Alligator (1980)

User Rating:

5.6/10   

Director:

Lewis Teague

Writers:

John Sayles (screenplay)
John Sayles (story) ...

Release Date:

2 July 1980 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Sci-Fi | Comedy

Tagline:

Beneath Those Manholes, A Man-Eater Is Waiting ...

Plot:

A giant alligator is on the loose in Chicago. Chicago? Yup, don't go down the sewers!

Plot Keywords:

Alligator | Sewer | Severed Arm | Beautiful Woman | Child Eaten

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Robert Forster	...	David
Robin Riker	...	Marisa
Michael V. Gazzo	...	Chief Clark (as Michael Gazzo)
Dean Jagger	...	Slade
Sydney Lassick	...	Gutchel (as Sidney Lassick)
Jack Carter	...	Mayor
Perry Lang	...	Kelly
Henry Silva	...	Brock
Bart Braverman	...	Kemp
John Lisbon Wood	...	Mad Bomber
James Ingersoll	...	Helms
Robert Doyle	...	Bill
Patti Jerome	...	Madeline
Angel Tompkins	...	Newswoman
Sue Lyon	...	ABC Newswoman

Runtime:

91 min | Argentina:92 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:16 | Netherlands:16 | South Korea:12 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Netherlands:12 | Norway:15 | Norway:16 (original rating) | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Iceland:12

Company:

Alligator Inc.

Trivia:

Graffiti on a wall in a sewer at the end of the film reads "Harry Lime Lives," a reference to the character from The Third Man (1949) who is chased through the sewer system of Vienna in that film.

Goofs:

Miscellaneous: Sue Lyon is incorrectly credited as "ABC Newswoman". In fact, her character appears to be working for NBC. The microphone she uses during an interview is clearly marked with the NBC 'N' and peacock logos.

Movie Connections:

Edited into 42nd Street Forever, Volume 3: Exploitation Explosion (2008) (V)

Later, Gator... ;=8)

Ahhh, one of the classic 80's Guilty Pleasure flicks, right up there with "Humanoids From the Deep", and "C.H.U.D.". Ramon, the cute little baby gator who gets flushed into the sewers of Chi-town eats some dead dogs on super-steroids, and becomes a giant, ravenous walking handbag with teeth. Chicago is terrorized, and only a handful of veteran B-moovie actors can save the day! Robert Forster("The Black Hole", "Delta Force", "Satan's Princess") is our balding, square-jawed hero; Robin Riker("Buffy the Vampire Slayer" tv series, "Dead Badge")plays the snuggly herpatologist; Henry Silva("Chained Heat", "Megaforce", "Amazon Women on the Moon") plays a surly big-game hunter; Michael Gazzo("The Godfather II", "Sudden Impact") is the over-worked police chief; Dean Jagger("Twelve O'Clock High", "X: The Unknown", "Game of Death")is the evil corporate bigwig who gets smooshed in his own limo; Sydney Lassick("One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest", "Shakes the Clown", "Fast Walking")is a twisted pooch purveyor who gets pulverized. In fact, LOTS of people get chomped, stomped, and crushed by the mad gator, but it's all done with wit and enough sense not to take its self too seriously. Udders cowplain that "Alligator" is merely anudder "Jaws" rip-off, but fail to appreciate the film's tongue-in-cheek humor & fun. Penultimate scene of the hungry gator running amok at a garden party is an all-time classic! Cud have been really stupid, but the film benefits from a smart script by John Sayles(w. "The Howling", "Matewan", "Eight Men Out"), and solid direction by Lewis Teague(d."The Lady in Red", "Cujo", "Navy SEALS"). Pretty good fx further cowplimant the moovie. Not a perfect film, by any means, but a great choice to pop in on a dull Saturday night with a greasy pizza & some moo juice! Stop flushing those baby gators down the john!! The MooCow says rent "Alligator" today! ;=8)