THE POOP SCOOP: Bring On The Action

UPCOMING KIBBLES THAT MAKE US PURR!

KILL BILL: THE WHOLE BLOODY AFFAIR 4K/Blu-ray Combo Pack Coming July 28 from Lionsgate. Quentin Tarantino's KILL BILL: THE WHOLE BLOODY AFFAIR unites Volume 1 and Volume 2 into a single, unrated epic—presented exactly as he intended, complete with a new anime sequence. Uma Thurman stars as The Bride, left for dead after her former boss and lover Bill ambushes her wedding rehearsal, shooting her in the head and stealing her unborn child. To exact her vengeance, she must first hunt down the four remaining members of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad before confronting Bill himself. With its operatic scope, relentless action, and iconic style, THE WHOLE BLOODY AFFAIR stands as one of cinema's definitive revenge sagas—rarely shown in its complete form, and now presented with a classic intermission. This release also comes with an assortment of physical extras, including posters, collectors cards and a 40 page booklet.

MORTAL COMBAT II on Digital June 9 and Blu-ray, 4K and DVD July 28 from Warner Bros. From New Line Cinema, the latest high-stakes installment in the blockbuster video game franchise in all its brutal glory, debuts digitally at home on June 9. This time, the fan favorite champions—now joined by Johnny Cage himself—are pitted against one another in the ultimate, no-holds barred, gory battle to defeat the dark rule of Shao Kahn that threatens the very existence of the Earthrealm and its defenders. Karl Urban stars as Johnny Cage, alongside Adeline Rudolph, Jessica McNamee, Josh Lawson, Ludi Lin, Mehcad Brooks, Tati Gabrielle, Lewis Tan, Damon Herriman, with Chin Han, Tadanobu Asano as Lord Raiden, Joe Taslim as Bi-Han, and Hiroyuki Sanada as Hanzo Hasashi and Scorpion. Director Simon McQuoid returns to helm the follow up to his explosive 2021 cinematic adventure, from a screenplay by Jeremy Slater, based on the videogame created by Ed Boon and John Tobias. 

MICHAEL on digital June 9 and Blu-ray, 4K and DVD July 17 from Lionsgate. MICHAEL is the cinematic portrayal of the life and legacy of one of the most influential artists the world has ever known. The film tells the story of Michael Jackson’s life beyond the music, tracing his journey from the discovery of his extraordinary talent as the lead of The Jackson 5, to the visionary artist whose creative ambition fueled a relentless pursuit to become the biggest entertainer in the world. Highlighting both his life off-stage and some of the most iconic performances from his early solo career, the film gives audiences a front-row seat to Michael Jackson as never before. This is where his story begins. Blu-ray and 4K versions include a selection of bonus features.  

An Underseen Gem from the 70s, THE OUTFIT, on Blu-ray July 28 from Arrow Video. Earl Macklin (Robert Duvall, The Godfather) is a professional thief. Once upon a time, he and his brother Eddie robbed a bank together. Unfortunately, that bank was owned by a criminal syndicate, "The Outfit". Now Eddie is dead, and it looks like Earl is next. But "The Outfit" hasn't counted on Earl's iron will. Released from a 27-month stretch in prison, Earl wants to get even and, with girlfriend Bett (Karen Black, Five Easy Pieces) and best friend Cody (Joe Don Baker, Walking Tall), he begins a private war to avenge the death of his brother. The entire criminal underworld is about to learn an unforgettable lesson: never mess with Earl Macklin. With a score by Peckinpah regular Jerry Fielding, gritty cinematography by Bruce Surtees (The Shootist), and a veritable rogues gallery of classic character actors including Robert Ryan (The Wild Bunch), Timothy Carey (The Killing), Richard Jaeckel (The Dirty Dozen), and Bill McKinney (Deliverance), The Outfit is as tough, taut, and relentless as its protagonist. This release includes numerous new bonus features.

