Ratboy

Last updated
Ratboy
Poster of the movie Ratboy.jpg
Cover of VHS release
Directed by Sondra Locke
Written by Rob Thompson
Produced byFritz Manes
StarringSondra Locke
Robert Townsend
Christopher Hewett
Bill Maher
Larry Hankin
Sydney Lassick
Gerrit Graham
Louie Anderson
Sharon Baird
John Witherspoon
Cinematography Bruce Surtees
Edited by Joel Cox
Music by Lennie Niehaus
Production
company
Distributed by Warner Bros.
Release date
  • October 17, 1986 (1986-10-17)(U.S.)
Running time
104 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Ratboy is a 1986 American comedy-drama film directed by and starring Sondra Locke. [1] The make-up effects were designed by Rick Baker. The film's scenario is at times comic or serious, and one of its peculiarities is that there never is any explanation for Ratboy's origin and existence as a human-rat hybrid.

Contents

Principal photography started on September 6, 1985, and ended in October 1985. Ratboy had a troubled production [2] and was both a critical and commercial failure. [3]

Synopsis

A former window dresser named Nikki overhears mention of a mysterious "Ratboy" named Soma while dumpster diving at a dump. After finding and befriending him, Nikki makes several attempts at marketing his uniqueness to the public. At the same time, Soma wishes to avoid public attention.

Cast

Marketing

The Los Angeles Times shaved six years off Sondra Locke's age in an article to promote the film. [2]

Release

The film was given a limited opening in only two cities, Los Angeles and New York. [4]

Reception

The film has a 'rotten' rating of 25% on Rotten Tomatoes. Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave it two out of four stars, calling the film 'perplexing' and criticizing the film's unique premise devolving into a more standard narrative. [5] Janet Maslin of The New York Times called the film 'disorganized', criticizing the script and directing choices of Locke. [6] On the opposite end, Michael Wilmington of The Los Angeles Times was more positive, calling the film, 'Grimm Brothers-style, mixing wonder with rough edges, undertones of pain beneath the fantasy.' [7]

Awards

Sondra Locke received a Razzie Award nomination for Worst Actress.

Related Research Articles

<i>Round Midnight</i> (film) 1986 film by Bertrand Tavernier

Round Midnight is a 1986 American musical drama film directed by Bertrand Tavernier and written by Tavernier and David Rayfiel. It stars Dexter Gordon, with a soundtrack by Herbie Hancock. The title comes from Thelonious Monk's 1943 composition 'Round Midnight, which is featured in this film in a Hancock arrangement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sondra Locke</span> American actress (1944–2018)

Sandra Louise Anderson, professionally known as Sondra Locke, was an American actress and director.

<i>52 Pick-Up</i> 1986 film

52 Pick-Up is a 1986 American neo-noir crime film directed by John Frankenheimer and starring Roy Scheider, Ann-Margret, and Vanity. It is based on Elmore Leonard's 1974 novel 52 Pickup and is the second adaptation of it after The Ambassador (1984).

<i>Kicking and Screaming</i> (1995 film) Film by Noah Baumbach

Kicking and Screaming is a 1995 American romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Noah Baumbach in his feature directorial debut. The film stars Josh Hamilton, Olivia d'Abo, Parker Posey, Chris Eigeman, and Eric Stoltz.

<i>Losin It</i> 1983 American-Canadian comedy film by Curtis Hanson

Losin' It is a 1983 comedy film directed by Curtis Hanson, and starring Tom Cruise, Shelley Long, Jackie Earle Haley and John Stockwell. The film follows four teenagers trying to lose their virginity. It was filmed largely in Calexico, California.

<i>Any Which Way You Can</i> 1980 film by Buddy Van Horn

Any Which Way You Can is a 1980 American action comedy film directed by Buddy Van Horn and starring Clint Eastwood, with Sondra Locke, Geoffrey Lewis, William Smith, and Ruth Gordon in supporting roles. The film is the sequel to the 1978 hit comedy Every Which Way but Loose. The cast of the previous film return as Philo Beddoe (Eastwood) reluctantly comes out of retirement from underground bare-knuckle boxing to take on a champion hired by the mafia, who will stop at nothing to ensure the fight takes place, while the neo-Nazi biker gang Philo humiliated in the previous film also comes back for revenge.

<i>B.A.P.S.</i> 1997 female buddy comedy film by Robert Townsend

B.A.P.S is a 1997 American female buddy comedy film directed by Robert Townsend and starring Halle Berry, Natalie Desselle, and Martin Landau. The film was written by Troy Byer and was her first screenplay. The film received largely negative reviews from critics, although it has since been considered a cult classic, especially for Black Hollywood. In total it earned $7.3 million at the box office worldwide.

