NEW YORK (OSV News) – Writer-director M. Night Shyamalan can be credited with a certain degree of originality in the crafting of his thriller “Trap.” And, though the film as a whole turns out to be an odd mix of interesting plot twists and yawning improbabilities, there’s little on screen that would bar older teens from reaching into this cinematic grab bag.

Can a brutal serial killer successfully double as a suburban family man? As far as seemingly devoted dad Cooper (Josh Hartnett) is concerned, the answer is yes. Among those buying into his act is his typical-teen daughter, Riley (Ariel Donoghue).

To reward Riley for an outstanding report card, Cooper brings her to a concert by her favorite pop star, Lady Raven (Saleka Night Shyamalan). As Riley enthuses over the music, Cooper notices that an unusual number of police officers seem to be present at the event.

He eventually discovers that the authorities, led by profiler Dr. Josephine Grant (Hayley Mills), had obtained a clue indicating he would be there and now have him completely surrounded. Time for some quick thinking.

Is the idea that a psychopath could carry on healthy loving relationships such as Cooper has with Riley, his wife Rachel (Alison Pill) and his young son Logan (Lochlan Miller) intriguing or merely absurd? Certainly the origin story of Cooper’s madness – he’s haunted by visions of his overbearing mother (Marcia Bennett) — is straight out of Freud’s bargain basement.

So the proceedings come across as more than a bit muddled. And the concert scenes go on too long as well. But the action is restrained, objectionable elements are few and, to the extent that any message is conveyed, it’s that decent people can be almost as resourceful as a homicidal maniac.

The film contains mature themes, brief harsh violence, a few gory images, a couple of instances each of profanity and crass talk, numerous milder oaths and a single rough term. The OSV News classification is A-III — adults. The Motion Picture Association rating is PG-13 — parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

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Air Fryers are one of the most appreciated and streamlined cooking inventions in modern history. Not since the George Foreman grill have we seen so many people swear by a new kitchen trend. But what if the Air Fryer became an instrument of destruction with bad intentions? That’s the question we answer in Air Fryer Slaughter, the newest cult horror comedy by MMH Productions.

That’s about all we’ve got when it comes to plot, but there’s still plenty that will satisfy fans of Troma-style horror. Air Fryer Slaughter has an impressive array of violence on display, that results in a showcase for the SFX department. Eyes are poked out, faces melted, and body parts fly as our bulky antagonist moves impressively from place to place. Air Fryer is framed much like Freddy Krueger, with puns and quips to go with his trail of dead bodies.

But Air Fryer isn’t just a mechanical maniac, he’s also a viewer to a television reel that hosts a lot of cameos from indie horror standouts. Destruction must also be hard work, because Air Fryer goes on a few sexual quests as well, adding some nudity and laughs to our list of classic horror tropes.

Air Fryer Slaughter is shot on video and seems to leave the door open for sequels and spinoffs in a shared world of schlocky cult horror. Fans of this sub-genre will certainly find this as a worthy addition. It’s available now on DVD.

While delegates gleefully cast their ceremonial votes for Vice President Kamala Harris to be their presidential nominee at Tuesday night’s Democratic National Convention, a dancing DJ spun a fresh song for each state from the stage.

DJ Cassidy, the Californian sporting an electric blue suit, stole the show.

The 43-year-old Angeleno, whose name is Cassidy Podell, returned to the DNC stage Tuesday 12 years after he became the first disc jockey to perform at the quadrennial convention. He also deejayed the last DNC in 2020, an entirely virtual affair because of the pandemic, where Cassidy performed in his quintessential wide-brimmed hat and colorful suit jacket from home.

In a video posted earlier on Instagram, Cassidy greeted singer Patti LaBelle, who kicked off the evening’s events with a rendition of “You Are My Friend.”

Cassidy has frequently played the celebrity circuit, including deejaying at Beyoncé and Jay Z’s wedding. He also set the soundtrack for Obama family birthday parties.

With images of Cassidy spinning and dancing on the stage and Lil Jon rapping in the aisles of the convention hall, the Democratic Party tried to shake up the roll call of votes on Tuesday.

And some listeners thought it was great.

“I loved that DJ Cassidy played authentic music for every state during the DNC roll call,” Magic Johnson posted on X. “He turned it out tonight!”

The music selections created a party-like atmosphere among the thousands of delegates gathered in the United Center, and reflected interesting choices. For California, Harris’ home and the final state to cast the votes of its delegates, Cassidy played a mix of hits — “The Next Episode” by Dr. Dre featuring Snoop Dogg; “California Love” by 2Pac and Dr. Dre; and “Alright” and “Not Like Us” by Kendrick Lamar.

Some were natural fits, featuring musicians from their home states. Others struck odd notes because the message of the lyrics didn’t match Democratic values. Some selections struck an inspirational tone about the prospect of electing a woman of color to the nation’s highest office. Others were completely nonsensical.

Here’s a selection of the songs and artists chosen by various states and categories.

Pairings that made sense:

Arkansas — “Don’t Stop” by Fleetwood Mac, a reference to President (and former Arkansas governor) Clinton, who used this as a campaign song in 1992.

Idaho — “Private Idaho” by The B-52s. Enough said.

Minnesota — “Kiss” and “1999” by Prince, a native of the state who launched his musical career there and remained a resident even after he achieved worldwide fame.

New Mexico — “Confident” by Demi Lovato, who was born in Albuquerque.

Pennsylvania — “Motownphilly” by Boyz II Men and “Black & Yellow” by Wiz Khalifa, who hails from Pittsburgh.

Titles and/or artists that made sense but the message seemed tone-deaf:

Alabama — “Sweet Home Alabama” by Lynyrd Skynyrd. While the title contains the state’s name, the lyrics were in response to a song by Neil Young that decried the legacy of slavery in the Jim Crow South. The song was particularly incongruous as the state’s Democratic leaders’ spoke about the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and the civil rights movement before they announced their delegates’ votes in support of Harris.

New Jersey — “Born in the U.S.A.” by Bruce Springsteen. The Boss is a native son, but while title of this song seems like a patriotic anthem, the lyrics are about a young man sent to fight in Vietnam and his tribulations once he returns home.