Frogs (film)
Encyclopedia
Frogs is a 1972
horror film
directed
by George McCowan
. The film falls into the "eco-horror" category since it tells the story of an upper-class U.S. Southern
family who are victimized by several different animal species, including snake
s, bird
s, and lizard
s, as well as the occasional butterfly
. Nature, the movie suggests, may be justified in exacting revenge on this family because of its patriarch's abuse of the local ecology.
) takes photograph
s of various animals from around the Crockett family's estate. After Clint (Adam Roarke
) accidentally tips Smith's canoe
over, he and his sister Karen (Joan Van Ark
) escort Smith to the family mansion
where he meets the entire Crockett family. Jason (Ray Milland
) intends on spending the next day enjoying both the 4th of July
and his own birthday celebrations uninterrupted. Due to the mutual dislike of the fauna
around the mansion, Jason has sent a man called Grover to spray pesticide
in order to get rid of the amphibian
s. Pickett discovers Grover's corpse covered in snake bites. Despite this warning, Jason continues with his celebrations the next day, unaware that the frog
s and other animals plan to get revenge for the constant pollution
around the area.
Michael checks the telephone lines in his car (when the phone line is dead) but is distracted by bird
s. Hoping to shoot them down, he chases them but accidentally shoots himself in the leg. A swarm of tarantula
s cover him with webbing reason moss
, and finally kill him, later cocoon
ing him completely. Kenneth leaves to get flowers from the greenhouse
but lizard
s infest the greenhouse and knock over jars of chemicals. The mixture fills the place with poisonous gases and Kenneth asphyxiates.
Smith warns everyone that everyone should try to leave the island but Jason is adamant that nothing will ruin his day. Meanwhile, Iris is lured into the path of several frogs and snakes while chasing after a butterfly. Trying to escape, she falls into a small swamp of leech
es which latch on to her until she manages to pull them off. Massively fatigued, she falls near a rattlesnake
which promptly bites her and kills her. Her husband Stuart comes looking for her, only to meet a grisly end by an alligator.
Charles and Maybelle, Jason's butler and cook, decide to leave along with Bella on Smith's advice. Clint takes them across the lake in his speedboat. Clint stays behind and searches the nearby grocery store while the others walk on. They are soon attacked by birds and pecked to death offscreen. Clint discovers his boat has been untethered and swims to reach it but a water moccasin
kills him in the water. His wife, Jenny, witnesses this through binoculars and attempts to rescue him, but gets stuck in the lake mud and is killed by a snapping turtle
.
Karen and Pickett decide to leave with Clint and Jenny's kids and leave Jason behind, his mind still intent on celebrating. They cross the lake encountering alligators and more water snakes, which Pickett dispatches with the boat paddle. They eventually make it to a road where they hitch a ride with a woman and her son. Later that night, Jason witnesses hundreds of frogs breaking their way into the house and staring at him. Looking around the room at his stuffed animal trophies adds to his tension and he collapses in a heart attack. The frogs croak louder and louder as they hop over his corpse.
, Sam Elliott
, Joan Van Ark
, Judy Pace
, and Adam Roarke
. Elliott has two "beefcake
" scenes in which he removes his shirt and these scenes reportedly helped earn him the title role in the 1976 movie, Lifeguard
.
The film was shot in Walton County, Florida
, on the Emerald Coast
in and around the Wesley House
, an old southern mansion located in Eden Gardens State Park
in the town of Point Washington, situated on Tucker Bayou off Choctawhatchee Bay
.
the film has a score of 21%.
1972 in film
The year 1972 in film involved some significant events.-Top grossing films :- Awards :Academy Awards:*Avanti!, directed by Billy Wilder, starring Jack Lemmon and Juliet MillsB...
horror film
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
directed
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
by George McCowan
George McCowan
George McCowan was a Canadian film and TV director in the 1960s, 70s and 80s.McCowan began his career working for the Canadian Broadcasting Company...
. The film falls into the "eco-horror" category since it tells the story of an upper-class U.S. Southern
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
family who are victimized by several different animal species, including snake
Snake
Snakes are elongate, legless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes that can be distinguished from legless lizards by their lack of eyelids and external ears. Like all squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales...
s, bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s, and lizard
Lizard
Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with nearly 3800 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica as well as most oceanic island chains...
s, as well as the occasional butterfly
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
. Nature, the movie suggests, may be justified in exacting revenge on this family because of its patriarch's abuse of the local ecology.
