Too much of everything

Surprisingly incoherent and boring

Overrated and overhyped

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

ALIENATOR is an alien-in-the-woods B-movie from the infamous director Fred Olen Ray. I found it more enjoyable than expected; it's no classic, for sure, but some of the scenes look pretty nice and as a TERMINATOR clone this doesn't really outstay its welcome. The plot is about two aliens arriving on Earth, one an escapee, the other a vengeful assassin, as played by a female bodybuilder in a cool outfit. Most of the action is centred around a cabin where there are a few explosions and a handful of gruesome special effects, one of which is decent for the low budget. As with many Olen Ray films, there are roles for familiar old-time faces including Robert Quarry, Jan-Michael Vincent, Ross Hagen, Robert Clarke, PJ Soles, and John Phillip Law. Joseph Pilato, of DAY OF THE DEAD fame, has a small role too.

This movie is awful. So we have this alien society that is about to execute a rebel, even though they all speak colloquial American English, they can't understand humans when they land on Earth. The scenes on the space station starring a drunken Jan Michael Vincent are actually pretty interesting, but the movie goes down hill when the alien escapee arrives on Earth, and is followed by a truly ridiculous looking female cyborg. The acting and dialog are terrible, and we don't get any idea of whom we are supposed to be cheering for.

I never imagined that this cheapie effort made by the legendary Fred Olen Ray (usually legendary for the wrong reasons) would ever get a DVD release, but it did indeed get one a couple of years ago. So I decided to give it another look. Actually "cheapie" is a kind adjective to give this movie. It looks like most of the VERY limited budget went to securing that legendary B movie cast for a few days of shooting. (Though as it turns out, the cast doesn't exactly give good performances.) With the limited amount of money left over, Ray ended up making a curious hybrid - a movie that feels both made in the 1950s and the 1980s. The plot is clearly inspired by the 1984 movie "The Terminator", though the production values are right out of a low budget Roger Corman movie from decades back. I admit that the tacky production values actually have a little charm, namely because Ray keeps the tone pretty serious and does not seem to find the low rent atmosphere one to be mocked. The photography and lighting are acceptable as well. And there's an interesting twist in the plot towards the end. But ultimately the movie doesn't work because not only is the plot pretty slow-moving for the most part, the action sequences are lacking passion and grit. If Ray had kept things swiftly moving and exciting with both plot and action, I think I could have overlooked all the cheapness and the other flaws in the movie and had some serious fun. But as it is, for the most part it's only worth a look if you have a perverse pleasure of seeing a legendary cast of actors clearly knowing their better days are behind them.

This is almost the worst film you will ever see! 2012 Doomsday currently pulls the rug from under this one, for me. The props are a perfect example of what Frank Zappa once referred to as 'cheepnis.' It looks as if the space scenes were made in a 1950s power station, just prior to demolition. The music really sucks. The acting is wooden and ham. The characters they portray are shallow and unconvincing. The plot is predictable. It is immediately and brazenly obvious when they copy techniques and ideas from other films. The quality of direction beggars belief.But you have to see it, if only to experience what has to be one of the biggest wastes of a tiny budget ever. This is a priceless example of a stupid movie!