The Visitor (1979), A Hidden Gem of Insane 70s Sci-Fi

When you think of the 1970s, you probably think of free love, cults, psychedelic drugs, and maybe Jimmy Carter. Giulio Paradisi’s film, The Visitor (1979) has most of these things, but more than anything else, it embodies that whacky, hallucinatory vibe that only 70s films can capture. It seems to me that people back then simply didn’t mind as much if things were radically nonsensical. I’m all for avant-garde and experimental films, but fans of American independent cinema in the 1970s must have been more willing than most to hop on board with disjointed narratives, jarring intercuts, and inexplicable shifts in tone. 

I like to think that I have an open mind, but even I have my limits. I knew beforehand that The Visitor was going to be a bit heady, with plenty of over-the-top 70s insanity, but its lack of cohesion starts to have a negative effect on its pacing and overall entertainment value. Nonetheless, The Visitor is still one of those films that should be much more famous than it is, which is why it is truly a hidden gem, particularly if you love psychedelic 70s mayhem.

The film follows an intergalactic warrior named Jerzy Colsowicz (John Huston) who travels to Earth to stop a young girl named Katy Collins (Paige Conner) from using her psychic powers to help an evil cult bring about the end of the world. The force behind the cult is known as Zatteen, which purposefully sounds very much like “Satan.” To ensure that the similarities are not overlooked, Zatteen’s non-evil archnemesis is Yahweh.

Even though Yahweh defeated Zatteen centuries ago, Zatteen managed to have children with dozens of women on Earth. Jerzy and his ethereal posse work tirelessly to track down the children and put a stop to Zatteen’s plans before he destroys Earth, or the universe, or whatever. 

As Jerzy watches Katy and her mother, Barbara Collins (Joanne Nail), from afar, he realizes that Katy possesses telekinetic powers similar to his own. However, all of his plans to stop Zatteen are thwarted by Katy’s father, Raymond Armstead (Lance Henriksen), who plans to use Katy and his future son to breed an incestuous reincarnation of Zatteen. 

The Visitor plays around with a lot of popular themes in 70s horror and science fiction — the Illuminati, Satanist cults, Christian cults, intergalactic forces of Good and Evil, and demonic children. What’s so strange is that the film somehow feels like a big-budget project gone wrong. Just for the record, it wasn’t; in fact, it had a budget of just $800,000. But it features a lot of relatively big-name actors and a soundtrack with artists like Pink Floyd and Ennio Morricone.

It also has a weird obsession with the city of Atlanta, Georgia. The film was shot in Atlanta, likely to save money, and it opens with a special thank you to former Atlanta mayor and current half-namesake of the busiest airport in the world, Maynard Jackson. The first scenes all take place at the long-defunct Omni Coliseum, where viewers sit through a relatively long sequence centered on the Atlanta Hawks mysteriously losing to their opponent in the final seconds of the game. It’s strange, but I guess the filmmakers got some much-needed kickbacks for making Atlanta the star of the show.

Despite its low budget and somewhat convoluted plot, The Visitor has gained a cult following for its ambitious visuals, eclectic cast, and surreal blend of horror and science fiction. But I can’t pretend that it’s a great film. Frankly, The Visitor jumps from one scene to the next without any context, making it difficult to follow an already bizarre plot. 

That said, there’s something very enjoyable about 70s nonsense. It tries to be frightening, but most often ends up being hilarious. When Katy gets a mysterious birthday gift, it turns out to be a gun that she immediately uses to shoot her mother. Barbara spends the rest of the film in a wheelchair, but she doesn’t seem to harbor any hard feelings about it. 

Later, the Satanist group uses excessive force to try to get Barbara pregnant. She visits a doctor to get an abortion, only to have Katy and Raymond fly into a rage and try to strangle her using a piece of wire and her automatic stair lift. In case you’re worried that you’ll be able to predict how that scenario turns out, you won’t. Somehow birds get involved; that’s all I can say.

As easy as it is to tear The Visitor apart for all its faults, it actually should be on more people’s radar. I hadn’t come across the film until quite recently, and it’s just so insane and over the top in every respect that I can’t help but recommend it. The Visitor is essentially what would happen if The Children of God had gotten hold of a camera and teamed up with Dario Argento. So, if that sounds like your kind of thing, strap in and get ready for a really weird time.

The Visitor Movie Rating: ★★★ out of 5

If you’d like to watch The Visitor (1979), the film is currently available on Amazon or Shudder. For more film reviews like this one, be sure to check out the Philosophy in Film homepage!