The Pest (1997 film)

Infobox_Film
name = The Pest


caption = Promotional poster for "The Pest"
writer = David Bar Katz &
John Leguizamo (story)
David Bar Katz (screenplay)
starring = John Leguizamo
Jeffrey Jones
Edoardo Ballerini
Freddy Rodríguez
Tammy Townsend
Joe Morton
director = Paul Miller
producer = Bill Sheinberg
Jonathan Sheinberg
Sid Sheinberg
music = Kevin Kiner
cinematography = Roy H. Wagner
editing = Ross Albert
David Rawlins
distributor = TriStar Pictures
released = February 9, 1997 (USA)
runtime = 84 minutes
language = English
budget = $17,000,000 (estimated)
gross = $3,506,206 (USA)
imdb_id = 0119887
amg_id = 1:154450

"The Pest" is a 1997 comedy film based on the classic short story "The Most Dangerous Game". In it, comedian John Leguizamo plays a Latino con man in Miami, Florida named Pestario Vargas (also known as "Pest") who agrees to be the human target for a racist manhunter, in order to collect $50,000 if he survives. It is the only feature directed by Paul Miller. It is considered to be a box office flop, critical and artistic failure.

Cast

*John Leguizamo — Pestario 'Pest' Vargas
*Jeffrey Jones — Gustav Shank
*Edoardo Ballerini — Himmel Shank
*Freddy Rodríguez — Bruce "Ninja"
*Tammy Townsend — Xantha Kent
*Aries Spears — Chubby
*Joe Morton — Mr. Kent
*Charles Hallahan — Angus
*Tom McCleister — Leo
*Ivonne Coll — Gladyz
*Pat Skipper — Glen Livitt
*Jorge Luis Abreu — Piercer
*Jennifer Broughton — Bank Employee
*Yau-Gene Chan — Cook
*Judyann Elder — Mrs. Kent
*Paul Harris — Karaoke Singer
*Joe Jokubeit — Laphroig
*David Bar Katz — White Guy
*Will Potter — White Guy
*Les Lannom — Bagpipe Player
*Jim Lau — Mr. Cheung
*Barrie Mizerski — Host
*Hugh Murphy — Emcee
*Kristin Norton — Trixy
*Ray Garaza — Puerto Rican Boy
*Yelba Osorio — Malaria
*Tony Perez — Felix
*Aviva Rosenbloom — Cantor
*Julian Scott Urena — Sergio

Critical response

The film is considered to be a critical dud. Film website Rotten Tomatoes, which compiles reviews from a wide range of critics, gives the film a score of 11%. While Jeff Millar of the "Houston Chronicle" ops "This film is utterly without discipline or focus in a way that—to one's shame—one eventually finds oddly endearing," Dwayne E. Leslie of "Boxoffice Magazine" said that "The script and Leguizamo's talents don't mesh, so the actor comes off as more offensive than funny." Madeleine Williams of "Cinematter" calls the film "a revoltingly bad stinker that is easily in the running for the worst film of the decade."

Audience response

The film grossed a meager $4 million dollars, losing $13 million from the film's original $17 million budget. In recent years, the film has become somewhat of a cult classic on home video and DVD thanks to word of mouth and video rentals. On the Internet Movie Database, the film has an overall rating of 4.2/10 with 3,021 votes. Director Paul Miller provided an audio commentary track for the film's 2001 DVD release. The film was rated PG-13 for Crude Sexual, scatalogical and Ethnic Humor.

External links

*imdb title|id=0119887|title=The Pest
*" [http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/pest/ The Pest] " at the Rotten Tomatoes