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 | Cult Favorite | Perversion | Playing With Food | Spoof

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:

Dr. Karel Lamonte, Atomic Scientist: Officer Gayle, how soon can you get that autopsy report?
Officer Gayle: Depends.
Dr. Karel Lamonte, Atomic Scientist: Good!

If the gang from "Airplane" tackled a sci-fi alien invasion movie....

This movie (AKA, "Invasion!") is to me, what a sci-fi alien invasion movie would be like if it were handled by the folks that did "Airplane". The small town of Exceptional Vista, virtually a ghost town since the Nut Factory closed down, is target for an invasion of some kind of slimy aliens that want to farm earthlings for food. Along comes atomic scientist Campbell Scott, about the same time that the town is beset by traveling sales persons (one of whom sells banjos) and the fun begins. Some of the humor in this travels pretty fast so you have to be paying attention, and some of the humor is derived from Scott intentionally mangling his lines and using words that are merely close to what they should be. Most hilarious is the identification by the mayor of one citizen who is unrecognizable except for his boxer shorts with the "easy open" trap door....of course the mayor elaborates on how he knew and leaves the others gaping at him. Overall this is silly and stupid but it's good fun silly and stupid, and probably too clever in some spots to catch....for instance the brother of the woman that runs the Fawkes Den is named Guy....har de har. But you don't really pick up on that till the end credits, or at least I didn't. A good stupid comedy, and the best part is that it's played straight. 8 out of 10, a much overlooked film.