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{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2015}}
{{Infobox film
{{Infobox film
| name = The Visitor
| name = The Visitor
| image = The Visitor 1979 film poster.jpg
| image = The Visitor 1979 film poster.jpg
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption =
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = [[Giulio Paradisi]]
| director = [[Giulio Paradisi]]<br />(as Michael J. Paradise)
| producer = [[Ovidio G. Assonitis]]
| producer = [[Ovidio G. Assonitis]]
| screenplay = {{Plainlist|
| writer = '''Screenplay'''<br>Luciano Comici and Robert Mundi<br>'''Story'''<br>Assonitis and Paradisi
* Luciano Comici
| narrator =
* Robert Mundi}}
| starring = [[John Huston]]<br>[[Mel Ferrer]]<br>[[Glenn Ford]]
| story = {{Plainlist|
* Luciano Comici
* Robert Mundi}}
| starring = {{Plainlist|
* [[John Huston]]
* [[Mel Ferrer]]
* [[Glenn Ford]]}}
| music = [[Franco Micalizzi]]
| music = [[Franco Micalizzi]]
| cinematography = [[Ennio Guarnieri]]
| cinematography = [[Ennio Guarnieri]]
| editing = Roberto Curi
| editing = Roberto Curi
| production companies = {{Plainlist|
| distributor = [[Film Ventures International]]<br>[[Drafthouse Films]]
* Brouwersgracht Investments
| released = {{Film date|1979|08|03|Italy|1980|11|21|U.S.|2013|10|31|Re-release}}
* [[Film Ventures International]]<ref>{{cite book|title=Sam Peckinpah: Interviews|author=Hayes, Kevin J.|pages=xxxii&ndash;xxxiii|isbn=978-1-934110-64-5|publisher=Univ. Press of Mississippi|year=2008}}</ref>
| runtime = 101 minutes
* Swan American Film}}
| country = Italy/USA
| distributor = {{Plainlist|
* [[American International Pictures]]
* The International Picture Show Company}}
| released = {{Film date|1979|08|03|Italy|1980|11|21|US}}
| runtime = 99 minutes<!--Theatrical runtime: 99:07--><ref>{{cite web | url=http://bbfc.co.uk/releases/visitor | title=''THE VISITOR'' (X) | work=[[British Board of Film Classification]] | date=December 12, 1974 | accessdate=May 24, 2015}}</ref>
| country = {{Plainlist|
* United States
* Italy}}
| language = English
| language = English
| budget =
| budget = $800,000
| gross =
}}
}}
'''''The Visitor''''' is a 1979 American-Italian [[Science fiction film|science fiction]] [[horror film]] directed by [[Giulio Paradisi]] (credited onscreen as Michael J. Paradise) and based on a story by the [[Egypt]]-born [[Italian people|Italian]] writer (and producer) [[Ovidio G. Assonitis]]. The film stars include [[John Huston]], [[Shelley Winters]], [[Mel Ferrer]], [[Glenn Ford]], and [[Sam Peckinpah]] with supporting appearances by [[Neal Boortz]], [[Steve Somers]], and [[Kareem Abdul-Jabbar]].


