As seen in apocalyptic epics like,, and 2012, [he] famously developed an exaggerated, sensory-overload style that was uniquely his. But before finding success in the U.S., the German director aimed to imitate two very different blockbuster filmmakers.
When German critics dubbed his second feature, Joey, “Spielbergle” (a diminutive of Spielberg), Emmerich probably saw it as praise rather than the put-down it was meant to be. The director had freely acknowledged that his goal was to launch a new era of German cinema by copying the success of Steven Spielberg and ’ popcorn movies, saying, “Entertaining the masses is the core, and that’s been ignored here for too long.”
Coming a year after the politically themed sci-fi film The Noah’s Ark Principle, Emmerich’s first English-language movie didn’t bother hiding its inspirations. From George Lucas’s work, there’s a sentient robot named Charlie that’s reminiscent of R2-D2, enough merchandise to stock a Toys “R” Us shelf, and a final battle featuring Darth Vader (presumably, Joey avoided getting caught by licensing attorneys). From Spielberg, the plot about a telekinetic child draws heavily from , the music was clearly patterned after ’ score for , and the lack of a father figure played into the filmmaker’s focus on fractured families.
Released in the U.S. as Making Contact, Joey wastes no time putting its 9-year-old title character (played by Joshua Morrell) through emotional turmoil. The opening scene is at his father’s funeral, and his first lines come during an imaginary (or is it real?!) conversation with his dad using a glowing red phone. Is this just a way for a young kid in the early stages of grief to cope? Or do his psychic powers let him talk to the dead?
The movie adds another wild twist when Joey finds a ventriloquist’s doll in an abandoned neighboring house that’s uncannily like the Bates’ home in . When the doll – a sharp-dressed, monocle-wearing character named Fletcher – comes to life, he says he’s responsible for the conversations with the dead, but his reason is unclear. Even an origin story shown on a black-and-white TV, which reveals he was made by a 1920s magician who dabbled in dark magic, doesn’t explain anything.
This lack of logic runs through the short 79-minute knockoff (European audiences got an extra 19 minutes that somehow made it even more confusing). Emmerich was so focused on making the story feel American that he forgot to finish it. Plot points are brought up and then dropped right away, conversations seem to cut off mid-sentence, and there are plenty of random, illogical moments. Maybe the most “what the heck” scene is when mom Laura (Eva Kryll) stops visiting teacher Martin (Jan Zierold) from running his burned hand under the faucet and instead shoves it into a nearby fishbowl.
This is a movie where the world’s top scientists show up at Joey’s house because of one unclear phone call. Then there’s the chaotic finale – like a fever dream – where Joey, his pigtailed best friend Sally (Tammy Shields), and the kids who bully him are attacked in an underground maze by giant hamburgers, living boulders, and more.
Even so, you have to give Emmerich credit for being resourceful. Determined to make an Amblin-style movie on a tiny budget, he renovated an abandoned factory to create his own effects studio. The floating, human-like toys look laughably old now, but ‘80s Hollywood had much worse effects.
To save more money, Emmerich also hired most of Joey’s cast from an American military base – which is why few have other IMDb credits and their acting is so clearly inexperienced. Only Kryll, who had a long career afterward, shows any natural skill as the mom who’s almost stabbed and run over by the evil doll, especially when her initial joy at Joey’s tricks turns to sadness.
Emmerich does do a few things well in his attempt to outdo Hollywood at its own game. The bullying Joey faces for thinking his dad is still talking to him perfectly captures how cruel kids can be, giving the otherwise confusing story a moment of emotional depth that Spielberg would approve of. And Fletcher – voiced by Jack Angel, a Hanna-Barbera veteran and one of the movie’s few experienced actors – is a fun, crazy character, from his stylish clothes to his habit of shouting “Blargh” during all the chaos.
The movie even made money, which let Emmerich move up in the industry with similarly cheesy B-movies like Ghost Chase and Moon 44, before finally making it to Hollywood with 1992’s . There’s nothing here to suggest he’d soon be competing with his heroes for box office success, but everyone has to start somewhere.
Joey (also known as Making Contact) is available to stream .