Plot
A girl buys a baby alligator on vacation, but when they get home, her father secretly gets rid of it by flushing it down the toilet. The reptile ends up living in Chicago’s sewers where it regularly feeds on lab waste from a pharmaceutical company that’s knee-deep in morally (and legally) dubious genetic research.
After ingesting massive doses of growth hormones, the animal reaches colossal proportions, and its ever-increasing appetite drives it to launch a series of bloody rampages on the streets of the city, generating panic in the local population.
The man assigned to hunt for the monster is David Madison, a police officer with a difficult past whose partner is massacred by the wild beast while they’re conducting a search of the sewers. Marisa Kendall, a young zoologist specializing in reptiles, is brought in to give him a hand.
We got a little problem here at the lab that you could be some help with.
Critique
6.5Written by John Sayles and energetically directed by Roger Corman protégé Lewis Teague, its biting irony, quick pacing, and effective special effects make “Alligator” stand out as a true gem of the “killer animals” genre.
A very interesting cast: two likeable protagonists with Robert Forster in the role of a police officer obsessed with his receding hairline, and a splendid Robin Riker playing the captivating zoologist. Quite a few truly enjoyable supporting characters lurk in the background, from the “great white hunter” (Henry Silva) to the scowling police chief (Michael V. Gazzo, who also played Frankie Pentangeli in “The Godfather – Part II”, 1974).
Between some snappy dialogue and a pinch of bad taste, the director actually manages to express his opinion on some weighty issues such as environmental protection and big pharma’s lack of moral values, portraying them as conducting scientific research in a cynical and irresponsible manner.
More Info
Quotes
- Major, it's Slade here. We got a little problem here at the lab that you could be some help with.
Trivia
- Towards the end of the film, it’s possible to make out the words “Harry Lime Lives” on the sewer wall, a humorous reference to the man of the same name hunted in “The Third Man” (1949).
Products
Disclosure
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| Product name | Price | |
|---|---|---|
![]() | Alligator - Collector's Edition 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray [4K UHD] | |
![]() | Alligator |
| Nome del prodotto | Prezzo | |
|---|---|---|
![]() | Alligator [1980] | |
![]() | Alligator |
| Product name | Price | |
|---|---|---|
![]() | ALLIGATOR | |
![]() | Alligator [1980] |
| Nombre del producto | Precio | |
|---|---|---|
![]() | Alligator (Collector's Edition) [USA] [Blu-ray] | |
![]() | Alligator [1980] | |
![]() | DER HORROR-ALLIGATOR [Alemania] [Blu-ray] | |
![]() | L'incroyable alligator + alligator II : la mutation 4k ultra hd [Francia] [Blu-ray] |
| Produktname | Preis | |
|---|---|---|
![]() | Der Horror Alligator + Die Mutation - Teil 1 + 2 - Horrorfilm Doppelpack - Tierhorror Thriller Klassiker [Blu-ray] | |
![]() | DER HORROR-ALLIGATOR - 8-Disc wattiertes Mediabook - Cover B (1 x 4K UHD + 4 x Blu-ray + 3 x DVD) Limited Edition - Uncut | |
![]() | DER HORROR-ALLIGATOR – 4K ULTRA HD |
| Nom du produit | Prix | |
|---|---|---|
![]() | Incroyable Alligator et Alligator II, la mutation- Edition limitée [Steelbook UHD+Blu-Ray] |
| Product name | Price | |
|---|---|---|
![]() | Alligator - Collector's Edition 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray | |
![]() | Alligator [1980] All Region |





![Alligator - Collector's Edition 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray [4K UHD]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51ReT619xkL._SL75_.jpg)

![Alligator [1980]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51KusNGnwzL._SL75_.jpg)


![DER HORROR-ALLIGATOR [Alemania] [Blu-ray]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51cPWXVU+XL._SL75_.jpg)
![L'incroyable alligator + alligator II : la mutation 4k ultra hd [Francia] [Blu-ray]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/517j+OFpXeL._SL75_.jpg)
![Der Horror Alligator + Die Mutation - Teil 1 + 2 - Horrorfilm Doppelpack - Tierhorror Thriller Klassiker [Blu-ray]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51meWRgU0GL._SL75_.jpg)
