Ribbit!

 

 (imdb)

FROGS-1972-Photographer Pickett Smith (Sam Elliot) is nearly run down in his boat by beer guzzling speed boat riding Clint Crockett (Adam Roarke) and his sister Karen (Joan Van Ark). They invite Smith to their granddaddy's estate that's being overrun by frogs. Gramps (Ray Milland), is a self-righteous SOB who seems bothered by his whole family. While exploring the island, Smith finds the dead body of a worker. The frogs seem to be taking over. Snakes and salamanders too. A particularly gruesome scene is the death of gramps' flaky butterfly collecting sister-in-law Iris (Hollis Irving) by leeches. Her husband is done in by a crocodile. 

Although there is death and aggressive animals all around, Gramps wants to continue with the 4th of July festivities. Everyone is eventually killed except for Smith, Karen and grandkids. Gramps regrets his decision to stay behind. The frogs don't kill anyone (despite the famous movie poster) but it seems like they are in charge.

This eco-horror from AIP is mostly talk with a death thrown in once in a while. The ecology and "nature fights back" themes were very popular in the 1970's. Director George McCowan worked mainly in TV but also directed THE MAGNIFCENT SEVEN RIDE! the same year as FROGS. He later made THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME (1979).

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It Happened Again!

  (bloody-disgusting.com)

SLEEPAWAY CAMP 3:TEENAGE WASTELAND-1989-Angela (Pamela Springsteen) returns. This time she kills a girl going to a sleep away camp and impersonates her (she runs the girl over with a garbage truck in broad daylight and no one notices). There are two groups at the camp: one of "privileged" kids and one of snotty street punks. They're all jerks. And Michael J. Pollard is one of the camp owners! Angela's first murder is by giving a reporter tainted cocaine. The most gruesome but funny death is when she puts the female owner neck deep in a garbage pit then runs over her head with a lawn mower! Although most of the deaths are pretty macabre. The end sets a sequel that fortunately was never made. 

Kudos to director Michael Simpson for giving up on this misguided series which some see as a black comedy. I see it as junk...

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PS: I just read there is a part 4 so beware!

From Chile

 

 (imdb)

ANGEL NEGRO-2000-In Chile, a mortician Gabriel (Alvaro Moreales) investigates the gruesome deaths of some people he went to school with and their connection to Angel (Blanca Lewin), a young woman who died under mysterious circumstances. Some of it is told through a series of video tapes. This was called the first Chilean horror movie and was released on DVD by Troma. It's really nothing special with too much talk and a cliche story and a guessable ending. The writer/director Jorge Olguin went on to make the first Chilean zombie movie DESCENDENTS.

Happy Mother's Day and thanks for reading!