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Of Unknown Origin (1983) More at IMDbPro »
7 out of 7 people found the following comment useful :-
Peter Weller's almost one man show, 2 April 2006
Author: Vampenguin from Canada
Though I don't really consider it a horror film, if you are one of many who happens to be afraid of rodents this film will terrify you. Hell, even you you don't mind rodents it might freak you out a bit. Peter Weller is always a great actor, and he stars in this film as Bart, a man who wages an all out war with one hell of an angry rat while the rest of his life begins to fall apart because of it. He is the only leading actor in this film, and he carries it almost completely on his own. His dinner table speech about the dangers of rats was both hilarious and a bit unnerving at the same time. I liked how this film was almost self-mocking in parts, though it always kept a straight face about it and never went to far. The rat's point of view shots really show this. The scenes with the rat were all very well done, congrats to whoever trained the rat. The plot was very original, and I liked how smart the rat was. Always a couple steps ahead of poor ol' Bart. I think I jumped a foot when the damn thing came out of the toilet. Last but not least, that was one heck of a bat he made near the end! Overall, this is a great film. Admittedly it's a bit cheesy in places, but it knows what it is and handles itself very well. Highly recommended.
8.5/10
10 out of 13 people found the following comment useful :-
One of my all time favorites!, 7 January 2004
Author: yossarian100 from usa
Of Unknown Origin is an overlooked gem of a little movie. Not really a horror film, except that something does indeed go bump in the night, and often too. No, this is more of a psychological drama and Peter Weller bangs one out of the park with his performance as the yuppie forced to go to war with a rat. The movie gets down right primitive and to the point, and it's all Peter Weller and some excellent rat photography. I watch this movie about once a year and it's one of my all time favorites. The film isn't dated and the dvd transfer is good so check it out if you're looking for something a little different, something of quality, and not your normal run of the mill mindless horror flick.
5 out of 5 people found the following comment useful :-
Humour and irony make it good, 26 February 1999
Author: Victor Mkrtumov from Moscow, Russia
Frankly, I was surprised to know that this movie was directed by George Cosmatos, the creator of such action films as Rambo-2 and Cobra. `Of Unknown Origin' is an absolutely different one. I found it interesting and amusing. It has everything that every good horror film should have – the spirit of suspense. Of course, Peter Weller acts very convincing. I think the movie wouldn't have its strange and surrealistic atmosphere without his talent of acting. The most remarkable episodes include one with Weller talking about the problem of rats in the US during the dinner with his boss. But as a whole I would say that what makes `Of Unknown Origin' a good movie is humour and irony, which one can easily trace from the beginning till the end. I would recommend this film for those who like horror movies not only because of special effects.
6 out of 7 people found the following comment useful :-
Unusual Thriller with a sharp performance by Weller., 9 August 2005
Author: Lucien Lessard from Canada
Wall Street Executive Burt Hughes (Peter Weller) recently bought a sleek Mathattan brown house for his family and thinking that he is the king of his household. Suddenly his castle is under siege by a huge female rat. Bart takes a stand against the rat, after Bart accidentally killed the rat's babies.
Directed by George P. Cosmatos (Rambo:First Blood Part 2, Cobra, Tombstone) made a clever, technically well made thriller that has it shares of unintentional humor. The film has become a Cult Classic over the years, it is obviously One of the Best Rats films ever made. Weller is surprisingly convincing as the Wall Street Executive going though a nervous breakdown. The film takes place in New York City but it was actually filmed in Montréal. Actor:Weller and Director:Cosmatos work together again in the underrated but familiar science-fiction/horror/thriller "Leviathan".
DVD has an clean anamorphic Widescreen (1.78:1) transfer and an good-Dolby Digital 1.0 Mono Sound. The DVD does feature an entertaining commentary track by the actor:Weller and Director:Cosmatos. Although you can tell, they were not in the same recording session during the commentary but they put the highlights comments by Weller and Cosmatos. DVD also has the original theatrical trailer. This is Based on a Book by Chauncey G. Parker the Third, the book is titled "The Visitor". Screenplay by Brian Taggert (Poltergiest 3). Executive Produced by Pierre David (The Scanner Series). (****/*****).
