Alienator

{{Infobox film

| name = Alienator

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

| alt =

| caption = Home media cover

| director = Fred Olen Ray

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

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

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

| 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 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.{{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|isbn=978-0147516824}} Robert Clarke, who starred in that film, also appears in Alienator.{{cite book|last=Weldon|first=Michael J.|year=1996|title=The Psychotronic Video Guide To Film|publisher=St. Martin's Griffin|isbn=978-0312131494}}

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

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.{{cite news|newspaper=The Los Angeles Times|title=Mid-May through August|date=January 15, 1989|page=12}} Prism Entertainment announced in November 1989 to release the film along with Time Troopers in late December.{{cite news|newspaper=New York Daily News|date=November 21, 1989|page=36|title=When TV Mattered}} Prism later released the film on February 8, 1990.{{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}}{{cite news|newspaper=The Boston Globe|title=Advertising Comes to the Movies|last=Blowen|first=Michael|date=January 26, 1990|page=47}}

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.{{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}} On June 13, 2017, the film was released on Blu-ray by Scream Factory, featuring a commentary track by director Fred Olen Ray.{{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}}

Reception

From contemporary reviews, "Lor." of 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}}

References

=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.}}