Movie Reviews and Stuff Archives

Frogman

Rated: Not Rated | Running Time: 80 Minutes
From: Rotting Press
Available on Digital Platforms: March 8, 2023
Also available on VHS

I must say that when I got the press release for “Frogman,” I wondered two things. One, is there really a city called Loveland, Ohio, and two, if so, who would set some fictitious legend about a creature in said city.

Turns out there is an actual Loveland, Ohio, and it also turns out the city has a legend about, well, you guessed it, a frogman.

Who knew?

I’m still not sure the town will like the apparent “newfound footage” of frogman, nor the direction the footage seems to take the legend, but hey, it’s about 90 minutes of taking the weirdness of a legend of a, well, frogman, to a bizarre, horror-filled level.

As the movie goes, young Dallas, at an impressionable young age of 12, captured some film footage of Frogman, a mythical creature who lived in the woods around Loveland, Ohio. This creature was about four feet tall, looked like a frog, and walked around on two legs.

No one really believed Dallas, but his entire life he has been haunted with this footage, and of his desire to find Frogman once and for all.

Fast forward 20 years and Dallas is, well, 32, his life is kind of crappy, so what to do? You grab that old video camera with a couple of friends and try to find Mr. Frogman.

And if you’re a fledgling filmmaker like Dallas, you decide to also make it into a full-blown documentary.

As you drag your videographer friend, as well as the girl you want to be your girlfriend but won’t tell her you want her to be your girlfriend, along, quickly you find that there may be more to the legend than you believe. What really tips you off? Why, when the local sheriff tells you to leave town of course.

If you’re Dallas, do you leave town? Heck no! You’ve got Frogman to find, into the woods you go to set up camp, but you and your friends are still pretty stupid because you don’t really have camping provisions nor enough cell batteries for your phones, but damn, your video camera battery seems to last forever!

Eventually you find the true story of Frogman, and it ain’t good. Yea, let’s just say that there might be little Frog-people walking around pretty soon, and you’re wrapped up in the mess.

And even with all the footage you have, no one still believes you.

Ahh, the life of trying to prove a weird legend.

The difficulty I had with Frogman was that it couldn’t seem to decide if it wanted to go for the completely absurd or the uber-suspense side of a movie. There was a Blair Witch Project feel with the entire “footage” aspect, but most of the time that footage just showed some really inept people. Frogman didn’t hit that creepy level to feel frightened, and there were too many horror movie clichés, like the “I’ll go find dry wood by myself” scene.

While the movie folks did take a crazy, actual legend and turn it even crazier, I guess I wanted a little more. I’m not sure if that more was going over-the-top, or more on the being scary, but the more never made it. For me Frogman gets 2 ½ stars out of 5. I just wanted more.

That’s it for this one! I’m Andy! L8R!!

“The Avengers” is a Movie, “Angry Birds” is Real, “The Voice” is Ending, and Do You Really Have to Tease “Celebrity Apprentice?”

By: The Dude on the Right

Download and Listen

During this episode of our “Weekend Wrap-Up!” podcast, the crappy weather must be getting to Stu Gotz as he drops the S-bomb a few times and tries to spread a rumor about the Agent Phil character in “The Avengers,” but Stu didn’t live a real-life version of Angry Birds like I did so I don’t know what he has to be crabby about! We both saw “The Avengers,” and I work to dispel Stu’s rumor while we both seemed to have liked the movie, although Stu does say the Little Gotz’s got a little antsy during the film. “Avenger” talk did lead to the “Super Hero Augmented Reality” app and Stu’s almost getting pissed off enough with Android to jump to the iPhone dark side. I thought he would have hated it because it makes you go to Wal-Mart.

I’m worried “The Amazing Spider-Man” movie is going to suck, we are both looking forward to “Prometheus,” Stu wonders if any of “The Voice” contestants can have a real career, I’m hoping for an Arsenio v Aubrey “Celebrity Apprentice” finale, and Stu introduced me to the term “cracker-crust” pizza.

Thanks for listening!

That’s it for this one! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!

Fraternity Reminiscing, Facebook Timelining, Movie Opening, Bulls Falling, and Spring TVing.

By: The Dude on the Right

Download and Listen

Did you know that there is a clip of a version of the Theta Xi “Rounders Song” on the Internet? Stu Gotz didn’t either, but during this “Weekend Wrap-Up!” podcast I prove to him that it’s true.

