Purple People Eater (film)
| Purple People Eater | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical Poster | |
| Directed by | Linda Shayne |
| Produced by | Linda Shayne |
| Written by | Linda Shayne |
| Starring |
Neil Patrick Harris Ned Beatty Shelley Winters Thora Birch Dustin Diamond Peggy Lipton |
| Music by | Dennis Drieth |
| Cinematography | Peter Deming |
| Edited by | Cari Coughlin |
| Distributed by | Motion Picture Corporation of America |
Release dates | December 16, 1988 |
Running time | 90 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Purple People Eater is a 1988 American sci-fi comedy family film that was produced and released theatrically on December 16, 1988.[1] The film stars Neil Patrick Harris, Ned Beatty, Shelley Winters, and Thora Birch (who won a Youth In Film Award for her performance). The movie co-stars Dustin Diamond and Peggy Lipton, with musical guest appearances by Chubby Checker and Little Richard (who also portrays the Mayor). Linda Shayne wrote, produced, and directed the film, inspired by the 1958 novelty song "Purple People Eater" by Sheb Wooley.[1]
Plot
When young Billy Johnson (Neil Patrick Harris) plays the novelty song, a flying purple one-eyed one-horned alien from outer space appears and helps him prevent an elderly couple (Ned Beatty and Shelley Winters) from being evicted by their greedy landlord while joining a rock n' roll band.
Cast
- Neil Patrick Harris as Billy Johnson
- Ned Beatty as Grandpa
- Shelley Winters as Rita
- Thora Birch as Molly Johnson
- Dustin Diamond as Big Z
- Peggy Lipton as Mom
- James Houghton as Dad
- Molly Cheek as Mrs. Orfus
- Kimberly McCullogh as Donna Orfus
- Lindsay Price as Kory Kamimoto
- Little Richard as Mayor
- Chubby Checker as Himself
- Sheb Wooley as Harry Skinner
- Linda Shayne as Nurse
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Thomas, Kevin (December 16, 1988). "MOVIE REVIEW : Amateurism Rife in 'Purple People Eater'". The Los Angeles Times.