'''''The Visitor''''' is a 1979 [[science fiction]] [[horror film]] directed by [[Giulio Paradisi]] (Michael J. Paradise), based on a story by the [[Egypt]]-born [[Italian people|Italian]] writer (and producer) [[Ovidio G. Assonitis]]. The film stars include [[John Huston]], [[Shelley Winters]], [[Mel Ferrer]], [[Glenn Ford]], and [[Sam Peckinpah]]. Radio talk-show host [[Neal Boortz]] also has a role. The film was a co-production between Italy and the United States, with an Italian title of '''''Stridulum''''' and Spanish of ''El visitante del más allá''.<ref>{{cite book|title=Cartelera cinematografica, 1980&ndash;1989|language=Spanish|author=Amador, Maria Luisa; Blanco, Jorge Ayala|pages=53, note 432|isbn=978-970-32-3605-3|publisher=[[UNAM]]|year=2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Le straniere del nostro cinema|language=Italian|author=Lancia, Enrico; Melelli, Fabio|page=183|isbn=978-88-8440-350-6|publisher=Gremese Editore|year=2005}}</ref>
The film was a [[International co-production|co-production]] between [[Cinema of Italy|Italy]] and [[Cinema of the United States|the United States]], with an Italian title of ''Stridulum'' and Spanish of ''El visitante del más allá''.<ref>{{cite book|title=Cartelera cinematografica, 1980-1989|language=Spanish|author=Amador, Maria Luisa; Blanco, Jorge Ayala|pages=53, note 432|isbn=978-970-32-3605-3|publisher=[[UNAM]]|year=2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Le straniere del nostro cinema|language=Italian|author=Lancia, Enrico; Melelli, Fabio|page=183|isbn=978-88-8440-350-6|publisher=Gremese Editore|year=2005}}</ref>


==Synopsis==
==Plot==
The film opens with vague impressions of nature and supernatural forces before centering on a Christ-like figure telling a story to a group of bald pupils, most of whom are children. He tells a story about cosmic forces in conflict. In particular, he warns about the threat of Sateen, an evil inter-spacial force of immense magnitude. The film cuts to [[Omni_Coliseum|The Omni]] in [[Atlanta]] where two fictional teams are playing a basketball game. The owner of the Atlanta team, Raymond Armstead ([[Lance Henriksen]]), sits courtside and promises an interviewer that the team will win at all costs. Since Raymond is a new owner and the source of his wealth is unknown, the interviewer presses him on the source of his wealth. He eventually answers that the money comes "from God".
The film opens with vague impressions of nature and supernatural forces before centering on a Christ-like figure telling a story to a group of bald pupils, most of whom are children. He tells a story about cosmic forces in conflict. In particular, he warns about the threat of Sateen, an evil inter-spacial force of immense magnitude. The film cuts to [[Omni Coliseum|The Omni]] in [[Atlanta]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]] where two fictional teams are playing a basketball game. The owner of the Atlanta team, Raymond Armstead ([[Lance Henriksen]]), sits courtside and promises an interviewer that the team will win at all costs. Since Raymond is a new owner and the source of his wealth is unknown, the interviewer presses him on the source of his wealth. He eventually answers that the money comes "from God".


Raymond is later seen visiting a mansion where a group of men sit at a conference table. At the head of the table, Dr. Walker ([[Mel Ferrer]]), tells Raymond that the group has invested a lot of money in Raymond. He reminds Raymond that his girlfriend, Barbara Collins (Joanne Nail), is unique among women because her womb possesses the power to transmit Sateen's cosmic force into human form. Her 8-year old daughter Katy (Paige Connor) has already demonstrated [[telekinetic]] powers, and the committee's goal is to have Raymond father a male child with Barbara. The male child would eventually mate with his half-sister Katy and help establish the reign of Sateen.
Raymond is later seen visiting a mansion where a group of men sit at a conference table. At the head of the table, Dr. Walker ([[Mel Ferrer]]), tells Raymond that the group has invested a lot of money in Raymond. He reminds Raymond that his girlfriend, Barbara Collins (Joanne Nail), is unique among women because her womb possesses the power to transmit Sateen's cosmic force into human form. Her 8-year old daughter Katy (Paige Connor) has already demonstrated [[Telekinesis|telekinetic]] powers, and the committee's goal is to have Raymond father a male child with Barbara. The male child would eventually mate with his half-sister Katy and help establish the reign of Sateen.


