Frogs 1972Ostensibly this is more about "when wildlife attacks," and we have included it in that theme for a Friday Frights day in the past. But it also qualifies as a killer plant movie as well. It's more like "when nature attacks." The killer plant in question?
That's right, so-called Spanish Moss. Which, as it turns out is not from Spain and it's not moss. A botanical trivia question: what is this plant's closest relative? Answer: The Pineapple. Like the pineapple, native to south Florida and the Caribbean, it is a bromeliad--meaning they get their moisture from the air--hence, they thrive in hot, humid places like Florida. (Pardon the botany lesson; my father was a forester in FLA for almost 30 years---couldn't even walk in the woods with him without learning the Latin names of trees....). And speaking of Florida, this movie was shot almost entirely in Eden Gardens State Park just outside Point Washington FLA on the northern gulf coast (I grew up on the Gulf coast--I'm biased!!). The old plantation house is part of the park.
A lot of people, mostly younger people, really don't like this movie because they find it boring. Now I was a tiny little one when this came out, but I have it from older relatives that, in it's day, it was a drive-in hoot--the thing to do on a date. It seems so tame by today's standards, but think about it's subject matter. That we are disrespecting nature, take money and privilege for granted and exploit things that are best left alone (yes---I'm worried and peeved about that ever increasing oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico). It has a pretty cool message and has to be one of the first movies to include and inter-racial couple in a prominent southern family. To each their own, of course; but I say give it half a chance. That's it for now. It's been real fun. I could easily get used to this blogging stuff!
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