THE BAD SEED: The Original Enfant Terrible

THE BAD SEED (Blu-ray)

1956 / 129 min

Warner Archive Collection

Available at MovieZyng.com

Review by Mr. Paws😼

We’ve all observed the behavior of someone’s bratty little urchin and gone, "thank God that ain’t my kid.” I had a couple of nephews whose antisocial antics at family get-togethers were generally written off by their enabling parents as “boys will be boys” (an attitude I really despise). But at least they turned out okay as they got older. 

Some kids don’t, though, which I’ve seen during my years as a middle school teacher. That includes one girl who'd someday become locally infamous for a crime spree that resulted in three murders (and displaying no remorse after being caught). The incident briefly sparked a few lively debates among the staff over whether she was a product of her environment or simply wired wrong. 

Do yourself a favor and avoid getting into such an argument, because wherever you plant your flag, it’s unwinnable. But in movies about evil children (at least the fun ones), they are either demonically possessed, the spawn of Satan or were simply born bad. And all of them owe a tip of the hat to 1956’s The Bad Seed, arguably the mother of killer kid movies, though I’ve never been among its biggest fans.

The titular terror in this one is Rhoda Penmark (Patty McCormack), the outwardly angelic eight-year-old daughter of Christine (Nancy Kelly) who’s revealed to be a narcissistic sociopath and completely devoid of empathy. As Christine is soon horrified to discover, Rhoda’s also capable of murder. Though heredity vs. environment is (very) briefly addressed, The Bad Seed does not make the issue open to debate, establishing Rhonda as inherently evil with simplistic zeal.

When the streaming service you already pay good money for starts showing ads.

Despite being highly influential - remade and ripped-off plenty of times over the years - The Bad Seed is a mixed bag. When focusing on Rhonda’s sadistic shenanigans, the movie is a lot of campy fun, anchored by McCormack’s amusingly over-the-top performance. However, in the interim are long, drawn-out conversions between hapless adult characters that not-only stall momentum several times, they’re distractingly stagey (reflecting the story’s theater origins). One lengthy drunken tirade by a grieving mother is enough to endure, to say nothing of two. 

At 129 minutes, it’s way too long and misses the opportunity to conclude on a dark, haunting note. Instead, we get a tacked-on, Production Code-friendly final act that’s both ridiculous and unintentionally funny (and not how the original novel and play ended). Still, The Bad Seed was a huge hit at the time and remains highly regarded by many fans of sensationalistic potboilers from the era. For them, this new Blu-ray from Warner Archive features a nifty new HD master and a couple of enjoyable bonus features. 

EXTRA KIBBLES

FEATURETTE - Enfant Terrible is an enjoyable archival interview with actor Patty McCormack.

AUDIO COMMENTARY - By Patty McCormack and Charles Busch.

TRAILER

SHE RIDES SHOTGUN (4K) Travels a Dark Road

SHE RIDES SHOTGUN (4K + Blu-ray)

2025 / 120 min

Lionsgate

Available at MovieZyng.com

Review by Mr. Bonnie, the Fugitive😺

Ya gotta love that title. Sounds like a redneck country tune about life on the road, or a lyric AC/DC pulled from their bottomless cache of double entendres, or a sleazy drive-in exploitation flick where the protagonist’s sexy girlfriend enthusiastically rides along during his crime spree.

Instead, this cheerfully exploitative title is squandered on a novel (by Jordan Harper) and movie (co-written by Harper) that have the audacity to take themselves seriously. But fans of raunchy road flicks shouldn’t fret too much…I’m sure Truck Stop Women is readily available to rewatch on some streaming service. The rest of you might find this film to be a pleasant surprise, albeit a pretty downbeat one.

She Rides Shotgun is sort of a road movie, though, but has much more on its mind than shootouts and chases. 10-year-old Polly Huff (Ana Sofia Heger) is waiting at school for her mother. Instead, Nate McClusky (Taron Edgerton), her estranged father just out of prison, arrives in a stolen car and urgently demands she comes along. He does not answer Polly’s questions about her mother’s whereabouts.

While hiding out in a motel, Polly learns on TV that her mother’s been murdered and Nate’s the primary suspect. But Nate has bigger concerns. While in prison, he ran afoul of Aryan Steel, a powerful white supremist organization led by someone simply known as the God of Slogtown, the biggest meth lab in the region. So not only are Nate and Polly on the run from police, Aryan Steel is hunting for them, too. They’re also the ones who murdered Polly’s mother.