<i>Microcosmos</i> (film) 1996 French film

Microcosmos is a 1996 documentary film written and directed by Claude Nuridsany and Marie Pérennou and produced by Jacques Perrin. An international co-production of France, Switzerland, Italy and the United Kingdom, the film showcases detailed interactions between insects and other small invertebrates, and features music by Bruno Coulais.

<i>Bed of Roses</i> (1996 film) 1996 American film

Bed of Roses is a 1996 American romance drama film written and directed by Michael Goldenberg and starring Christian Slater and Mary Stuart Masterson.

<i>Wildcats</i> (film) 1986 film by Michael Ritchie

Wildcats is a 1986 American sports comedy film directed by Michael Ritchie and starring Goldie Hawn, James Keach and Swoosie Kurtz. It is the film debut of Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson.

<i>Barb Wire</i> (1996 film) 1996 film by David Hogan

Barb Wire is a 1996 American superhero film based on the Dark Horse Comics character of the same name. It was directed by David Hogan, produced by Brad Wyman, and written by Chuck Pfarrer and Ilene Chaiken. The film stars Pamela Anderson in the title role, alongside Temuera Morrison, Victoria Rowell, Xander Berkeley, Udo Kier, and Steve Railsback. Although Barb Wire was panned by critics, it has attracted a cult following.

<i>My Father the Hero</i> (1994 film) 1994 French film

My Father the Hero is a 1994 French-American comedy-drama directed by Steve Miner and starring Gérard Depardieu and Katherine Heigl. It is an English-language remake of the 1991 French film Mon père, ce héros, which starred Depardieu in a similar role.

<i>Cujo</i> (film) 1983 film by Lewis Teague

Cujo is a 1983 American horror film based on Stephen King's 1981 novel of the same name and directed by Lewis Teague. It was written by Don Carlos Dunaway and Barbara Turner, and starring Dee Wallace, Daniel Hugh Kelly and Danny Pintauro.

<i>The Sluggers Wife</i> 1985 film by Hal Ashby

The Slugger's Wife is a 1985 romantic comedy film about a baseball star who falls for a singer. Written by Neil Simon, directed by Hal Ashby and produced by Ray Stark, the film stars Michael O'Keefe, Rebecca De Mornay, and Randy Quaid. It was distributed by Columbia Pictures and released on March 29, 1985.

<i>Siesta</i> (film) 1987 film by Mary Lambert

Siesta is a 1987 American drama film directed by Mary Lambert and starring Ellen Barkin, Gabriel Byrne and Jodie Foster. According to a 1987 article in The Los Angeles Times, the film "follows a daredevil through her final days leading up to a potentially fatal leap. Rife with Jungian imagery, the film is a post-modern fable of destiny and change, peopled with a gallery of lost souls including a guardian angel, a sorceress and the angel of death ." It also stars Martin Sheen and Isabella Rossellini.

<i>The New Age</i> (film) 1994 film

The New Age is a 1994 comedy-drama film written and directed by Michael Tolkin, and starring Peter Weller and Judy Davis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martin Scorsese filmography</span> Filmography of American filmmaker Martin Scorsese

Martin Scorsese is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, actor, and film historian whose career spans more than fifty years. To date, Scorsese has directed twenty-six feature length narrative films, seventeen feature-length documentary films, and has co-directed one anthology film.

<i>Twist and Shout</i> (film) 1984 film

Twist and Shout is a 1984 Danish drama film directed by Bille August. It was entered into the 14th Moscow International Film Festival where Lars Simonsen won the award for Best Actor. The film saw a release in American theaters in 1986. Twist and Shout was also selected as the Danish entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 58th Academy Awards, but was not accepted as a nominee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Werner Herzog filmography</span>

Werner Herzog is a German filmmaker whose films often feature ambitious or deranged protagonists with impossible dreams. Herzog's works span myriad genres and mediums, but he is particularly well known for his documentary films, which he typically narrates.

References

  1. "Ratboy". Turner Classic Movies . Atlanta: Turner Broadcasting System (Time Warner). Retrieved July 10, 2016.
  2. 1 2 "LOCKE EXERCISES CONTROL OVER 'RATBOY,' HER CAREER". Los Angeles Times . August 19, 1986. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  3. "Ratboy". Rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  4. "'RATBOY': SNARED IN THE STUDIO TRAP". Los Angeles Times. February 15, 1987.
  5. Ebert, Roger. "Ratboy movie review & film summary (1986) | Roger Ebert". Rogerebert.com. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  6. Maslin, Janet (October 17, 1986). "Ratboy (1986) SCREEN: 'RATBOY'". The New York Times . New York City . Retrieved July 10, 2016.
  7. "MOVIE REVIEW : 'RATBOY' SWIMS AGAINST MAINSTREAM". Los Angeles Times . 20 March 1987. Retrieved 18 November 2021.