THE POOP SCOOP: Space Odysseys Edition

UPCOMING KIBBLES THAT MAKE US PURR!

FORBIDDEN PLANET Limited Edition on 4K September 28 from Arrow Video. One of the all-time greats of science-fiction cinema, Forbidden Planet elevated the genre to a whole new level, transposing Shakespeare's The Tempest into deepest space and breaking new ground with its iconic designs, elaborate sets, and pioneering electronic score. For the very first time, Forbidden Planet is presented in its original Cinemascope aspect ratio of 2.55:1 with its theatrical "Perspecta" stereo soundtrack in an eye-popping brand new 4K restoration that is out of this world! 

PROJECT HAIL MARY on Blu-ray, 4K and DVD August 11 from Alliance Entertainment. Amazon MGM Studios and Alliance Home Entertainment announce the home video release of the heart-warming space odyssey, Project Hail Mary. Based on Andy Weir’s New York Times bestselling novel of the same name, screenwriter Drew Goddard adapted Project Hail Mary for the screen, and it was brought to life by directors Phil Lord & Christopher Miller. The 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray releases of Project Hail Mary include out of this world bonus content including 5 Deleted Scenes, Commentary by Directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, and “Earth’s Favorite Eridian” featurette. Following the August 11th release will be an Amazon exclusive 3-disc SteelBook giftset with additional features including new bonus content, a collectible booklet and more!  The giftset will be released on October 13th.

THE COMPLETE KUBRICK Coming to 4K + Blu-ray October 20 from Criterion Collection. Tracing Stanley Kubrick’s evolution from independent maverick to Hollywood rebel to visionary transnational auteur whose every film from the mid-1960s on became a manifesto of a radically new sensibility, The Complete Kubrick brings together the entirety of a body of work that opened popular cinema up to new realms of moral profundity and metaphysical mystery. Collected here for the first time are Kubrick’s thirteen features and three shorts, all restored in 4K, with their original soundtracks alongside the 5.1 mixes, restored and remastered; over twenty-five hours of interviews, documentaries, and behind-the-scenes materials; and deluxe packaging illustrated with rare photographs, artwork, and documents annotated by Kubrick himself, all housed in a singular box inspired by the director’s legendary archive.

MARS ATTACKS! on 4K August 11 from Warner Bros. Superstar Jack Nicholson as the President of the United States greeting invaders from outer space? Anything can and does happen when the twisted mind of director Tim Burton plunges planet Earth into complete pandemonium in this all-star sci-fi spoof. To celebrate the film’s upcoming 30th anniversary Mars Attacks!, directed by visionary Tim Burton, will be available for purchase Digitally in 4K Ultra HD and on 4K UHD Blu-ray Disc. Additionally, the newly remastered film will also include new bonus content featuring the behind-the-scenes filmmakers reflecting on the making of Mars Attacks! 30 years later. 

SOYLENT GREEN, Proud Owner of the Second Greatest Plot Twist in Sci-fi History, Coming to 4K UHD and Blu-ray July 28 from Arrow Video.  The Limited Edition release features a brand new 4K restoration from the original 35mm camera negative by Arrow Films, hours of special features and newly commissioned extras. A Blu-ray edition will also be available. 

Every angry man’s wet dream, FALLING DOWN, Coming to 4K UHD and Blu-ray 7/21 from Arrow Video. The Limited Edition release features a brand new 4K restoration by Arrow Films approved by cinematographer Andrzej Bartkowiak, hours of special features and newly commissioned extras. A Blu-ray edition will also be available. 

The International western classic, THE RED SUN, Coming to 4K UHD & Blu-ray July 14 from Arrow Video. The Limited Edition release features a brand new definitive 4K restoration, hours of special features and newly commissioned extras. A Blu-ray edition will also be available. The loaded cast includes Charles Bronson Alain Delon, Tishiro Mifune and Ursula Andress.

KILL BILL: THE WHOLE BLOODY AFFAIR 4K/Blu-ray Combo Pack Coming July 28 from Lionsgate. This release also comes with an assortment of physical extras, including posters, collectors cards and a 40 page booklet.

An Underseen Gem from the 70s, THE OUTFIT, on Blu-ray July 28 from Arrow Video. The Outfit is as tough, taut, and relentless as its protagonist. This release includes numerous new bonus features.

MORTAL COMBAT II on Digital Now 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. 

MICHAEL on digital Now and Blu-ray, 4K and DVD July 17 from Lionsgate. The film tells the story of Michael Jackson’s life beyond the music.  

Lee Cronin’s THE MUMMY on Digital Now 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 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.

