366 Days at the Drive-In: Day 276

The Date: July 2

The Movie: The Brother from Another Planet (1984)

What Is It?: John Sayles intelligent, original, and somewhat perplexing sci-fi story of a telekinetic alien slave who escapes to Harlem in his UFO and must now deal with the space bounty hunters hunting him and Earth-bound prejudice and poverty. Joe Morton is awesome as the brother, and David Strathairn and Sayles, himself, are memorable as the creeps on his trail.

Why Today?: Today is World UFO Day.

366 Days at the Drive-In: Day 21

The Date: October 21

The Movie: Alligator (1980)

What Is It?: Who’d imagine John Sayles was once the go-to guy for goofy Jaws cash-ins? Like Sayles’s Piranha, Alligator is a witty little satire about an aquatic nightmare. This one is a tyrannosaurus-sized gator named Ramón. I made sure to catch this whenever it ran on TV in the early ‘80s. It’s still a fun way to spend 87 minutes.

Why Today?: Today is Reptile Awareness Day.