Top of the Food Chain

1999 "Something is eating the residents of Exceptional Vista!"
6.2| 1h39m| PG-13| en
Details

An isolated Canadian town (populated by the weirdest group of people this side of Saturn) has seen its share of problems. First the nut factory closed, then the CATV antenna stopped broadcasting, and now something is gruesomely devouring the townsfolk! Can visiting atomic scientist (and expert on "cool fusion") Dr. Karel Lamonte solve the mystery before everyone disappears?

Director

Producted By

The Ontario Film Development Corporation

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Reviews

Perry Kate Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!
AboveDeepBuggy Some things I liked some I did not.
TrueHello Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.
mraculeated The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.
Katherine Howard This full-colour comedy satirizes the old black-and-white science fiction films that you might see if you watch Mystery Science Theatre, succeeding where the Lost Skeleton of Cadavra failed. First of all, the dialogue and visual jokes come fast, relying on our ability to recognize allusions to Silence of the Lambs, Monty Python, This Island Earth and so on. Deliberately oversimplified science jargon and repetitious rambling one-man soliloquies feature briefly but do not make the majority of the script, making a nod to the style of the birth of the B-movie genre without letting it overburden its listeners.Top of the Food Chain features several of the easily recognizable character tropes: Dr. Karel Lamonte is an "Atomic Scientist from Atomic University", a bespectacled and timid young man who loses said glasses, starts looking a bit more muscular and starts spouting 1950's hero-clichés and barking orders partway through the film. As you watch, however, you see that a man this straight-laced and stiff is sexually repressed to the point of ridiculousness, making it impossible for him to respond properly to the female love interest's perfectly obvious advances. The love interest, Sandy, is Exceptional Vista's femme fatale but over-sexualized to the point where she is a raging nymphomaniac involved with practically every man in town. Other clichés abound as we meet the cop character who is suspicious of the FBI, the small town men who are offended by the "big city" scientist. These clichés are often turned on their heads. At several points in the film Sandy makes it known that she is every bit as bright as the professor, but this is ignored by all. In another example, it is mentioned that the city coroner vivisected himself (and then filled out the required paperwork before he keeled over: a true citizen!) and the so-called "uneducated cop" has been performing all of the town's autopsies since (although when he inspects human remains at one point he uses kitchen cutting boards and eats crackers at the time.) This movie lampoons alien-centric films, government conspiracy-centric films, genetic engineering and sasquatch-centric films, horror films, action films, and mid-1900s' Hollywood. It is dialogue-heavy and relies on the viewers understanding the jokes regarding chauvinistic attitudes, propagandist nationalist/stupidly simplified scientific language, and sexual innuendo that permeate the interactions between characters. This is a funny film, but only if you have a feel for the genre. If you're looking for high-action, special effects or potty humour directed at pre-pubescent teens, you won't find it here. If you want a funny satire of 1950s sci-fi then you're in for a treat.
cvessey OK, it's not *much* of a spoiler, but some people don't like hearing the good lines.The movie? B, but it knew it. I can respect that, same way I can respect Bruce Campbell and Evil Dead Part 2.The line? It's not even a full line, but it's the way Campbell Scott's atomic scientist character rattles off "the hilly lumpy bumpy part of town outside of town" without even a twinkle in the eye. Amazing.The movie is pure camp, hokey as hell. The inflatable dummy in the bathtub is, uhm, bizarre.This movie is best watched with a couple of ready-to-hand scotches, or your favourite mixed drink.
rage_a_holic I have to admit that I was a bit skeptical at first, but after it started I found myself laughing my ass off throughout the whole movie.It's as B as a movie can be, it's cheesie and it's awesome. If you liked this, I'd check out Psycho Beach Party and Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter.
DC5guy Reminds me of Attack of the Killer Tomatoes. Many will criticise this gem as cheesy, but let's not forget that it was designed to lampoon low budget sci-fi of the 50s; in that, it, like Killer Tomatoes, is a masterpiece. Worth watching over and over.Not sure if I am the only one to notice, but many of the male characters have asexual *sounding* names: Deputy DANA, LESLIE Binkley, KIM Hickey, Officer GAYLE, MICHEL O'Shea, Mayor CLAIRE, JAN Bathgate, and Dr. KAREL Lamonte. It seems too much to be coincidental but not sure what significance to place on it.Only severe criticism: The Irreverence and insensitivity to Christian beliefs added nothing to the film and offends many, including myself. There's a whole world of socio-political material from which to draw; it is best to leave people's most cherished beliefs alone. Many who believe art should not have limits will disagree with me on this. I would have given it a seven, but for the insensitivity mentioned above, feel obligated to reduce it to six out of ten (6/10) stars.