Katy is only partially aware of her powers, and she experiments with them throughout the film. A Visitor, Jerzy Colsowicz ([[John Huston]]), is sent to Earth by the Christ-like figure, and he starts to hover around Katy. He possesses the same powers and knows that they are meant to be used for the good of mankind. He occasionally visits a rooftop in downtown Atlanta, where other bald disciples of the Christ-like figure gather in support of his mission.
Katy is only partially aware of her powers, and she experiments with them throughout the film. A Visitor, Jerzy Colsowicz ([[John Huston]]), is sent to Earth by the Christ-like figure, and he starts to hover around Katy. He possesses the same powers and knows that they are meant to be used for the good of mankind. He occasionally visits a rooftop in downtown Atlanta, where other bald disciples of the Christ-like figure gather in support of his mission.
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==Cast==
==Cast==
* [[Mel Ferrer]]: Dr. Walker
* [[Mel Ferrer]] as Dr. Walker
* [[Glenn Ford]]: Det. Jake Durham
* [[Glenn Ford]] as Det. Jake Durham
* [[Lance Henriksen]]: Raymond Armstead
* [[Lance Henriksen]] as Raymond Armstead
* [[John Huston]]: Jerzy Colsowicz
* [[John Huston]] as Jerzy Colsowicz
* Joanne Nail: Barbara Collins
* Joanne Nail as Barbara Collins
* [[Sam Peckinpah]]: Dr. Sam Collins
* [[Sam Peckinpah]] as Dr. Sam Collins
* [[Shelley Winters]]: Jane Phillips
* [[Shelley Winters]] as Jane Phillips
* [[Franco Nero]]: [[Jesus Christ]]
* [[Franco Nero]] as [[Jesus Christ]]
* [[Neal Boortz]]
* [[Neal Boortz]]
* [[Steve Somers]]
* [[Steve Somers]]
* [[Kareem Abdul-Jabbar]]
* [[Kareem Abdul-Jabbar]]


==Production==
==Release==
===Reissue===
The production companies were Brouwersgracht Investments and [[Film Ventures International]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Sam Peckinpah: Interviews|author=Hayes, Kevin J.|pages=xxxii&ndash;xxxiii|isbn=978-1-934110-64-5|publisher=Univ. Press of Mississippi|year=2008}}</ref>

==Re-release==
''The Visitor'' was released on DVD by independent distributor Code Red in November 2010. It was the first time the film had been presented in its uncut form in the United States.
''The Visitor'' was released on DVD by independent distributor Code Red in November 2010. It was the first time the film had been presented in its uncut form in the United States.


In 2013, independent distributor [[Drafthouse Films]] acquired the film.<ref name="Drafthouse">{{cite web|url=http://drafthousefilms.com/blog/entry/drafthouse-films-rediscovers-the-sci-fi-horror-epic-that-1979-couldnt-handl|title=Drafthouse Films Rediscovers The Sci-Fi/Horror Epic That 1979 Couldn't Handle|last=Husney|first=Evan|publisher=Drafthouse Films|date=June 19, 2013|accessdate=June 20, 2013}}</ref> Drafthouse Films announced they would re-release the film in remastered form on October 31, 2013 with a VOD/digital and home entertainment release in January of 2014.<ref name=ew>{{cite web |url=http://insidemovies.ew.com/2013/10/09/the-visitor-drafthouse-sam-peckinpah/|title=Drafthouse Films to rerelease whacked-out '70s horror film 'The Visitor' this Halloween -- EXCLUSIVE POSTER |author=Collis, Clark |date=2013-10-09|accessdate=2013-10-15|work=[[Entertainment Weekly]]}}</ref>
In 2013, independent distributor [[Drafthouse Films]] acquired the film.<ref name="Drafthouse">{{cite web|url=http://drafthousefilms.com/blog/entry/drafthouse-films-rediscovers-the-sci-fi-horror-epic-that-1979-couldnt-handl|title=Drafthouse Films Rediscovers The Sci-Fi/Horror Epic That 1979 Couldn't Handle|last=Husney|first=Evan|publisher=Drafthouse Films|date=June 19, 2013|accessdate=June 20, 2013}}</ref> Drafthouse Films announced they would re-release the film in remastered form on October 31, 2013 with a [[Video on demand|VOD]]/digital and home entertainment release in January of 2014.<ref name=ew>{{cite web |url=http://insidemovies.ew.com/2013/10/09/the-visitor-drafthouse-sam-peckinpah/|title=Drafthouse Films to rerelease whacked-out '70s horror film 'The Visitor' this Halloween -- EXCLUSIVE POSTER |author=Collis, Clark |date=2013-10-09|accessdate=2013-10-15|work=[[Entertainment Weekly]]}}</ref>