Plot summary
Pickett Smith (Sam ElliottSam Elliott
Samuel Pack "Sam" Elliott is an American actor. His rangy physique, thick horseshoe moustache, and deep, resonant voice match the iconic image of a cowboy or rancher, and he has often been cast in such roles.-Early life:Sam Elliott was born in Sacramento, California, to a physical training...
) takes photograph
Photograph
A photograph is an image created by light falling on a light-sensitive surface, usually photographic film or an electronic imager such as a CCD or a CMOS chip. Most photographs are created using a camera, which uses a lens to focus the scene's visible wavelengths of light into a reproduction of...
s of various animals from around the Crockett family's estate. After Clint (Adam Roarke
Adam Roarke
Adam Roarke was an American actor and film director.Roarke was born Richard Jordan Gerler in Brooklyn, New York, where he was a street gang member during his youth...
) accidentally tips Smith's canoe
Canoe
A canoe or Canadian canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors. Canoes are usually pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be decked over A canoe (North American English) or Canadian...
over, he and his sister Karen (Joan Van Ark
Joan Van Ark
Joan Van Ark is an American actress, most notable for her role as Valene Ewing, which she originated on the CBS series Dallas and continued for thirteen seasons on its spin-off, Knots Landing...
) escort Smith to the family mansion
Mansion
A mansion is a very large dwelling house. U.S. real estate brokers define a mansion as a dwelling of over . A traditional European mansion was defined as a house which contained a ballroom and tens of bedrooms...
where he meets the entire Crockett family. Jason (Ray Milland
Ray Milland
Ray Milland was a Welsh actor and director. His screen career ran from 1929 to 1985, and he is best remembered for his Academy Award–winning portrayal of an alcoholic writer in The Lost Weekend , a sophisticated leading man opposite a corrupt John Wayne in Reap the Wild Wind , the murder-plotting...
) intends on spending the next day enjoying both the 4th of July
Independence Day (United States)
Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain...
and his own birthday celebrations uninterrupted. Due to the mutual dislike of the fauna
Fauna
Fauna or faunæ is all of the animal life of any particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is flora.Zoologists and paleontologists use fauna to refer to a typical collection of animals found in a specific time or place, e.g. the "Sonoran Desert fauna" or the "Burgess shale fauna"...
around the mansion, Jason has sent a man called Grover to spray pesticide
Pesticide
Pesticides are substances or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling or mitigating any pest.A pesticide may be a chemical unicycle, biological agent , antimicrobial, disinfectant or device used against any pest...
in order to get rid of the amphibian
Amphibian
Amphibians , are a class of vertebrate animals including animals such as toads, frogs, caecilians, and salamanders. They are characterized as non-amniote ectothermic tetrapods...
s. Pickett discovers Grover's corpse covered in snake bites. Despite this warning, Jason continues with his celebrations the next day, unaware that the frog
Frog
Frogs are amphibians in the order Anura , formerly referred to as Salientia . Most frogs are characterized by a short body, webbed digits , protruding eyes and the absence of a tail...
s and other animals plan to get revenge for the constant pollution
Pollution
Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into a natural environment that causes instability, disorder, harm or discomfort to the ecosystem i.e. physical systems or living organisms. Pollution can take the form of chemical substances or energy, such as noise, heat or light...
around the area.
Michael checks the telephone lines in his car (when the phone line is dead) but is distracted by bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s. Hoping to shoot them down, he chases them but accidentally shoots himself in the leg. A swarm of tarantula
Tarantula
Tarantulas comprise a group of often hairy and often very large arachnids belonging to the family Theraphosidae, of which approximately 900 species have been identified. Some members of the same Suborder may also be called "tarantulas" in the common parlance. This article will restrict itself to...
s cover him with webbing reason moss
Moss
Mosses are small, soft plants that are typically 1–10 cm tall, though some species are much larger. They commonly grow close together in clumps or mats in damp or shady locations. They do not have flowers or seeds, and their simple leaves cover the thin wiry stems...
