Alienator: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|1989 film by Fred Olen Ray}}

{{Infobox Film | name =Alienator

{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}

| image = alienatorBig.jpg

{{Infobox film

| caption = VHS cover for ''Alienator ''

| name = Alienator

| director = [[Fred Olen Ray]]

| image = Alienator-vhs-movie-cover-md.jpg

| producer = Jeffrey C. Hogue

| alt | writer = Paul Garson =

| caption = Home media cover

| starring = [[Jan-Michael Vincent]]<br>[[John Phillip Law]]<br>Ross Hagen<br>Dyana Ortelli<br>Teagan

| director = [[Fred Olen Ray]]

| music = Jeffrey C. Hogue<br>Dan Q. Kennis<br>[[Tom Howard]]

| producer = Jeffrey C. Hogue{{sfn|Lor.|1991}}

| editing = Dan Q. Kennis

| writer = Paul Garson{{sfn|Lor.|1991}}

| released = [[1989 in film|1989]]

| starring = {{plainlist|* [[Jan-Michael Vincent]]

| runtime = 93 min

* [[John Phillip Law]]

| language = English

* [[Ross Hagen]]

| imdb_id = 0096786

* Dyana Ortelli

* [[Teagan Clive|Teagan]]

* [[P. J. Soles]]}}

| music = Chuck Cirino{{sfn|Lor.|1991}}

| cinematography = [[Gary Graver]]{{sfn|Lor.|1991}}

| editing = Chris Roth{{sfn|Lor.|1991}}

| studio = {{plainlist|* American-Independent Prods.

* Majestic Intl.{{sfn|Lor.|1991}} }}

| distributor = Prism Entertainment{{sfn|Lor.|1991}}

| released = {{Film date|1990|2|8|}}

| runtime = 92 minutes{{sfn|Lor.|1991}}

| country = United States

| language = English

}}

'''''Alienator''''' is a 1990 [[1989]]science [[Sci-Fi]]/[[Actionfiction movie|Actionfilm]]/[[Thriller]], directed by prolific [[filmmaker]] [[Fred Olen Ray]]-- the [[Film producer|producer]], [[Filmproduced director|director]], andby [[screenwriter]]Jeffrey ofC. over one hundred low to medium-budget [[feature filmsHogue]] in many genres--, and starring [[Jan-Michael Vincent]], star of the [[CBS]] television series [[Airwolf]].

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]]''.<ref>{{cite book|last=Maltin|first=Leonard|author-link=Leonard Maltin|year=2015|title=Turner Classic Movies Presents Leonard Maltin's Classic Movie Guide: From the Silent Era Through 1965|edition=third|publisher=[[Plume (publisher)|Plume]]|isbn=978-0147516824}}</ref> [[Robert Clarke]], who starred in that film, also appears in ''Alienator''.<ref>{{cite book|last=Weldon|first=Michael J.|year=1996|title=The Psychotronic Video Guide To Film|publisher=[[St. Martin's Griffin]]|isbn=978-0312131494}}</ref>

==Taglines==

*An android hunter from outer space is about to create hell on earth.

*In deep space, the deadliest animal is still woman.

==SynopsisPlot==

Kol, an alien criminal, escapes from a [[Starship|spaceship]] into the [[Forest|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.

{{spoiler}}

==Cast==

Kol, an evil criminal, escapes from a [[spaceship]] to the woods of an [[United States|American]] [[suburb]]. The [[commander]] of the spaceship dispatches '''The Alienator'''-- a deadly female [[android]]-- to capture Kol, who meets up with some teenagers as they avoid fiery death at the hands of The Alienator, who relentlessly pursues the teens through a hailstorm of action-packed sequences and state-of-the-art special effects. Kol must face the toughest decision of his life: kill or ''be killed''!

