Casey Chong with a selection of bad E.T. ripoffs ranked from worst to watchable…
The year 1982 may have given us hits like Rocky III, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and Poltergeist, but it was Steven Spielberg’s E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial that reigned supreme during the summer season that year, blending a successful mix of sci-fi fantasy with adventure and drama that resonated with both families and kids. Not only did it emerge as the biggest hit of 1982, but it also toppled Star Wars to become the highest-grossing movie of all time at that point and has went on to remain one of the most endearing and iconic movies of the decade. The mass popularity did, of course, inspire many filmmakers to try and replicate E.T.’s success, and this brings us to our ranking of eight bad E.T. rip-offs from worst to (just about) watchable…
Homoti (1987)
Did you know that Turkey has ripped off E.T. not once but twice in 1983 and 1987? It began with Badi, which is not included on this list since it’s hard to locate the movie with English subtitles. The other is Homoti, which follows a journalist making up a story about a UFO sighting, only to find himself coming across an actual flying saucer. There’s even a little guy – a hideous-looking alien hailing from planet Homon in a cheap rubber suit, complete with the distractingly curvaceous Kim Kardashian-esque butt, who also turns out to be gay.
The special effects are atrocious, and the production value is as amateurish as it gets, with disappointingly stiff acting all around. At one point, it’s baffling to see writer-director Müjdat Gezen, who also plays the reporter, feel the need to stretch a scene revolving around a woman doing a mundane act. Homoti also references Steven Spielberg’s genre-defining Jaws (a scene where the alien is frightened while watching the movie on television) while “E.T.” himself made a cameo appearance (unofficially, that is). The movie may have been 81 minutes long, but it sure feels like an eternity.
Nukie (1987)
Nukie is South Africa’s answer to E.T., where co-directors Sias Odendaal and Michael Pakleppa follow a story about two aliens, Nukie and Miko, who are separated after they crash-land on Earth. Nukie is stuck in Africa, and his mission is to get to America, where Miko is held at the Space Foundation center. They still manage to communicate with each other using their telepathic powers.
The movie is obviously made on a shoestring budget, and it shows. But sometimes even a low-budget production can be redeemed under the so-bad-it’s-good category. Too bad that’s hardly the case here, with the story itself trying to intertwine with multiple character angles (e.g. the two young African outcasts, a nun named Sister Anne, and a talking supercomputer from Space Foundation nicknamed E.D.D.I, a.k.a Electronic Digital Data Intelligence). The result? It drags with poor acting, while the movie’s attempt to blend sci-fi, drama and comedy is laughably bad.
Purple People Eater (1988)
Imagine an E.T. rip-off but done in an old-school, rock ‘n’ roll musical style. That’s the premise behind Purple People Eater, where the title comes from Sheb Wooley’s 1958 song of the same name. The movie stars Neil Patrick Harris as Billy Johnson, who lives with his grandfather, Sam (Ned Beatty). One night, while playing the titular song, a furry purple alien from outer space shows up on a tree. He sports a unicorn-like horn and a single eye. His appearance soon becomes integral in saving elderly folks from losing their homes by setting up live performances with Billy as one of the band members.
For such a movie that is supposed to appeal to the younger crowds, it’s rather questionable for writer-director Linda Shayne to emphasize heavily on 1950s rock ‘n’ roll music, complete with appearances from legendary Chubby Checker and Little Richard. Purple People Eater was released a year earlier, before the young Neil Patrick Harris became a household name when he starred in Doogie Howser, M.D. television series.
Extra Terrestrial Visitors a.k.a Pod People (1983)
Interestingly, the French-Spanish co-production Extra Terrestrial Visitors was initially made as a straightforward horror, only to be retooled as a mainstream-friendly E.T. rip-off. The horror elements are significantly reduced but still present in some parts, making the movie’s tonal shift between the grim and the kid-centric angles jarring.
The E.T.-like part revolves around a boy (Óscar Martín’s Tommy), who discovers an egg one night before bringing it home and names the baby creature Trumpy after it hatches. The Trumpy in question is an alien with an anteater-like snout capable of sucking milk and peanuts in large quantities. The movie is pretty much a mess, with the dubbing sounds mostly off-putting while there’s little chemistry to be seen between Tommy and Trumpy. The movie was subsequently re-titled Pod People upon rediscovery in 1991.
Munchie (1992)
Jim Wynorski is synonymous with B-horrors and erotic thrillers such as Sorority House Massacre II, Victim of Desire and Body Chemistry IV: Full Exposure. But Munchie is more of an odd one out – an E.T.-inspired fantasy comedy about a transfer student (Jaime McEnnan’s Gage L. Dobson), who befriends a creature stuck in a chest named Munchie (voiced by Dom DeLuise). In exchange for friendship, the latter soon helps Gage solve all kinds of problems: adjusting grades and even taking care of school bullies.
The story is mostly dedicated to Munchie’s series of mischievous acts causing havoc, relying heavily on the slapstick comedy style, to hit-and-miss results. Munchie also possesses some magical powers, namely making a pizza fly over (complete with a POV shot) from town to their home kitchen. The movie marks then-13-year-old Jennifer Love Hewitt’s (credited as Love Hewitt) film debut, who plays Gage’s classmate, Andrea Kurtz. Wynorski returns to direct the sequel, Munchie Strikes Back, two years later.
Earth to Echo (2014)
What if E.T. is shot in found footage style? Welcome to Earth to Echo, which follows a trio of childhood friends – Alex (Teo Halm), Tucker (Brian “Astro” Bradley) and Reginald (Reese Hartwig) – who decide to record their adventures using smartphones and video cameras for their last days together. Then, they discover something strange: a cute-looking little alien, albeit in cybernetic form, and name it Echo.
Dave Green, who made his directorial debut before he went on to helm Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, made good use of the found-footage filmmaking style to bring out a sense of dramatic and emotional intimacy, especially when it comes to exploring the three childhood friends’ quest. Echo itself is adorable, and despite its petite size, this alien possesses technologically advanced powers. At one point during a thrilling chase sequence, Echo manages to prevent the collision course by disassembling an oncoming semi-truck (think Transformers and you’ll get the idea) before assembling it back into one piece after passing through successfully.
Mac and Me (1988)
The blatant product placement couldn’t be more obvious with the presence of Coca-Cola and McDonald’s in Mac and Me. It’s annoying as if this E.T. rip-off is disguised as a feature-length commercial to promote these two popular brands. Even the Mac itself loves to drink Coca-Cola, which turns out to be a source of sustenance. The story follows a wheelchair-bound young boy (Jade Calegory’s Eric) befriending an alien named Mac (Mysterious Alien Creature), who got lost and is looking to reunite with his family.
Now, is Mac and Me that bad after all these years, earning its reputation as “one of the worst films ever made”? Frankly, this movie is best described as “so good it’s bad” category, with the chemistry between Eric and Mac actually working as long as you don’t think too much of it. The elaborate chase sequence is one of the highlights here, and so is the now-iconic rolling-the-wheelchair-down-the-hill moment that would become a recurring favourite clip for actor Paul Rudd in Conan O’Brien’s talk show.
SEE ALSO: 10 Alien Franchise Rip-Offs That Are Worth A Watch
What are your favourite bad E.T. ripoffs? Let us know on our social channels @FlickeringMyth…
Casey Chong
