Why So Blu?

The Visitor – Arrow Limited Edition (4K UHD Blu-ray Review)

I remember first discovering The Visitor at random when it was being re-released in the early 2010s as a rediscovered cult object (we actually reviewed its previous release back in 2014). It was described as a wild Italian film, a sort of Exorcist knock-off with plenty of other clear influences. The film was an enjoyable mess to watch with an audience, but it does have a certain quality that elevates its randomness above other similar schlock. Part of it comes down to the star power it brings. There’s also the fantastic soundtrack. Whether or not everyone vibes with what The Visitor has to offer, it’s now had enough staying power to be the target of Arrow for a limited 4K UHD release, and this disc delivers. With remastered video and a couple of new extras to round out the package, fans of wacky 70s Italian cinema have plenty to latch onto with this one.

Film: ★★★

Summing up this story, The Visitor involves good sets of aliens (including a Christ-like Franco Nero) and bad sets, and a centuries-long battle is about to unfold based on the presence of a young psychic girl (Paige Connor) and her mother (Barbara Collins). The girl has been possessed by an evil presence known as “Sateen,” and it will be up to John Huston’s Visitor (aka Jerzy Colsowicz) to go to Atlanta and deal with her. At the same time, there are also mysterious men (Lance Henriksen and Mel Ferrer) wanting to ensure Sateen’s power, as well as a police detective (Glenn Ford) looking into matters as well.

A fun, not-so-secret thing about this film is that the plot is not nearly as impenetrable as one may assume. As long as the viewer is paying attention, the actual story at play is relatively straightforward (Good must vanquish evil). It’s just the shenanigans involving gore-related set pieces, silly dialogue, side characters played by notable actors, and other things that keep this movie weird and quirky in a way that could upset what people are hoping to get from the basic ideas established early on.

Of course, since this is from Italian filmmaker Giulio Paradisi, who adopts the “anything goes” model of so many Italian genre films from that era, The Visitor piles on so much that it’s easy to get lost in all the film’s laugh-inducing craziness. Between tonal shifts, a range of performing styles, and a short run time still packed with plot and characters, there’s plenty to get hung up on, yet still be entertained by.

With that in mind, having a self-serious film that serves as a cross between The Exorcist, The Omen, The Bad Seed, The Birds, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and the work of Alejandro Jodorowsky means they need to be prepared for a surreal experience. If one doesn’t vibe with what The Visitor is offering, it’s not the end of the world. This is a cult movie experience through and through, and it’s clearly found an audience in the time since its initial 1979 release. I happen to appreciate its controlled weirdness, making it a film not hard to revisit.

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Video: ★★★★½

Encoding: HEVC / H.265

Resolution: 2160p

HDR: Dolby Vision, HDR10

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

Clarity/Detail: For a low-budget 70s Italian horror film, this new transfer, which worked with the original 35mm camera negative, has done a pretty great job of remastering the film, applying HDR, and bringing it into the world of UHD. Given the various psychedelic visuals that allow this film to commit to its ideas, the early sequences in alien worlds are presented quite clearly, thanks to the costume choices. The detailed work is solid enough to accept the production design. A decent level of brightness supports more grounded scenes, so audiences can plainly see characters, costumes, etc., clearly.

Depth: Dimensionality at play looks decent enough. Enough is going on in crowd scenes to allow depth to register well.

Black Levels: Black levels are mostly strong here—no sign of crushing.

Color Reproduction: Colors are often quite strong here, representing all the ways this film can rest in its odder moments. That said, there’s a sort of yellowish quality in some of the film’s more elaborate moments, which feels like a product of the time and of the attempt to restore the video.

Flesh Tones: This movie features quite a few close-ups, and the facial details register well. It also means the production clues one into the makeup a bit more clearly, but that’s not so much a video issue as it is about comprehending what goes into a movie like this.

Noise/Artifacts: Some heavy doses of grain here and there, which is understandable given the way special effects play into this film.

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Audio: ★★★★

Audio Format(s): LPCM Mono

Subtitles: English SDH

Dynamics: While the disc doesn’t present the most robust sound options, this is a very loud movie thanks to the genre elements, the blaring soundtrack, and the way characters yell at each other. With seemingly nothing fancy done to redo this mono track, it still does the job to the best of its ability as presented.

Low-Frequency Extension: N/A

Surround Sound Presentation: N/A

Dialogue Reproduction: Everyone is loud and clear.

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Extras: ★★★

While many features have been ported over from the prior Drafthouse Films release, Arrow has added a couple of new visual essays and a brand-new commentary track. On top of that, this Limited Edition release features a reversible sleeve, new art, and a collector’s booklet providing further critical insight about the film.

Features Include:

• Audio Commentary by BJ & Harmony Colangelo – A fun track that speaks to the appeal of a film like this, along with some added trivia from two film critics/fans who appreciate what the movie offers.
• Interviews – Archival content from the 2014 release.
  • Lou Comici (HD, 9:10) – The film’s writer describes his involvement and original ideas for the movie.
  • Ennio Guarnieri (HD, 4:26) – Subtitled in English, the film’s cinematographer details his memories of the production.
  • Lance Henriksen (HD, 9:02) – The veteran actor shares his memories of making the film.
• A Biblical Battle for the Cosmos (HD, 19:15) – Film critic Meagan Novarro discusses the intersection between religion and science fiction in this film.
• A Cosmic Right to Choose (HD, 11:25) – Another video essay about the film from Willow Catelyn Maclay.
• Image Galleries
• Re-release Trailer (HD, 1:53)

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Summary: ★★★1/2

The Visitor is not a film for everyone. Even fans of cult features don’t necessarily have to fall in line with what this obscure Italian feature has to offer. That said, anyone who responds to this movie’s wavelength will be more than pleased with this new 4K release from Arrow. The new video transfer makes the movie look better than ever, and the handful of extras help round out the package. This is a bonkers movie, so for those who go for it, have fun.

 

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