3 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :-
A potent and gripping horror film allegory on the fine line between man and beast, 27 December 2006
Author: Woodyanders (Woodyanders@aol.com) from The Last New Jersey Drive-In on the Left
*** This comment may contain spoilers ***
Smug, anal, successful and ambitious detail-oriented Wall Street yuppie businessman Bart Hughes (exceptionally well played by Peter Weller in his first lead role) has his cozy and comfortable life thrown out of whack when a large and crafty rat invades his fancy brownstone apartment. When conventional methods of extermination prove fruitless, the increasingly primal, obsessive and paranoid Bart resorts to more drastic vicious and barbarous measures in order to rid himself of this loathsome pest.
Director George P. Cosmatos, who also helmed the Sly Stallone action vehicles "Rambo: First Blood Part II" and "Cobra," wrings plenty of tension out of the creepy premise, expertly maintains a snappy pace throughout and stages the ample jolting shocks with a considerable amount of flair and skill. Moreover, the smart and trenchant script by Brian Taggert offers a potent, gripping and provocative allegory on "civilized" man's latent capacity for extreme violence and brutality needing the proper stimulus to be activated (the incredible conclusion with Weller chasing the rodent around his posh abode while brandishing a spiked baseball bat is both disturbing and exciting in comparable measure). Weller's outstanding intense performance easily carries the picture, with fine supporting turns by Jennifer Dale as Weller's concerned secretary, Lawrence Dane as Weller's tough, but fair and equally worried boss, Louis Del Grande as the macho building superintendent, gorgeous "Playboy" Playmate Shannon Tweed as Weller's hot babe wife, and Maury Chaykin as a jerky co-worker. Rene Verzier's beautifully polished cinematography and Ken Wannberg's supremely spooky'n'shivery score are both on the money effective and impressive. The rat is one genuinely scary and nasty piece of repulsive work. A total powerhouse.
4 out of 5 people found the following comment useful :-
Imperfect, but effective little thriller, 2 October 2006
Author: The_Void from Beverley Hills, England
The premise of this film isn't exactly original, but a story like this has great potential both for a psychological thriller and for a fun horror flick...but unfortunately, Or Unknown Origin doesn't quite manage to excel at being either. The focus is more on the battle between man and rat than providing the sort of schlocky horror that the eighties produced so prolifically, which is fine; but it never probes too deep into the psyche of the central character, and the film plays out like a movie that should be fun, but largely isn't. That's not to say that it's a bad film, however, as there are a lot of good ideas on display, and the film also features what may be a career best performance from Peter Weller. The plot sees a man who recently completed the rebuilding of a house being left alone when his wife and child go on holiday. He stays behind to try and win a promotion, but he doesn't count on an onslaught of torture when it turns out that the house he put together has become infested by a rat. What follows is an all out war between man and one of the world's most notorious pests.
Rats are one of horror cinema's most popular animals, and it's not hard to see why. There is a scene in this film that sees the central character make a case against rats, and it really makes you realise the reason why these animals are so often feared. Of Unknown Origin starts out slowly, but builds some momentum half way through when our hero begins his personal war against nature. I wasn't expecting much after the first half hour, but the film surprised me somewhat by the way it eventually comes together, climaxing with an exciting sequence that sees the central character really go off the rails. Peter Weller really is superb in the lead role, and I wouldn't be surprised if this film was the reason he went on to take the lead role in the classic Sci-Fi thriller 'Robocop'. It's a shame that director George P. Cosmatos doesn't seem too keen to get fully inside the character's head, as the potential for a great psychological thriller is definitely there. This film may have been better if it was handled by someone like David Lynch, but despite its imperfections; Of Unknown Origin is still worth seeing.
