Although writer-director James Glickenhaus may be known for lively cult action flicks like THE EXTERMINATOR, he cut his filmmaking teeth on a talky but intriguing low-budget thriller called THE ASTROLOGER, aka "Suicide Cult" (1975), which he now refers to as his "student film."
Based on a novel by his father-in-law John Cameron, it's the story of a brilliant government agent named Alexei (Bob Byrd in his only film) who applies modern scientific techniques to the ancient art of astrology and, with the help of advanced (for the time) computers, can predict the course of an influential person's life in order to alter their future and create new outcomes.
This comes in handy when Alexei and his "zodiacal" associates somehow--don't ask me how, but somehow--figure out that we're due for another virgin birth like the one 2,000 years ago, only this time the result may be a messiah of evil. (Sort of a "Rosemary's Baby" type of deal.)
Glickenhaus cuts back and forth between Alexei and a sinister cult leader named Kajerste (producer Mark Buntzman) who lords it over a gypsy blood cult that may be directly involved in the rise of such a horrible creature.
To this end, Kajerste has taken an interest in Alexei's own wife Kate (Monica Tidwell), a virgin who shares the exact same astrological template as the Virgin Mary herself.
As the director now freely admits, all of this is presented via long dialogue passages, during which Byrd's ability to reel off whole paragraphs of intricate exposition in a semi-naturalistic manner is impressive.
Even former Playboy playmate Tidwell, whose acting abilities are limited to say the least, manages some pretty unwieldy dialogue (in her distinctive Louisiana accent) when Kate finally divulges the secret of her past to an astonished Alexei.
Breaking up the film's many talk-fest scenes are snippets of Kajerste's followers engaged in their infernal ceremonies, intercut rather tastelessly with newsreel footage of what appear to be actual mutilated bodies. (This footage is jarring, to say the least.)
Somewhat resembling one of Bruno Mattei's jungle flicks, these scenes allow Glickenhaus to stretch his creative skills visually while amping up the suspense level when, at about the halfway mark, one of Alexei's female agents is caught trying to sneak into Kajerste's camp on what she thought was a secret mission.
What happens next shocks the film out of its lethargy and sets us up for a much more involving second half seasoned with the requisite amounts of nudity and violence. Yet just as the story still seems to be building, the film ends abruptly on a unresolved note that may leave some viewers hanging.
Despite its shortcomings, THE ASTROLOGER is a fascinating look at a novice director's determined effort to create a sophisticated sci-fi/horror tale laced with both intriguing ideas and visceral shocks. For many fans of genre filmmaking on a shoestring budget, the attempt itself should provide engaging entertainment.
Buy it at Severin Films
Featuring a 4k Scan From the Director’s Personal Answer Print
Music by Brad Fiedel (Terminator series)
All-New Special Features:
Sign of the Times – James Glickenhaus on The Astrologer
Monica Tidwell Remembers The Astrologer – Interview With Actress Monica Tidwell
Tales From the Set – Interviews with Filmmakers Brendan Faulkner and Frank M. Farel
Zodiacal Locations – The Filming Sites of THE ASTROLOGER
Suicide Cult Reversible Cover
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