"It's just wood paneling, kid. It can't hurt you if you don't look at it."

Concurrently, Detective John Park (Rob Yang), the only cop who believes Nate is innocent (of murder, anyway), is trying to find them, too. Not necessarily to save him, but to use him to find Aryan Steel’s meth lab and catch its leader. In a plot revelation that won’t come as a real surprise, the God of Slogtown turns out to be the regional sheriff, Houser (John Carroll Lynch), who’s as psychotic as he is ruthless. 

That’s the nutshell plot, and while it certainly throws in some gritty action - including a tension-filled robbery attempt by Nate while Polly waits in the car - the crux of the narrative is the developing relationship between these two. It doesn’t always go the directions the viewer might expect, but considering the backgrounds of both, it’s ultimately very endearing. Much of our investment in them comes from good writing, but mostly the excellent performances by Edgerton and Heger.

Before anyone starts assuming She Rides Shotgun descends into sunshine and lollipops, this is a dark, violent film that, despite a few moments of levity, maintains a grim tone. Almost from the get-go, we’re pretty certain things aren’t going to end well for everybody. At 120 minutes, it’s a little longer than need-be, but despite a few lulls, this is an engaging action film with a surprising amount of heart…and perhaps deserving of its title after all.

KITTEN COLLECTIBLES #15: The Long Flight Delay

In addition to watching and writing about films, I’m something of a memorabilia collector. I ain’t out there bidding on Dorothy’s ruby slippers or anything, but certainly enjoy haunting local shops for a variety of movie-related stuff. Or when feeling particularly bold, I’ll occasionally overpay for some retro relic on eBay. More often than not, I leave stores empty-handed. But every now and then, I’ll find a small treasure that doesn’t completely empty my wallet and give it a new home in the Dave Cave.

A Treasure Hunt by D.M. ANDERSON💀

Just recently, an itch was finally scratched.

Of all the different cinematic knick-knacks and doo-dads I collect, my favorites are die-cast replicas of vehicles from various movies…especially older movies, which aren’t always so easy to find. Hence, I probably shelled-out more than I needed to for the likes of the Deathmobile from 1978’s Animal House, and the titular terror from 1977’s delightfully daffy dumpster fire, The Car. And I’m always on the hunt for a decent deal on Herbie from The Love Bug.

Alas, there are some vehicles I’ll probably never see in my display case...Damnation Alley’s Landmaster, one of the trucks from Sorcerer, any of the racecars used in Death Race 2000, the blimp from Black Sunday, just to name a few. As far as I know, no such replicas exist. But it pays to be vigilant, because lo and behold, I stmbled upon a website that was taking pre-orders for diecast models of the fictional airliners from the Airport series of disaster films, which has been my favorite genre since I was a kid. Woah!

Since just one would cost more than I’ve ever dropped for a single collectible, I made sure to get the wife’s okay (I now owe her four pedicure sessions) before whipping out my Visa card and gleefully trumpeting “Just shut up and take my money!” Because I hold the most nostalgic fondness for Airport 1975 (even if it isn’t necessarily the best of them), I chose the Columbia Airlines 747 from that film. 

That was almost two years ago. The shipping date came-and-went with no fucking plane in my mailbox, and months of corresponding with the seller grew increasingly frustrating. They said the biggest obstacle holding things up were those wonderful new tariffs that were making America great again. As if I needed another reason to wish the tortures of the damned upon that greasy, gelatinous primate squatting in the White House, the motherfucker had to make it personal! 

On numerous occasions, I considered cancelling the order. While I’m fairly secure financially, that’s a shit-ton of money that might have been put to more practical use…like a life-sized Alien xenomorph figure that would look great in the living room (anticipating the wife’s refusal to let that ever happen, booking a romantic weekend with her at the beach would work, too). To put my total wait time in perspective, it takes Boeing roughly four months to build a real 747. During the days, weeks & months I waited at the mailbox, six new jumbo took to the friendly skies. 

Then just as I was ready to give up and book that beach weekend instead, I got an e-mail saying my order was on its way. Here’s what a hopeless nerd I am (even at my age): I left work early to be home the day it was scheduled to arrive. When it did, I heard a heavenly choir as I unboxed the plane and gazed in awe at this shiny diecast wonder. It was beautiful…the only thing that would’ve made it perfect are tiny Roy Thinnes and Erik Estrada figures flying from the ripped-open cockpit.