===Critical reception===
==Reception==
''The Visitor'' is perhaps best summed up in David Ehrlich's review for ''Film.com'' as "a remake of ''The Bad Seed'' as filtered through the acid-tinged mind of [[Alejandro Jodorowsky]]."<ref>Ehrlich, David (2013). "[http://www.film.com/movies/the-visitor-review-drafthouse-films Review: The Visitor]", Film.com.</ref> Many of the [[setpiece|set pieces]] in the film bear striking resemblances to contemporary releases. When the Visitor returns to his cosmic home, there is an extended light sequence that is modeled on the end of ''[[Close Encounters of the Third Kind]]''.<ref>Scherstuhl, Alan (2013). "[http://www.villagevoice.com/2013-11-06/film/the-visitor-1979-movie/ 1979's Astounding Sci-Fi Horror Mess The Visitor Is in Theaters at Last]", ''[[The Village Voice]]''.</ref><ref>Trunick, Alan (2013). "[http://www.undertheradarmag.com/reviews/the_visitor/ The Visitor]", Under the Radar</ref> Katy's ominous powers are rendered in the style of ''[[The Omen]]'', and the conflict over her nature, with good winning out over evil due to the help of an elderly man, led one critic to call the film an "[[The_Exorcist_(film)|Exorcist]] knock-off". That same review cited other obvious influences on the film like ''[[Carrie_(1976_film)|Carrie]]'', ''[[The_Birds_(film)|The Birds]]'', and ''The Lady From Shanghai''.<ref>Axmaker, Sean (2013). "[http://parallax-view.org/2014/03/08/videophiled-classic-visitor-brings-satanic-incoherence-side-bizarre/ Videophiled Classic: ‘The Visitor’ Brings Satanic Incoherence with a Side of Bizarre]", ''The Parallax View''.</ref>
''The Visitor'' is perhaps best summed up in David Ehrlich's review for ''Film.com'' as "a remake of ''The Bad Seed'' as filtered through the acid-tinged mind of [[Alejandro Jodorowsky]]."<ref>Ehrlich, David (2013). "[http://www.film.com/movies/the-visitor-review-drafthouse-films Review: The Visitor]", Film.com.</ref> Many of the [[setpiece|set pieces]] in the film bear striking resemblances to contemporary releases. When the Visitor returns to his cosmic home, there is an extended light sequence that is modeled on the end of ''[[Close Encounters of the Third Kind]]''.<ref>Scherstuhl, Alan (2013). "[http://www.villagevoice.com/2013-11-06/film/the-visitor-1979-movie/ 1979's Astounding Sci-Fi Horror Mess The Visitor Is in Theaters at Last]", ''[[The Village Voice]]''.</ref><ref>Trunick, Alan (2013). "[http://www.undertheradarmag.com/reviews/the_visitor/ The Visitor]", Under the Radar</ref> Katy's ominous powers are rendered in the style of ''[[The Omen]]'', and the conflict over her nature, with good winning out over evil due to the help of an elderly man, led one critic to call the film an "''[[The Exorcist (film)|Exorcist]]'' knock-off". That same review cited other obvious influences on the film like ''[[Carrie (1976 film)|Carrie]]'', ''[[The Birds (film)|The Birds]]'', and ''[[The Lady from Shanghai]]''.<ref>Axmaker, Sean (2013). "[http://parallax-view.org/2014/03/08/videophiled-classic-visitor-brings-satanic-incoherence-side-bizarre/ Videophiled Classic: ‘The Visitor’ Brings Satanic Incoherence with a Side of Bizarre]", ''The Parallax View''.</ref>


