the audience applauded

Really Surprised!

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

Italian-American co-production (filmed in both Rome, Italy and Atlanta, Georgia!) is a too-fancy, strenuously arty supernatural thriller with echoes of both "The Exorcist" and "The Omen", featuring a faintly-bemused star cast who, in the words of co-star Lance Henriksen, signed on merely "to get a free trip to Rome." Cherubic pre-teen girl with psychic powers--into gymnastics, ice-skating and shooting her own mother at a birthday party--could be just one of many evil children produced by an ancient alien force waiting for its chance to wreak terror upon the world. Even for those who are able to follow the murky preamble, it may be difficult to ascertain who is good and who is rotten in this picture. The child's mother, now paralyzed, is dating the owner of a professional basketball team who appears to be part of a secret Satanic sect; they want him to impregnate the woman with a male child to mate with her daughter, thereby resurrecting the evil force in human form...but what if she got pregnant with another girl? Calling Dr. Spock! John Huston (sly and crafty as ever, even in these chaotic circumstances) plays some kind of disciple sent to Earth to monitor the girl's actions (at one point posing as her babysitter!). There's also a maid (Shelley Winters), sent by "the agency", who dresses all in black; a detective (Glenn Ford) who investigates mom's "accident" and is attacked by a maniacal bird; and mom's ex-husband (Sam Peckinpah!) who aborts her unwanted fetus. A misbegotten venture, ludicrous and at times laughable, though one must give credit to director Michael J. Paradise (aka Giulio Paradisi): it certainly isn't boring. *1/2 from ****

Only John Huston and Glenn Ford add any class to this minor film--The beginning scene was rather effective, but the film is wildly uneven after that--The young girl is sufficiently creepy, but what really hurts this film is the cheap early 1960's lounge music--I would also fast forward the Franco Nero scene(as a blonde-wigged Jesus)--I have to admit that I did like seeing Lance Henriksen get his near the end--I'm not sure why some of these veterean actors got roped into this, but I guess everybody needs a paycheck--Mel Ferrer is effective also but his scenes could be fast-forwarded also--All in all, the film is of minor interest as an example of 1970's cheap film-making lol

I believe in given movies a chance and I am glad a did with this movie. After the birthday scene, I was hooked. Yeah its bizarre,low budget,okay sound effects but suspenseful,fun,wild,and interesting who can ask for more. Also, it has a great cast and decent plot or whatever you want to call it. The tone of the movie was nice and loved the 70s style in movies when done right. I learned early on after watching this movie to try not to figure it out or believe me it will drive you LOONEY, just enjoy the ride even though you don't know where it will take you. I know this kind of movie might not be for everyone but just give it a chance could become a treat like it did for me while your up late at night and cant go to sleep.

Gleefully eschewing standard notions of narrative coherence and overall quality in favor of a thoroughly preposterous, but still oddly fascinating and sometimes downright hilarious sci-fi/horror combo of disparate elements from such notable famous cinematic landmarks as "The Omen," "Rosemary's Baby," and "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," this entertainingly absurd howler tells the outré tale of creepy eight-year-old kid Katy Collins (an effectively wicked portrayal by Paige Conner), a nasty little brat who's really some kind of malevolent alien with dangerous and destructive psychic powers. Katy wants to get her fiercely resilient and resourceful crippled mother Barbara (a sound and sympathetic performance by the lovely Joanne Nail) pregnant so she can have a brother to eventually mate with (yes, you read that correctly). It's up to mysterious saintly extraterrestrial visitor Jerzy Colsowicz (none other than John Huston, who somehow manages to retain his dignity amid the rampant silliness) to stop Katy by bringing her back to her home planet. Director Giulio Paradisi and screenwriters Luciano Cornici and Robert Mundi treat the hopelessly inane premise with jaw-dropping misguided seriousness, thereby ensuring a wealth of precious unintentionally gut-busting moments (sidesplitting campy highlights include Katy using her special abilities to thwart a basketball game, an attack by killer falcon, Katy clobbering several teen boy bullies on an ice rink in a shopping mall, and a totally off-the-wall psychedelic light show climax involving a flock of pigeons). The amazing all-star international cast play the ridiculous material completely straight: Glenn Ford as the meddlesome Detective Jake Durham (the scenes with Katy cursing Durham out are simply priceless!), Lance Henriksen as ruthless basketball coach Raymond Armstead, Shelley Winters as batty housekeeper Jane Phillips, Mel Ferror as sinister physician Dr. Walker, Sam Peckinpah as friendly abortionist Dr. Sam Collins, and an unbilled Franco Nero as a blond-haired Christ figure. Franco Micalizzi's funky-throbbin' disco score and the tacky (not so) special effects further add to this messed-up movie's considerable cruddy charm. Ennio Guarnieri's glossy cinematography gives the picture an attractive sparkling look and makes neat occasional use of strenuous slow motion. A complete loopy riot.