It’s also heavy enough to kill a man if I were so inclined. Serving as both a prized collectible and a blunt-force method of self-defense, I guess it was a practical purchase after all. My family was slightly less impressed, offering a collective “that’s nice” from my daughters and “that’s going downstairs in your room, right?” from my wife. As the Holy Grail of diecast collectibles (for now), you’re damn right it is, baby.

Ideal for home defense.

 

CAT CAM Needs A Lot More Nug

CAT CAM (Blu-ray)

2026 / 96 min

X4 Pictures

Available at MovieZyng.com

Review by Josey, the Sudden Cat🙀

Considering the name and staff of our website, we had keen interest in Cat Cam. Whereas the recent horror film, Good Boy, was presented from the unique perspective of the family dog (pretty effectively, I might add), this one initially appeared to be cut from similar cloth, only done as found footage from a feline perspective. 

It’s found footage, all right, but hardly the fun, furry flick we were hoping for. Instead, Cat Cam is a dreary Paranormal Activity knock-off with a fraction of the atmosphere…and a fraction of the actual cat we’re led to believe is going to be the main character. 

Nug is the pampered pet of Sammy and Riley (Bry Gallagher & Jiavanni), the latter being particularly obsessive over her. Before heading off for a vacation in Paris, Riley installs cameras all over the house so they can periodically check-in on Nug while they’re gone. Additionally, Sammy’s well-meaning but irresponsible brother, Jay (Cronin Cullin), is hired to pop in each day and see to Nug’s needs, which doesn’t sit too well with Riley, who neither likes nor trusts him.

Nug steals another scene by being Nug.

After the girls have gone, Jay and (maybe?) Nug experience strange occurrences throughout the house, mostly depicted as ominous noises, flickering lights and/or the occasional object inexplicably moving. Almost immediately, Jay suspects ghosts, which alarms Riley and pisses off Sammy when he calls them. The entire movie is presented through the house cameras, and for a majority of the running time, there’s a whole lot of nothing going on.

Initially, Nug is fun to watch, though she doesn’t really engage in any activity other than being a cat. But it isn’t long before she disappears from the movie altogether, leaving Jay as the main protagonist, and most of the actual story exposition is told through him. In between are interminable shots of various rooms where only sound effects and an in-camera message, ‘person detected,’ suggest any kind of supernatural presence. Elsewhere, the performances are serviceable, but the characters - aside from Nug - are largely uninteresting (though Jiavanni’s unhealthy relationship with her cat might be relatable to some viewers).

Cat Cam ends up being a repetitive, predictable and humorless bore. Not enough Nug, not enough ghosts and way too much Jay. The film is devoid of scares or atmosphere, coasting on the novelty of its premise without actually delivering on it. Cat fanciers would have a better time rigging up their own house to see what kitty’s up to when they’re away. For us, this one was a real letdown.

FUZE Doesn't Quite Ignite

FUZE (Blu-ray)

2025 / 97 min

Sony 

Available at MovieZyng.com

Review by Stinky the Destroyer😼

Fuze was directed by David Mackenzie, the guy behind Hell of High Water and Relay. Since those were among the best movies in the years they were released, my expectations were naturally a bit elevated. However, this one is comparatively disappointing, never rising above the level of passable time killer.

It’s got a good premise, though. In an urban London neighborhood, an unexploded bomb is discovered at a construction site, supposedly buried since World War II. The entire region is evacuated and the power is shut down, while an Army bomb squad led by Major Will Tranter (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) are brought in to try and defuse it.

Concurrently, a four-man crew of thieves sneak their way into the same area to perform a daring bank heist. Somewhat implausibly, the bomb was planted there as a distraction in order for these guys to get in, steal the cash & jewels, and get out. How they managed to sneak a giant explosive device into town and make it look like it’s been buried for years - without being noticed - is something the narrative chooses not to disclose. That’s a missed opportunity, in my opinion. How they accomplished such a feat would've made things more interesting.

"Of course I know what I'm doing. I'm wearing the hat, aren't I?"

Despite efforts to remain stealthy, the crew is eventually detected by police and the chase is on. Though managing to elude capture, the robbers run into more complications - and a double-cross - while trying to fence the jewels. Much of the film’s second half is a series of sequences created to set-up plot twists and character revelations during the climax.

But throughout the story, we’re never really invested in these characters, since nothing is revealed about any of them until after everything has transpired. By then, it's too little, too late, resulting in a movie that ends with a whimper rather than a bang. Still, Fuze is certainly watchable. It’s got a good cast (including Theo James and Sam Worthington) and a handful of taut action scenes. And like all good heist thrillers, the sequences depicting the robbery itself are engaging. From a technical standpoint, it’s slickly assembled and fast-paced.

