Endangered Species (1982)

Director:

Alan Rudolph

Writers:

Judson Klinger (story) &
Richard Clayton Woods (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

10 September 1982 (USA)

Genre:

Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

What you don't know can kill you.

Plot:

About a retired New York cop on Vacation in America's West who is drawn into a female sheriff's investigation of a mysterious series of cattle killings.

Plot Keywords:

Toothbrush | Biological Weapon | Scientist | Sheriff | Small Town

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Robert Urich	...	Ruben Castle
JoBeth Williams	...	Harriet Purdue
Paul Dooley	...	Joe Hiatt
Hoyt Axton	...	Ben Morgan
Peter Coyote	...	Steele
Marin Kanter	...	Mackenzie Castle
Gailard Sartain	...	Mayor
Dan Hedaya	...	Peck
Harry Carey Jr.	...	Dr. Emmer
John Considine	...	Burnside
Margery Bond	...	Judy Hiatt
Joseph G. Medalis	...	Lawyer
Patrick Houser	...	Chester
Alvin Crow	...	Deputy Wayne
Ned Dowd	...	Deputy Bobby
Kent Rizley	...	Deputy Ray
Heather Menzies	...	Susan
Michelle Davison	...	Mrs. Haskins
Henry G. Sanders	...	Dr. Ross
Vernon Weddle	...	Varney
John Perry Barlow	...	Mercenary
Mark Carlton	...	Mercenary
Darrell Fetty	...	Mercenary
Steve Tannen	...	Mercenary
Fred Lerner	...	Mercenary
Billie Kirkland	...	Mercenary
Bruce Paul Barbour	...	Skinhead
Greg Wayne Elam	...	Skinhead (as Greg Elam)
Steve Bassett	...	Vosburgh
David S. Cass Sr.	...	Wes
George Fisher	...	Chuck
John Binder	...	Hollywood Producer
Joyce Rudolph	...	Lady Bartender
Tracy Smith	...	Male Assistant
Ellen Flitner	...	Janet Hiatt
Bill Moseley	...	Cab Driver
Richard Jury	...	Carl
Raymond Dixion	...	Bureaucrat
Gail Glover	...	Female Clerk
Pat Mahoney	...	Chairman
Connie Camino	...	Morgan's Secretary
Bernie Welch	...	Army General
Olive Joyce Lee	...	Cleaning Woman
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Zalman King	...	Hollywood Producer

Directed by
Alan Rudolph

Writing credits
Judson Klinger		(story) &
Richard Clayton Woods		(story)
Alan Rudolph		(writer) &
John Binder		(writer)

Produced by
Zalman King	....	executive producer
Carolyn Pfeiffer	....	producer
Ken Swor	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Gary Wright

Cinematography by
Paul Lohmann

Film Editing by
Tom Walls

Casting by
Jane Feinberg
Mike Fenton

Production Design by
Trevor Williams

Set Decoration by
R. Chris Westlund

Costume Design by
Betsy Cox

Makeup Department
Susan Germaine	....	hair stylist
Monty Westmore	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Robert Rooy	....	assistant unit production manager
Ken Swor	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Andy Anderson	....	second assistant director
James Ragan	....	first assistant director
Robert Rooy	....	second assistant director
Conrad E. Palmisano	....	second unit director (uncredited)

Art Department
Terry L. Adams	....	property master
Stephen Altman	....	property master
Eric Orbom	....	set designer

Sound Department
Nicholas James	....	supervising dialogue editor
Brian L. McCarty	....	boom operator
Ray O'Reilly	....	sound re-recording mixer
M. Curtis Price	....	sound re-recording mixer
Paul A. Sharpe	....	sound re-recording mixer
James M. Tanenbaum	....	sound mixer
Robert Waxman	....	sound effects editor (as Bob Waxman)
Duncan McEwan	....	sound recordist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
John Burke	....	special effects (as Jonnie Burke)
Steve Galich	....	special effects

Stunts
Kerrie Cullen	....	stunts
Greg Wayne Elam	....	stunt coordinator (as Greg Elam)
Conrad E. Palmisano	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Sidney Ray Baldwin	....	still photographer
Jan Kiesser	....	additional photographer
J. Michael Marlett	....	gaffer
Robert D. McBride	....	camera operator
Marcia Reed	....	still photographer
Kenny Schneider	....	lighting technician
Timothy E. Wade	....	camera operator

Casting Department
Marci Liroff	....	additional casting

Editorial Department
Dody Dorn	....	assistant film editor
Dennis McNeill	....	color timer

Other crew
Luca Kouimelis	....	script supervisor
David Massar	....	location manager: New York
Tommy Rodman	....	helicopter pilot
Steven Jay Rubin	....	unit publicist

Production Companies

• Alive Enterprises
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1982) (USA) (theatrical)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1996) (USA) (VHS)
• Vídeo Arte (Brazil) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Digital Multimedia Limited (DML)  graphic effects
• Inter Video  24 frame video playback
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)  titles and opticals
• Paramedical Inc.  laser equipment

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Australia:R | Finland:K-16 | Norway:15 | Norway:16 (video rental version) | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Colorado, USA

Company:

Alive Enterprises

Trivia:

The character Susan is played by Heather Menzies, co-star Robert Urich's off-screen wife. Menzies is best known as Louisa, one of the children in The Sound of Music (1965).

Soundtrack:

BOOZERS ARE LOOSERS

So-so movie about cattle mutilations

This used to play on WTBS. It's nice to have a movie set in ranch country about ranching. Unfortunately, this movie goes downhill from there. It is pretty far-fetched and unlikely, and you might not even catch the point of it. If there are the evil trucks going down the road, why don't the locals know who they belong to and what they're hauling? The acting is okay. I Remember Peter Coyote as being a deputy involved with Urich's daughter, but it's been a while since I've seen this movie. I have read in The Edge of Evil (Word Publishing, 1989) by Jerry Johnston that some cattle mutilations really are caused by organized Satan worshipers using high-tech equipment. Naturally I remembered this movie when I read that. You have to just enjoy this movie and not use your brain too much.