The Pest (1997)

A Miami con man agrees to be the human target for a Neo-Nazi manhunter, in order to collect $50,000 if he survives.

Director:

Paul Miller

Writers:

David Bar Katz (story), John Leguizamo (story),

Stars:

John Leguizamo, Jeffrey Jones, Freddy Rodríguez

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
John Leguizamo	...	Pestario 'Pest' Vargas
Jeffrey Jones	...	Gustav Shank
Freddy Rodríguez	...	Ninja (as Freddy Rodriguez)
Pat Skipper	...	Glen Livitt
Edoardo Ballerini	...	Himmel Shank
Joe Morton	...	Mr. Kent
Tammy Townsend	...	Xantha Kent
Aries Spears	...	Chubby
Charles Hallahan	...	Angus
Tom McCleister	...	Leo
Ivonne Coll	...	Gladyz
Jorge Luis Abreu	...	Piercer
Jennifer Broughton	...	Bank Employee
Yau-Gene Chan	...	Cook (as Yau Gene Chan)
Judyann Elder	...	Mrs. Kent

Storyline

Miami scam artist Pest Vargas is on the run from the Scottish mob and a German headhunter, the mob after 50,000 dollars, the German guy after his head. Pest dons many disguises in an attempt to evade their clutches.

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Plot Keywords:

german | neo nazi | disguise | scam | boyfriend girlfriend relationship | 

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Taglines:

What kind of freakazoid would let someone hunt him just to collect $50,000? Next question.

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Genres:

Comedy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for crude sexual, scatalogical and ethnic humor

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 February 1997 (USA)

Also Known As:

Jagd auf das Chamäleon

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$17,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$1,817,278 (USA) (7 February 1997)

Gross:

$3,506,206 (USA) (21 March 1997)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Bubble Factory, The, TriStar Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

84 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The song that Pest sings during the opening sequence is an adaptation of "Rapper's Delight" by the Sugar Hill Gang.

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Goofs

When Himmel throws up on the Pest's face, it's covered with vomit. He turns away and then turns back with a perfectly clean face.

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Quotes

Angus: Today is Monday. I want all the money you owe me by Wednesday or I'm going to kill your whole family.
Pest: How 'bout Thursday and you just take out a cousin?

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Connections

Spoofs Star Trek (1966)

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Soundtracks

"Paris Techno"
Written and Produced by Dick Rudolph (as Richard Rudolph) and Michael Sembello
Performed by Not Picasso

User Reviews

When the best of the worst is the best

What can I say about this film. Well I'd no intention of watching it when I did, before then I'd never heard of it, but sure enough on a bus trip in Eastern Europe I was going to take in the whole film.

Well there we were, myself, my wife and two other travel buds on a bus from Plovdiv to Veliko Tarnovo in Bulgaria. It was a route I knew well, crappy road windy hills. Not a nice journey to experience whilst still in the depths of a Mastika hangover. Still these things have to be done.

Any how this film just came up on our journey, and with a hangover it really was the funniest film I'd ever seen, although trying to watch it whilst trying not to be sick was something of a challenge. It had not helped that after a short pit stop on the way we got back on the bus last and had ended up on the worst seats, the one's at the back. So I might well just have been on a ferry crossing in rough seas. Going green doesn't't even describe it.

Any back to the film, well this stupid idiotic film came on, and bizarrely enough it was excellent. Totally carried by the sharp intensity of lead actor, yes that guy that also did the voice over for the Ice Age Sloth. I felt like I was watching Jim Carrey before Jim Carriey's time. Only this guy John Leguizamo seemed to have even more energy.

Needless to say I was constantly in stitches followed by the need for deep breaths and focus to overcome the nasty green spells.

After a night on the sauce or during, I'd highly recommend this film.

Certainly a departure from the main.