It’s just that I expected a little more from MacKenzie, who’s previously shown a knack for combining plausible action, a compelling story and dynamic characters. While he doesn’t exactly drop the ball here, it’s kind of a shame Fuze ends up being the kind of movie we simply watch and forget about.

THE MAGNIFICENT CUCKOLD: Claudia To The Rescue

THE MAGNIFICENT CUCKOLD (Blu-ray)

1964 / 125 min

Radiance Films

Review by Mr. Paws😽

Time to confess yet another lifelong celebrity crush. 

I don’t remember when I first saw Once Upon a Time in the West, but do recall two distinct takeaways. One, that Henry Fonda made one hell of a bad guy, and two, that Claudia Cardinale was the most striking woman I’d ever seen on the big screen. Sure, the likes of Sophia Loren and Gina Lollobrigida have always been gorgeous, but Cardinale’s beauty was almost intimidating, and depending on the film, maybe even a distraction.

I'm pretty sure if I had the opportunity to meet the lovely Ms. Cardinale in her prime, I’d end up being as tongue-tied as Goofy, only managing a bashful “gawrsh!” before clumsily stumbling away. 

But while Claudia has always been a distant object of infatuation, she was never an obsession. I never sought out any particular movie she starred in, though I’ve since seen plenty that were made more aesthetically enjoyable because of her, such as The Day of the Owl and The Red Tent. And on occasion, she has been the only reason a movie was worth watching. One of those is The Magnificent Cuckold, recently restored and released by Radiance Films.

This is an Italian sex comedy made during a time when they were quite popular, with a plot that those in toxic relationships might relate to. Andrea Artusi (Ugo Tognazzi) is a well-to-do business owner with a young wife, Maria Grazia (Cardinale), who’s not only beautiful, she’s charming and well-liked by their entire circle of friends and acquaintances (with some of the male persuasion clearly twitterpated by her).

Gawrsh!

Then, in a move that nudges The Magnificent Cuckold into the realm of science fiction, Andrea cheats on her with a friend’s free-spirited wife, Christiana (Michele Giardon). Christiana’s casual attitude toward infidelity soon has him realizing that Maria, too, could be having an affair, even though she’s said or done nothing to arouse his suspicion. While he had no qualms about cheating himself, Andrea becomes obsessed with the idea that she is. He begins to suspect and question her every move, especially if they involve interacting with other men, culminating with a complete meltdown at a housewarming party.

Some of this stuff is funny, some of it isn’t. Andrea’s behavior is even kind of distressing at times, not helped by the fact he is not all that sympathetic to begin with (to say nothing of hypocritical). But that isn’t the real problem. To be honest, the movie is less interesting whenever Cardinale isn’t on-screen. When she is, though, it’s hard to take your eyes off her. Fortunately, director Antonio Pietrangeli appears aware that she’s his biggest asset, and indulges us with a couple of sexy sequences presented as Andrea’s overactive imagination at work (including Maria’s lengthy striptease before a gaggle of ogling onlookers).

While the narrative manages to throw in an amusingly satisfying twist at the end, The Magnificent Cuckold is occasionally kind of an endurance test, since we’re spending way too much time in the company of an increasingly unlikable protagonist. However, Claudia Cardinale ultimately makes it worth the effort, saving the film with her indelible presence. Gawrsh!

EXTRA KIBBLES

INTERVIEW - With Italian cinema expert Richard Dyer, who seems to know his stuff.

VISUAL ESSAY - By Remi Fournier Lanzoni.

ALTERNATIVE COLOR SEQUENCE 

SUPPLEMENTAL BOOKLET - Includes an essay, “This House is Not a Home: Love in the Time of Economic Boom,” by critic Phuong Le.

REVERSIBLE COVER - With new and original poster artwork.

THE BLACK BELLY OF THE TARANTULA (4K): Ginormous Giallo

THE BLACK BELLY OF THE TARANTULA Limited Edition (4K + Blu-ray)

1971 / 98, 88 and 84 minutes (3 cuts)

Available exclusively at Celluloid Dreams

Review by Mr. Paws😺

Last year, I had the opportunity to review the Blu-ray of A Hyena in the Closet, a weird, obscure and campy Giallo film restored and released by the newish boutique label, Celluloid Dreams (who appear dedicated to preserving some of the genre’s lesser-known films). While it was a solid release, it pails in comparison to this one.

