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The Brother from Another Planet

  • 1984
  • R
  • 1h 48m
IMDb RATING
6.8/10
6.3K
YOUR RATING
Joe Morton in The Brother from Another Planet (1984)
A mute alien with the appearance of a black human is chased by outer-space bounty hunters through the streets of Harlem.
Play trailer1:09
1 Video
82 Photos
ComedySci-Fi

A mute alien with the appearance of a black human is chased by outer-space bounty hunters through the streets of Harlem.A mute alien with the appearance of a black human is chased by outer-space bounty hunters through the streets of Harlem.A mute alien with the appearance of a black human is chased by outer-space bounty hunters through the streets of Harlem.

  • Director
    • John Sayles
  • Writer
    • John Sayles
  • Stars
    • Joe Morton
    • Daryl Edwards
    • Rosanna Carter
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    6.8/10
    6.3K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • John Sayles
    • Writer
      • John Sayles
    • Stars
      • Joe Morton
      • Daryl Edwards
      • Rosanna Carter
    • 44User reviews
    • 29Critic reviews
    • 70Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 3 wins & 1 nomination

    Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 1:09
    Watch Trailer

    Photos82

    Joe Morton in The Brother from Another Planet (1984)
    quad movie poster
    The Brother from Another Planet (1984)
    Joe Morton in The Brother from Another Planet (1984)
    Joe Morton in The Brother from Another Planet (1984)
    Joe Morton in The Brother from Another Planet (1984)
    Joe Morton in The Brother from Another Planet (1984)
    Joe Morton in The Brother from Another Planet (1984)
    The Brother from Another Planet (1984)
    Ishmael Houston-Jones in The Brother from Another Planet (1984)
    Joe Morton and Sidney Sheriff Jr. in The Brother from Another Planet (1984)
    Sidney Sheriff Jr. in The Brother from Another Planet (1984)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Joe Morton
    Joe Morton
    • The Brother
    Daryl Edwards
    Daryl Edwards
    • Fly
    Rosanna Carter
    • West Indian Woman
    Ray Ramirez
    • Hispanic Man
    Yves Rene
    • Haitian Man
    Peter Richardson
    • Islamic Man
    Ginny Yang
    • Korean Shopkeeper
    Steve James
    Steve James
    • Odell
    Leonard Jackson
    Leonard Jackson
    • Smokey
    Bill Cobbs
    Bill Cobbs
    • Walter
    Maggie Renzi
    Maggie Renzi
    • Noreen
    Olga Merediz
    Olga Merediz
    • Noreen's Client
    Tom Wright
    Tom Wright
    • Sam
    Minnie Gentry
    • Mrs. Brown
    Renn Woods
    Renn Woods
    • Bernice
    • (as Ren Woods)
    Reggie Rock Bythewood
    Reggie Rock Bythewood
    • Rickey
    Alvin Alexis
    Alvin Alexis
    • Willis
    Caroline Aaron
    Caroline Aaron
    • Randy Sue Carter
    • Director
      • John Sayles
    • Writer
      • John Sayles
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      John Sayles financed most of this movie himself. According to Wikipedia, "Sayles describes this movie as being about the immigrant experience of assimilation. He spent part of his MacArthur Fellows 'genius' grant on the film, which cost $350,000 to produce".
    • Goofs
      After Little Earl takes off his band-aid, and The Brother heals his knee, the band-aid reappears where his cut was.
    • Quotes

      Bernice: What you want for dinner?

      Odell: You mean, what do I *want*, or what do I want that you can *cook*?

      Bernice: Well, in that case, where are you taking me?

      Odell: Yeah, what do you want to have?

      Bernice: You mean, what do I *want*, or what do I want that you can *afford*?

    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: Teachers/Country/The Brother from Another Planet/Old Enough (1984)
    • Soundtracks
      Homeboy
      Sung by Joe Morton

      By Mason Daring and John Sayles

      Sweet Melodies Publishing/ASCAP

    User reviews44

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    7/10
    Saw somethin' strange, watch your back, 'cause you never quite know where the M.I.B.s is at.
    A mute, three-toed, super-sensory humanoid (a fine performance from Joe Morton) arrives on Earth, appropriately landing near Ellis Island and taking up residence in Harlem, where his African American appearance helps him to blend in with the locals. The inquisitive alien sets about exploring his strange new environment, absorbing the unique sights and sounds of '80s New York with the help of his otherworldly sense of touch and his removable eyeball, but his journey of discovery is interrupted when he finds himself being hunted by two mysterious men in black...

    Although writer/director/star John Sayles' strongly suggests that Morton's character is an escaped slave and makes references to class divide, racism and America's history of slavery, he ensures that The Brother From Another Planet doesn't ram a moralistic or political message down the viewer's throat, focusing instead on examining the human condition though the use of interesting characters, quirky dialogue and intriguing situations. The film is all the better for it—a somewhat bizarre but fun sci-fi adventure on the surface, but one that can be dissected, examined and discussed on a deeper level if so desired.
    helpful•4
    1
    • BA_Harrison
    • Apr 10, 2013

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • September 14, 1984 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • Spanish
      • French
    • Also known as
      • Der Typ vom anderen Stern
    • Filming locations
      • Ellis Island, New York Harbor, New York City, New York, USA
    • Production companies
      • Anarchist's Convention Films
      • UCLA Film and Television Archive
      • A-Train Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $350,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $3,677,209
    • Gross worldwide
      • $3,677,209
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 48 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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