Homoti (1987) User Reviews

Like a Cards Against Humanity punchline come to life

[BandSAboutMovies · 4/10 · 19 September 2020]

Leave it to Turkish filmmakers to not only completely rip off E.T., but also make the alien gay and lost in 70's Turkey.

Written, directed and starring Müjdat Gezen, this is the second Turkish Xerox of that Spielberg blockbuster that I know. The other, Badi, has an alien that is frightening instead of loveable. The movie poster also features the USS Enterprise, which is not in the movie*. Such is the country for which we have been exploring all week.

I love that someone spent the time to write a research paper on this movie. I guess if you're going to spend the time and energy to make a movie where a big butt alien comes down to our planet and helps us explore the ways that LGBT people dealt with oppression of 1970's Turkey, as well as exploring tabloid culture, this would be the movie to write about.

This is why when people at work ask, "What movies have everyone been watching?" I hope that someone else answers, because then I have to explain that one, there's a Turkish version of E.T., two that it has a gay alien and three that it had no subtitles and therefore I was forced to watch it and make up the dialogue inside my own head.

*The makers of Evils of the Night, which features a hot pants wearing teen being menaced by zombie hands while the Millenium Falcon zooms overhead, had to have been paying attention.

The Other Turkish E.T.

[Michael_Elliott · 2 August 2015]

Homoti (1987)

** (out of 4)

Turkish rip-off of E.T. (not to be confused with 1983's BADI) has a reporter being asked by his boss to stage some UFO sightings. The reporters heads out to throw trash can tops in the air and film them but he ends up seeing a real UFO and its strange alien creature. He takes the alien home with him where various neighbors becomes friends with it.

HOMOTI is known by many to be the "gay Turkish E.T." but it's hard to tell exactly what is going on since I had to view this without any English subtitles. I will say that this film is much better made than BADI because it really does appear that this film had a budget, a director who cared and some professional actors. I say this because you can watch HOMOTI and see that it was made on a professional level so this wasn't exactly a rushed production to try and cash-in on the Steven Spielberg movie.

I'd argue that the performances were much better than you'd typical expect and that there was some nice cinematography throughout. With that said, the main reason to watch this is for the alien, which is downright creepy looking. It's obvious you're watching someone in a costume as the costume itself is quite poor and there's no question you're looking at something fake. Even worse is that the costume has a gigantic butt that would make Jennifer Lopez jealous. Watching this thing walk around will certainly make you laugh.

As far as the alien being gay, I really couldn't tell that was the case. In fact, during one scene a female neighbor tries kissing him. There are a couple gay neighbors who show up throughout the movie but there's never a visual scene where the alien goes for them. Again, I didn't have any subtitles so perhaps the dialogue covered something I missed. Either way, HOMODI is a fairly entertaining movie in its own way.

A modern masterpiece!

[radiovideo · 10/10 · 1 July 2022]

I really can't understand why this film is so hated while it's preety clear that this is a modern masterpiece.

I really like the story and how it evolves.

My favourite scene is when homoti put lipstick on his lips and wanted to give his love to his loved one, a really deep scene, made me cry.

Homoti, very 80s, gay and a non-homophobic comedy.

[fabiog-26-358885 · 7/10 · 19 August 2021]

Fortunately, I could see this movie with spanish subtitles (I am argentine). My expectations were very low before seeing the film (I expected to find something very bizarre, poorly done and above all very homophobic), but I was interested in seeing something from Turkey, with an LGBT theme, made in the 80s. The film largely complied with the "bizarre" thing, but it didn't seem so badly done to me, and above all things, I was surprised that it wasn't homophobic.

Basically, Homoti, is an alien, who came to Earth and is afraid of being discovered (because if so, he should return to his planet and would be punished) ... On the other hand, he falls in love at first sight with the human protagonist of the film who finds him and takes him home (promising to protect him, despite being a journalist and looking for a prominent piece of news for his newspaper) ... The journalist lives with a woman who is in charge of the house and is a friend of a gay neighbor (very stereotypical) who is always suffering for his lovers who abandon him (a soccer player, an Arab, etc.). Homoti is introduced to them and does not hide his love for the protagonist (who is also single). At first everyone thinks it is because he confuses or does not know the difference between love (friendship) and sexual love. The gay character realizes that he is like "him" ... and begins to treat him as someone gay (even speaking in feminine terms) ... But, the journalist is assigned a female co-worker, who falls in love of him, and does everything to conquer him (the journalist, at first shows some rejection) until she succeeds. This is noticed by Homoti, who becomes sad and expresses it to the journalist. He tries to console him by telling him that he loves him too but not sexually. Homoti, then disappears, is kidnapped by another journalist who wants to use him for a story, but escapes and returns home. Finally, Homoti even tries to put on makeup to try to conquer the journalist, but sees him in bed with his female co-worker (to whom he had already given him a ring). This makes Homoti decide to return to his planet, even though everyone wants him to stay, and he expresses that if he doesn't leave, he will be very upset. And so he does, and that's The End.

It is an impossible, simple love story, shown in a satirical tone. Anyway, the story takes place in a gay-friendly climate (not only with Homoti, but also with the gay neighbor) ...

#HomotiSweeps

[ramizkaraeskibusiness · 10/10 · 20 September 2022]

Homoti is by far the number one masterpiece of films. It is undoubtful that it shaped the whole movie industry. It made us one step closer to the far future. It is a must watch for everyone in this planet. You are missing a lot if you haven't watched this movie de franca, if you will. The story is unrivaled, and the character development is done beautifully. The camerawork is by far the best I have ever seen. The musics are beautifully done and the CGI should have gotten an Oscar, no doubt to leave. I am in tears as I write this review, for I realise I will never witness such a masterpiece ever again.