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The Visitor

Directed by Michael J. Paradise.
With Paige Connor, Joanne Nail, Lance Henriksen.
US/Italy, 1979, DCP, color, 108 min.

“There’s something wrong inside, something terrible… she scares me, there’s something I don’t know… she’s my baby, my little girl… it’s not her fault”

Directed by Fellini’s assistant director on 8 1/2, Giulio Paradisi (in the guise of “Michael J. Paradise”), The Visitor boldly ventures forth into the somewhat psychedelic science-fiction-horror-fantasy genre. One of the many unusual features is its ensemble cast, including Glenn Ford, Mel Ferrer, Shelley Winters, Sam Peckinpah and Franco Nero. The legendary John Huston laconically fills the role of an interdimensional deity who attempts to save the world by fighting a Southern-accented, telekinetic, swearing eight-year-old girl and her pet hawk in late Seventies-early Eighties Atlanta. While the bad seed spends most of her time playing Pong in the living room, basketballs explode, children die via ice skating and avian warfare reigns supreme in this convoluted, bizarre and truly surprising battle for the survival of humanity.

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