Lee Cronin’s THE MUMMY on Digital May 19 and Blu-ray, 4K and DVD July 4 from Warner Bros. The young daughter of a journalist disappears into the desert without a trace—eight years later, the broken family is shocked when she is returned to them, as what should be a joyful reunion turns into a living nightmare.

THE LAST SHOWGIRL on Bluray + Digital June 23 from Lionsgate. Pamela Anderson shines as a glamorous Vegas showgirl whose 30-year career at Le Razzle Dazzle, the last remaining revue, is coming to an abrupt end.  

READY OR NOT 2: HERE I COME on Digital Now and Blu-ray & DVD June 16 from Searchlight Pictures. This action‑packed, darkly comedic horror sequel expands the Ready or Not mythology with another lethal game of hide‑and‑seek. 

THE 7TH VOYAGE OF SINBAD on 4K + Blu-ray July 7 from Sony. This release also includes a large selection of bonus material.

A MAN CALLED ROCCA on Blu-ray July 14 from Kino Lorber. We here at Free Kittens have just recently discovered the wonderful world of French thrillers, so when another great comes along on Blu-ray, we gotta meow it out loud! This is a noir gem riding the crest of the radical French New Wave.

DEEP WATER Coming to Blu-ray July 14 from Magenta Light Studios. Of course you’re ready for another shark movie directed by Renny Harlin (Deep Blue Sea). Well, so are we.

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s ERASER Coming to 4K & Digital June 16 from Warner Bros. As exciting as it is entertaining, Eraser is unstoppable. This release also includes a selection of all new bonus features.

CRIME 101 on Blu-ray, 4K and DVD June 30 from Alliance Entertainment. Set against the sun-bleached grit of Los Angeles, Crime 101 weaves the tale of an elusive jewel thief (Chris Hemsworth) whose heists have mystified police.

THEY WILL KILL YOU on Blu-ray, 4K & DVD June 30 from Warner Bros. Director Kirill Sokolov unleashes a blood-soaked, high-octane horror-action-comedy in which a young woman must survive the night at the Virgil, a demonic cult’s mysterious and twisted death-trap of a lair.

George A. Romero’s DAY OF THE DEAD on 4K + Blu-ray June 16 from Shout Factory. In This highly anticipated four-disc release features new 4K restoration, as well as hours of new and vintage bonus material.

The Original 28 DAYS LATER Coming to 4K UHD September 1 from Sony. Is there still a glimmer of hope for humanity — or has the deadly "rage" virus found its way to foreign shores and infected the entire planet?

STRANGER THINGS: THE COMPLETE SERIES Coming to 4K and Blu-ray July 26 from Arrow Video. PRE-ORDER HERE!

You've Already Seen PROTECTOR

PROTECTOR (Blu-ray)

2025 / 92 min

Magenta Light

Review by Stinky the Destroyer😾

This is one of those cookie cutter action films where the cover and tagline tell you almost everything you need to know…another female variation of Taken, this time with Milla Jovovich assuming the ass-kicking duties. Not that there’s anything necessarily wrong with that. In the right hands, rip-offs can be fun if you keep your expectations in-check.

But Protector isn’t content to simply rip-off Taken. At one point, it also decides to become another Rambo movie (more specifically, First Blood). Jovovich plays Nikki Halstead, an ex-super soldier whose daughter is kidnapped by human traffickers known as The Syndicate (of course they are). Using her own special set of skills, Nikki becomes a one-woman wrecking crew as she hunts down and slaughters her way up the food chain, while her former CO, Colonel Lavelle (Matthew Modine), is on-hand to continuously remind befuddled cops how lethal she is. 

"Hi, Milla."

There isn’t anything wrong with that either. Nobody watches this stuff expecting enlightenment. But what sinks Protector is the execution. It is atrociously written, starting with Jovovich’s needless voice-over narration, where she pontificates life, death and the particulars of being trained killer with such solemnity that it becomes unintentionally humorous. All the characters are composites of those you’ve undoubtedly seen in better movies, the worst example being a police captain played by D.B. Sweeney, who’s so stupidly belligerent that he makes Brian Dennehy’s similar character in First Blood look like Frank Serpico.

