Top of the Food Chain (1999)

User Rating:

6.0/10   

Director:

John Paizs

Writers:

Phil Bedard (written by)
Larry Lalonde (written by)

Release Date:

10 March 2000 (Canada)

Genre:

Comedy | Horror | Sci-Fi

Plot:

Something is eating the residents of Exceptional Vista!

Plot Keywords:

Scientist | Gay Slur | Traveling Salesman | Cult Favorite | Dancing

Awards:

6 nominations

Cast

Robert Bockstael	...	Jan Bathgate
Lorry Ayers	...	Pat aka Saris
Ron Gabriel	...	Leslie Binkley, General Store
Bernard Behrens	...	Mayor Claire, Exceptional Vista
James Allodi	...	Deputy Dana
Peter Donaldson	...	Kim Hickey
Fiona Loewi	...	Sandy Fawkes, Motel Owner
Campbell Scott	...	Dr. Karel Lamonte, Atomic Scientist
Maggie Butterfield	...	Mrs. Shelley Bathgate
Hardee T. Lineham	...	Officer Gayle
Tom Everett Scott	...	Guy Fawkes, Sandy's Bro
Nigel Bennett	...	Michel O'Shea
Elisa Moolecherry	...	Chris Marlowe
Kathryn Kirkpatrick	...	Abby the Witch
Steve Lucescu	...	Creature #1

Also Known As:

Invasion (USA) (DVD title)
Invasion! (USA) (DVD box title)
Welcome to Exceptional Vista (Europe)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for gore and sex-related material.

Runtime:

99 min | Germany:86 min (TV version)

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

France:U | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Caledon, Ontario, Canada

Company:

Bedard/Lalonde Amusements

Trivia:

The trophy fish Sandy takes off the wall to defend herself is a coelocanth. Coelocanths were thought to be extinct until one was caught in the 1930s.

Quotes:

Chris Marlowe: I'm a travelling salesperson. I sell banjos.

making fun of the sci-fi movies of the 50s

'Top of the food chain' is a parody of the science fiction movies of the 50s which preceded the horror stories a few decades before Polanski and the gang turned horror into a genre that cannot be ignored. It makes clear from the beginning that it is not to be taken too seriously, and keeps all over an air of freshness and authenticity, avoiding any computerized special effects. It looks like a film of the 50s with a smile, the only real big miss, but a big one is the lack of a more effective humor. Gags like the ones in this film seem too innocent to viewers have seen the heavier parody stuff of the last years. The team of anonymous actors does a decent job, among them best was in my opinion Fiona Loewi who really catches the attention and deserves some better or broader distributed roles.