The Visitor

The Visitor is a 1979 science fiction horror film directed by Giulio Paradisi (credited as Michael J. Paradise) and based on a story by Egyptian-born Italian writer and producer Ovidio G. Assonitis. It features a cast of well-established stars including John Huston, Shelley Winters, Mel Ferrer, Glenn Ford and Sam Peckinpah with supporting appearances by Neal Boortz and Steve Somers. It was filmed on location in Atlanta, Georgia and at Cinecittà Studios in Rome. It has garnered a cult following over the years. Plot In an enigmatic, alien landscape, Jerzy Colsowicz experiences a vision of a powerful and destructive storm brought about by a young human girl. His colleague, an enigmatic Christ-like figure, tells his bald pupils about the centuries-long cosmic conflict between Zatteen, an evil inter-spatial force of immense magnitude with powerful psychic abilities, and his benevolent arch-rival Yahweh. Zatteen escaped to the planet Earth centuries ago, and though he was eventually tracked down and killed by Yahweh, his spirit lives on in the minds of mankind, waiting for an opportunity to reemerge and wreak havoc. The figure tells his disciples that Zatteen had produced dozens of children with human women before his death, and these descendants continue to populate the Earth. During a professional basketball game at The Omni in Atlanta, home team owner Raymond Armstead sits courtside and promises an interviewer that the team will win at all costs. Since Raymond is a new owner and the source of his wealth is unknown, the interviewer presses him on the source of his wealth. He eventually answers that the money comes "from God". Raymond is in league with a secret group of Satanists who wish to bring about the resurgence of Zatteen. His associate Dr. Walker reminds him that his girlfriend Barbara Collins can be used as a conduit to distill Zatteen's powers into a corporeal, human form. Her 8-year old daughter Katy has already displayed psychokinetic abilities, and it's the Satanists' goal to have Raymond father a male child with Barbara, who in turn will mate with his half-sister and produce the physical embodiment of Zatteen. Katy is only partially aware of her powers, and she experiments with them throughout the film, most notably helping Raymond's basketball team to victory. Colsowicz, who possesses powers similar to Katy, is sent to Earth by the Christ-like figure with several of his disciples, where at first they survey her from a distance.