Alligator
Short description
A baby alligator survives being flushed down a toilet by living in the sewers of Chicago. After eating laboratory animals treated with growth hormones, the creature grows to a massive size and begins attacking people. A police officer and a big-game hunter attempt to track and stop the animal as it emerges from the city's underground system.
This horror and science fiction thriller was directed by Lewis Teague, following his work on The Lady in Red. The screenplay was written by John Sayles. The film features a cast including Robert Forster, Robin Riker, Michael V. Gazzo, Dean Jagger, Sydney Lassick, and Jack Carter, with a total of 58 credited cast members and 54 credited crew members. Produced by Alligator Inc, the movie had a budget of 2 million USD.
The film has received a moderate reception from viewers and reviewers. On TMDB, it holds a rating of 6/10 based on 401 votes. Film critics gave the movie a slightly higher rating of 6.7/10 from 29 reviews.
What's left behind the scenes
- During the first close-up of the reptile's eye, the entire film crew is reflected in it.
- In the finale, Robert Forster's character enters the sewer wearing Adidas sneakers. He is then shown wearing boots, but upon exiting the sewer, he is back in sneakers again.
- The film takes place in Chicago, but some inconsistencies cast doubt on this. During the search in the lake, palm trees are visible in the background, and before starting the search in the sewer, the protagonist studies a map of Los Angeles.
- While filming the scene in which the police SWAT team emerges from the sewer, some passersby who happened to be near the filming location called the police to report terrorists.
- In the police locker room, a poster with safety rules for working with equipment hangs on the wall. Its design is shaped like an alligator.
- An animatronic alligator nicknamed Ramon was used in the film. He was later donated to the University of Florida's sports team, the Florida Gators, where he became the team's mascot.
- The screenplay is based on an urban legend from the 1960s. At the time, a mail-order company that advertised in comic books allegedly sent baby alligators to thousands of children across America. Unsuspecting parents would then flush them down the toilet.
- John Sayles read the script written by Frank Ray Perelli and declared that it was useless and required significant rewriting. According to Sayles, the original script was set in Milwaukee, and the reptile grew to giant proportions because beer from a brewery was leaking into the sewers.
- The filmmakers were inspired by Steven Spielberg's 'Jaws' (1975). As was the case during the filming of 'Jaws', the mechanical monster broke down repeatedly. From time to time, they even had to film real alligators in miniature sets, which is clearly visible in some shots.
- Robert Forster, who played the lead role, joked incessantly about his own balding, and screenwriter John Sayles gladly incorporated these jokes into the lines of other characters, writing them into the script as filming progressed.
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