Alienator

Alienator
Home media cover
Directed byFred Olen Ray
Written byPaul Garson[1]
Produced byJeffrey C. Hogue[1]
Starring
CinematographyGary Graver[1]
Edited byChris Roth[1]
Music byChuck Cirino[1]
Production
companies
  • American-Independent Prods.
  • Majestic Intl.[1]
Distributed byPrism Entertainment[1]
Release date
  • February 8, 1990 (1990-02-08)
Running time
92 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Alienator is a 1990 science fiction film directed by Fred Olen Ray, produced by Jeffrey C. Hogue, and starring Jan-Michael Vincent.

The film was described by Leonard Maltin and confirmed by Fred Olen Ray to be a "semi-remake" of the 1957 film The Astounding She-Monster.[2] Robert Clarke, who starred in that film, also appears in Alienator.[3]

Plot

Kol, an alien criminal, escapes from a spaceship into the woods of an American suburb. The commander of the spaceship dispatches "the Alienator"—a deadly gynoid, to capture Kol. She relentlessly pursues Kol and a group of teenagers who find him without knowing his past.

Cast

Release

Alienator was originally set for release between May and August in 1989.[4] Prism Entertainment announced in November 1989 to release the film along with Time Troopers in late December.[5] Prism later released the film on February 8, 1990.[6][7]

On March 19, 2013, the film was released on DVD by Shout! Factory as part of a two-disc "Action-Packed Movie Marathon" set, which contains a total of four films.[8] On June 13, 2017, the film was released on Blu-ray by Scream Factory, featuring a commentary track by director Fred Olen Ray.[9]

Reception

From contemporary reviews, "Lor." of Variety reviewed the AIP video cassette on November 18, 1989.[1] "Lor." declared the film to be a "tongue-in cheek sci-fi thriller geared towards home video fans with a soft spot for the old stars and old-fashioned serials."[1] "Lor." noted the film "suffers from a weak script" that gave Jan-Michael Vincent and John Phillip Law little to do while P.J. Soles is "stuck in a rather goofy costume as an outer space technician".[1]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Lor. 1991.
  2. ^ Maltin, Leonard (2015). Turner Classic Movies Presents Leonard Maltin's Classic Movie Guide: From the Silent Era Through 1965 (third ed.). Plume. ISBN 978-0147516824.
  3. ^ Weldon, Michael J. (1996). The Psychotronic Video Guide To Film. St. Martin's Griffin. ISBN 978-0312131494.
  4. ^ "Mid-May through August". The Los Angeles Times. January 15, 1989. p. 12.
  5. ^ "When TV Mattered". New York Daily News. November 21, 1989. p. 36.
  6. ^ "Coming Attractions". The Chicago Tribune. January 19, 1990. p. 62 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ Blowen, Michael (January 26, 1990). "Advertising Comes to the Movies". The Boston Globe. p. 47.
  8. ^ "Action Packed Movie Marathon (Cyclone, Alienator, Eye Of The Tiger & Exterminator 2)". Amazon.com. Retrieved January 20, 2020.
  9. ^ "Alienator [Blu-ray]". Amazon.com. Retrieved January 20, 2020.

Sources

  • Lor. (1991). Variety's Film Reviews 1989-1990. Vol. 21. R. R. Bowker. There are no page numbers in this book. This entry is found under the header "December 6, 1989". ISBN 0-8352-3089-9.