Croaked: Frog Monster from Hell

Croaked: Frog Monster from Hell
DVD cover for 'Croaked: Frog Monster from Hell'
Directed by	Bill Rebane
Written by	Lyoma Denetz Jerry Gregoris Mike Landers
Produced by	Jerry Gregoris Bill Rebane
Starring	Karen McDiarmid Alan Ross Brad Ellingson Jerry Gregoris Glenn Scherer
Cinematography	Bela St. Jon
Edited by	Bill Rebane
Music by	Bruce Malm
Distributed by	Troma Entertainment
Release date	1981 (1981)
Running time	93 minutes (Original Burbank VHS runtime)
Language	English

Croaked: Frog Monster from Hell (also known as Rana: The Legend of Shadow Lake) is a 1981 American monster movie directed by Bill Rebane. The plot of Croaked involves a group of loggers terrorized by a vicious half-man/half-frog creature. The film was distributed by Troma Entertainment.

In his book All I Need to Know About Filmmaking I Learned from The Toxic Avenger, Troma president Lloyd Kaufman lists this film as one of the five worst Troma films ever made (along with The Capture of Bigfoot, also directed by Bill Rebane).

Plot

The story begins when a substantial fortune in gold coins and treasure is discovered at the bottom of Shadow Lake, a remote body of water nestled deep in the Wisconsin wilderness. Word of the discovery quickly spreads, attracting a diverse group of treasure hunters, divers, and local loggers who see an opportunity to strike it rich. However, the lake harbors a dark secret that dates back decades.

Years earlier, illegal dumping of toxic industrial waste into Shadow Lake's pristine waters created an environmental disaster that went largely unnoticed by authorities. The chemical contamination had a devastating effect on the local ecosystem, particularly on the lake's amphibian population. One unfortunate victim of this pollution was a local man who, after prolonged exposure to the toxic waters, underwent a horrifying transformation into a grotesque half-man, half-frog creature known as Rana.

Now a monstrous guardian of the lake's depths, Rana has been protecting the sunken treasure for years, viewing it as part of his underwater domain. The creature has grown increasingly territorial and aggressive, developing an insatiable hunger for human flesh while maintaining just enough intelligence from its human origins to be a cunning predator.

When the treasure hunting expedition arrives at Shadow Lake, they are led by the experienced Kelly Sr. (Glenn Scherer), a grizzled veteran of various get-rich-quick schemes, and his eager but naive son Kelly Jr. (Brad Ellingson), who sees this as their chance to finally make their fortune. The group also includes Elli (Karen McDiarmid), a strong-willed woman who serves as both a voice of reason and a skilled diver; John (Alan Ross), a professional treasure hunter with questionable ethics; Charlie (Jerry Gregoris), a local logger familiar with the area's geography; and several other fortune seekers, each with their own motivations for being there.

Initially, the diving operations proceed smoothly, with the team successfully retrieving some of the treasure from the lake bottom. However, their activities disturb Rana's domain, awakening the creature's protective instincts. The first attacks are subtle – equipment malfunctions, mysterious disappearances of divers who venture too deep, and strange sounds emanating from the water at night.

As the creature's presence becomes more apparent, the group dismisses early warning signs, attributing them to equipment failures or accidents. It isn't until Rana begins launching direct assaults on the camp that the true horror of their situation becomes clear. The monster proves to be remarkably intelligent, using the lake's murky waters and the surrounding dense forest to its advantage, striking from multiple directions and retreating before the humans can mount an effective defense.

The creature's attacks become increasingly bold and brutal. Rana demonstrates superhuman strength, razor-sharp claws, and the ability to remain submerged for extended periods while stalking its prey. The beast can move with surprising speed both in water and on land, making it nearly impossible for the treasure hunters to predict where the next attack will come from.

As the body count rises and panic sets in, the group fractures under pressure. Some members want to abandon the treasure and flee immediately, while others, blinded by greed, insist on continuing the operation despite the mounting casualties. Kelly Sr. becomes obsessed with the treasure, seeing it as his last chance at financial security, while Kelly Jr. begins to question his father's judgment and grows closer to Elli, who advocates for immediate evacuation.

The survivors must overcome their personal conflicts and work together to devise a strategy for dealing with Rana. They attempt various methods to either kill or drive away the creature, including explosives, firearms, and attempts to poison the water. However, Rana's mutations have made it nearly indestructible, and each failed attempt only serves to enrage the beast further.

In the climactic confrontation, the remaining treasure hunters make a desperate last stand against Rana. Using their knowledge of the local terrain and the creature's behavioral patterns, they attempt to lure it into a trap while simultaneously trying to escape the lake with whatever treasure they can carry. The final battle takes place both in the treacherous waters of Shadow Lake and on its muddy shores, with the survivors fighting not just for the treasure, but for their very lives against a monster that represents nature's revenge against human greed and environmental destruction.

Cast

• Paul Callaway and Richard Lange as Rana
• Glenn Scherer as Kelly Sr.
• Brad Ellingson as Kelly Jr.
• Karen McDiarmid as Elli
• Alan Ross as John
• Julie Wheaton as Susan
• Jerry Gregoris as Charlie
• Jim Iaquinta as Burley, Rana
• Bruno Alexander as Cal
• Michael Skewes as Mike
• Doreen Moze as Chris
• Angailica as Baby Rana (as Angel Rebane)

Release

Home Media

The film was released on VHS in 1991 by Burbank. It was released for the first time on DVD by BCI, in a 3-disk multi feature set on August 24, 2004. BCI would re-release the film as a part of a 10-disk multi feature collection on October 5, 2005.

Reception

John Noonan from HorrorNews.net wrote, "By all accounts this should be a fun and frivolous massacred by Mother Nature genre of movie. Instead, even at an 86 minute running time, it feels like Croaked is charging through treacle towards a wholly unsurprising and unsatisfying ending."

Trivia

Lead actress Karen McDiarmid went on to become the spokesperson for the ShopKo chain of discount department stores. She appeared in television ads for the retailer from 1976 to 1996, as is better known to the public as the "ShopKo Lady."

External links

• Rana: The Legend of Shadow Lake at IMDb
• Croaked: Frog Monster from Hell at Rotten Tomatoes