Our Fraternity anniversary gave us a chance to reminisce a tad of the college days, mostly about Work Week and how it took over 20 years but I was finally a part of a strip-and-wax crew, but sadly this one didn’t include a lot of beer. Stu didn’t mention doing any manual labor over the weekend, but did get a chance to take the Gotz clan to see “The Pirates! Band of Misfits” and lets you know if you should take your clan to see it, also, whereas I’m finishing up my Spring TV viewing, somehow still liking “Celebrity Apprentice” but might be totally over “American Idol” now.

We talk a bit about Derek Rose and the Chicago Bulls, I seem more excited about “The Avengers” opening this weekend than Stu does, and Stu isn’t Timelined yet, and I might be the only person that likes the Timeline on Facebook.

Thanks for listening!

That’s it for this one! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!

Celebrating Emancipation Day, Would You Buy a Zoo?, Golf-Triggered Memories, and America’s Got Talent is Almost Back.

By: The Dude on the Right

Download and Listen

As millions of people were doing yesterday, I was celebrating Emancipation Day. Okay, I wasn’t really celebrating, I just couldn’t quite get to the podcast, but for those of you wondering why April 17th is Tax Day this year, instead of at least on the 16th, all is revealed in this podcast episode. Also revealed in the podcast – if “We Bought a Zoo” is any good. It’s a movie now out on Blu-ray about a dude (Matt Damon) who buys a zoo. Okay, it’s a little more complicated than that, and it also has Scarlett Johansson as a zookeeper/potential love interest, but it does have real animals for your kids to watch instead of a movie with cartoon animals that can talk.

Watching golf makes me remember my college days, I had vegetarian food for Easter, Apache Helicopters are invading Chicago, and don’t look now but it’s less than a month to the return of “America’s Got Talent” with new judge, Howard Stern. You may love him or you may hate him, but you’ll probably at least watch out of curiosity. All of that and some movie news in this week’s podcast!

Thanks for listening!

That’s it for this one! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!

National Anthems, Five Movies to Maybe See, Tornado Warnings, and TV Talk.

By: The Dude on the Right

Download and Listen

As weeks have gone by since Stu Gotz and I have done a “Weekend Wrap-Up!” podcast, being back together again means a lot of movies were watched, at least by Stu. Me, I let you know if “The Sitter” with Johan Hill is any good to rent (One hint – don’t watch it with the kids), while Stu breaks down “Wrath of the Titans,” the new version of “Footloose” (I still have no idea why he rented it), “The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo (Who Likes to Show Her Boobies)”, and we find out that if you read “The Hunger Games,” as Mama Gotz did, you might not like the movie, while if you didn’t, as was the case with Stu, you may like the movie.

Stu is sad at the changes “Playboy” has taken with its magazine, I let Stu know that the Borat version of the Kazakhstan National Anthem is not the official version of the nation, Stu doesn’t sound that excited about the Chicago Cubs home opener, I’m not liking “American Idol” anymore, Mama Gotz and my BFF are more cautious about upcoming storms than me and Stu (although the new National Weather Service graphic tornado warnings might make us take notice), I’m liking the new TV show “Touch,” and Stu needs to watch more “Celebrity Apprentice.”

Thanks for listening!

That’s it for this one! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!

Entertaining the Kids, iPad 3 is Coming, Celebrity Apprentice, The Lorax is Good, and Daylight Saving Time.

By: The Dude on the Right

Download and Listen

And here it is, our “Mid-Week Surprise” podcast. Okay, not really a surprise, but some equipment issues kept us from recording a normal “Weekend Wrap-Up,” but that doesn’t make the tales of our weekend old, just well-aged! Me, I spent a lot of time in a suit, a big, blue suit, and Stu Gotz tries to make it dirty, but I won’t let him. I tell Stu tales of good kids, bad kids, and sweatiness. Stu, meanwhile, is helping a Little Gotz make The Ten Commandments, or something out of Mesopotamia.

I tell Stu he should watch “Celebrity Apprentice,” Stu wishes “The Real Housewives of Disney” was a real TV show, we anticipate Apple’s event today announcing a new iPad and Stu’s next birthday gift, an Apple TV, Stu saw “Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax” and “Moneyball,” and I remind everyone about Daylight Saving Time this weekend!

It’s a mid-week special, it’s a podcast, and it looks like neither of us will go and see “John Carter” this weekend because the trailers don’t seem to make us want to.

Thanks for listening!

That’s it for this one! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!