As for Nikki’s rampage, some of it is enjoyable and Jovovich has always been a solid physical performer. That being said, I’m at a total loss why the film totally skips over her killing spree which kicks things off. Instead, one bad guy simply tells his boss that she blew up a whorehouse and killed five people before the narrative charges forward. Then there’s that plot twist at the end, clumsily tacked-on without any foreshadowing. Is it intended to shock the audience or leave the door open for a sequel? Either way, it’s a narratively pointless suckerpunch.

Jovovich’s obvious dedication to her role is admirable, but unfortunately, it’s in service of a depressingly derivative, disjointed film. Protector is devoid of engaging characters, suspense or anything resembling an original idea (not even the stupid twist ending).

THE THIEVES: A Helluva Heist

THE THIEVES (Blu-ray)

2012 / 136 min

Well Go USA

Available at MovieZyng.com

Review by Mr. Bonnie, the Cat Burgler😺

A good heist movie is hard to resist, and most of them fall into two basic camps. There are your gritty, intense thrillers that generally feature hardened criminals assembling to pull off a job. The overall tone is generally serious and things don’t usually end well for the protagonists.

Then you’ve got your breezier fare, with attractive ensemble casts and devil-may-care characters who come across as ultra cool thrillseekers. While the intricacies of the heist itself remains the focal point of the story, there’s a much greater emphasis on fun, along with a prerequisite twist ending…usually a ‘gotcha!’ moment where the antagonists get what they deserve.

The Thieves sort-of straddles the line between the two. Like a lot of modern Korean thrillers, there are frequent tonal shifts…from comedy to violent action, sometimes within the same scene. The film pulls it all together really well, and despite its length, remains consistently entertaining.

"Look what I made in pottery class today!"

A tight-knit Korean crew of professional thieves, led by Popie (Lee Jung-jae), take a job at the behest of former colleague Macao Park (Kim Yoon-seok), who plans to steal a diamond owned by the wife of Hong Kong’s most notorious (and vicious) crimelord. Not only is the task itself taunting, there’s bad blood between Macao and Popie and the former’s safecracking ex-girlfriend, Pepsee (Kim Hye-soo). What caused this rift is revealed through flashbacks that are eventually vital to the narrative.

Additionally, Poppie’s crew is forced to work with a batch of Hong Kong thieves, which results in various conflicts, some of which are pretty amusing. Typically, much of the first act involves planning the elaborate heist, as well as taking the time to establish the eclectic assortment of main characters. However, not everybody is who they seem when we first meet them. The most intriguing narrative aspect of The Thieves is that we grow increasingly uncertain who we should be rooting for, at least until some bombshells are dropped during the final act.

The heist itself is flashy, exciting and suspenseful, as are most of the other action sequences. Sure, we have to suspend our disbelief at times, but it ain’t like director Choi Dong-hoon is trying to remake Rififi. With an interesting plot, fast pace and enjoyable characters, The Thieves is well worth catching for heist thriller fans.

This is a re-issue of a Blu-ray originally released in 2013.

EXTRA KIBBLES

FEATURETTES - Making of; Meet the Thieves. Both of these are the usual promotional pieces included with most Asian films Well Go USA releases.

TRAILER

THE FIVE MAN ARMY: Meet the Mild Bunch

THE FIVE MAN ARMY (Blu-ray)

1969 / 110 min

Warner Archive Collection

Available at MovieZyng.com

Review by Mr. Paws😺

At the height of the genre’s popularity, quite a few American actors headed overseas to star in a spaghetti western or two (several, in some cases). But I was today years old when I discovered that Peter Graves was among them. He’s the big marquee name in The Five Man Army, and his casting is as odd as it sounds. 