, and finally kill him, later cocoon
Cocoon
Cocoon may refer to:*Cocoon , a pupal casing made by moth caterpillars and other insect larvae*Apache Cocoon, web development software*Cocoon , a 1985 science fiction film**Cocoon: The Return, 1988 sequel to Cocoon...
ing him completely. Kenneth leaves to get flowers from the greenhouse
Greenhouse
A greenhouse is a building in which plants are grown. These structures range in size from small sheds to very large buildings...
but lizard
Lizard
Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with nearly 3800 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica as well as most oceanic island chains...
s infest the greenhouse and knock over jars of chemicals. The mixture fills the place with poisonous gases and Kenneth asphyxiates.
Smith warns everyone that everyone should try to leave the island but Jason is adamant that nothing will ruin his day. Meanwhile, Iris is lured into the path of several frogs and snakes while chasing after a butterfly. Trying to escape, she falls into a small swamp of leech
Leech
Leeches are segmented worms that belong to the phylum Annelida and comprise the subclass Hirudinea. Like other oligochaetes such as earthworms, leeches share a clitellum and are hermaphrodites. Nevertheless, they differ from other oligochaetes in significant ways...
es which latch on to her until she manages to pull them off. Massively fatigued, she falls near a rattlesnake
Rattlesnake
Rattlesnakes are a group of venomous snakes of the genera Crotalus and Sistrurus of the subfamily Crotalinae . There are 32 known species of rattlesnake, with between 65-70 subspecies, all native to the Americas, ranging from southern Alberta and southern British Columbia in Canada to Central...
which promptly bites her and kills her. Her husband Stuart comes looking for her, only to meet a grisly end by an alligator.
Charles and Maybelle, Jason's butler and cook, decide to leave along with Bella on Smith's advice. Clint takes them across the lake in his speedboat. Clint stays behind and searches the nearby grocery store while the others walk on. They are soon attacked by birds and pecked to death offscreen. Clint discovers his boat has been untethered and swims to reach it but a water moccasin
Agkistrodon piscivorus
Agkistrodon piscivorus is a venomous snake, a species of pit viper, found in the southeastern United States. Adults are large and capable of delivering a painful and potentially fatal bite. When antagonized they will stand their ground by coiling their bodies and displaying their fangs...
kills him in the water. His wife, Jenny, witnesses this through binoculars and attempts to rescue him, but gets stuck in the lake mud and is killed by a snapping turtle
Snapping turtle
The common snapping turtle is a large freshwater turtle of the family Chelydridae. Its natural range extends from southeastern Canada, southwest to the edge of the Rocky Mountains, as far east as Nova Scotia and Florida and as far southwest as northeastern Mexico...
.
Karen and Pickett decide to leave with Clint and Jenny's kids and leave Jason behind, his mind still intent on celebrating. They cross the lake encountering alligators and more water snakes, which Pickett dispatches with the boat paddle. They eventually make it to a road where they hitch a ride with a woman and her son. Later that night, Jason witnesses hundreds of frogs breaking their way into the house and staring at him. Looking around the room at his stuffed animal trophies adds to his tension and he collapses in a heart attack. The frogs croak louder and louder as they hop over his corpse.
Main cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Ray Milland Ray Milland Ray Milland was a Welsh actor and director. His screen career ran from 1929 to 1985, and he is best remembered for his Academy Award–winning portrayal of an alcoholic writer in The Lost Weekend , a sophisticated leading man opposite a corrupt John Wayne in Reap the Wild Wind , the murder-plotting... |
Jason Crockett |
| Sam Elliott Sam Elliott Samuel Pack "Sam" Elliott is an American actor. His rangy physique, thick horseshoe moustache, and deep, resonant voice match the iconic image of a cowboy or rancher, and he has often been cast in such roles.-Early life:Sam Elliott was born in Sacramento, California, to a physical training... |
Pickett Smith |
| Joan Van Ark Joan Van Ark Joan Van Ark is an American actress, most notable for her role as Valene Ewing, which she originated on the CBS series Dallas and continued for thirteen seasons on its spin-off, Knots Landing... |
Karen Crockett |
| Adam Roarke Adam Roarke Adam Roarke was an American actor and film director.Roarke was born Richard Jordan Gerler in Brooklyn, New York, where he was a street gang member during his youth... |
Clint Crockett |
| Judy Pace Judy Pace Judy Lenteen Pace is an American stage and screen actress.-Career Biography:Pace became a familiar face in the 1970s on both the big and small screen, appearing in popular blaxploitation movies and popular television shows. She played a character on the soap opera One Life to Live... |
Bella Garrington |
| Lynn Borden Lynn Borden Lynn Borden is an American actress best known for her role as "Barbara Baxter" in the final season of the Shirley Booth sitcom Hazel, which aired on CBS from 1965 to 1966.-Background:... |
Jenny Crockett |
Production
The movie stars Ray MillandRay Milland
Ray Milland was a Welsh actor and director. His screen career ran from 1929 to 1985, and he is best remembered for his Academy Award–winning portrayal of an alcoholic writer in The Lost Weekend , a sophisticated leading man opposite a corrupt John Wayne in Reap the Wild Wind , the murder-plotting...
