Strong and Moving!

Sorry, this movie sucks

just watch it!

Very interesting film. Was caught on the premise when seeing the trailer but unsure as to what the outcome would be for the showing. As it turns out, it was a very good film.

"Of Unknown Origin" is an interesting item on the resume of the late director George P. Cosmatos. Better known for features such as "Rambo: First Blood Part II", "Cobra", and "Tombstone", he directs this man vs. nature thriller with a sure hand, creating some genuine suspense and some harrowing and disturbing moments. The animal action is first rate, and the shocks done with consummate skill (there's a wonderful jolt involving a toilet). The movie is pretty obvious about its themes - a man running the rat race at work must fight an actual monster rat at home, and must get in touch with his most primitive instincts - but that doesn't mean that they don't still work.The man in question is Wall Street yuppie Bart Hughes (Peter Weller, in his first lead role), who's temporarily left on his own after his wife Meg (scorching hot Shannon Tweed, in the role that officially "introduced" her) and son Peter (Leif Anderson) spend some time with Barts' in-laws. Bart has some important business to attend to at work, but he ends up distracted by the war he must wage with this infernal rodent that's threatening the peacefulness of his exquisitely refurbished brownstone. Just as there are co-workers (played by Kenneth Welsh and Maury Chaykin) who would like to see him take a fall, he's often undermined by the utter craftiness of this beast, who often proves to be a step ahead of him.The movie has a great look, with slick cinematography by Rene Verzier, and it also has an effective music score by Ken Wannberg. Weller is terrific in the lead, and is believable through the characters' whole arc. The exemplary supporting cast consists of such top notch Canadian character actors as Lawrence Dane, Welsh, Louis Del Grande (the guy whose head blew up REAL good in "Scanners"), Keith Knight, Chaykin, and Earl Pennington. Tweed supplies some delectable eye candy early on in a shower scene. Stephan Dupuis handles the makeup effects. The finale, when it comes down to a physical battle between human and rodent, is rousing stuff, with Weller carrying around one very MEAN looking custom made weapon.This is a good little story that does merit another look from dedicated genre fans.Eight out of 10.

Before his Robocop days, and Buckaroo Banzai, cool future action star, Weller starred in this very effective and low budget horror, I've just viewed, and I have to say I was impressed. As having seen the video cover many times, when I was young, I flipped this one off. It's a very well made, Canadian effort. Alone (well that's Weller thinks) for a few weeks, while wife (Shannon Tweed-that's right) and son take a trip, Weller soon finds his serenity invaded by your not so ordinary rat. We're afforded peeks of the destructive, murderous fiend, like in teasing silhouettes, or flashes of it, lurking about, or running across camera, whatever, before we're properly introduced, and wished to hell we weren't. Though, not overly violent, the violence itself is adequate, but of course, this is not what makes it a good movie. It's the situation and how successful New Yorker, Weller deals with it. And too is the suspense, in wondering where the rat will strike next. We feel Weller's injuries too, those sharp stings, from the rat's sharp killer teeth, knowing into us. The scene in the kitchen with Tweed, and son leaving, painted such a similar picture to Weller and wife in Blue Jean Cop, this kitchen almost having you believe, it was the same one used. I know how Weller feels. I've stayed at my Dad's place and we've had mice. I was staying there once by myself. I was in my bedroom, settling down for the night. I heard rumbling behind my tele. I'm sure it had to be a mouse. I couldn't sleep, until it was out of there. I was even afraid to turn the light on in my bedroom, as if being faced with the visual of it. Like Weller, even though I hadn't spotted it yet, I charged out, got a broom, arming myself. What made Weller bring it up, in that early dinner conversation, with business associates, whatever, had me a bit weirded out, if almost put of chicken, as really his rat hell hadn't really begun yet. Weller carries this off great, as really most of the film relies on him and his war with the rat, that slowly breaks him down into nutso land. I couldn't really imagine watching any other actor in this role, as they wouldn't be as much fun as Weller. Dig his last response, to Tweeds O.S dialogue, when discovering the topsy turvy'd state of the apartment as having just arrived back, as Weller just claimed victory. An oldie, but goodie.

