Alligator (1980)

A baby alligator is flushed down a Chicago toilet and survives by eating discarded laboratory rats injected with growth hormones. The small reptile grows gigantic, escapes the city sewers, and goes on a rampage.

Director:

Lewis Teague

Writers:

John Sayles (screenplay), John Sayles (story)

Stars:

Robert Forster, Robin Riker, Michael V. Gazzo

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Robert Forster	...	David
Robin Riker	...	Marisa
Michael V. Gazzo	...	Chief Clark (as Michael Gazzo)
Dean Jagger	...	Slade
Sydney Lassick	...	Gutchel (as Sidney Lassick)
Jack Carter	...	Mayor
Perry Lang	...	Kelly
Henry Silva	...	Brock
Bart Braverman	...	Kemp
John Lisbon Wood	...	Mad Bomber
James Ingersoll	...	Helms
Robert Doyle	...	Bill
Patti Jerome	...	Madeline
Angel Tompkins	...	Newswoman
Sue Lyon	...	ABC Newswoman

Storyline

Ramon the alligator is flushed down the toilet as a baby and grows into a gargantuan monster by eating the corpses of laboratory animals who have undergone dubious hormone experiments, thus providing all the ecological and social subtext that one could possibly wish for, even if one doesn't normally go for films about giant alligators eating people left, right, and center--which is the inevitable and tragic result of Ramon's decision that the outside world looks rather more interesting than the sewers....

---

Plot Keywords:

alligator | toilet | sewer | baby alligator | knocking on a window | 

---

Taglines:

Beneath those manholes, a man-eater is waiting ...

---

Genres:

Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

---

Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

The alligator's first victim is a sewer worker named is Edward Norton. This is an homage to The Honeymooners (1955), one of whose characters is a sewer worker named Ed Norton.

---

Goofs

When Madison enters the manhole cover at the films climax, he is wearing Adidas trainers; when he lands in the sewer he is wearing boots; when he re-appears from the manhole he is wearing trainers again.

---

Quotes

Gutchel: How about cats? I got plenty of cats. I also got a parrot I'd like to get rid of.

---

Alternate Versions

The UK cinema version was cut by the BBFC to heavily edit scenes of gore, including shots of legs being bitten off, a car being destroyed by the alligator and victims being eaten alive during the garden party attack, and to remove one instance of the word 'fuck' in order for the film to receive an 'A' (PG) certificate. The cuts were waived in 1991 when the certificate was raised to a 15, and all subsequent releases are fully uncut.

---

Connections

Referenced in Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation! (2008)

User Reviews

From 6 inch pet to 36 feet long pest.

Get a grip on this good 'gator' flick. Some tongue-in-cheek dialog and gruesome special effects makes for an entertaining and fun movie to watch. A little girl's science project is flushed down the stool and a dozen years later grows to about 36 feet long living in the sewer system of Chicago. Sustained by a diet of pet carcasses used in an experimental growth clinic, this monster 'gator' is not going down without creating some terror and having a few snacks first. A very good mutant creature running amok movie.

Very able cast led by Robert Forster and Robin Riker. Doing notable work in support are Henry Silva, Michael V. Gazzo and veteran actor Dean Jagger. The sewer scenes pretty well set a creepy atmosphere. My favorite scene is during a brief encounter with the munching menace..."Do you think two sticks of dynamite will do?"

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 November 1980 (USA)

Also Known As:

Alligator

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,500,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Alligator

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min 86 min (theatrical cut)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1