The Visitor (1979)

 

When you look at the list of stars that appear in The Visitor it surprises me that this film isn't more well known.  Don't get me wrong it has a cult following, but here it is over forty years after it was originally released and I've never heard of it until now.  So who are these stars you ask?  Well, let me list them for you.  We have Glenn Ford, Lance Henriksen, John Houston, Shelley Winters, Sam Penckinpah, and Mel Ferrer.  The film is directed by Italian actor and director Giulio Paradisi who is credited as Michael Paradise here.  Franco Nero plays a Christ-like character who is telling a group of children, who are his pupils, about a place called Earth.  A being named Zetteen (Satan) had escaped from a centuries long war he had waged against his benevolent arch rival Yahweh (God).  Ages ago Zetteen went to Earth but Yahweh was able to track him down and kill him.  Zetteen's presence, however, still lives on in the disciples he was able to create as he procreated with dozens of Earth women while he was in hiding.  These children eventually began Satanic cults on Earth in an effort to resurrect Zetteen.

 

 

Henriksen plays Raymond Armstead who owns a professional basketball team and is one of the Satanist.  Barbara (Joanne Nail) is Raymond's girlfriend and her daughter Katie has shown signs of being a very powerful psychic at a young age.  Her ability of telekinesis being especially strong.  One of the Satanists, Dr Walker (Ferrer), tells Raymond that they want him to make a baby with Barbara in an attempt to get a boy who they hope will have similar powers.  Jake Durham (Ford) is a detective investigating a series of accidents that has recently befallen people who are enemies of Raymond and the cult.  Barbara's new maid Jane (Winters) quickly notices the evil in Katie as she once had a child with similar powers.  Jane is also an associate of a man named Colsowicz (Houston) who has been sent to Earth by the Christ-like man to observe Katie.  Colsowicz also has similar powers as Katie.  Eventually Barbara becomes pregnant but not before getting help from the Satanic cult.  Barbara, not wanting to have another child with powers like Katie, decides to have an abortion.  She gets her ex-husband Dr. Sam Collins (Peckinpah), who is also Katie's father, to do it.  Afterwards, Raymond, Katie, and the cult are not happy and they attempt to kill Barbara. 

 

 

The Visitor takes elements from The Omen, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, The Exorcist, Carrie, and The Birds.  Going in to this I figured a film with this much star power but no popularity must mean it was a dud.  Turns out the main reason it was never really heard of around here is because it was never released in the United States until 2010.  The film looks much more contemporary than the release date would suggest.  The film is absolutely stunning at times.  There is a scene of Katie and other kids skating at an indoor rink that is inside a shopping mall.  The scene is beautifully filmed.  The kids begin to chase and torment Katie and the scene made me think of Curtains which contains a famous ice skating scene.  It's really a shame that Paige Connor, who plays Katie, never really did much else besides this film as she could play the evil kid very well.  Certainly giving that Damien kid from The Omen a run for his money.  Some scenes feel like they run a little long and about two thirds of the way in there's a part or two that drags but I enjoyed this.  Definitely more than I thought I would.  I will happily give this a surprising three and a half hall of mirrors out of five.