Aliens Archives | Otaku No Culture

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial is 40-Years Old and Regarding Its Anniversary Re-Release!

In what shines are the two new featurettes. We have “40 Years of E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial,” an all new retrospective of the film, and “TCM Classic Film Festival’s An Evening with Steven Spielberg.”

Also playing at Victoria IMAX Oct 27-31.

It’s hard to believe E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial is 40-years old. This movie was developed hot after Close Encounters of a Third Kind, and to say it belongs in the same universe is a feasible fan theory. To say this has been confirmed isn’t in the new featurettes in this celebratory re-release, but I get the sense that Spielberg would be okay with it. He interest in UFOlogy may have been limited to these two films, but when we consider his War of the Worlds adaptation, the idea does fall apart.

Anyone who didn’t purchase the prior versions isn’t missing much. I could have picked up the 35th anniversary release, which had a 4K restoration, but I don’t always count this year as a seminal milestone. This latest release does one better, and it’s all in the two new featurettes made for this release. In terms of collectables, the ultimate set (available on Amazon USA) offers a collectible tin tote, thermos, booklet and Certificate of Authenticity for the die-hard collector to proudly display. Another release adds a Bendy Figs figurine for Walmart, and the Steelbook updates the art (Target). Anyone wanting either just needs to ask a friend in the States to buy or one can order online.

All the material from prior releases (deleted scenes, the evolution, and creation of E.T., and 20th anniversary premiere) are offered in this collection. The old content are:

Continue reading “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial is 40-Years Old and Regarding Its Anniversary Re-Release!”

It’s Better to Stay Behind than Escape From Area 51 …

Escape From Area 51 is a spoof on various genres and is comparable to Lost Skeleton of Cadavra as a cheap sci-fi comedy.

Escape from Area 51 (2021) - IMDb — Available to purchase on Amazon USA

Cleopatra Entertainment
Release Date: Sept 7th

Not every movie about UFOs deals with conspiracies. The sci-fi stoner comedy Escape From Area 51 momentarily plays with the storm Area 51 movement–which was what caught my attention–before dealing with the plot at hand. This movie’s story pairs well with Shae Sterling’s Alien Addiction for its low brow humour. I’m certain there is no family connection with David Sterling, the producer behind this work. It’s doubtful that director Eric Mittleman, who also co-wrote with Ted Chalmers, Carlos Perez and Robert Rhine, even knows of the New Zealand made film.

Curiosity seekers may well be hard pressed to find something to like about this work. It’s basically a T&A schlocky feature with a lot of sexual innuendo that will get fans of Donna D’Errico (Baywatch) giggling. She plays the alien who was locked up at the facility and when she makes the mistake of using her alien tech; it draws Sklarr’s attention (Chris Browning, Sons of Anarchy). He’s been scouring the galaxy because there was a War of the Worlds between their civilizations in the past… Well, maybe; I had to make this joke somehow.

Continue reading “It’s Better to Stay Behind than Escape From Area 51 …”

A Halloween Guide to Ancient Aliens

This program is going on 15 seasons strong and it’s showing no signs of stopping. It may slow down as it’s running out of ideas, but for Halloween time, I thought it’d be fun to glance back at those episodes that truly have a paranormal theme.

By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

Usually Ancient Aliens and the supernatural (ghost busting) do not go hand in hand. When they do, it’s mostly about parallel universes, how entities can travel about interdimensionally (wormhole travel), or why certain classes of angels and demons are actually aliens in disguise. However far-fetched the hypotheses are, they are just that until proven by some grandiose revelation that convinces everyone to believe. That means that the entity is tired of hiding and has finally revealed him or herself to the world.

In this age of the Internet, the alternative is to find overwhelming testimonies from many witnesses of varying occupations to say, “oh my gosh, this (fill in the blank) is real.”

Continue reading “A Halloween Guide to Ancient Aliens”

It’s An Alien Addiction, not Abduction with Shae Sterling!

Rico himself is part Maori and these people are extremely welcoming people. When I designed the aliens, they were naturally inquisitive and not mean spirited at all–quite playful, really. So mixing those two elements together naturally made a unique and fun relationship, the heart of the film.

By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

On Demand, Blu-ray and DVD

Release Date:
September 29

Gravitas Ventures

Shae Sterling is a tremendous talent in New Zealand. He’s worked with international talents like Snoop Dogg and is better known for his music video work with local artists. He’s also collaborated with Stan Walker (The X Factor) and the list does not end there! Plus, he’s the director of the documentary sports racing series High Octane. To become a fully fledged filmmaker, however, means making a proper debut with the crazy stoner comedy, Alien Addiction!

Going into making genre films isn’t without its own unique set of challenges–especially concerning special effects–but I feel he’s done a remarkable job. 15 years is more than enough in one industry to develop one’s skills. A different question is whether this film would play with UFO lore from this region. This country is famous for one instance–The Kaikoura Lights–but as for whether this movie would explore this further or stand on its own is a decision this director no doubt had to figure out. His choice to do sit-com is much needed when the there’s been a lot of similar films released this year.

Continue reading “It’s An Alien Addiction, not Abduction with Shae Sterling!”

2016’s Invasion Earth Finally Lands on Home Video Four Years Later…

Not to be confused with Blackout: Invasion Earth, the similarity made work, Invasion Earth, by writer/Director James Twyman originality came out 2016 and is more about the people and their lives than the fate of the planet being saved by freedom fighters.

Ancient Aliens — Available on Amazon USA

By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

Release Date:
August 4, 2020

Midnight Releasing
VOD & DVD

Not to be confused with Blackout: Invasion Earth, the similarity made work, Invasion Earth, by writer/Director James Twyman originality came out 2016 and is more about the people and their lives than the fate of the planet being saved by freedom fighters. The juxtaposition is light. Perhaps the actual threat is about them as ne’er-do-wells. Trying to break free from their demons is just as difficult as getting ready to deal with an alien threat.

The official trailer suggests the space invaders are omnipresent throughout, but that’s far from the truth. What’s out there is visualized like The Colour Out of Space—in vivid blues and purples. It’s a good way to contrast between the slow parts (in regular colours) and the high action.

Continue reading “2016’s Invasion Earth Finally Lands on Home Video Four Years Later…”