Of Unknown Origin (1983)

Director:

George P. Cosmatos

Writers:

Chauncey G. Parker III (novel)
Brian Taggert (screenplay)

Release Date:

24 November 1983 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

The terrifying last word in home invasion from the director of "Tombstone" and "Cobra."

Plot:

A man who recently completed rebuilding a townhouse becomes obsessed with a rat infestation until it becomes an interspecies duel.

Plot Keywords:

Rat | House | New York | Animal Attack | Mouse Trap

Awards:

2 wins

Cast

Peter Weller	...	Bart Hughes
Jennifer Dale	...	Lorrie Wells
Lawrence Dane	...	Eliot Riverton
Kenneth Welsh	...	James Hall
Louis Del Grande	...	Clete
Shannon Tweed	...	Meg Hughes
Keith Knight	...	Hardware Salesman
Maury Chaykin	...	Dan Errol
Leif Anderson	...	Peter Hughes
Jimmy Tapp	...	Meg's Father
Gayle Garfinkle	...	Janis Wycoff
Earl Pennington	...	Mr. Thompson
Jacklin Webb	...	Newspaper Vendor
Bronwen Mantel	...	Florence Riverton
Monik Nantel	...	Secretary
Aimée Castle	...	Birthday Party Child (as Aimee Castle)
Jesse Grasis	...	Birthday Party Child
Tara O'Donnell	...	Birthday Party Child
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Amber T. Chase	...	Dan Errol's Wife (uncredited)

Directed by
George P. Cosmatos

Writing credits
Chauncey G. Parker III		(novel "The Visitor")
Brian Taggert		(screenplay)

Produced by
Pierre David	....	executive producer
Claude Héroux	....	producer

Original Music by
Kenneth Wannberg		(as Ken Wannberg)

Cinematography by
René Verzier

Film Editing by
Roberto Silvi
Hubert de La Bouillerie		(uncredited)

Casting by
Deirdre Bowen
Ginette D'Amico

Production Design by
Anne Pritchard

Art Direction by
Rose Marie McSherry		(as Rosemarie McSherry)

Set Decoration by
Serge Bureau

Costume Design by
Paul-André Guérin

Makeup Department
Michèle Dion	....	makeup artist
Chantal Ethier	....	makeup artist
Martin Ménard	....	hair stylist
Constant Natale	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Roger Héroux	....	production supervisor
François Ouimet	....	unit manager (as Francois Ouimet)
Bill Wiggins	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
John Fretz	....	first assistant director
Frank Ruszczynski	....	assistant director
Michael Sarao	....	assistant director

Art Department
Tina Boden	....	art department coordinator
Peter Borowski	....	sculptor (as Peter Borowsky)
Jacques Chamberland	....	property master
Tom Coulter	....	set dresser
Violette Daneau	....	set dresser
Michael Devine	....	construction crew
Frank DiGiacomo	....	construction crew
Peter Dowker	....	sculptor
Jean-Vincent Fournier	....	assistant set props (as Jean Vincent Fournier)
Denis Hamel	....	set dresser
Serge LaForest	....	construction crew
Larry Lamont	....	construction crew
P. Karen Langshaw	....	sculptor
Abraham Lee	....	set dresser
Jak Oliver	....	construction crew
Marc Rainville	....	construction crew
Barbara Shrier	....	set dresser
Jean-Baptiste Tard	....	set dresser (as Jean Baptiste Tard)
Harold Thrasher	....	construction coordinator
Maurice Tremblay	....	set dresser
Kathy Wolf	....	scenic artist (uncredited)

Sound Department
Peter Burgess	....	sound effects editor
Terry Burke	....	foley artist
Don Cohen	....	sound
Paul Coombe	....	sound re-recording mixer
Gary Daprato	....	assistant sound editor
Leslie Hodgson	....	supervising sound editor
Mike Hoogenboom	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Michael Hoogenboom)
Kerry Kohler	....	assistant sound editor
Dick Lewzey	....	sound recording engineer
Alban Streeter	....	dialogue editor (as Al Streeter)
Haydn Streeter	....	assistant sound editor
Eric Zimmer	....	boom operator

Special Effects by
Louis Craig	....	special effects
Stephan Dupuis	....	special effects makeup
Jacques Godbout	....	special effects

Stunts
Jean Lysight	....	stunts
Marie-Patricia St-Laurent	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Claude Alarie	....	best boy
Peter Benison	....	camera operator
Claude Brasseur	....	electrician
Marc Charlebois	....	electrician
Jean Courteau	....	electrician
Jean-Maurice de Ernsted	....	grip
Marc de Ernsted	....	key grip
Gilles Fortier	....	electrician
Jacques Fortier	....	gaffer
Denis Gingras	....	focus puller
Paul Gravel	....	focus puller
Serge Ladouceur	....	camera operator
Glen MacPherson	....	focus puller
Piroska Mihalka	....	still photographer
Patti Morein	....	loader
Christine Pelletier	....	loader
Jean-François Pouliot	....	loader (as Jean Francois Pouliot)
Jean Trudeau	....	electrician
René Verzier	....	camera operator (as Rene Verzier)
Normand Viau	....	electrician
Serge Ladouceur	....	director of photography: second unit (uncredited)

Casting Department
Rosina Bucci	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Laura Drew	....	wardrobe
Louise Gagne	....	wardrobe
Hazel Pethig	....	wardrobe (as Hazel Pethig-Cote)

Editorial Department
Chantal Bowen	....	assistant editor
Teresa De Luca	....	assistant editor

Music Department
David Franco	....	music supervisor
Albert Woodbury	....	orchestrator

