Alienator
1989 film by Fred Olen Ray
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Alienator is a 1990 science fiction film directed by Fred Olen Ray, produced by Jeffrey C. Hogue, and starring Jan-Michael Vincent.
- Jan-Michael Vincent
- John Phillip Law
- Ross Hagen
- Dyana Ortelli
- Teagan
- P. J. Soles
| Alienator | |
|---|---|
Home media cover | |
| Directed by | Fred Olen Ray |
| Written by | Paul Garson[1] |
| Produced by | Jeffrey C. Hogue[1] |
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Gary Graver[1] |
| Edited by | Chris Roth[1] |
| Music by | Chuck Cirino[1] |
Production companies |
|
| Distributed by | Prism Entertainment[1] |
Release date |
|
Running time | 92 minutes[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
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
Cast
- 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.[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]