Not to disparage ol’ Jim Phelps himself, but Graves’ delivery and demeanor always seemed more suited to consulting me on my finances or colonoscopy results. As the leader of a band of outlaws planning a daring train robbery, he doesn’t quite sell it. However, that ain’t necessarily a dealbreaker. Graves may look and sound out of place among his more grizzled international co-stars, but with tempered expectations, The Five Man Army is a lot of fun.

Drawing obvious inspiration from The Magnificent Seven (with a little Wild Bunch thrown in), the story concerns The Dutchman (Graves), an army officer-turned-outlaw who is hired by revolutionaries to steal half-a-million in gold from the vicious Mexican army. To pull it off, he recruits four men with particular sets of skills…war buddy and explosives expert Augustus Bennet (John Daly), perpetually hungry brute Mesito (Bud Spencer), former acrobat Luis Dominguez (Nino Castelnuovo) and a Japanese swordsman simply known as Samurai (Tetsuro Tamba).

"Wait a minute...I don't recall accepting this mission."

The gold itself is onboard a train. The Dutchman devises an elaborate (and somewhat ingenious) plan to steal it in transit. Since the train is heavily armed with soldiers, machine guns and a large cannon, this is easier said than done. Before that, however, the gang faces various obstacles…clashes with sadistic Mexican troops, as well as personal conflicts with each other. 

Though there are a few meandering stretches during the first two acts, well-executed action sequences keep things lively. It also helps that, Graves and The Dutchman notwithstanding, most of the main characters are quite engaging, played by guys who look and sound like they do belong in a spaghetti western. Conversely, the antagonists are all simply cannon fodder…and worse shots than Imperial Stormtroopers. The propulsive final act depicts the robbery itself, which is exciting, suspenseful and violent enough that we don’t stop to question its plausibility. Adding additional oomph to the proceedings is yet another evocative score by Ennio Morricone.

The Five Man Army isn’t gonna make anyone forget Once Upon a Time in the West, to say nothing of the films which inspired it. But while Peter Graves seems a little out of his element, this relatively obscure western is pretty entertaining…maybe even worth repeated viewings.

More ULTRAMAN for Ultrafans

ULTRAMAN: TOWARDS THE FUTURE and ULTRAMAN: THE ULTIMATE HERO (Blu-ray)

1990 & 1992 / 650 min

Alliance Entertainment

Review by Nick Lyons, from DVDCorner.net

For years now, Ultraman Blu-ray releases have been frequent. This time around, Alliance Entertainment is giving Ultraman enthusiasts a double feature of the complete series of Ultraman: Towards The Future and Ultraman: The Ultimate Hero.

Ultraman: Towards The Future is a 13 episode series from 1990. Traditionally, Ultraman shows are Japanese productions, but this one is an English language series that is also a Tsubaraya and South Australian Film Corp. production. The series revolves around Jack Shindo, an astronaut who was on a mission to Mars. Jack encounters Ultraman Great fighting a monster (Gudis). Gudis manages to escape and transform into a virus to wreak havoc on Earth. Ultraman Great, meanwhile, merges with Jack, who returns back to Earth. Jack/Ultraman Great team up with Earth’s UMA organization, which battles monsters. The series is big on environmental messages as the plots tend to involve the Gudis virus infecting and corrupting Earth’s winds, volcano, ocean oxygen, etc. Of course, there’s plenty of monster action, including Kilazee and Kodalar in the grand finale. 

"Leave him alone! He's sensitive!"

An English Tokusatsu series may sound weird to Ultraman persists, but Ultraman: Towards The Future does at least have a unique vibe instead of feeling like another formula retread. The show plays like a cross between an 80s British sci-fi series and an Ultraman series. Admittedly, the action is a bit clunky. The Ultraman spandex suit looks supremely cheap and actor Dore Kraus (Jack) just might be the worst lead in the entire Ultraman franchise, but there’s an attention to story here and the environmental messages (and the integration of Australia into the story) prove effective. 

