The Brother from Another Planet (1984)

Director:

John Sayles

Writer:

John Sayles (writer)

Release Date:

7 September 1984 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Welcome to a world of crude beauty... of danger and excitement... of wonders, legend, and imagination... Welcome to Harlem, Brother.

Plot:

A mute alien is chased by outer-space bounty hunters through the streets of Harlem in this thought-provoking cult classic.

Plot Keywords:

Eye Removal | Ellis Island New York | Male Female Relationship | Healing Gift | Black Man

Awards:

2 wins & 1 nomination

US TV Schedule:

Sat. July 26

1:25 PM

TMC

Cast

Joe Morton	...	The Brother
Rosanna Carter	...	West Indian Woman
Ray Ramirez	...	Hispanic Man
Yves Rene	...	Haitian Man
Peter Richardson	...	Islamic Man
Ginny Yang	...	Korean Shopkeeper
Daryl Edwards	...	Fly
Steve James	...	Odell
Leonard Jackson	...	Smokey
Bill Cobbs	...	Walter
Maggie Renzi	...	Noreen
Olga Merediz	...	Noreen's Client
Tom Wright	...	Sam
Minnie Gentry	...	Mrs. Brown
Ren Woods	...	Bernice

MPAA:

Rated R for language, some drug content and brief nudity.

Runtime:

108 min | Australia:106 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:15 | Australia:M | Finland:K-8 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Ellis Island, New York Harbor, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Anarchist's Convention Films

Trivia:

The "Men In Black" are named Uno (played by John Sayles) and Dos (played by David Strathairn). Although they are not named in the film or end credits, the names were revealed in a photo caption on page 39 of Starlog magazine (#86, September 1984) as part of an interview with director Sayles.

Goofs:

Continuity: After Little Earl takes off his band-aid, and The Brother heals his knee, the band-aid reappears where his cut was.

Quotes:

Man In Black: [putting money on the bar after the Men in Black drink their two beers] Keep the change, sport.
Odell: [crossing arms, looking exasperated] That's two dollars, man.
Man In Black: [putting more money on the bar] We'll be back.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Simpsons: Brother from Another Series (#8.16)" (1997)

Soundtrack:

Two People in the World

Great film

I love this film! Lots of laughs, lots of humanity. It's awesome that such an unknown cast can deliver such a great performance. The guys in the bar are hysterical. Every scene is a gem, but the card trick on the subway is one of my all time favorites. Go rent this movie today. 10 out of 10.