*batteries not included (1987)

Apartment block tenants seek the aid of alien mechanical life-forms to save their building from demolition.

Director:

Matthew Robbins

Writers:

Mick Garris (story), Brad Bird (screenplay),

Stars:

Hume Cronyn, Jessica Tandy, Frank McRae

2 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Hume Cronyn	...	Frank Riley
Jessica Tandy	...	Faye Riley
Frank McRae	...	Harry Noble
Elizabeth Peña	...	Marisa Esteval
Michael Carmine	...	Carlos
Dennis Boutsikaris	...	Mason Baylor
Tom Aldredge	...	Sid Hogenson
Jane Hoffman	...	Muriel Hogenson
John DiSanti	...	Gus
John Pankow	...	Kovacs
MacIntyre Dixon	...	DeWitt
Michael Greene	...	Lacey
Doris Belack	...	Mrs. Thompson
Wendy Schaal	...	Pamela
José Angel Santana	...	Goon #1 (as José Santana)

Storyline

A group of tenants in an apartment block are being forced to move out so that it can be demolished. The tenants are reluctant to move, so the developers hire a local gang to 'persuade' them to leave. Fortunately, visiting alien mechanical life-forms come to town. When they befriend the tenants, the aliens use their extraterrestrial abilities to defeat the developers.

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Plot Keywords:

apartment | memory loss | skyscraper | restaurant | pepsi cola | 

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Taglines:

Five ordinary people needed a miracle. Then one night, Faye Riley left the window open.

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Genres:

Family | Fantasy | Sci-Fi | Comedy

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 December 1987 (USA)

Also Known As:

Milagro en la calle 8

Filming Locations:

East Village, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Gross:

$32,945,797 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures, Amblin Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Originally intended to be a story featured in the TV series Amazing Stories. Steven Spielberg liked the idea so much he decided to make it a theatrical release.

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Goofs

After Mason fights with his girlfriend, he throws his paintings out his window, which Marisa notices when she sees the paintings falling from his apartment about two floors above. When Mason and Marisa discover their items(Mason's door; Marisa's statue)fixed, Marisa comes out of her room, which is on the same floor as Mason's, which makes it impossible for Marisa to be about two floors down from Mason.

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Quotes

Pamela: It's old and depressing!
Mason: It's reality!
Pamela: This is the '80s! Nobody likes reality any more.

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Crazy Credits

During the opening credits, pictures of young Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy are shown.

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Connections

References The Fly (1986)

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Soundtracks

"LET'S HAVE ANOTHER CUP OF COFFEE"
by Irving Berlin
Performed by Jessica Tandy and Hume Cronyn

User Reviews

A delightful, nostalgic trip..

Jessica Tandy and Hume Cronyn stole the show, as is expected. However, the film is a very fun and nostalgic trip, the remaining cast getting the job done well. While it could use some development, the ideas present and the general whim about the film allow it to stand amongst other contemporary classics.

Naturally, the film also sports great production values, with Spielberg, Kennedy, and Marshall at it once again. Go see it.