Brother from Another Planet

Starring:Daryl Edwards, Joe Morton, Caroline Aaron, Alvin Alexis, Reggie Rock Bythewood, Rosanna Carter, Bill Cobbs, Minnie Gentry, Leonard Jackson, Steve James, Olga Merediz, Herbert Newsome, Ray Ramirez, Yves Rene, Maggie Renzi, Peter Richardson, Ren Woods, Tom Wright, Ginny Yang
Studio: Allumination Filmwor
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com essential video

Having been stymied in the midst of trying to make Matewan, John Sayles wrote what he thought could be a cheap, quick little movie and it turned out to be this near classic, which blends fish-out-of-water comedy with trenchant and serious science fiction. Joe Morton plays an extraterrestrial whose spaceship crashes in New York Harbor. When he swims ashore, he finds that most of Harlem is filled with earthlings who look just like him. He can't speak, but he quickly learns to communicate; he also finds ways to understand these strange, quarrelsome creatures, who seem to talk forever without really saying much. Sayles is at his economic best, drawing a touchingly complex performance from the silent Morton and good acting from a strong supporting cast of mostly unknowns. --Marshall Fine

Description

The visionary writer-director behind such films as Passion Fish, Lone Star and Sunshine State, OscarÂ(r) nominee* John Sayles has been at the forefront of independent cinema for more than twenty years. In this "vastly amusing, offbeat fantasy" (Variety), Sayles takes "a fresh look at our society" (Los Angeles Times) through the eyes of a black extraterrestrial (Joe Morton) who crash-lands on Earthin Harlemand is taken in by the regulars of a local bar. The alien changes everyone he meets on his "original and eye-opening" (The Hollywood Reporter) journey through the streets of urban America. But can his message of brotherly love resonate with the intergalactic bounty hunters trying to track him down? *1996: Original Screenplay, Lone Star; 1992: Original Screenplay, Passion Fish

Customer Reviews:

The Brother is Funny.......2007-04-22

I must say that this movie is one of my all time classics. It is a social commentary on race relations. It is a science fiction movie. It is a comedy. I loved the fact that the Brother sleeps with Dee Dee Bridgewater without ever saying a word. Let that be a lesson to guys who stumble over their tounges trying to come up with a come on line. Just be real and sincere and you may be surprised. Joe Morton is great. His acting was was not over the top. It was inspired on the part of John Sayles to have the Brother land in New York. This could have been a twilight zone episode. It had all the ingredients. A man who could not speak but had special powers living among humans. Get the movie you will enjoy it.

Morton is Magnificent, Brother Endures Time.......2006-07-21

If you appreciate fine acting, in particular, the artistry of silent acting, you will want to watch Joe Morton over and over again in this low-budget classic from John Sayles. Part Chaplin, part Keaton, even part Harpo, Morton is simply magnificent. His gestures and movements, his body language and facial expressions encompass a huge physical vocabulary from frightened innocence to gleeful joy, from tired resignation to bold determinism. In a heroic dash up and down Harlem, Morton's character pulls the audience along on a sometimes comic, sometimes gritty extraterrestrial flight from intergalactic cops.

The Brother from Another Planet, Sayles's funky sci-fi, grand metaphor of sanctuary and immigration, immortalizes Morton as a great silent star. Probably best known for his supporting role in Terminator 2 as the self-sacrificing scientist, he ironically enough got his start in the 1968 Broadway production of Hair and later earned a Tony Best Actor nomination for his performance in a musical version of A Raisin in the Sun. BTW, the first music you hear in Brother is a clip of rap that Morton's character "hears" from the graffiti-covered walls on a deserted back street. (Yes, he is able to pick up "lost" voices from walls and chairs and public spaces.) Watch the credits at the end and you will discover that the rapper is Morton himself!

Of course there is more to Brother than Joe Morton's sterling performance. Endless metaphors of racial inequality, issues of otherness, bureaucracy, drug trafficking, alienation, slavery, and the funny sadness of people constantly wrapped up in themselves resound throughout the film. Not as rough as a Sun Ra flick, but certainly as genuine and homey and wise, Brother endures time and looks just as current as when it was made in 1984.

Original and wonderfully fun to watch.......2006-07-09

If you enjoy quirky and dark humor, this is a delightful and thoughtful film. My wife and I are very happy to own this film.

Very good movie; lousy DVD.......2005-09-10

The story of a man on the lam, intergalactically, is compelling, primarily because of Joe Morton who says not a word in the entire movie. John Sayles' direction is unobtrusive but effective. One of my favorite lighter moments is the morning after a romantic night when the woman tells Brother that he's a terrific lover but he has to do something with those toenails (the only outwardly difference of Brother is his three toed feet with claws). [...] "Brother" deserves more.

Two words-SEE IT!.......2005-03-24

This is a very well done story whose low budget does NOT get in the way (in fact, it adds to the charm). The story about a Black extraterrestrial who winds up in Harlem and then...well, you'll find out. For non-sci-fi fans and those used to the typical action films or crude ghetto comedies featuring black casts, this film may take some getting used to, as it is sparse on dialogue. After viewing it once, I recommend watching it again and with John Sayles' excellent commentary.

Overall, once you get it, it's great. It speaks to anyone who has ever felt like a "fish out of water" and longed to be understood and become a part of a community (in this case, Harlem, one of the world's most famous communities, becomes a metaphor). Of course there is more to the film's message that that, but see the film, find out, and enjoy.

Average customer rating:

Brother from Another Planet
Starring: Caroline Aaron , Alvin Alexis , Reggie Rock Bythewood , Rosanna Carter , and Bill Cobbs
Manufacturer: United American Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

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Similar Items:

Limbo
Return of the Secaucus 7
Silver City
Matewan
Lone Star

ASIN: B000055XLV
Release Date: 2001-09-25

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Average customer rating:

Brother From Another Planet
Starring: Caroline Aaron , Alvin Alexis , Reggie Rock Bythewood , Rosanna Carter , and Bill Cobbs
Manufacturer: Digital 1 Stop
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

4-for-3 All DVDs | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( B ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Limbo
Return of the Secaucus 7
Silver City
Matewan
Lone Star

ASIN: B0002B54S0
Release Date: 2004-06-21

Amazon.com essential video

Blue Manhattan and Brother From Another Planet (DVD Double Feature)

Average customer rating:

Blue Manhattan and Brother From Another Planet (DVD Double Feature)
Director: Brian DePalma , and Brian Sayles
Manufacturer: East West Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

Product Description

No. 1: Blue Manhattan - Robert De Niro plays a vet who returns to New York and rents a rundown flat in Greenwhich Village and begins photographing his neighbors through the window, peeping tom style. 87 min RATED R Actors: Robert de Niro, Charles Durning, Allen Garfield. Directed by Brian de Palma. No. 2: Brother from Another Planet - An alien crash-lands in NYC with two bounty hunters from his home planet in pursuit. 108 min RATED R Actors: Joe Morton, Daryl Edwards, Steve James, Directed by John Sayles.

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