4 out of 5 people found the following comment useful :-
The Rodent Jaws, 12 July 2006
Author: dmacpherson12-1 from Toronto, Canada
Peter Weller anchors a cast of Canadian actors in this entertaining low budget thriller directed by George Cosmatos. Plenty of action and a good through line of how an obsessively detailed individual would battle a threat to his environment. Louis "Seeing Things" Del Grande is very good as the helpful janitor next door to Weller's yuppie palace. Features rising Canadian actors Kenneth Welsh, Jennifer Dale and a slimmer Maury Chaykin. The Canadian Tax Credit system helped put this film in Montreal, doubling as New York. With little to work with in terms of sets and exteriors, Cosmatos shows his chops as a director who tries to make each shot pay off in a particular way. The overhead shot of Weller looking out over the "human" rat race crossing the street draws an interesting parallel with the main story. More than a couple of 'homages' to Jaws, which Cosmatos admits was one of his favourite movies.A bit repetitive at times but better than 'Willard'. Worth a look.
4 out of 5 people found the following comment useful :-
Three words: spiked baseball bat, 4 June 2000
Author: Calista Lambsworth (Hotbody) from Washington, DC
Take a "B" movie idea and put it together with clever cinematography, good acting and a reasonable budget, and you will have one of the finest movies of this genre ever made. Peter Weller basically does a one man job on this movie. I have a new found respect for him after this. In this move he plays a straight arrow guy, generally normal, likes to research before making a move. A pretty normal guy however, in this movie we get to enjoy the breakdown of his being while he has to come to terms with the forces of nature (or the Super Natural or Xeno Nature). For everyone who has ever gotten frustrated by a hellish problem or works in a job that should have more cathartic releases, see this movie!
5 out of 7 people found the following comment useful :-
Classic of its kind, 4 August 2003
Author: ctomvelu from usa
A horror spoof classic, thanks to an incredible performance by Peter Weller as a New York executive being driven to the brink of madness. His battle with a supersized, quick-thinking rat is almost incidental to what is going with him throughout the film. The battle between man and rat at the end is predictable but delicious in its ferocity, and the scene where Weller gears up to do battle is the most memorable moment in a movie full of memorable moments -- including one where he almost loses his hand!
2 out of 2 people found the following comment useful :-
Not to be Underestimated!, 4 October 2006
Author: Nick Dets from US
This movie is about a large, smart rat threatening to undermine everything a worldly wall street climber (Peter Weller) has worked to create for his world. The movie is like it's clever rat...creeping up with more intelligence than should be expected.
Great movies work equally on separate levels so that a wide audience can take what they will from it and still enjoy it immensely. Although technically a B-movie punctuated by 80's camp, it is unmistakable that "Of Unknown Origin" is truly special.
It's unfortunate that this movie has enough unattractive elements to deter a viewer's interest. First of all, it's a "rat movie". When has that ever been a favorable genre? Second of all, Shannon Tweed's involvement, however early in her career, emits an odor of genericness and illegitimacy.
Don't be turned off by all these potentially fatal bad traits. Director George P. Cosomotos and Peter Weller had an interesting, artful collaboration going on in "Of Unknown Origin". The film has a tight focus on theme and story, and goofy, highly entertaining, cult-status-worthy performance bits from Weller. It's a fun film- there's no doubt about that. There may be cheese, but there's also sincerity in how the film refuses to take itself seriously. Also, the familiar moral of the story is shown in so fresh a form that you won't even care.
For a story that works so well on an intellectual level, it's a blessing that the actual rat combat scenes are a great time. As Weller's lost yuppie starts to lose his sanity, his battles with his furry foe become more and more extravagant. Let's just say the conclusion is incredible.
The title refers to the clouded evolution of rats. It also speaks of the burning, unavoidable core of our hearts that is pure and determined to defeat our dark sides. Our consciences? Our God? Or is it just a fear of a big friggin' rat? Ponder that if you'd like, but enjoy "Of Uknown Origin" regardless.
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