BENEATH THE 12 MILE REEF: Robert Wagner as The Joker

BENEATH THE 12 MILE REEF (Blu-ray)

1953 / 127 min

Leomark Studios

Available at MovieZyng.com

Review by Mr. Paws😼

For those of you who’ve never heard of this movie and tend to judge books by their covers, rest assured there is nothing in Beneath the 12 Mile Reef as cool as that Blu-ray artwork. Sure, a ticked-off octopus eventually shows up, but this ol’ relic is largely a sudsy romantic adventure film about two competing families of sponge divers.

It’s the Greeks vs. the Conches in a fight for sponge supremacy off the coast of Florida, with a very young Robert Wagner (looking about as Greek as a salad) playing Tony, who falls in love with his rival’s daughter, Gwyneth (Terry Moore) along the way. He also has to contend with Gwyneth’s jealous boyfriend, Arnold (Peter Graves, in a somewhat rare villainous role). 

"I just wanna watch the world burn, Dad."

Beneath the 12 Mile Reef is a silly film with goofy dialogue and mostly bland performances. In his first starring role, Wagner is the exception. Instead, he’s guilty of overemoting in every scene that doesn’t require a diving helmet. Whenever he smiles, like when he’s ogling Gwyneth, I’m reminded of The Joker (or maybe the face on that truck in Maximum Overdrive). But let’s not judge Wagner too harshly, because he eventually did get better.

Conversely, the underwater sequences are beautifully shot and the film is genuinely engaging - even suspenseful - during those sequences. If nothing else, it makes excellent use of CinemaScope, which was new at the time. It looks equally vibrant and colorful on Blu-ray (though the sound quality sucks), so even if there are no toothy beasts or scantily clad swimmers, Beneath the 12 Mile Reef is still lovely to look at. But like other public domain titles Leomark Studios has acquired and released on Blu-ray, this disc has no bonus features, chapters, subtitle/language options or a main menu.

THE BULLET TRAIN and the Origins of Speed

THE BULLET TRAIN (1975)

Starring Ken Takakura, Shinichi (Sonny) Chiba, Ken Utsui, Fumio Watanabe, Kei Yamamoto. Directed by Junya Sato. (152 min).

Essay by D.M. ANDERSON💀

1994’s Speed was a great movie. Back then, I was kinda digging the plethora of action movies that followed in the wake of Die Hard because they were sort-of like repackaged disaster movies, which has been my favorite genre since I first beheld the pyromaniacal wonder of The Towering Inferno in the fifth grade.

Speed and its ilk have always drawn comparisons to Die Hard, since plotwise, they shared most of the same DNA…an urgent hostage situation, a tough, dedicated protagonist, an arrogant villain and a shitload of fiery, kinetic ka-BOOM. While Speed is arguably the best of them, to call it “Die Hard on a bus” isn’t entirely accurate. Its inspiration goes back further than that.

There’s a largely forgotten made-for-TV movie from 1966 called The Doomsday Flight, which was written by none other than Rod Serling and features a plot about a bomb on-board a commercial airliner, which will explode if the plane tries to descend. Starring Hawaii 5-0’s Jack Lord and film noir legend Edmond O’Brien as the disgruntled bomber, it’s a tidy little thriller, but not particularly action driven and shares little in common with Speed aside from the basic concept. 

1975’s The Bullet Train is another matter. It’s a Japanese film that was produced to capitalize on the success of American disaster movies at the time, along with the prerequisite handful of melodramatic subplots. The primary story, however, predates Speed by two decades. I don’t know if the makers of Speed consciously or unconsciously borrowed the same premise for their film, but the similarities are pretty obvious.

In this one, a crew led by a desperate out-of-work tech expert plant a bomb on a Tokyo bullet train bound for Hakata, ten hours away. They inform railway security that the bomb will explode if the train slows down to 80 kph, demanding a $5,000,000 ransom in exchange for instructions on how to deactivate it. The government, police and railway execs have ten hours to either pay up or find those responsible. Along the way, the train faces dangerous obstacles, such as other nearby trains and increasingly panicking passengers.

The biggest difference between this one and Speed is it dedicates just as much screen time to the antagonists as it does the protagonists. In fact, the former are the most well rounded characters. And despite being willing to kill 1500 people if their demands aren’t met, they aren’t entirely unsympathetic, especially the leader, Tetsuo Okita (Ken Takakura), whose quiet desperation in light of all he’s previously lost is kind of affecting. 

"The $5 million is for my cat. She's a diva."

