by Jackson and R. J. Kizer.
The movie stars Roddy Piper (They Live), Sandahl Bergman, Cec Verrell, William Smith (Grave of the Vampire), Rory Calhoun (Motel Hell) and Nicholas Worth (Don’t Answer the Phone!).
New release:
Hell Comes to Frogtown will be released as a Blu-ray + DVD combo on August 27, 2019. The movie has been newly restored in 4K from its 35mm interpositive. Special features:
- Audio commentary with director/cinematographer Donald G. Jackson and writer/producer Randall Frakes
- Interview with writer/producer Randall Frakes
- Interview with actor Roddy Piper
- Interview with actor Brian Frank
- Interview with effects artist Steve Wang
- Extended scene
- Theatrical trailer
Plot:
In a post-apocalyptic world, Sam Hell (Piper) is a nomadic traveller captured by an organization of warrior-nurses, the closest thing to a government in his region of the world, who reveal that they located him by tracking the trail of pregnant women left in his wake.
Their original plan was to use him as breeding stock with their collection of fertile women, but it turns out this is the group captured by the mutants. Hell is pressed into service as a mercenary – he is to infiltrate the mutant city (known as “Frogtown”) and rescue the women. To make sure rebellious Hell follows his orders, he is forced to wear an electronic protective codpiece that will explode if he disobeys or tries to abort his mission.
To aid him he is paired with two attractive women: one of the nurses, Spangle (Sandahl Bergman), and an aggressive guardswoman named Cendrilla…
Reviews:
” … just the right side of campy and self-aware. What saves it from being too calculated and cynical is that it plays the material straight. The movie pre-dates the Age of Irony, so there’s no evidence of the filmmakers or the actors winking at the camera. They understand that there are enough absurd elements in the movie — from the title on down — that they don’t really need to call attention to it.” F This Movie!
“The film has a clear eye for the absurdities of its own plot without fully rupturing the envelope of credibility…” Moria: The Science Fiction, Horror and Fantasy Film Review
Buy Blu-ray: Amazon.co.uk
“What makes Frogtown work is that it toes a fine line of camp. It doesn’t take itself seriously, but neither does it apologize for asking us to suspend our disbelief on something so ridiculous. It plays out its post-apocalyptic harem scenario as if it took place in a real alternate world, keeping the fourth wall intact. Frogtown is every thirteen-year-old boy’s ultimate fantasy…” 366 Weird Movies
“Wrestling, mutant frogs, breasts, and Roddy Piper fertilizing Earth’s last remaining females…what more could you possibly want?” New York Times
Buy DVD: Amazon.com
Cast and characters:
Julius LeFlore … Squidlips
RCB … The Poor Dufus
Roddy Piper … Sam Hell
William Smith … Captain Devlin / Count Sodom
Sandahl Bergman … Spangle
Eyde Byrde … Patton
Lee Garlington … Briefing Officer
Cec Verrell … Centinella
Suzanne Solari … Runaway Girl
Kristi Somers … Arabella
Rory Calhoun … Looney Tunes
Cliff Bemis … Leroy
Nicholas Worth … Bull
Brian Frank … Commander Toty
Danelle Hand … Crosse
Technical details:
86 minutes
Audio: Mono
Aspect ratio: 1.85: 1
Trailer:
YouTube reviews:
