Alienator

Alienator is a 1990 science fiction film directed by Fred Olen Ray, produced by Jeffrey C. Hogue, and starring Jan-Michael Vincent.

Alienator
Home media cover
Directed by	Fred Olen Ray
Written by	Paul Garson[1]
Produced by	Jeffrey C. Hogue[1]
Starring	Jan-Michael Vincent John Phillip Law Ross Hagen Dyana Ortelli Teagan P. J. Soles
Cinematography	Gary Graver[1]
Edited by	Chris Roth[1]
Music by	Chuck Cirino[1]
Production companies	American-Independent Prods. Majestic Intl.[1]
Distributed by	Prism Entertainment[1]
Release date	February 8, 1990 (1990-02-08)
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

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.^[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]

See also

• Cyborgs in fiction