Extra Terrestrial Visitors (1983) [Blu-Ray/CD]

Full Disclosure: This title was purchased at our own discretion from Severin Films.

Wackiness ensues as an alien meteor housing crash lands in to a forest. Then there’s a weird little boy named Tommy who collects bugs all day. Then there’s a pop band that goes on vacation in the woods. And there’s an old couple in the woods living in a cabin. The aliens are now on the loose in the forest. And there are these armed poachers hungry to kill some animals. And then Tommy (Óscar Martín) finds an egg that he realizes is an unborn alien. Said alien, nicknamed “Trumpy,” is desperate to get back home. How will these hilarious storylines converge? Will Trumpy consume mankind?

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Influencer (2022)

One of the best things about “Influencer” is about how absolutely unprepared I was for it. I didn’t know what was getting in to with Kurtis David Harder’s film, as I knew almost nothing going in to “Influencer” and I ended up with what amounts to a pretty slick and tense crime thriller. “Influencer” is a movie that is absolutely disarming and completely out of left field, as director Kurtis David Harder successfully subverts a lot of expectations with thrillers of this ilk. The movie is set in a foreign, mysterious land, centered on two gorgeous American women that are traveling abroad. From that smaller concept, Harder uses this as a launch pad to introduce us to one of the more sociopathic and cunning movie villains that I’ve seen in years.

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Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023) [Blu-Ray/DVD/Digital]

One of the things about “Fury of the Gods” that made me laugh is that people gave “Man of Steel” so much crap for its blatant product placement. And yet, with “Fury of the Gods” there is literally an entire plot point centered on the candy Skittles. At one point one of the characters even proclaims “Taste the rainbow!” as they ride unicorns in to battle with the film’s villainesses. It’s really not a hindrance on the movie as a whole, but I was kind of laughing to myself at those that made such an issue about big product placements playing key roles in major films.

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The Wrath of Becky (2023)

With the original 2020 “Becky,” we were introduced to the titular psychotic teenager on a rampage. The small scale but giddily violent movie was a great bit of revenge exploitation with Lulu Wilson bringing to life the conniving anti-heroine. With “The Wrath of Becky,” directors Matt Angel and Suzanne Coote re-introduce us to a new version of Becky. The Becky we meet now has been through a lot, but there are a few things that remain the same with her. One: She is as conniving and cunning as ever. And Two: It’s a good idea not to mess with her dog.

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“Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai” is an Exciting Introduction to the Wider “Gremlins” Universe

It’s been almost thirty five years since we saw any semblance of “Gremlins” entertainment rear its scaley head. Now in the midst of reviving old IP’s HBO and Warner take a shot on reviving Joe Dante’s classic film series. “Secrets of the Mogwai” is thankfully built very much in the vein of the classic 1984 film, and less like “The New Batch.” It’s a dark fantasy (with charming animation obviously influenced by LAIKA Studios) with a lot of harrowing action and terror, but also revels in the inherent awe and wonder of Gizmo and the concept of the Gremlins, twisted as they may be.

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Killer Kites (2023)

With “Killer Kites,” you’re facing a movie that’s genuinely critic proof, and has a clear idea about what it is from the first moment it starts. It’s only an hour in length and spends a lot of its time trying to turn kites in to mythological monsters. So, you either go in knowing what to expect, or you turn around look for another means of entertainment. I have to admit that Alan Dale and Austin Frosch’s horror comedy won me over from the opening credits.

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The Mother (2023)

Niki Caro is a fine director who doesn’t exactly utilize her talents in “The Mother.” It’s a movie that feels so very meticulously calculated as a means of reforming Jennifer Lopez’s film career from drama and comedy star to action star. Sadly, Caro’s direction is flat in what is pretty much a run of the mill mix of action adventure and family drama. “The Mother” has a ton of potential behind it, and presents seeds of interesting ideas. It just all gets lost in a haze of sub-plots, all of which are under developed, or left dangling in the air without much fallout.

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