==Notes==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}


==References==
==External links==
* {{official website|http://drafthousefilms.com/film/the-visitor}} - [[Drafthouse Films]]
* {{Official website|http://drafthousefilms.com/film/the-visitor}} ([[Alamo Drafthouse Cinema#Drafthouse Films|Drafthouse Films]])
* {{IMDb title|0080100}}
* {{IMDb title|0080100|The Visitor}}
* {{rottentomatoes|the_visitor_1980}}
* {{rotten-tomatoes|the_visitor_1980|The Visitor}}
* {{metacritic|the-visitor-1980}}
* {{metacritic film|the-visitor-1980|The Visitor}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Visitor, The}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Visitor, The}}
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[[Category:1979 horror films]]
[[Category:1979 horror films]]
[[Category:1970s science fiction horror films]]
[[Category:1970s science fiction horror films]]
[[Category:American films]]
[[Category:American independent films]]
[[Category:American science fiction horror films]]
[[Category:American science fiction horror films]]
[[Category:Italian films]]
[[Category:Italian horror films]]
[[Category:Italian horror films]]
[[Category:Italian independent films]]
[[Category:Italian science fiction films]]
[[Category:English-language films]]
[[Category:Alien invasions in films]]
[[Category:Demons in film]]
[[Category:Films directed by Giulio Paradisi]]
[[Category:Films set in Atlanta, Georgia]]
[[Category:Films shot in Atlanta, Georgia]]
[[Category:Films shot in Rome]]
[[Category:Satanism in popular culture]]
[[Category:Supernatural horror films]]
[[Category:Supernatural horror films]]
[[Category:Films set in the United States]]
[[Category:Films shot in Atlanta, Georgia]]
[[Category:Films directed by Giulio Paradisi]]

Revision as of 06:13, 25 May 2015

The Visitor
Theatrical release poster
Directed byGiulio Paradisi
(as Michael J. Paradise)
Screenplay by
  • Luciano Comici
  • Robert Mundi
Story by
  • Luciano Comici
  • Robert Mundi
Produced byOvidio G. Assonitis
Starring
CinematographyEnnio Guarnieri
Edited byRoberto Curi
Music byFranco Micalizzi
Distributed by
Release dates
  • August 3, 1979 (1979-08-03) (Italy)
  • November 21, 1980 (1980-11-21) (US)
Running time
99 minutes[1]
Countries
  • United States
  • Italy
LanguageEnglish
Budget$800,000

The Visitor is a 1979 American-Italian science fiction horror film directed by Giulio Paradisi (credited onscreen as Michael J. Paradise) and based on a story by the Egypt-born Italian writer (and producer) Ovidio G. Assonitis. The film stars include John Huston, Shelley Winters, Mel Ferrer, Glenn Ford, and Sam Peckinpah with supporting appearances by Neal Boortz, Steve Somers, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

The film was a co-production between Italy and the United States, with an Italian title of Stridulum and Spanish of El visitante del más allá.[3][4]

Plot

The film opens with vague impressions of nature and supernatural forces before centering on a Christ-like figure telling a story to a group of bald pupils, most of whom are children. He tells a story about cosmic forces in conflict. In particular, he warns about the threat of Sateen, an evil inter-spacial force of immense magnitude. The film cuts to The Omni in Atlanta, Georgia where two fictional teams are playing a basketball game. The owner of the Atlanta team, Raymond Armstead (Lance Henriksen), sits courtside and promises an interviewer that the team will win at all costs. Since Raymond is a new owner and the source of his wealth is unknown, the interviewer presses him on the source of his wealth. He eventually answers that the money comes "from God".

Raymond is later seen visiting a mansion where a group of men sit at a conference table. At the head of the table, Dr. Walker (Mel Ferrer), tells Raymond that the group has invested a lot of money in Raymond. He reminds Raymond that his girlfriend, Barbara Collins (Joanne Nail), is unique among women because her womb possesses the power to transmit Sateen's cosmic force into human form. Her 8-year old daughter Katy (Paige Connor) has already demonstrated telekinetic powers, and the committee's goal is to have Raymond father a male child with Barbara. The male child would eventually mate with his half-sister Katy and help establish the reign of Sateen.

