Taking as much inspiration from the gross-out comedies of the Farrelly brothers and the stoner antics of Cheech and Chong as Peter Jackson's DIY Kiwi splatterfest Bad Taste, Shae Sterling's Alien Addiction clearly has that earlier independent, low-budget classic in its sights.
The film, a shoestring budget sci-fi stoner comedy, was largely independent in its financing and features the same everything-including-the-kitchen-sink approach to its story of a pair of blue aliens that crash land in a small town in New Zealand, befriending local munter Riko (Jackson).
It's a film of peculiar rhythms: its script appears to be at least partly improvised, and there's a general sense of easygoing silliness to the enterprise. That's complete contrast to its remarkably high production values - especially for an independent film made for less than a million dollars.
From the outset, your mileage with Alien Addiction will likely vary depending on your agreeability to the controversy-courting Jackson's rubber-faced, high pitched schtick and propensity for jokes that veer deeply into the crass and juvenile.
As an enormously broad stoner comedy, a certain lack of sophistication is largely to be expected, but the gags here will certainly grate some viewers, as the film at times feels closer to the Adam Sandler stable than anything else.