Ultraman: The Ultimate Hero is a 1992 follow-up to Ultraman: Towards The Future. The 13 episode series was a Japanese-American production. The series was essentially an American remake of the 1966 original. The story centers around the WINR defense team who discover an alien race (the Baltans) are invading earth. One of the WINR members (Kenichi Kai) becomes Ultraman Powered’s host. Aside from the Baltans plotlines, there are plots involving other monsters (Zumbolar, Dada, Gomora to name a few). 

From a production value standpoint, Ultraman: The Ultimate Hero dazzles. This series features better sets, lighting, special effects, direction, and especially the Ultraman and monster costumes. Alas, the costumes are so good that the production team was clearly too worried about damaging them. As a result, the fight sequences are profoundly disappointing. If you can look past that though, this is an exciting English language series that certainly benefits from higher production values. Sure, the stories are essentially retreads, but as a one-off it is at least an entertaining Tokusatsu series.

HOPPERS (4K) is Prime Pixar

HOPPERS (4K UHD SteelBook)

2026 / 105 min

Disney/Pixar

Review by Princess Pepper😸

While reviewing Hoppers, it suddenly dawned on me that this is the first Pixar film I’ve ever watched in 4K. If this is indicative of how they all look in the format, I might have to invest in a little upgrading…of the great ones, anyway. And I’m happy to say that Hoppers ranks among the great ones, something I haven’t said about a Pixar film in a long time. While the studio’s never produced a pooch (Cars 2 came dangerously close), this is easily their best, most original effort since Inside Out…and the flat-out funniest since the Monsters Inc & Finding Nemo days. 

The story has young, idealistic college student Mabel trying to save a local forest glade and its wildlife from Beaverton’s self-absorbed mayor, Jerry Generazzo, who plans to clear it out to make way for a new freeway. He argues that the animals have since left, so he can do as he pleases. When Mabel later stumbles upon her professor’s experiment, which enables humans to transfer their minds into robotic animal bodies, she seizes the opportunity (without permission) and “becomes” a beaver, then ventures into the forest hoping to bring animals back to the glade.

Being inside the robot also allows Mabel to communicate with the wildlife, and vice versa. This is where Hoppers is at its most, whimsical, charming and funny. Mabel meets another beaver, King George, who (sort of?) rules over the local displaced wildlife. Not only does she learn about “pond rules,” she implores everyone to stand up to Jerry. However, when the Animal Council of other kings is informed, they decide Jerry should be “squished” (i.e. die). Newly crowned insect king Titus leads the charge, while Mabel and some of her new friends end up trying to save Jerry.

"I never thought I'd say this, but perhaps you're a little too eager."

That’s the nutshell plot, which is interesting, timely and sometimes subversively satirical. But where Hopper really shines is with its animal and human characters. Not only are they creatively rendered (I really liked the touch of the wildlife appearing expressively different when seen through robot eyes), they’re well conceived and engaging. The film is also loaded with humor, both clever and broad, as well as the usual heartfelt moments we always expect from Pixar, but are especially effective here. In fact, the only times Hoppers threatens to stumble is during a couple of “musical” asides that would be more at home in an Illumination Studios flick. Fortunately, those moments are brief.

Of course, the movie is visually stunning. All Pixar movies are, but this is the first one I’ve seen in a long time that also feels immersive, making me regret not seeing it on the big screen. Both the human and animal worlds are vividly depicted, stopping just short of photorealism. Even if one isn’t invested in the characters and story (what’s wrong with you?), Hoppers is wonderful just to look at. Perhaps part of that gushing praise is due to the 4K transfer. With an outstanding overall picture and three audio options (Dolby Atmos, 7.1 Dolby Digital and 5.1 Dolby Digital), 4K was made for movies like this. 

Also included are several bonus features. Like most Disney/Pixar releases, most of them are pretty short, but entertaining. For this review, we were sent the SteelBook edition, which features nice artwork both inside and out. I personally think it’s cool that the cover has no actual text, just a few of the characters “bursting” from the box. A nice touch. 

