Alligator (1980)



Synopsis: a police detective and a herpetologist must stop a giant sewer alligator, which terrorizes the sewer system. Behind the gator´s condition, they are secret hormonal experiments related to a corrupt pharmaceutical company. 

Release date: July 2, 1980.

Starring: Robert Forster, Robin Riker, Michael V. Gazzo, Perry Lang, Dean Jagger, Sidney Lassick, Henry Silva, Jack Carter. 

Credits: Lewis Teague (director), John Sayles (scipt), Brandon Chase (producer)



Based on the popular urban legend about "sewer alligators", John Sayles developed a story about the reptile living in the sewer sytem. The first draft of the script was set on Milwaukee, and the reason why the gator grown so big, was due a beer company. Having unliked the idea, Sayles wrote a new draft, set now in Chicago, and explaining the gator´s mutation due to secret hormonal experiments —giving more logic to the story. Despite this, director Lewis Teague, did not like the script, but he loved the concept of the movie. "The script was so lousy," he (Teague) said, about what he read. Opting to start a new draft from scratch, Teague proposed to Sayles the writing of a new script, giving some elements about "redemption", which , for Teague, it´s the premise of the story. 

Jaws spawned many spin-offs after its release, back in 1975, being Alligator one of them —and probably the best of all. Like Jaws, Alligator reprises the same formula of introduction and concept (a man-eater lurking nearby), but the witty direction and atmosphere, which Teague prints in the film, it´s what differentiates from its predecessor (and "sister movies"). The mechanical alligator, despite having some minutes on screen, does it well. The character of Madison (portrayed by Forster), is well characterized, with Forster, adding some jokes about himself on it. Madison is a character you could identify with, is the one who is looking for a "redemption", wants to get rid from his "demons" of the past, and the gator represents those "dark" experiences, establishing a good metaphor, with the catharsis at the end, simply works so well. We cannot deny, we could have been looking for a "redemption" at some point, with own personal story. Nonetheless, Alligator still borrows some elements from the shark movie. A police involved in the hearth of the plot, accompanied with the repitle "expert" Marissa (Riker), and a the game hunter Brock (Silva), similar roles to Shaw and Dreyfuss. Teague manages to offer a different experience, now in the undergound world, rather than the sea, with some shots using real gators, which, give more authenticity to the film´s esthetic. The climax works so well, with the alligator arriving at a high society party, when the poetic justice shows up, with the gator killing the responsibles about his transformation into a monster: Slade (Jagger), the pharmaceutical C.E.O and the corrupt Mayor (Carter). To bad that Ramón (the gator´s name gave by Marissa in the past, when the reptile was her pet), has to die, becuase, he´s the real victim of the circumstances, a victim turned into a villain. Sounds like a Batman movie premise. 

OUTCOME:

Probably the best of many Jaws spin-offs, Alligator works for its humor, actors, witty direction and script. It does not disappoint. One of the best B movies and creature feature as well. A cult classic. 

SCORE:

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