Hell Comes to Frogtown is a 1988 American science fiction action film co-directed by Donald G. Jackson and R. J. Kizer, and written by Jackson and Randall Frakes. The film stars professional wrestler Roddy Piper as well as Sandahl Bergman, Cec Verrell, William Smith and Rory Calhoun.
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Hell Comes to Frogtown | |
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Directed by | Donald G. Jackson R. J. Kizer |
Screenplay by | Donald G. Jackson Randall Frakes |
Story by | Randall Frakes |
Produced by | Donald G. Jackson Randall Frakes |
Starring | Roddy Piper Sandahl Bergman Cec Verrell William Smith Rory Calhoun |
Cinematography | Donald G. Jackson Enrico Picard |
Edited by | R. J. Kizer James Matheny |
Music by | David Shapiro |
Distributed by | New World Pictures |
Release date |
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Running time | 88 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $1.5 million |
This film is set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland where few fertile men and women exist due to atomic fallout. As a result, the government places a high priority on those who can still breed. Shortly before the movie opens, a group of mutant amphibians (who have been exiled to the desert by humans) capture a group of fertile women and are using them as sex slaves.
Sam Hell (Piper) is a nomadic traveler who wanders the countryside. He is first seen tied to a chair and smashed over the head with a bottle by a man whose daughter he sexually assaulted. He is eventually 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 this was the group captured by the mutants. With their own attempts to capture the women failing, the group presses Hell into service as a mercenary; he is to infiltrate the mutant city (derogatorily referred to as "Frogtown") and rescue the women. To make sure that the 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. Having already had numerous samples of his reproductive material taken, he is now deemed far more expendable than the women themselves. To aid him in his mission (and make sure he follows the plan), he is paired with one of the nurses, Spangle (Bergman), and an aggressive guard named Centinella (Verrell).
During their journey to Frogtown, Hell tries numerous times to escape, but quickly learns that a device Spangle carries will shock his genitals if used or if he gets too far away from it. Despite their rocky start and Spangle's initial cold demeanor, the pair grow closer during the journey and eventually fall in love. When they reach Frogtown, everyone involved is captured. The frogs' second-in-command, Bull (Nicholas Worth), tortures Hell and attempts to remove the codpiece for its technology. Meanwhile, a slightly drugged Spangle is forced to work as a slave and dance for the frogs' Commander Toty (Brian Frank) in the notable "Dance of the Three Snakes" sequence. Proving more successful than she had wished, the nurse soon finds herself at the mercy of the aroused commander. However, with the codpiece now removed (Bull finally removed it with a chainsaw, but it blew up and killed him), the escaped Hell rescues her along with the group of fertile women (Ellen Crocker, Kim Hewson, Ilana Ishaki, Annie McKinon and Janie Thorson) held captive.[1]
Critical reception for Hell Comes to Frogtown has been mixed to positive. TV Guide awarded the film two out of five stars, calling it "Another of those futuristic, post-apocalyptic science fiction dramas".[4]
DVD Talk gave the film three out of five stars, writing, "Rowdy Roddy Piper has to save the world by diddling beautiful babes and squashing six-foot mutant toads with crummy attitudes. What's not to like?"[5]
Jason Cook from The Spinning Image rated the film a score of six out of ten stars, writing, "Cheap and cheerful its narrative lulls and directorial shortcomings are glossed over by a winning central performance and a smattering of witty dialogue. Its no cinematic masterpiece, but were there any talking mutant frogs in Citizen Kane?"[6]
Creature Feature gave the movie 2.5 stars, finding that while it is a Mad Max ripoff, it does so with a sense of style and has the ability to laugh at itself.[7]
Though not received well by critics, producer Randall Frakes says he was glad the fans seemed to like it and "get all the jokes as intended".[8]
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Hell Comes to Frogtown inspired the title of the "Hell Comes to Quahog" (2006) episode of animated television series Family Guy.[9]
Hell Comes to Frogtown still makes an appearance in today's news sources being compared to Roller Blade Warriors.[10]
Hell Comes to Frogtown spawned one sequel, Return to Frogtown, which was released directly to VHS in 1993.[citation needed]
Toad Warrior was released in 1996 and later re-released as Max Hell Frog Warrior in 2002. According to Jackson, the film was intended as a stand-alone story.[11]
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