With the creative packaging, superlative transfer and a film that’s certainly worth repeated viewings, Hoppers is so-far one of the best physical media releases of the year

EXTRA KIBBLES

4K, BLU-RAY AND DIGITAL COPIES - The bonus material is on the Blu-ray disc and digital copy.

FEATURETTES - The Critter Diaries covers the research director Daniel Chong and crew undertook to create the characters; Hopping In: The Making of Hoppers features numerous interviews with the cast and crew; “Meet King George” Scene Breakdown takes a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of the Superlodge; Beaverton Revealed contains Easter Eggs and various filmmaking facts.

DAM GOOD BLOOPERS - Featuring the voice actors

7 DELETED SCENES

D.O.A. and BORDERLINE: A Great Collection...Save For One Thing

FILM NOIR CLASSICS: D.O.A. and BORDERLINE (Blu-ray)

1950 / 171 min (2 movies)

VCI Entertainment

Review by Mr. Paws😺

On one hand, this Blu-ray double feature from VCI Entertainment is a must grab for film noir fans, since it pairs an influential classic with a forgotten gem. On the other hand, the bonus features raise a huge red flag that one can hope isn’t an ominous sign of things to come.  

The influential classic is D.O.A., which boasts one of the greatest premises in noir history, that of a hapless man trying to solve his own murder with the time he has left. Frank Bigelow (Edmond O’Brien) is an accountant on vacation in San Francisco. Visiting a doctor after a night of drinking, he learns he’s been deliberately poisoned and will die in a day or two. With his time running out, Frank sets out to find out who wants him dead and why. 

Ingeniously plotted, D.O.A. serves up plenty of suspense, plot twists and questionable characters as Frank uncovers a connection between his predicament, the alleged suicide of a local importer and a stolen chemical called iridium. After a somewhat languid opening act, the film is urgently paced and atmospheric, anchored by a tour-de-force performance from O’Brien (no stranger to the genre). Though remade several times since, this remains the definitive version and still darkly thrilling after all these years. 

On the more obscure side of the spectrum is Borderline, which might be the closest the genre ever came to a film noir romantic comedy. This one stars Fred MacMurray and Claire Trevor as a couple of cops, working independently, trying to bring down a drug smuggler in Mexico. Both are deep undercover, yet do not know the other is also a cop, which leads to plenty of interesting moments when they’re tasked with posing as a married couple to smuggle dope across the border.

Frank defends his parking space.

Though not a comedy per se, Borderline is often pretty amusing, mostly due to its overall tone and the interplay between Johnny McEvoy (MacMurray) and Madeleine Haley (Trevor). At the same time, the action and noir elements keep things lively. Also no stranger to the genre, MacMurray makes an entertaining tough guy, while Trevor has fun with a character that holds her own amongst her male foes and colleagues. This isn’t film noir in the purest sense, but it’s highly enjoyable.

Sharing the same disc, both films are given pretty good Blu-ray transfers, with Borderline boasting slightly better picture and sound. But alas, I must take issue with the supplemental material. If something seems off about all four of these rudimentary career summaries, that’s because it’s painfully obvious they were created with ChatGPT. What exactly is the point of using AI to belch out generic histories containing no insights beyond what it liberally steals from other sources? Surely these films deserve a little more effort (and respect) than that, and I can’t imagine physical media enthusiasts thinking this qualifies as any kind of bonus.

Still, the movies themselves are well worth adding to your collection.

EXTRA KIBBLES

BLU-RAY & DVD COPIES

FEATURETTES - Edmond O’Brien: The Man Who Made Every Second Count; Rudolph Mate: The Eye Behind the Shadows; Fred MacMurray: From noir Shadows to Disney Light; William A. Seiter: Hollywood’s Hidden Craftsman. Sorry, but AI ain’t gonna make anyone appreciate these two films more than they already do.