Customer Reviews

Brother from Another Planet [VHS]

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I saw this classic movie back in the mid '80s, and I must say that it is memorable. What really makes this movie is the performance of Joe Morton and the supporting cast. Joe doesn't say a word of dialogue throughout the movie, but his facial expressions and body language prove that he has an undisputed talent for acting. He plays an intergalactic slave running away from bounty hunters. Crash landing in New York City, he gets to experience what the world has to offer. The comedy in this movie is subtle, but very witty which adds to the charm of this movie. I was hesitant to buy this movie on DVD because of the reviews & the price. On the back of the keep case, there is a disclaimer stating that there are picture imperfections due to the master used. I've never seen this on a DVD before! The good things about the DVD is that it's very clear & in focus. The colour looks normal (people are not flaming pink or morbid grey looking) & the disc plays continuous & doesn't freeze after each scene. The bad things are: The master used is not even acceptable for broadcast standards. There are a lot of artifacts throughout the movie (periodic horizontal noise lines & pixelling around the 45minute mark) It looks like a worn out BETA SP master was used. This is where the price comes in, for a DVD it's really low priced, but it shows that you get what you pay for. It's unfortunate, because this movie deserves the respect of being digitally remastered & reissued on a properly produced DVD.

Having bought the UAV release of this movie and being disappointed in the playback, I was thrilled to see a major label like MGM has picked up this gem of a movie and released it rrecently on DVD. The picture is crystal clear, and the sound is great. This is how this movie should have been released on DVD in the first place. There are no noise lines or pixeling in the MGM version. There is just vibrant colour and clarity. Parts of the movie show graininess, but that is not the fault of the DVD, it's just the film used, plus this movie is from 1984, so there wasn't digital filming at that time. I am very happy to finally get this movie that has been properly transferred onto DVD. This disc features a running audio commentary from John Sayles, plus an interview with him too. If you were not happy with the UAV version of this movie, I strongly recommend picking up the MGM release, because the movie looks how it should look on DVD and that's great!

The copies that have seen floating around of THE BROTHER FROM ANOTHER PLANET were bootlegs. Not worth it. Look for fully restored and remastered DVD's coming in the fall of 2003.

'Brother From Another Planet' is a gem of a movie from director John Sayles. Yes, it's low-budget (typical Sayles), and yes it sounds like b-grade science-fiction at first (alien lands on Earth, pursued by other aliens), but it's so much more than that. First off, the alien (played by Joe Morton, who does not utter a word througout the movie) is black and, luckily, lands in Harlem. Slowly but surely, he finds a way to not only make a living (by fixing electronics), but also manages to help out those who live around him. No offense meant to Mr. Morton, but this is probably his best performance to date.Meanwhile, he's pursued by the two other aliens, who are white (one of whom is played by Sayles himself), and have their own interactions with the Harlem community.In this little, very underplayed film, Sayles manages to say a lot about community, race, charity and mankind itself. Endnote: Keep your eye out for the 'eye out' scene.

Imagine the result if someone were wise enough to adapt one
of the works of SF grandmaster Octavia E. Butler. Better yet,
imagine if there had been a grand convergence of Butler's
speculations on world development and African American
perspective, with the poetry, folklore and commentary of
Langston Hughes.
With THE BROTHER FROM ANOTHER PLANET, filmmaker John
Sayles, cinematographer Ernest R. Dickerson, and the
character acting master Joe Morton as the silent lead
all achieve this major feat of storytelling excellence.
Rarely have motion pictures captured the heart of the
Black Diaspora, let alone delve to the narrative core
of actual Science Fiction as deeply as this film does
so magnificently.
Its probing style and cutting edge satire hits with
stone irony; its humor dry to the bone, yet inviting
to the touch, and delightfully devastating to the
unprepared. 20 years later, THE BROTHER still resonates
with sharp genius. Its winding tale and participants
bring home a discerning warmth which delivers the wit
and pathos of Black perspective with breathtaking
fullness.
From the hands of a White man, THE BROTHER is a
marked study of how to do one's homework well, and
more. Certainly, Sayles' pioneering independent
filmwork here proved far more astute in addressing
-and depicting- the Black aesthetic than the lackwit
Tommery, thug-happy Jim Crow jumping, and Stephen
Fechit gesturings far too in vogue -for far too
long- as "Black Entertainment".