* [[Jan-Michael Vincent]] as Commander

* [[John Phillip Law]] as Ward Armstrong

* [[Ross Hagen]] as Kol

* [[Teagan Clive]] as Alienator

* Dyana Ortelli as Orrie

* Jesse Dabson as Benny

* Dawn Wildsmith as Caroline

* [[P.J. Soles]] as Tara

* [[Robert Clarke]] as Lund

* [[Richard Wiley]] as Rick

* [[Leo Gordon]] as Colonel Coburn

* [[Robert Quarry]] as Doc Burnside

* [[Fox Harris]] as Burt

* Hoke Howell as Harley

* Jay Richardson as Prison Sergeant Major

* Dan Golden as Electrocuted Prisoner

* [[Joseph Pilato]] as Tech #2

==Release==

''Alienator'' was originally set for release between May and August in 1989.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=[[The Los Angeles Times]]|title=Mid-May through August|date=January 15, 1989|page=12}}</ref> [[Prism Entertainment]] announced in November 1989 to release the film along with ''Time Troopers'' in late December.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=[[New York Daily News]]|date=November 21, 1989|page=36|title=When TV Mattered}}</ref> Prism later released the film on February 8, 1990.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=[[The Chicago Tribune]]|title=Coming Attractions|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/81143742/1990-early-home-video-release-info/|via=Newspapers.com|date=January 19, 1990|page=62}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|newspaper=[[The Boston Globe]]|title=Advertising Comes to the Movies|last=Blowen|first=Michael|date=January 26, 1990|page=47}}</ref>

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.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/Action-Marathon-Cyclone-Alienator-Exterminator/dp/B00AJXO5X6|title=Action Packed Movie Marathon (Cyclone, Alienator, Eye Of The Tiger & Exterminator 2)|website=[[Amazon.com]]|access-date=January 20, 2020}}</ref> On June 13, 2017, the film was released on [[Blu-ray]] by [[Scream Factory]], featuring a commentary track by director Fred Olen Ray.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/Alienator-Blu-ray-Jan-Michael-Vincent/dp/B06XHTG2YT|title=Alienator [Blu-ray]|website=[[Amazon.com]]|access-date=January 20, 2020}}</ref>

==Reception==

From contemporary reviews, "Lor." of ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' reviewed the AIP video cassette on November 18, 1989.{{sfn|Lor.|1991}} "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."{{sfn|Lor.|1991}} "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".{{sfn|Lor.|1991}}

==See also==

* [[Cyborgs in fiction]]

*[[Films considered the worst ever]]

*[[Gynoid]]

*[[Android]]

*[[Cyborgs in fiction]]

==External links ==

* {{imdb title|id=0096786|title=Alienator}}

*[http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0676248/ Fred Olen Ray at The Internet Movie Database]

*[http://www.brainsonfilm.com/alien.html/ Brains on Film] An in-depth review of Alienator.

* [http://www.youngmanridge.com/pop/movies/stinkyard/stinkyard.htm THE STINKYARD] - the Capitol of Cheesy Horror Movies.

* [http://www.badmovies.org/movies/ Bad Movies] B-movie reviews, each with screenshots, sound clips, and a video clip

* [http://www.bad-good.org/ So Bad It's Good] Your source for movies that are so bad they're actually good. With lots of clips, screenshots and sounds.

* [http://www.b-masters.com/ B-Masters Cabal] A confederation of movie review sites specializing in B- and cult movies.

* [http://www.bmonster.com/ The Astounding B-Monster] A compendium of b-movie articles and interviews, mostly of historical nature

* [http://www.movie-monsters.co.uk/ Movie Monsters] Everything you could want to know about the best and worst monsters from the silver screen.

* [http://www.greencine.com/static/primers/b-movies.jsp GreenCine primer on the B-movie genre]

==References==

[[Category:Science fiction films]]

{{reflist}}

[[Category:1989 films]]

[[Category:Cult science fiction films]]

[[Category:Films directed by Fred Olen Ray]]

===Sources===

* {{cite book|title=Variety's Film Reviews 1989-1990|volume=21|publisher=[[R. R. Bowker]]|isbn=0-8352-3089-9|year=1991|at=There are no page numbers in this book. This entry is found under the header "December 6, 1989"|author=Lor.}}

==External links ==

{{sf-film-stub}}

* {{IMDb title|id=0096786}}

{{Fred Olen Ray}}

[[ru:Враждебный пришелец (фильм)]]

[[Category:1990 films]]

[[Category:1990 action thriller films]]

[[Category:1990 independent films]]

[[Category:1990 science fiction action films]]

[[Category:American independent films]]

[[Category:American science fiction action films]]

[[Category:American action thriller films]]

[[Category:Films about androids]]

[[Category:Films directed by Fred Olen Ray]]

[[Category:1990s English-language films]]

[[Category:1990s American films]]

[[Category:1990 science fiction films]]

[[Category:English-language independent films]]

[[Category:English-language science fiction action films]]

[[Category:English-language action thriller films]]