Of Unknown Origin: Amazon.ca: George Pan Cosmatos, Maury Chaykin, Jennifer Dale, Lawrence Z. Dane, Louis del Grande, Keith Knight, Earl Pennington, Shannon Tweed, Kenneth Welsh, Peter Weller, Bronwen Mantel, Leif Anderson, Gayle Garfinkle: DVD

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Product Description

Amazon.ca

Peter Weller stars in this off-beat suspense flick that veers cleverly and subtly between a comedy, a horror film and an urban parable. Weller plays a successful New York executive who lives comfortably in a nice house with his wife (Shannon Tweed) and his son. While his family is away on vacation, he discovers his upscale home has been invaded by a monstrous, and preternaturally intelligent, rat. He becomes increasingly consumed by his obsession with killing it. Directed by George Pan Cosmatos and written by Brian Taggert, who based his script on the novel The Visitor by Chauncey P. Parker, this is a quirky and moody thriller. Though the movie can border on being a one-man show, being principally a man vs. rat drama, it boasts a notable cast of Canadian actors in minor supporting parts, including Jennifer Dale, Lawrence Dane, Kenneth Welsh and Maury Chaykin. Louie DelGrande (from the 1980s CBC TV series Seeing Things) is delightfully amusing as Weller's buddy, a local neighbourhood rat expert. --D.K. Latta

Video Details

An advertising executive battles a giant, intelligent rat that has invaded his townhouse.

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Customer Reviews

12 Reviews

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(5)
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Average Customer Review

3.9 out of 5 stars (12 customer reviews)

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4.0 out of 5 stars The all time king of rat movies?, Sep 5 2003

By A Customer

I saw this on video back in the 80's, mostly because Peter Weller was in it, and he was (and still is) one of my favorite actors. He plays an NYC businessman who becomes obsessed with a really big and mean rat that's invaded the dreamhouse/brownstone he's personally restored. The filmmakers definitely had aspirations beyond just making a rat movie (at one point, Weller pounds on the ceiling with a copy of "Moby Dick"), but just as a rat movie, it succeeds beautifully: Increasingly scary and gory rat action, something the new version of "Willard" pretty much forgot to include. There's also a rat expert onhand, without which no good rat movie can do without - really two, if you count Weller's character, who starts spewing rat facts at inappropriate times at the movie goes on. (One of the great bits of dialogue goes something like this: "You're thinking of [the rat] maybe 10% of the time...but he's thinking of you 100% of the time..." Because he's a RAT, and rats is rats.) What really puts the movie over, aside from some pretty effective direction, is Weller's great performance as the businessman, who slowly starts to lose his grip the more he becomes obsessed with evicting the rat from his home. I'd rank it as one of the best performances in a horror film, up there with Jeff Goldblum in "The Fly." So, if you're into rat movies, it'd be hard to top this one for your viewing pleasure.

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4.0 out of 5 stars Wow! Nice little surprise!, Aug 16 2003

By	"cronos262" (Oceanside, Ca United States) - See all my reviews

I'm a big horror buff. Now i have known about this one since it's theatrical release, but this little gem has managed to evade me for a viewing all these years! Thanks to DVD. I finally got to peep it out. I wasn't expecting much. But when the credits rolled I felt all warm and fuzzy for laying out the dough on this title!

Most the other reviewers here applaud Weller's performance. And I must say it's maybe even the strongest one I've seen from him.

He plays the family guy, whose wife (Shannon Tweed in her screen debut) takes the kid and goes off to vacation at her parent's. Weller's character can not go because he's trying to get a deal through at work that could give him a big promotion. Soon after his wife and kid leave, a pretty big damned rat infiltrates Weller's brownstone abode which he has obsessively renovated painstakingly by hand. Basically Weller is a neat freak! And when the rat begins to vandalize the house as rodent's do... He begins to go nutty and obsessive on how to get rid of it... And soon it's a battle of life and death over which one will be king of the castle!

While others associate this film to the likes of Ben and mayhaps even Food of the Gods. I found this film to be rather original! Probably mostly in part to superior characterizations which make the tale work damn good.

The ladies will most likely freak out on this one though. Let's just say the big rat get's quite brazen at times trying to take over the house as his territory! If you think you get it bad enough to keep the seat down! Well then... Don't let 'em see this one!

I think it's a pretty safe bet that well rounded horror afficandos will be pleased with purchasing this one. All others should try to give it the ole' rental first.

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4.0 out of 5 stars Wow! Nice little surprise!, Aug 16 2003

By	"cronos262" (Oceanside, Ca United States) - See all my reviews

I'm a big horror buff. Now i have known about this one since it's theatrical release, but this little gem has managed to evade me for a viewing all these years! Thanks to DVD. I finally got to peep it out. I wasn't expecting much. But when the credits rolled I felt all warm and fuzzy for laying out the dough on this title!

Most the other reviewers here applaud Weller's performance. And I must say it's maybe even the strongest one I've seen from him.

He plays the family guy, whose wife (Shannon Tweed in her screen debut) takes the kid and goes off to vacation at her parent's. Weller's character can not go because he's trying to get a deal through at work that could give him a big promotion. Soon after his wife and kid leave, a pretty big damned rat infiltrates Weller's brownstone abode which he has obsessively renovated painstakingly by hand. Basically Weller is a neat freak! And when the rat begins to vandalize the house as rodent's do... He begins to go nutty and obsessive on how to get rid of it... And soon it's a battle of life and death over which one will be king of the castle!

While others associate this film to the likes of Ben and mayhaps even Food of the Gods. I found this film to be rather original! Probably mostly in part to superior characterizations which make the tale work damn good.

The ladies will most likely freak out on this one though. Let's just say the big rat get's quite brazen at times trying to take over the house as his territory! If you think you get it bad enough to keep the seat down! Well then... Don't let 'em see this one!

I think it's a pretty safe bet that well rounded horror afficandos will be pleased with purchasing this one. All others should try to give it the ole' rental first.

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

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Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars LOVED IT!
BEING A PETER WELLER FAN, NOTWITHSTANDING, I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS FILM. HOWEVER, I DID NOT SEE IT AS A "HORROR" FILM. Read more

Published on Jul 22 2003 by JULIE A. DENZMORE

5.0 out of 5 stars "Ben" got nothin' on this one!!
Worst movie!? Please!! Great Movie all the way through.It's not just a horror but it is a Psychological one as well. Read more

Published on Jul 3 2003 by Clifford Gretano

5.0 out of 5 stars TALK ABOUT BEING " RATTED OUT" !!!
I AM A TRUE FAN OF HORROR MOVIES. THIS MOVIE TAKES AN UNWANTED PEST TO A NEW LEVEL. EVERYONE WHO HAS WATCH THIS MOVIE WITH ME REALLY ENJOYED IT. Read more

Published on Mar 21 2003 by ROBERT J GLASS

4.0 out of 5 stars Great movie ,dont listen to the others
the movie had some week points , but the man's obsession with the rat, was very real. a must see ,i am looking to buy it on dvd ,thanks chris

Published on Mar 4 2003