Of course, it's how the film utilizes African
American ambiance to deliver one of the great
works of Science Fiction film which has
bewildered both critics and moviegoers alike
for 20 years. Consider how few "big" films are
based solidly in Black culture, let alone SF
films which find us discomfortingly absent,
too often, to this day, and you begin to see
the general confusion about a serious SF film
which is a serious film about an African
American community as well.
Further, since most people regard the SF film
field as technological playgrounds for "comicky
popcorn epics" (let alone the snob-ridden dribble
of "sci-fi"), films which can utilize technology
to help properly tell a great cinematic story has
traditionally bewildered American audiences.
BLADE RUNNER taking decades to be recognized
as an epic, along with the misconceptions
regarding more recent epics such as Spielberg's
MINORITY REPORT and the recent Simon Wells/John
Logan take on THE TIME MACHINE, bear this
out.
For every thematic, dramatic and technical
triumph achieved by the likes of THE LORD OF
THE RINGS, major befuddlement at such daring
work from a principally Speculative source
(witness the tailing-off of interest towards
THE MATRIX trilogy, or the utter disdain
towards Lucas' current STAR WARS films)
all demonstrates just how far audience
attention & audience appreciation has
yet to go.

THE BROTHER eschews super-technology altogether,
throwing FX-seekers way off-line! Sayles and
friends opt for minimal opticals and some
old-fashioned staging to make the point
of THE BROTHER's alienation, as much a
product of the enslavement he's rejecting
as it is a reaction to the literal new
world to which he's come.
Thrown into the hectic thoroughfare of Harlem,
brought face-to-face with the pratfalls of
everything from Social Services to drink
minimums at night clubs, THE BROTHER has
a very short time to learn a whole lot about
the human race, and how he means to fit into
it.
All manner of folk, from a gregarious
White single mother to as rich a collection
of barhoppers as you will find anywhere,
imbue the hapless extraterrestrial with an
array of pessimisms, joys, and reflections,
giving him ample space to contemplate upon
what it is to be human.
Even the proverbial gag of White rubes lost
in Harlem bears much thought to treasure,
poking wry wit at the ongoing perplexities
of "Race".

While the film is a cornucopia of great Black
talent seen in all manner of entertainment over
the past 20 years, it's the lead performer's
standout portrayal which makes this film so
particularly special. A mute wanderer with a
healing touch for man, woman, child and
machine poses a telling metaphor all his own,
one which Joe Morton executes with a skill
of pantomime worthy of Chaplin himself.
Silent, Morton's performance here communicates
volumes of emotional impact, and great dramatic
strength. From confusion over hard drugs and
death, to the pangs of romance, on to the
desperation of his chase for Freedom, Morton
delivers a bravura presentation which will bring
you enthusiastically to your feet by film's
end.
A key longtime player in Sayles' repertory,
and a supporting player frequently seen in
a variety of roles for both film and
television, it's astonishing that this
acting marvel has not been casted in more
lead roles. Underrated, Morton is easily
among this generation's most accomplished
dramatic masters.
Undaunted, Morton carries the vision on,
even as THE BROTHER stands as his signature
showcase.

Best of all, THE BROTHER FROM ANOTHER PLANET
demonstrates how the littlest things bear
the greatest significance. From the quick
social wisdom of a subway ride, to turning
a bureaucracy inside out, the film is a
wonderful excursion into the nature of
Struggle, getting by, and learning to do
more than just survive.
Even the value of keeping an eye on things
takes on a whole new meaning for inner
city dwellers and upwardly mobile bank
executives alike.

When all is said and done, it comes to this:

Be thoughtful.
Be entertained.

Give THE BROTHER some.

This is one of my favorite films of all time. Like many really good Sci Fi tales, it is ultimately a very human story. I love so many of the scenes - the character interactions in the bar scenes are great. And Joe Morton is terrific.

They didn't have much budget for this and there are obvious clumsy mistakes in the movie. Some of the mistakes are even pointed out in the director's comments, but it just adds to the enjoyment. (But my DVD copy is just fine. I don't understand the quality complaints in other reviews here.)

For all the rough spots, I don't miss the million dollar effects one bit. Effects might even push the story aside too much. This DVD will always have an honored place on my shelf and I will enjoy this many more times. (And I could never say the same for Matrix Revolutions, for example.)

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.

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.

This is a must see for any one who is knowledgeable about the history of African Americans. Morton stars as an alien, who is escaping from a distant planet where he was enslaved. This movie is Joe Morton's best work ever, although his character is mute...through his talent as an actor, he speaks volumes.

Although comedic in nature, the movie has some serious undertones and displays a lot of symbolism and historic references throughout. For example, Morton's space ship initially lands in the immigrant entry point of Ellis Island, however, as a Black man, he finds his way to Harlem where he can 'blend in' safely and hide from the peculiar, looking and acting, white slave catchers.

This movie is one of the best movies ever made that can be enjoyed by anyone at any age. As a matter of fact, I think it would be a great family discussion movie with the "drug problem" and "man's inhumanity to man" co-plots. Rent it! Buy it! You'll be glad you did!

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.