Katy is only partially aware of her powers, and she experiments with them throughout the film. A Visitor, Jerzy Colsowicz (John Huston), is sent to Earth by the Christ-like figure, and he starts to hover around Katy. He possesses the same powers and knows that they are meant to be used for the good of mankind. He occasionally visits a rooftop in downtown Atlanta, where other bald disciples of the Christ-like figure gather in support of his mission.

A police detective, Jake Durham (Glenn Ford), investigates some of the strange and fatal occurrences that have involved Katy. For instance, Barbara ends up paralyzed by a bullet wound, and spends the rest of the movie in a wheelchair. During his investigation, unseen forces cause him to die in a car accident.

Raymond fails to seduce Barbara, and the committee decide to proceed with other, more violent methods. Barbara never has a chance to bear the intended male child because Raymond and Katy execute her by tying a wire around her neck and sending her down the stairs in her chair lift. In the end, the Visitor returns to the Christ-like figure and his bald apostles. He reveals that he has brought Katy with him. She is now bald, and the film ends with her smiling and embracing the Visitor.

Cast

Release

Reissue

The Visitor was released on DVD by independent distributor Code Red in November 2010. It was the first time the film had been presented in its uncut form in the United States.

In 2013, independent distributor Drafthouse Films acquired the film.[5] Drafthouse Films announced they would re-release the film in remastered form on October 31, 2013 with a VOD/digital and home entertainment release in January of 2014.[6]

Critical reception

The Visitor is perhaps best summed up in David Ehrlich's review for Film.com as "a remake of The Bad Seed as filtered through the acid-tinged mind of Alejandro Jodorowsky."[7] Many of the set pieces in the film bear striking resemblances to contemporary releases. When the Visitor returns to his cosmic home, there is an extended light sequence that is modeled on the end of Close Encounters of the Third Kind.[8][9] Katy's ominous powers are rendered in the style of The Omen, and the conflict over her nature, with good winning out over evil due to the help of an elderly man, led one critic to call the film an "Exorcist knock-off". That same review cited other obvious influences on the film like Carrie, The Birds, and The Lady from Shanghai.[10]

References

  1. ^ "THE VISITOR (X)". British Board of Film Classification. December 12, 1974. Retrieved May 24, 2015.
  2. ^ Hayes, Kevin J. (2008). Sam Peckinpah: Interviews. Univ. Press of Mississippi. pp. xxxii–xxxiii. ISBN 978-1-934110-64-5.
  3. ^ Amador, Maria Luisa; Blanco, Jorge Ayala (2006). Cartelera cinematografica, 1980-1989 (in Spanish). UNAM. pp. 53, note 432. ISBN 978-970-32-3605-3.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ Lancia, Enrico; Melelli, Fabio (2005). Le straniere del nostro cinema (in Italian). Gremese Editore. p. 183. ISBN 978-88-8440-350-6.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. ^ Husney, Evan (June 19, 2013). "Drafthouse Films Rediscovers The Sci-Fi/Horror Epic That 1979 Couldn't Handle". Drafthouse Films. Retrieved June 20, 2013.
  6. ^ Collis, Clark (October 9, 2013). "Drafthouse Films to rerelease whacked-out '70s horror film 'The Visitor' this Halloween -- EXCLUSIVE POSTER". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved October 15, 2013.
  7. ^ Ehrlich, David (2013). "Review: The Visitor", Film.com.
  8. ^ Scherstuhl, Alan (2013). "1979's Astounding Sci-Fi Horror Mess The Visitor Is in Theaters at Last", The Village Voice.
  9. ^ Trunick, Alan (2013). "The Visitor", Under the Radar
  10. ^ Axmaker, Sean (2013). "Videophiled Classic: ‘The Visitor’ Brings Satanic Incoherence with a Side of Bizarre", The Parallax View.