I give this one a ten. How? Well, if you love rats, you will hate me. Let me just start off by saying I have never written a public comment, so do be gentle. I am also rather desensitized to horror films. Salo, Irreversible, and others I am ashamed to mention, hardly phase me. I've seen other rat films. Older rat films, and new ones haven't bothered me. I had purchased this film with about 20 others, and it looked silly, was inexpensive, so why not? I find myself awake this morning at 4:30 am, and in need of mild entertainment. Here is where my horrific morning begins. I am a 24 year old female, so to all you guys reading this, never show a woman this movie. Show her Cannibal Holocaust, not this. I slap in my DVD of this film, pull my covers back and wait for 90 minutes to pass. 10 minutes later I am screaming like a wild woman being attacked by the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. This movie is INSANE! I own 1000 horror movies, and I thought I had built up enough tolerance and desensitization to endure any form of human torture. Wrong! This is one evil, hideous, demon possessed rat. By the time an hour had passed I was clutching on to my baseball bat, and wouldn't you know? A shadow from my ceiling fan caused a sharp movement on the floor., and I was running down my hall in a terrified frenzy. It may be that girls like me just can't cope with a rat, but it might just be that this movie is hell bent on preying on everyone's natural dislike for these foul little beasts. I sat and hoped that WHAT I KNEW WOULD HAPPEN…would not. It did. I was so happy when this movie was over, but ever happier I gave it a chance. It is rare I feel fear, and this was a great reminder. It isn't Citizen Kane, sure, but it is more entertaining. It is my worst fear, realized. Except for that whole broom in girlie prison thing. I digress. I know you guys are tough! I know you ARE THE MAN! BUT! If you can make it through this movie without jumping in your seat, well, you should join the Navy Seals. Or better yet….you would make a great executioner. This is a nerve wrecking modern spin on MAN VS. MONSTER. No kidding! This movie gets a ten from me. After sitting through 1000 movies that people say are scary, I find this fabulous little gem, and come to realize just why I love horror. This is horror. Nobody gets tortured, raped, or beheaded. That is fine, considering how brilliantly the film makers took a simple fear and found a way to torture the audience, and not one lesbian bimbo vampire was skinned alive. I was impressed. I wish I was so well versed and I could give you the most complex analysis of the technical specifics. I am not. Peter did a great job in being convincing, and some of the camera work is great I think. The camera often acts as the eyes of this evil monstrosity. The mans wife in this movie is really pretty, and you see her boobs. So, you guys might like that if nothing else. I think the film was very well done, and most effective at making it's point. I would tell you all about the shocks, but that would ruin them for you. Some must be seen to be believed.I'm a girlie girl, sure. I bet you can't make it through this movie, in the dark, without your baseball bat either. If you are on the fence and wondering if you want to give it go, do it. But, remember, it can bring out your feminine side. Isn't that the definition of scary for you boys? Either way, for my own sanity,I am adopting a cat today.

You know that one guy who'd do anything to get you fired, destroy your house, alienate you from your friends and family, chew through your surge protector? You know, the usual. Well, imagine if that guy was a poodle-sized sewer rat.I wondered going into this movie why Peter Weller would agree to star in what is essentially the rat-equivalent of Jaws: The Revenge. I got my answer about twenty seconds into the film, where it opens on a shot of Shannon Tweed, playing Weller's wife here, showering. Umm, okay.She leaves, along with Weller's extremely dimwitted kid to stay at a hotel (only to pop up later in the movie scantily-clad back in her hotel or in a dream sequence in order to meet some strange 80s boob quota I suppose).Weller is doing fine by himself, (staying behind to finish some work), until the dishwasher overflows, eventually upsetting a rat who decides to move into his apartment. Its hard to gauge just how big this thing is supposed to be until it decides to crawl up under the covers in Weller's bed later, apparently he's the size of a tomcat.Weller does his best to get rid of the rat, upgrading from normal rat traps to (what are basically) miniature bear traps. When the medieval rat traps don't work or come back gnawed on he decides to get a cat, which also comes back gnawed on (or replaced with a cheap stuffed animal that resembles his cat). When he decides to ignore the rat he chews on on his surge protector, fuse box, and therein cutting off the power.Weller runs around the house, bashing holes into walls in search of the rat, is plagued by nightmares of birthday parties where the giant rat jumps out of a sheet cake (?), and where his dimwitted kid ends up mixing in various rat poisons in with his cereal. The finale brought to mind Arachnophobia as it ended in a dank basement; the film ending maybe twelve seconds after the rat's been dispatched as Weller brushes himself off as if the last two hours hadn't just happened just in time to greet his wife and kid at the front door. I'm sure they won't notice the completely demolished apartment.