Of Unknown Origin

1983 "Two forces have claimed the house. Only one will survive."
6.1| 1h28m| R| en| More Info
Released: 24 November 1983 Released
Producted By: Warner Bros. Pictures
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Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
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Synopsis

A man who recently completed rebuilding a townhouse becomes obsessed with a rat infestation until it becomes an interspecies duel.

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Reviews

Kailansorac Clever, believable, and super fun to watch. It totally has replay value.
Whitech It is not only a funny movie, but it allows a great amount of joy for anyone who watches it.
Ketrivie It isn't all that great, actually. Really cheesy and very predicable of how certain scenes are gonna turn play out. However, I guess that's the charm of it all, because I would consider this one of my guilty pleasures.
HottWwjdIam There is just so much movie here. For some it may be too much. But in the same secretly sarcastic way most telemarketers say the phrase, the title of this one is particularly apt.
spencergrande6 This rat movie is basically Moby Dick. OK yeah, it's more The Old Man and the Sea. Oh yeah those are just the loaded references made to superior influences in this film.It's yuppie class climber versus the rat race and the slow descent into unhappiness and madness that that entails. Your hot wife goes on vacation with daddy without you. Her dad has money and rubs it in your face because you come from nothing. Your kid eats rat poison. You maybe almost cheat on your wife. You drink. Your brownstone gets trashed. Money is hard.This is a fun flick for sure, and the man vs beast metaphor is used supremely well. The moment Bart (Peter Weller) is offered the "big project" of his dreams, with the money and dehumanizing that inherently represents, the film cuts to the first shot of the rat coming to life in the brownstone and beginning his reign of terror. Subtle? Maybe not, but with killer rats it doesn't need to be.It doesn't stick the landing though. I never bought the supposed marital tension or his obsession with renovating the brownstone over family time. He seemed like a nice guy pulled a bit thin. I guess that makes him rootable, but also his journey less believable.The title is killer and the scene where he rattles off all his rat facts to a flabbergasted table full of moneyed people is a treat.
wkozak221 I saw this in the video store20+ yrs. ago. I like horror films overall. I liked the title, the blurb, and i like Peter Weller's acting. He is not over the top like Shatner or Walken. This movie has really good moments: the shadow on the wall, talking to the exterminator and trying to explain to his friends what is happening to him. I like it because it tries to use old school horror techniques: imply the horror instead of showing everything outright. I think if you allow your imagination to take over you will be really scared. To the point if you hear a sound you will do one of three things: hide under the covers, check the apt./house or call 911.
mrmajik30 I gave this dandy nail-biter (no pun intended) nine stars as it is one of those movies that when found and decide to watch it I accepted the fact that it most likely is a low-budget waste of time. And most likely would bore me to sleep. I mean, really...What can anyone expect from a movie that only cost around 4 million to make. About ten or fifteen minutes into the flick it became obvious I would watch this one all the way to the ending roll of the credits.The acting is good, especially for this kind of movie. The camera shots and angles raise this movie up from the gutter and into the attic, a dark attic. Which this creepy old brown-stone building no doubt has.Never mind the nail clippers. The suspense in this thriller will keep your teeth gnawing on 'em just like a rat chewing on a lead pipe.If you are looking for an above average thriller I highly recommend, "Of Unknown Origin".Enjoy :0)
Aaron1375 I could try to say this movie is more, but my summary is very descriptive of what this movie is about. A man is having a rodent problem, well rodent problem would indicate that there is more than one. No, in fact this guy is having a rat problem, one rat going solo. This rat is very persistent and knows how to get under the guy in this movie's skin. The guy in question is played by Peter Weller and thanks to his presence in this movie I gave this film a higher score than I may have done with an unknown actor. The rat is a pain though as it avoids all the traps and other little things the guy does to get rid of his one rat problem. There is not much gore or death in this movie so it is kind of reserved. There is one seen that sort of features something bizarre and it turns out to be a dream sequence which leads to yet another confrontation with the guy and the super rat. The movie is rather bland though, thankfully the presence of Peter Weller brings this one up a notch.