The Video Archives After Show is smarter than all of you! Today Gala and special guest expert Marc Heuck take on 1979’s Italian sci-fi oddity The Visitor (aka Stridulum). They go through the film’s incredible cast (including Video Archives favorites like Sam Peckinpah), explain how the film found a cult following, and even include a review from Manitoba’s crankiest critic Franklin Brauner. I’ve got more film facts and VHS covers on today’s Counter Talk, so let’s get into it…
Let’s start with a little backstory, because we’re trying out another new format this week. Quentin and Roger watch a lot of movies for the podcast, way more than we can include on the show itself, because they want to save only the most worthy titles for their review. That leaves quite a few Video Archives titles we haven’t discussed, and while (let’s face it) not all of these films are five-star masterpieces, they’re often strange and fascinating works that are very much worth discussing. The Visitor is one such film, so this week, Gala invited film historian and friend of the New Beverly Marc Heuck to give us the scoop on this bizarro cult classic. This won’t be Gala’s last interview with Marc, so if you liked this episode, let us know and stay tuned for more like it!
The Visitor tape depicts an alien creature of sorts, with clawed hands, a lightning ‘body,’ and a giant eyeball for a head. From The Residents to Jonny Quest, it’s hard to resist the allure of a single sentient eye.
