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Of Unknown Origin (1983)

R | | Horror, Thriller | 24 November 1983 (USA)
Of Unknown Origin Poster
A man becomes destructively obsessed with killing a dangerous rat, which has taken residence in his, recently renovated, house.

Director:

George P. Cosmatos

Writers:

Chauncey G. Parker III (novel), Brian Taggert (screenplay)

Stars:

Peter Weller, Jennifer Dale, Lawrence Dane | See full cast & crew »
51
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2 wins. See more awards »

Photos

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Peter Weller ... Bart Hughes
Jennifer Dale ... Lorrie Wells
Lawrence Dane ... Eliot Riverton
Kenneth Welsh ... James Hall
Louis Del Grande Louis Del Grande ... Clete
Shannon Tweed ... Meg Hughes
Keith Knight ... Hardware Salesman
Maury Chaykin ... Dan Errol
Leif Anderson ... Peter Hughes
Jimmy Tapp Jimmy Tapp ... Meg's Father
Gayle Garfinkle Gayle Garfinkle ... Janis Wycoff
Earl Pennington Earl Pennington ... Mr. Thompson
Jacklin Webb Jacklin Webb ... Newspaper Vendor
Bronwen Mantel Bronwen Mantel ... Florence Riverton
Monik Nantel Monik Nantel ... Secretary
See full cast »
Edit

Storyline

Bart Hughes has a pretty good life, a beautiful wife, a young son, a good job with promotion prospects, and a renovated brownstone in New York. When wife and kid leave for a vacation, Bart stays behind to work on a project that will earn him that promotion, unaware that a certain inhabitant of his basement has other plans for his time. Bart goes a bit bonkers trying to kill this rat, destroying most of his house in the process. Certain allegorical elements tie the household conflict to the "rat race" in his office, but the main event is certainly the night-and-day contest of wills between man and rodent. Written by Chris Holland <stomptokyo@aol.com>

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

cat | black comedy | rat | house | based on novel | See All (21) »

Taglines:

If it can't scare them to death, it will find another way. See more »

Genres:

Horror | Thriller

Certificate:

R | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
Edit

Details

Country:

Canada | USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 November 1983 (USA) See more »

Also Known As:

Origem Desconhecida See more »

Filming Locations:

Montréal, Québec, Canada
Edit

Box Office

Budget:

$4,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$540,446, 27 November 1983

Gross USA:

$1,080,470

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$1,080,470
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros., Canadian Film Development Corporation (CFDC), Famous Players Limited See more »
Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
See full technical specs »
Edit

Did You Know?

Trivia

First lead starring role in a film or television production of actor Peter Weller. See more »

Quotes

Bart Hughes: You never said anything about rubber gloves, you boneheaded fart.
See more »

Connections

Referenced in WildCat (2007) See more »

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User Reviews

 
One of my all time favorites!
7 January 2004 | by yossarian100 – See all my reviews

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.
25 of 29 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you? | Report this
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