Not only is The Black Belly of the Tarantula a much better film, this beautifully packaged, four-disc set includes multiple versions, excellent supplemental material and some fun physical goodies. And as an added bonus, I learned the best way to smuggle cocaine into the country.

The movie’s twisted premise is pure Giallo. A mysterious figure is stalking and killing various beautiful women in a horrific manner…using an acupuncture needle to render them paralyzed, so they’re fully conscious while being carved up. As the murders continue, Inspector Tellini (the great Giancarlo Giannini) leads the investigation. What the victims have in common is that all were being subjected to blackmail by the purveyors of a local spa. Atypical of the genre, the narrative also establishes Tellini as a happily married man who’s uncertain he’s cut out to be a homicide cop (which is certainly put to the test here).

As the story unfolds, a few suspects are thrown our way, some who also meet unfortunate demise. Speaking of which, any Giallo worth its salt includes plenty of stylish, brutal death, and starting with the opening shocker, this one serves up some doozies. While seldom overly graphic, the nature of the murder sequences is inherently unnerving. One particular highlight has a store owner, Mirta, trying in vain to evade the killer in a roomful of mannequins, which is masterfully shot. 

"Uh...waiter?"

On an amusing sidenote, Mirta had a side gig trafficking cocaine. This leads Tellini to one of her acquaintances, an entomologist who’s been importing tarantulas…with cocaine taking the place of sand in their boxes. Tellini realizes out loud the genius of such a trick. After all, what customs agent is gonna try taking a venomous critter out of a container just to check the contents? And though it isn’t discussed in the film, I gotta wonder just how crazily wired a giant spider would be from scurrying around in a box of blow. Now that I think about it, if the producers of Cocaine Bear should ever decide to do a sequel, I suddenly have a great idea for one.

Suspenseful, stylish and sometimes surprisingly funny, The Black Belly of the Tarantula is one of the better ‘70s era Giallo obscurities, with a vivid aesthetic, good performances, a lotta former Bond babes and another evocative score by Ennio Morricone. The movie doesn’t quite scale the heights of Argento or Bava at their best, but is certainly worth discovering (or rediscovering) for fans of the genre. 

This boxed set features a terrific 4K restoration. On both the 4K and Blu-ray discs, the overall video quality is excellent, nicely capturing the unique “look” that all of Italy’s Giallo and Poliziotteschi movies seem to have (which I’ve grown quite fond of over the years). The original Italian version also boasts a nicely remastered audio track, which is the best way to experience the film, especially since the included English cut runs 10 minutes shorter. Conversely, fans of celluloid sleaze will get a kick out of the “Grindhouse” cut, which is left intentionally aged, damaged and haphazardly edited for that 42nd Street experience. And for historical context, it's hard to beat the abundance of bonus features (outlined below). In terms of bang for your buck, this is one of the best boxed sets of the year.

EXTRA KIBBLES

3 VERSIONS OF THE FILM - Original Italian, English dub (which runs 10 minutes shorter) and the “Grindhouse” version (Blu-ray only).

2 ASPECT RATIO OPTIONS - The original 1.37:1 full frame version and the ‘modified’ 1.85:1 widescreen version.

2 VIDEO ESSAYS - What a Tangled Web We Weave is by Andy Marshall-Roberts who summarizes the history of giallo before focusing largely on Black Belly of the Tarantula; The Uncanny Peephole is by The Flying Maciste Brothers (mostly Howard S. Berger), which sums up director Paolo Cavara’s history before delving into an analysis of Black Belly of the Tarantula. Both are very interesting, bordering on 

INTERVIEWS - New individual interviews with Pietro Cavara (son of director Paolo Cavara), film score vocalist Edda Dell’Orso; Archival interviews with Pietro Cavara and Lorenzo Danon (son of producer/writer Marcello Danon).

AUDIO COMMENTARY - By critic Guido Henkel.

TRAILERS & CLIPS - English & German trailers; 2 English TV spots (including a hilarious ‘grindhouse’ version); ‘Censored’ Japanese VHS clip (which doesn’t appear to be too censored!).

IMAGE GALLERY - Posters, lobby cards, publicity photos, newspaper ads & articles.

SUPPLEMENTAL BOOKLET - While it features a couple of pretty good short essays, most of its 80 pages are photos of shooting locations then & now.

16 PUBLICITY PHOTO REPLICAS

6 FULL-SIZE LOBBY CARD REPLICAS