Other crew
Mable Arial	....	assistant accountant
David Bailey	....	production assistant
France Boudreau	....	continuity
Geoff Bowie	....	production assistant
Maurice Boyer	....	production assistant
Michel Boyer	....	production assistant
Patricia Cahill	....	production secretary
Brian Campbell	....	production assistant
Richard Carriére	....	production assistant (as Richard Carriere)
Frank D'Amico	....	production assistant
Pierre David	....	presenter
Denise Di Novi	....	assistant to director
Robbie Ditchburn	....	production assistant (as Robert Ditchburn)
Bob Dunn	....	animal trainer (as Robert Dunn)
Linda Ekdahl	....	production assistant
Pierre Guevremont	....	production accountant
Paul Hotte	....	production assistant
Nicholas Koppen	....	production assistant
Nathalie Laporte	....	assistant accountant
Gilles Léonard	....	production accountant (as Gilles Leonard)
Marilyn Majerczyk	....	production assistant
Serge Major	....	administrator
Michel Martin	....	production assistant
Monik Nantel	....	assistant to executive producer
Lawrence Nesis	....	presenter
Pierre Tessier	....	production assistant
Bob Tschanz	....	animal handling supervisor

Production Companies

• Warner Bros.
• Canadian Film Development Corporation (CFDC) (with the participation of)
• Famous Players Limited (with the participation of)
• Les Productions Mutuelles Ltée

Distributors

• Warner Bros. (1983) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (1984) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (1995) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Living Colour Entertainment (2009) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2003) (Germany) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (1984) (UK) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (198?) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Warner Home Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Groupe Film Opticals
• Intrigue (special effects)

Other Companies

• Bob Ore International  wardrobe: Ms Shannon Tweed
• Business Week Magazine  our appreciation to
• Film House  mixing facilities
• Film Titles  titles
• Fortune Magazine  our appreciation to
• Groupe Film Opticals  opticals
• John Wiley & Sons  our appreciation to: "A Colour Atlas of the Rats" by R.J. Olds
• Money Magazine  our appreciation to
• Montreal Master Furrier  furs
• Moug  watches
• National Geographic  our appreciation to
• Paratel  publicity
• Pest Control Magazine  our appreciation to
• T. 'n T. Services  negative cutting
• Wall Street Journal  our appreciation to

Also Known As:

Runtime:

Sweden:89 min | USA:88 min

Country:

Canada | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:M | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R | Iceland:16 | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Montréal, Québec, Canada

Company:

Warner Bros.

Quotes:

Bart Hughes:Keep it up. Just keep it up. I've got friends in Jersey.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in WildCat (2007) (V)

I am adopting cats.....yesterday!

I give this one a ten. How? Well, if you love rats, you will hate me. Let me just start off by saying I have never written a public comment, so do be gentle. I am also rather desensitized to horror films. Salo, Irreversible, and others I am ashamed to mention, hardly phase me. I've seen other rat films. Older rat films, and new ones haven't bothered me. I had purchased this film with about 20 others, and it looked silly, was inexpensive, so why not? I find myself awake this morning at 4:30 am, and in need of mild entertainment. Here is where my horrific morning begins.

I am a 24 year old female, so to all you guys reading this, never show a woman this movie. Show her Cannibal Holocaust, not this. I slap in my DVD of this film, pull my covers back and wait for 90 minutes to pass. 10 minutes later I am screaming like a wild woman being attacked by the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. This movie is INSANE! I own 1000 horror movies, and I thought I had built up enough tolerance and desensitization to endure any form of human torture. Wrong! This is one evil, hideous, demon possessed rat. By the time an hour had passed I was clutching on to my baseball bat, and wouldn't you know? A shadow from my ceiling fan caused a sharp movement on the floor., and I was running down my hall in a terrified frenzy. It may be that girls like me just can't cope with a rat, but it might just be that this movie is hell bent on preying on everyone's natural dislike for these foul little beasts. I sat and hoped that WHAT I KNEW WOULD HAPPEN…would not. It did. I was so happy when this movie was over, but ever happier I gave it a chance. It is rare I feel fear, and this was a great reminder. It isn't Citizen Kane, sure, but it is more entertaining. It is my worst fear, realized. Except for that whole broom in girlie prison thing. I digress.

I know you guys are tough! I know you ARE THE MAN! BUT! If you can make it through this movie without jumping in your seat, well, you should join the Navy Seals. Or better yet….you would make a great executioner. This is a nerve wrecking modern spin on MAN VS. MONSTER. No kidding!

This movie gets a ten from me. After sitting through 1000 movies that people say are scary, I find this fabulous little gem, and come to realize just why I love horror. This is horror. Nobody gets tortured, raped, or beheaded. That is fine, considering how brilliantly the film makers took a simple fear and found a way to torture the audience, and not one lesbian bimbo vampire was skinned alive. I was impressed.

I wish I was so well versed and I could give you the most complex analysis of the technical specifics. I am not. Peter did a great job in being convincing, and some of the camera work is great I think. The camera often acts as the eyes of this evil monstrosity. The mans wife in this movie is really pretty, and you see her boobs. So, you guys might like that if nothing else. I think the film was very well done, and most effective at making it's point. I would tell you all about the shocks, but that would ruin them for you. Some must be seen to be believed.

I'm a girlie girl, sure. I bet you can't make it through this movie, in the dark, without your baseball bat either. If you are on the fence and wondering if you want to give it go, do it. But, remember, it can bring out your feminine side. Isn't that the definition of scary for you boys?

Either way, for my own sanity,I am adopting a cat today.