Wednesday, June 2, 2021

Quick Review: The Visitor (1979)

 Is it a Film about Aliens?  Is it a Film about an evil child?  Is it a Horror Film?  Is it Sci-Fi?  Is my name Jerry Coleslaw?

Let's find out...

Somewhere, we see John Huston, a Sun, a mysterious figure and lots of sand.

Ominous music tells us that this means something serious...but not what it actually is.
We then cut to a blond, bearded man (Franco Nero!) who is talking to lots of bald kids.  I guess they were just big THX-1138 fans.

He speaks vaguely of evil and power and...well, there he goes.
A business man- Lance Henriksen- is questioned about his mysterious wealth and reports to a cabal of boring-ass businessmen.

His mission involves getting a woman to love him...for reasons that aren't super-clear.
The woman is raising a Daughter, who keeps getting observed by Huston.  She apparently has some sort of telekinetic powers, for reasons that aren't clear.

At her Birthday Party, someone gives her...a gun(!!!) and she casually tosses it onto the ground, whereupon it fires and paralyzes her Mom.

What in the what?!?
This brings the woman and Henriksen closer together, but more craziness is afoot.

Glenn Ford is killed by a bird sent by...someone.
The girl uses more of her powers to do stuff like bully some boys in a skating rink.
Huston shows up as 'a Babysitter' and makes it clear to the girl that she's being observed.

Also John Huston plays Pong.  Cross that off your Bucket List!
Is the little girl going to kill her Mother?
Will John Huston save the day?
What's the deal with all of those birds?
Why is this Film about Aliens and an evil Damien-like girl?

To find out, watch the Film.  I saw the Rifftrax version, but feel free to watch the kind you like.
What was this Movie?  It had a Plot involving aliens, an evil girl, John Huston, killer birds, telekinesis and what appeared to be future people.  I can't pinpoint what kind of Film they were actually going for, but they sure hit like 4 or 5 different kinds at once, didn't they?  It has lots of great Actors in it.  Not mentioned in the Review, you have Shelley Winters and Mel Ferrer.  As a bonus, here's Sam Peckinpah- why not?!?  It has some really good Music, even if the Film doesn't do it justice.  Did you include 4-10 minutes of John Huston walking up stairs?  Well, play some big, orchestral music over it and it sounds great!  It's still John Huston walking up some stairs though.  All of the random elements here are honestly well-made.  Is it silly?  Yes.  Does it look bad?  Honestly, no.  It's just a shame that they could decide what kind of Movie to make and just do that one right.  One little secret about the Film is that it is Italian.  It's Director- Giulio Pardisi- was credited as Michael J. Paradise.  That's...close enough?  If you like strange, this is for you.  If you like coherent and strange, well, this might not do it.  That Soundtrack though...

A quirky and bizarre Film that doesn't know what to be.  It is the equivalent of mixing all of your leftovers into a casserole- just in Film form.

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