, Sam Elliott
Sam Elliott
Samuel Pack "Sam" Elliott is an American actor. His rangy physique, thick horseshoe moustache, and deep, resonant voice match the iconic image of a cowboy or rancher, and he has often been cast in such roles.-Early life:Sam Elliott was born in Sacramento, California, to a physical training...
, Joan Van Ark
Joan Van Ark
Joan Van Ark is an American actress, most notable for her role as Valene Ewing, which she originated on the CBS series Dallas and continued for thirteen seasons on its spin-off, Knots Landing...
, Judy Pace
Judy Pace
Judy Lenteen Pace is an American stage and screen actress.-Career Biography:Pace became a familiar face in the 1970s on both the big and small screen, appearing in popular blaxploitation movies and popular television shows. She played a character on the soap opera One Life to Live...
, and Adam Roarke
Adam Roarke
Adam Roarke was an American actor and film director.Roarke was born Richard Jordan Gerler in Brooklyn, New York, where he was a street gang member during his youth...
. Elliott has two "beefcake
Beefcake
Beefcake is a term denoting the use of nude or semi-nude male bodies. It can refer to a genre or a person. It often is used to denote male sexual attractiveness stemming from physical build but the definition has expanded to include anyone interested in physical fitness, bodybuilding and weight...
" scenes in which he removes his shirt and these scenes reportedly helped earn him the title role in the 1976 movie, Lifeguard
Lifeguard (film)
Lifeguard is a 1976 drama movie made by Paramount Pictures. It was directed by Daniel Petrie, based upon a screenplay by Ron Koslow. It stars Sam Elliott, Anne Archer, Steve Burns, Parker Stevenson, and Kathleen Quinlan....
.
The film was shot in Walton County, Florida
Walton County, Florida
Walton County is a county located in the state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 40,601. The U.S. Census Bureau 2005 estimate for the county is 50,324. Its county seat is DeFuniak Springs, Florida. The county is home to the highest natural point in Florida: Britton Hill, at .- History...
, on the Emerald Coast
Emerald Coast
The Emerald Coast is an area in the US state of Florida on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico which stretches about 100 miles through four counties, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, and Bay, from Gulf Breeze on the east side of Pensacola Bay to Panama City on the east side of the St...
in and around the Wesley House
Wesley House (disambiguation)
Wesley House may refer to:in Australia*Wesley House, an Australian theological institution at, or renamed as, Wesley Theological Collegein the United Kingdom*Wesley House, a seminary in Cambridge*Charles Wesley's House, an 18th century house in Bristol...
, an old southern mansion located in Eden Gardens State Park
Eden Gardens State Park
Eden Gardens State Park is a Florida State Park and historic site located in Point Washington, south of Freeport, off U.S. 98 on CR 395, in northwestern Florida. The park is centered around the Wesley house, a two story mansion virtually surrounded by white columns and verandas. The house is...
in the town of Point Washington, situated on Tucker Bayou off Choctawhatchee Bay
Choctawhatchee Bay
Choctawhatchee Bay is a bay in the Emerald Coast region of the Florida Panhandle. The bay, located within Okaloosa and Walton counties, has a surface area of 129 mi2...
.
Reception
Frogs was opened to negative reviews. On Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
the film has a score of 21%.