Leap Day Oscar Talk, The Bachelor is Great, iPad 3 Specs, Cleaning Vomit, and Needing some Hard Wood.

By: The Dude on the Right

Download and Listen

No, this isn’t a special Leap Day podcast, it’s just our normal “Weekend Wrap-Up” a few days late because we were so mesmerized by The Academy Awards we were left speechless for a few days. But, here we are, with extended insight into the Oscars, including Stu’s thinking Sandra Bullock is getting old and his having a Muppet song stuck in his head, while me, I’m disappointed Ryan Seacrest doesn’t have a sense of humor and almost tweeted something mean about the Cirque de Soleil folks.

Movies a lot of people didn’t see aside, it wouldn’t be a podcast without TV talk, and I’m still sucked into Bachelor Ben and Courtney on The Bachelor while Stu is sucked into Breaking Bad. Stu had a sick Gotz, I ate Greek food, Stu saw Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, and I give my analysis of what the new features will be with the unveiling of the iPad 3 next week. And, oh yea, Stu has a friend who needed hard wood this morning.

Thanks for listening!

That’s it for this one! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!

Grammy Talk, Nicolas Cage’s Clone, The Big Year, Contagion, and Happy Valentine’s Day!

By: The Dude on the Right

Download and Listen

It was “The Big Year” at The Grammy’s for Adele, where luckily there was no “Contagion” to ruin the likes of Bruce Springsteen, and an all-star guitar jam was just “In Time” to bring life to a show exorcised by Nicki Minaj. Nicolas Cage couldn’t be there, maybe because his clone was Live on Saturday Night, but hopefully he won’t forget Valentine’s Day tomorrow. He’ll probably have clean balls, but The Dude on the Right won’t until at least this Saturday, while Stu Gotz, over this upcoming weekend, might be able to help you with that underwater video of whales humping you’ve been trying to edit, or at least help you figure out how to make it viral.

Yup, during this episode of Stu & The Dude’s “Weekend Wrap-Up” podcast we talk about all of those things, just not necessarily in that order.

Thanks for listening!

That’s it for this one! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!

No Orff, Yummy XOCO, Goodbye Chuck, Happy Birthday, and Bad Movies

By: The Dude on the Right

Download and Listen

(Dude note: Computer woes can’t stop a podcast, but they can delay it getting posted for a day or so. All seems well again on the Entertainment Ave! front, but a belated Happy Birthday to Mama Gotz is in order!)

Orff’s “Carmina Burana” came through Chicago again, and again I missed it, but that doesn’t dampen the mood of this “Weekend Wrap-Up!” podcast episode. Nope, it’s a podcast of a Happy Birthday for Mama Gotz complete with good food and good friends; It’s a podcast of Mexican street fare compliments, well not really compliments of because we had to pay for it, but damn, XOCO was a good little restaurant place; And it’s a podcast of liking how the TV show “Chuck” wrapped up.

Google is changing their privacy policy, Stu watched some of “Little Fockers,” I watched some of “2012,” Stu doesn’t know who is playing in the Super Bowl, and I don’t think either of us will be seeing a movie about whales.

Thanks for listening!

That’s it for this one! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!

No One is Sleeping With the Fishes, Neil Diamond is A Good Time, Blockbuster is Moving, Moneyball is Great, and a Pine Wood Derby Wind Tunnel!

By: The Dude on the Right

Download and Listen

What better way to start a podcast after surviving a winter storm than with some old Neil Diamond, and at the start of this week’s episode of the “Weekend Wrap-Up!”, there is confusion as to whether or not I hit the post. Whether I did or not, that’s okay, because in addition to our confusion and recollection of some Neil concert memories, of a more confusing nature, it turns out, is what date is the actual anniversary of Stu and Mama Gotz, and on this we don’t come to a resolution.

We did, though, as I mentioned, survive a winter storm, and Stu luckily didn’t have to worry about sleeping with the fishes, instead there was a problem with Frosty in this video shot by Little Gotz. We also discovered that Blockbuster is moving, and that I still suck at the new words in church.

Stu saw “Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol” and liked it, I let you know if “Moneyball” is any good, Stu can’t recommend “The Darkest Hour” even though I thought he meant “The Devil Inside,” and yes, it’s true, a 2mm screw will not fit inside a 1mm nut.

Lastly, it’s Pine Wood Derby time and Stu has his method for his kids achieving greatness, though I feel a wind tunnel might be more appropriate.

Thanks for listening!

That’s it for this one! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!