Directors: R.J. Kizer, Donald G. Jackson
Starring: Roddy Piper, Rory Calhoun, Cec Verrell, Julius LeFlore, William Smith and Sandahl Bergman.
Running Time: 86 minutes
Certificate: 15
With the 20th Century drawing to a close, nuclear war has wiped out civilization as we know it. The embattled human race’s last remaining hope lies with one man and his loaded weapon. Sam Hell may be an ex-con, but he also happens to be one of the last surviving fertile men on the planet. Now, under the custody of a group of feisty female fighters, Sam finds himself enlisted on a mission to impregnate a harem of beauties. Sounds cushy enough, but the ladies in question are prisoners of Frogtown home to a gang of mutant (and ill-mannered) amphibians!
The film is one I remember discovering as a kid during the height of VHS rental period of the late 1980s. Probably mixed in with the likes of fellow trashy titles NEON MANIACS and THE STUFF. The reason? It featured the always likeable character from the world of professional wrestling – “Rowdy” Roddy Piper. His move to the world of film ultimately became an amusing turn of events. Even Piper himself has confessed acting was something he never took seriously and with HELL COMES TO FROGTOWN it certainly shows. However, his first lead role of this wisecracking rogue Sam Hell is not so far removed from the kilt-sporting superstar we all once knew and loved from the WWF. Meaning this cheesy and sleazy action-comedy is all the better for it!
Looking back and it’s a post-apocaylptic slice of exploitation that oozes charm as much as the amphibian inhabitants of the title do slime. It soon becomes a genuine guilty pleasure despite a rather tacky approach. The majority of that being down to Piper’s cocksure lead who soon learns after a recent incarceration that he’s one of mankind’s last potent, procreant males. Offered the chance at freedom, poor Sam is literally chastised and forced on a government mission: rescue and impregnate host of ovulating beauties being held slave by one of the greasy mutant population born of the chemical warfare in the barren wastelands. A place very reminiscent of Middlesborough! Yes, a simple crazy-assed synopsis that could almost play as a Snake Plisskin sequel for laughs, at less than 90 minutes, FROGTOWN never outstays its welcome. It also becomes obvious as to why John Carpenter cast him in cult sci-fi classic THEY LIVE soon afterwards (although as you’ll learn in the bonus material, the two never got on and ended hating each other).
While many other post-apocaylptic/near-future plots will attempt a spot of political or social commentary, expect nothing but brainless fun from Kizer and Jackson’s film, which, as you can appreciate, is a low-budget project very much of its time. Buxom blondes and brunettes flaunt their assents to assure our hero ‘rises to the occasion’ when called into both kinds of action. Whether sexing it up or suplexing, Piper’s too charismatic to call FROGTOWN a full-on failure.
The Film [usr=3]
Special Features:
- Limited Edition Blu-ray [1000 copies]
- High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentation
- Grappling with Green Gargantuans: Wrestling icon “Rowdy” Roddy Piper speaks about his leading man turn in Hell Comes to Frogtown
- Amphibian Armageddon: Actor Brian Frank remembers his role as Commander Toty
- Creature Feature Creator: Effects wizard Steve Wang reveals the secrets behind Hell Comes to Frogtown’s mutant manifestations
- Reversible sleeve with original and newly commissioned artwork by Jeff Zornow
- Extended Scene
- Original Trailer
- Collectors booklet featuring new writing on the film by author and critic Calum Waddell
Complete Package [usr=4]
HELL COMES TO FROGTOWN is released on limited edition Blu-ray from Arrow Films from the 3rd February
