Plot: What’s it about?
In the future, the world has been ravaged by nuclear weapons and remains a barren, radioactive wasteland as a result. The population shrinks from small to even smaller all the time, since the radioactive elements have rendered most men sterile and of course, that makes it pretty tough to keep birth rates high enough. But there is at least one man who still packs potent juice, in the form of Sam Hell (“Rowdy” Roddy Piper), who is held prisoner by the new leaders of the United States, a group of women. His precious fluids are needed to ensure the future of mankind, but he is soon sent out into battle, as part of a vital rescue mission. It seems a band of fertile women are being held hostage by some mutant frogs, so Hell needs to bring them home and then seduce them, in an effort to repopulate the planet, of course. But can even Sam Hell overcome the odds in this one, where he faces danger, babes, and even horny frogs at every turn? He had better, or else the bomb strapped to his groin is liable to explode!
I was skeptical that this film would ever see a release on this format, but as usual, Anchor Bay has come to the rescue and issued Hell Comes to Frogtown, complete with a new transfer and some bonus materials, very cool indeed. Of course, this epic tale of “Rowdy” Roddy Piper and his battles with mutant frogs isn’t for everyone, but it has some hilarious dialogue, some naked chicks, and of course, a very high cheese value. In other words, I really like this movie and while it is by no means high art, it makes for a fun watch and as such, I am very pleased to own it in such a well rounded release. Piper is terrific in the lead, while various hot babes and mutant frogs comprise the supporting cast, which is decent enough in this case. As you might expect, there’s some camp elements, low budget issues, and tons of unintentional humor, but that is how we like these kind of movies, so I have no real complaints. I recommend this as a rental to anyone who enjoys offbeat cinema, but fans will want to purchase this release, to be sure.
As a former professional wrestler, “Rowdy” Roddy Piper is used to being a performer, but like other wrestlers, his presence in feature films hasn’t been that successful. But his plethora of turns in low grade action flick aside, Piper has been in two movies that cemented him in my mind as a good actor, in They Live and this film, Hell Comes to Frogtown. No, Piper’s skills won’t win any awards and he is off at times, but he seems like such a natural choice for these two roles, he just commands the screen, if you ask me. He is able to roll off the one liners to perfection and his smart ass persona is just right, given the characters he plays. In this movie, Piper isn’t asked to stretch much within the role, which probably helps out, perhaps more than a little. You can also see Piper in such films as They Live, Immortal Combat, Body Slam, Terminal Rush, and Last to Surrender. The cast here also includes Sandahl Bergman (Ice Cream Man, Xanadu), Julius LeFlore (Silver Bullet, The Monster Squad), and Kristi Somers (Girls Just Want To Have Fun, Savage Streets).
Video: How does it look?
Hell Comes to Frogtown is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. I’ve been pleased with some of the New World transfers from Anchor Bay, so I had solid expectations here, but I was taken back by how great the flick looks here. The print shows a slight bit of grain at times, but this is a stunning looking transfer, very clean and sharp throughout. The print is free from defects most of the time, I cannot believe this movie is so well presented, as I am sure fans will be also. The colors are vivid and free from errors, flesh tones remain natural, and contrast is much sharper than expected, this is how this film deserves to look, to be sure. Once again, Anchor Bay has given a terrific treatment to a lower profile flick, so I once again tip my hat to them, another cult film delivered in excellent form.
Audio: How does it sound?
A solid, but unimpressive stereo option is used here, which seems to cover all the bases well enough. Of course, this means the overall scope is limited and that sometimes comes into play here, but not often and never to an extreme degree, I don’t think. The elements are presented in fine form, as far as stereo goes and in this case, that’s about all you can ask for. I never heard any distortion or other problems, so I doubt anyone will be let down with this track. No flaws with the dialogue either, as all the vocals came through in clean form, with no errors to report. This disc also includes English captions, which are always welcome.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes the film’s theatrical trailer, as well as an audio commentary track with director Donald G. Jackson and writer Randall Frakes. These two provide a great session, as both are very talkative and while their comments are all over the map, I found this to be an entertaining & informative track. The two discuss their inspirations & influences, problems with budget & other issues, and all sorts of other topics. I am still stunned that a commentary was recorded for this release, especially such a well crafted one, so I have to commend Anchor Bay for their effort here, terrific work indeed.
