Rubber Monster Reviews Serves Up Some 'Little Bites"
Plus: Flickering Lights #5 launches on KS, and a new playlist!
Hey there, Bad Bugs! It’s time for Uncle John to sit you down and regale you with tales of B-movie madness! Scroll on for this month’s installment…
![Little Bites [DVD]](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!fQqx!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5bee72fd-ed01-4f17-99db-efa8c95c0379_714x1000.jpeg "Little Bites [DVD]")
LITTLE BITES (2024)
This one was a random pick from Shudder/AMC+, so let’s see how it stacked up. You probably know my normal beginning criteria by now: 90 minutes or less is the golden rule for most respectable horror flicks, and this one clocks in at 105. Still, not over 2 hours. We’ll allow it. ;)
The film’s premise is pretty simple: a mother, Mindy Vogel (played by Krsy Fox, Terrifier 3), has made a deal with the monster in her basement, Agyar: when he rings the dinner bell, Mindy comes and offers a bite of herself as his meal. We learn that this is an agreement to keep him from eating her daughter Alice, who is staying with Grandma while Mindy is figuring out this whole arrangement.
Little Bites is a bit of a slow burn, exploring how much Mindy can realistically give to keep Agyar at bay. Agyar himself is the biggest delight of this movie, played by Jon Sklaroff, who you’d never recognize with the creature makeup. And even if you DID recognize him, he’s one of those actors who makes you jump on IMDB before you realize that he’s played bit roles in the likes of Captain America: Winter Soldier, Gotham and Lucifer. But MAN, I will not forget him after this one. Delightfully deranged and cruel in his treatment of Mindy, this character lets him show off his acting chops.
Mindy tries various things to get rid of Agyar before Alice comes home, like seducing a rando from the bus stop nearby to feed him and shoving a visiting child protective services lady in the basement with him. But despite it all, Agyar loves Mindy’s taste the best.
The cast beyond the demon and his snack is pretty small, and anyone who shows up is instantly recognizable. Mindy’s mom is played by Bonnie Aarons, the Demon Nun from the Conjuring movies – but she may be even more frightening as this verbally abusive character. Other familiar faces are Chaz Bono (who is also an exec producer along with his mom, Cher), Barbara Crampton (Re-Animator, Chopping Mall, and a BAJILLION others) and Heather Langenkamp (Nancy from the Nightmare On Elm Street franchise).
All-in-all, a supremely watchable flick, even if it’s just to appreciate the monster’s penchant for delicious one-liners. One thing that might bug some viewers is a realization that comes at the end, after Mindy and her daughter Alice are finally reunited. If you want a clue, considering it’s spoiler-y, I’ll put it after my final note here…
Final Note: Much like last time, I was surprised to learn of another tie to my home state of Massachusetts: Little Bites was written and exec produced by Spider One of Powerman 5000 (and little bro of Rob Zombie), whose family is from Haverhill, MA.
Final-Final, Kinda Spoiler-y Note: I won’t come right out with it, but…as the credits are rolling, and you’re saying to yourself “Oh, snap! Did my ass just get Babadooked?”…the answer is yes, you did indeed just get Babadooked. Horror fans will know what I mean here. ‘Nuff said.
NEW PLAYLIST ALERT! - Inspired by Little Bites, I whipped up a playlist of all food/eating-related tunes for your ear-holes!
LAUNCHING TODAY!
FLICKERING LIGHTS #5 - The source of the "Siren" invasion has been discovered! Find out what's on the other side in this erotic/horror series, written by Jason Pell with art by Emilio Utrera.
STILL KICKIN’ ON KICKSTARTER!
JABBERJAW: a SEXY one-shot horror comic - Three dysfunctional college students decide it’s a great idea to wander into Florida’s creepiest swamp, searching for a rumored enchanted treasure, but it’s guarded by the horrifying Jabberjaw - a swamp beast that’s part gator, part man, and part total-nightmare-walking-death-machine. This one-shot story set in the same world as FANGERS is filled with laughs, gore, and sex appeal. Proceed with caution.
WELCOME TO MONSTER WORLD #1-2 - A dream vacation takes an unexpected twist when a family stumbles upon an abandoned theme park hidden deep in the woods of West Virginia. But this isn’t your typical creepy attraction—it’s inhabited by cryptids, legendary creatures from folklore all over the world!
FROST ONE-SHOT - Jack Frost, hitman for his father, Old Man Winter, is sent on a chilling mission to put a notorious crime lord on ice. This newest addition to the Periwinkle Saga (Periwinkle, Cupid) is not one to miss.
That’s it for this time, folks! I’ll be back next month with more B-movie goodies…
Bugs and Kisses,
John and the Bad Bug crew
