Of Unknown Origin

“Two forces have claimed the house. Only one will survive.”

5.8

1983

1h 28m

Horror

Director: George P. Cosmatos

Overview

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

Trailer

Of Unknown Origin (1983) - Official Trailer Official

Cast

Bart Hughes

Peter Weller

Bart Hughes

Lorrie Wells

Jennifer Dale

Lorrie Wells

Eliot Riverton

Lawrence Dane

Eliot Riverton

James Hall

Kenneth Welsh

James Hall

Clete

Louis Del Grande

Clete

Meg Hughes

Shannon Tweed

Meg Hughes

Hardware Salesman

Keith Knight

Hardware Salesman

Dan Errol

Maury Chaykin

Dan Errol

Peter Hughes

Leif Anderson

Peter Hughes

Meg's Father

Jimmy Tapp

Meg's Father

Janis Wycoff

Gayle Garfinkle

Janis Wycoff

Mr. Thompson

Earl Pennington

Mr. Thompson

Reviews

Wuchak

_**The Rat from Hell**_ A Manhattan executive (Peter Weller) deals with the rats on Wall Street while defending his brownstone ‘castle’ against a literal vermin. Jennifer Dale plays his secretary while Lawrence Dane and Kenneth Welsh are on hand as colleagues. "Of Unknown Origin" (1983) strikes me as a Stephen King yarn, which makes sense when you figure that this is one of the horror author’s favorite flicks. While the compare/contrast of the protagonist’s life in his home-castle with the rat maze at work is interesting, the premise is too light IMHO to carry a feature film: a man vs. a rat alone in his gothic abode. Weller works well as the resolute hero but, for me, the best thing about it is winsome Jennifer Dale (Cynthia Dale's older sister). Gene Simmon’s wife, Shannon Tweed, makes her feature film debut in a small role. The film runs 1 hour, 28 minutes, and was shot in Montreal. GRADE: C

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