The beauty of the sewer alligator myth is that it’s easy to believe in. It isn’t that farfetched, to be honest. Exotic animals have a history of being brought into different places by people with the illegal means to do so. Columbia has hippos that drug kingpin Pablo Escobar brought to his private zoo in the 1970s. When he died, Columbia had to figure out what to do with them. Puerto Rico’s had a ton of them for similar reasons (a puma among them). Those alligators somehow found their way to the sewers of New York City is, quite frankly, an easy sell.
The Metrograph movie theater in New York City seems quite interested in the mysteries that lurk in the city’s waste disposal system as they ready a new movie series titled “Don’t Go in the Sewers.” It’ll run from October 11 to October 27 with select encore screenings to be announced.
The series will focus on movies about creaturesmutants, and overgrown monsters that either rise from the depths or drag people from the surface down into the forsaken wasteland beneath our feet to make us think about the things we flush down the toilet.
The films featured in it are:
- Alligatordir. Lewis Teague (1980)
- The Blobdir. Chuck Russell (1988)
- The Hostdir. Bong Joon-ho (2006)
- Super Mario Bros.dir. Annabel Jankel and Rocky Morton (1993)
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtlesdir. Steve Barron (1990)
- A secret 35mm screening of a 1984 movie about toxic waste and mutants. (Potential hint: Jordan Peele mentions it as a big inspiration for his second movie, )
Special introductions by local filmmakers have been announced, with Heather Buckley, Jenn Wexler, and Ted Geoghegan lending their expertise.
“Don’t Go in the Sewers” is shaping up to be a great addition to this year’s Halloween offerings, even if not all of the movies here strictly fall under the horror category. Regardless, it’s a monsters galore celebration of one of the most disgusting places that humanity has created. Maybe next time you’ll think twice about what you throw down a drain. There’s always a chance it’ll come back to get you.