Frogman

I thought this movie was fun from start to finish. For me, it had a midnight movie feel--cheap trash just made to entertain. It's found footage, and it definitely uses low-res shots and shaky camera work. The story feels like someone saw The Taking Of Deborah Logan and decided to do a Spinal Tap-like parody of it. I don't actually know if the tone was meant to be comedic, but there were plenty of moments that they couldn't possibly have thought anyone would take it seriously. I also liked how everything builds to an off-the-wall climax where they just totally go for it. I couldn't take my eyes off of the screen. It was a sweet rush of low budget horror.

Look, we all know that horror is a truly subjective genre, and found-footage probably gets the worst rep out of any of the sub-genres. I genuinely don't understand the outright vitriol people have for it, where they automatically dismiss anything FF because of 'bad acting", "bad special effects" or some other subjective opinion. As one of my favorite sub-genres, found-footage has an authenticity that usually isn't found in other types of horror. It seems like so many people are busy trying to be scared that they fail to enjoy these movies for what they are; low budget entertainment made by regular folks and not seasoned Hollywood vets. That being said.....

I do agree that the premise is weak and the entire mythology around the creature is laughable at best, but for a low-fi, low budget found-footage film, it actually did what it said it was going to do, and it was fairly entertaining to boot. We got some genuine comedic elements, some decent acting, the pacing was good, and the film does not overstay its welcome. Although the creature itself could have spent a lot more time in the design stage, I guess what we got should be commended since it was actually exactly what anyone could expect from such a thing. So the film itself is pretty middle of the road, as far as FF films are concerned, and I've certainly seen my share of absolute garbage ('The Curse of Aurore' comes to mind as one of the worst).

My issues with this film are almost all related to the visuals. Yes, it's low-fi. Yes, the budget is limited. Yes, the frog has telepathic abilities that affect cameras and prevent them from working properly every time you want to get a really good look at the thing. But yet again we have a movie were all the action happens at night, no one carries flashlights or any other sources of light, and cell phones are only brought out at the very end. It's all very bizarre. You think I'd be caught dead in the woods without a survivalist lantern in this day and age? I mean, come on, now. Horror using darkness to hide its budgetary shortcomings isn't new, but I'm just tired of it. I'm tired of having to squint to make out "something" in the background, or having people running blind in the woods because they think it's much more effective to have people frustrated at not being able to see anything. I can't wait until someone has to balls to film an entire movie in daylight or with great light sources. I just think that keep everything hidden in darkness is no longer an affective way to make a horror movie.

Overall, I did enjoy this movie, it had be gripped to the end (as ridiculous as it was), the mid credits scene was a nice touch, and it definitely wasn't the worst FF movie I've seen. But with a premise as weird and hokey as a "frogman", they really should have knocked this out of the park with the execution, and they just didn't. I understand why others disliked this film, but I also think many people are just being overly critical because its FF. All of the reviews mentioning the 'bad acting' every time a FF releases proves it.

Starts off quite slow but the last 30-40 minutes or so is absolutely bonkers. The movie feels surprisingly longer than its very short runtime due to its slow start. There's definitely some unnecessary filler. You can really feel the low budget but some of the practical effects work is surprisingly good. But the ending. OMG the ending. The ending literally had me shake my girlfriend in absolute shock. 😂 It's not necessarily a super creative conclusion but if you are having fun with the movie and its lore, it really punches you in the face. I went into this movie embracing the absolute absurdity of the titular "Frogman" and if you embrace its insanity, you'll have a good time. It's definitely a decent watch if you can tolerate the found footage look.

When I first heard about this movie I was obviously skeptical. It had the premise of a cheaper version of "The Blair Witch Project" but instead of a witch, the threat would be a "Frogman". However I like found-footage and had to give this a try. It's basically exactly what I expected with three characters asking locals about the Frogman and if they believe that he exists. They even visit a little gift shop with Frogman related items. In there you can spot a few funny things and memes which is a nice detail. It takes quite a while for something relevant to happen and once the Frogman appears on screen it was not particularly scary but rather funny in a strange way. It was a little bit hard to take this "threat" seriously but the movie sure has some ideas to make it interesting. It reminded me of a V/H/S/-segment which probably wood have worked better because the even shorter runtime would have made the pacing much better. It also definitely suffers from some of the usual flaws of found-footage movies. Once something interesting happens on screen, there are weird and annoying glitches and the camera starts shaking like the camera man has Parkinson's disease. Overall it's a fun idea with an enjoyable third act and some decent effects and I would recommend it if you enjoy found footage movies and don't mind their downsides. [5,9/10]

I'll start off by saying I watch a lot of movies- and a lot of them are quite bad. I don't really like movies from major studios- they're made for a certain type of person and I honestly just feel like they're often overrated and uncreative. I'd much rather watch a low budget "schlocker" w a decent concept and an equal amount of heart. Frogman was that type of movie. A lot of the stuff special effects wise was kinda cheesy, but at the same time kinda cool for such a low budget. I love cryptic stuff, but slot of those movies are just awful. The acting in this was pretty good. At times it had a more humorous tone. It didn't take itself too seriously but was not a spoof or mockumentary. It kept my interest, was relatively short and really had a pretty good ending- actually like the last 20 minutes or so. Anyhow, it reminded me of something from the 70s or 80s, and it was nice to see people come up with an idea that was unique and interesting.