description Alligator (1980) Overview
Alligator is a 1980 American monster-horror film directed by Lewis Teague. Its story follows a large alligator living in Chicago's sewer system after being flushed away as a small pet, where exposure to illegally discarded laboratory material causes it to grow to an abnormal size. The film is intended for viewers interested in urban creature features, police investigation stories, and nature-run-amok horror.
help Alligator (1980) FAQ
How does the alligator become giant in Alligator?
A pet alligator is flushed into Chicago's sewer system, where it feeds on animals connected to illegal laboratory experiments. The film uses that discarded laboratory material to explain the creature's abnormal growth.
Who directed the 1980 film Alligator?
Alligator was directed by Lewis Teague and written by John Sayles. Their film combines an animal-attack story with satire about illegal experimentation and city corruption.
Is Alligator based on the sewer alligator urban legend?
Yes, it draws on the long-running urban legend about pet alligators living in sewer systems, but the Chicago story is fictional. The laboratory-experiment angle is the movie's explanation for the monster's size.
Is the monster in Alligator a crocodile?
The creature is an American alligator, not a crocodile, and the title deliberately uses that species name. Starting with a small pet makes the sewer legend central to the 1980 monster-horror plot.
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