Alligator (1980)

Alligators in the sewer is among the most famous of urban legends.  This was supposed to have happened in New York, with the creatures flushed down the toilet and growing large feasting on rats, pets and the occasional member of the homeless population.  While occasionally smaller juvenile versions have been found in urban areas outside their natural habitat few have been found in the sewers and, when they have, they were temporary shelters.  Quite a bit of what humans put into a sewer makes the environment quite unhealthy for even a large reptile.  

The stories began in the 1920s and flourished ever since.  With the rash of animal attack films in the 1970s, many copying the plot of Jaws and substituting another animal, it was inevitable that these scaly critters would get their day.  In this case it is courtesy of John Sayles, who also wrote another famous Jaws knockoff, Piranha, and director Lewis Teague.  The good thing is Sayles and Teague knew that they were making a ridiculous b-movie and decided to have some fun with it. 

In 1968 the parents of a young girl flush her pet baby alligator down the toilet.  Instead of dying it ends up in the sewers of an unnamed city.  12 years later body parts begin to get fished out of the water treatment plant.  Detective David Madison (Robert Forster) thinks there is a serial killer on the loose and together with Chief Clark (Michael V. Gazzo) they begin looking for the one responsible.  Searching the sewers for the killer with fellow officer Jim Kelly (Perry Lang), Madison comes across the alligator, which over the years has grown to enormous size due to consuming the bodies of animals used by a shady biotech company.

No one believes Madison until proof comes in the form of pictures from one of the creature's victims.  Teaming up with Marisa Kendall (Robin Riker), a herpetologist who has literally written the book on alligators, they try to drive the monster from the sewers so it can be killed.  They succeed, but not in the way they thought, with the mutated alligator rampaging through the city. 

Alligator was not a big-budget film, but it did manage to make the title creature look halfway decent.  Some shots are of a real alligator walking around miniature sets, but the big draw was a mechanical creature modeled to size.  Like Jaws before it the animatronic often malfunctioned forcing Teague to employ some tricks to hide the creature.  As usual this helps make for a better movie.

What also helps is Sayles's script.  He had already done this before, and quite tongue in cheek with Piranha as well, so he just goes all out on this.  There is intentionally hilarious dialogue throughout, evil chemical companies, corrupt politicians and one of the better massacre scenes from a movie of this type.  There is also Henry Silva as an arrogant big game hunter that comes to town to help deal with the problem and claim another trophy, all the while treating local gang members like native guides and making "sexy" alligator noises.  

Not all the scenes are convincing, but this is fun drive-in fare none the less.  Although this time around I got to check out the wonderful 4K restoration, I have also had the chance of seeing it in the drive-in where this type of movie belongs.  It is quite fun to watch with the right crowd and still lots of fun to kick back and enjoy.  It's always nice to have a b-movie to laugh with instead of at.   

Alligator (1980)

Time: 91 minutes

Starring: Robert Forster, Robin Riker, Michael V. Gazzo, Henry Silva

Director: Lewis Teague