Stuff To Blow Your Mind Weirdhouse Cinema Rewind: The Humanoid
May 4, 2026
A romp through a 1979 Italian space opera that borrows heavily from Star Wars. They dissect cheesy costumes, quirky props and a Vader-like villain. Discussion highlights Ennio Morricone's synthy score, a lovable robot dog, Richard Kiel's hulking turn and a campy mix of space battles, psychic powers and melodramatic twists.
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Why 1977 Spawned Dozens Of Star Wars Clones
- Star Wars triggered a wave of imitative films that copied its surface aesthetics to capture audience interest.
- Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick explain studios greenlit space fantasy after 1977, so many projects were retrofitted with Star Wars elements rather than original mythic structure.
Ripoffs Copy Looks Not Mythic Structure
- Many Star Wars ripoffs mimic visual motifs (desert planets, stormtroopers, Vader-like villains) but rarely adopt the mythic hero's-journey backbone.
- Joe McCormick notes ripoffs focus on aesthetic beats while missing Lucas's deeper mythic scaffolding that gives Star Wars emotional resonance.
Richard Kiel Plays Gentle Giant And Monster
- Richard Kiel (Jaws) received top billing in The Humanoid and alternates a likable bearded mode with a monstrous humanoid mode.
- Joe McCormick and Robert Lamb both praise Kiel's gentle-giant vibe and the film's choice to show him as both regular guy and hulking monster.