Conversely, the team of talking heads trying to stop him largely exist to provide urgent exposition, though renowned martial artist Sonny Chiba is engaging as the bullet train’s panicky engineer. Considering he’s mostly known for his action flicks, it’s an unusual performance and he plays his entire role sitting down. Then there are the passengers themselves…a big batch of cartoonishly conceived characters that are so collectively selfish, irritating, unlikable, histrionic and loud (particularly screaming all their dialogue) that a small part of us might find ourselves wishing for Okita to blow up the train just to put them out of our misery. Or at the very least, maybe Chiba could’ve burst from the cab and delivered a few roundhouse kicks to some of ‘em. A missed opportunity, if you ask me.

The film serves up some good action sequences, both on and off the train. The hunt for the hijackers is genuinely gripping, as is watching Okita’s elaborate plan to collect the ransom without being caught. And again, because Okita is such a well-realized character, we’re kinda rooting for him. Concurrently, efforts to locate the bomb generate tension, as do sequences where the train is in danger of crashing. 

The Bullet Train is a long, exhausting movie, epic in length and stuffed with more secondary characters that the narrative needs (such as all those asshole passengers). Still, it’s a fun ride that seems mostly plausible, and comes to a satisfying conclusion. Fairly obscure on this side of the pond, the film is certainly a product of its time, but worth seeking out for fans of ‘70s-era disaster, crime thrillers and anyone curious about the origins of Speed.

There’s also a remake/sequel on Netflix called The Bullet Train Explosion, which is okay, though kind of superfluous.

THE SAVAGE BEES: How To Pay For Your Expensive Stadium

THE SAVAGE BEES (Blu-ray)

1976 / 90 min

Leomark Studios

Available at MovieZyng.com

Review by Mr. Bonnie, the Buzzkill😼

New Orleans’ Superdome was completed in 1975. At the time, it was the biggest domed stadium ever built (for all I know, it still is). I assume it also cost a pretty penny, which had to be somewhat concerning since the NFL team that called it home was the worst in the entire league…and would remain so for most of the next decade.

Still, ya gotta pay the bills. Maybe that’s one reason the city immediately allowed the place to be prominently showcased in a couple of made-for-TV movies. One of ‘em was a soapy little drama, simply titled Superdome. Before that, it was the setting for the climax of 1976’s The Savage Bees, an amusing horror-disaster flick starring Michael Parks and Ben Johnson.

If you were around back then, you might recall ominous predictions that the dreaded African killer bees were making their way north from South America, and it was only a matter of time until they reigned terror in our own backyards. While that never really happened, it was great potential horror fodder, so we were inundated with the likes of The Bees, Killer Bees, Terror Out of the Sky (which is actually a sequel to The Savage Bees), and most notoriously, Irwin Allen’s daffy debacle, The Swarm.

Bugs on a Bug.

Here’s how old I am…I remember tuning in to watch The Savage Bees on NBC when I was a kid because, in the wake of Jaws, flicks featuring killer critters were hard to resist, even the made-for-TV variety. While I didn’t end up fearfully looking out my bedroom window for the inevitable swarm of Africans, I recall enjoying it in the moment. But afterwards, I never gave the movie another thought for 50 years. 

Revisiting the film on Blu-ray, the Superdome climax was all I actually remembered of the movie, and even that sequence seemed a lot bigger - and less silly - when I was a kid. The rest has coroner Jeff DuRand (Parks) and Sheriff McKew (Johnson) trying to locate the deadly swarm after it has killed several people during Mardi Gras. There are a couple of decent attack sequences here and there, but it mostly plays like a quickly made TV movie of the era (including a superfluous subplot involving DuRand and his estranged girlfriend). Though not quite as goofy as The Swarm, it’s also not as much wacky fun. While still watchable with expectations in-check, its primary appeal today would be to those nostalgic for a decade when movies-of-the-week were a staple of network schedules.

Keep in mind that the movie slapped onto this disc (with no discernible attempt at restoration) opens with German credits with the title, Mörderbienen Greifen An, which suggests this is the only available version. Other than that, it’s the same old Savage Bees I tuned into back in the day…and looking a lot worse for wear. The picture and sound quality is terrible. There are also no bonus features, chapters or even a main menu.

CRIME 101 (4K): You Da Mann!

CRIME 101 (4K UHD)

2026 / 139 min

Alliance Entertainment

Review by Mr. Bonnie, the Burglar😺

If I were a betting man, I’d probably be willing to wager a year of my pension that writer-director Bart Layton has a shrine to Michael Mann in a back room somewhere. His heist flick, Crime 101, has Mann written all over it, both narratively and aesthetically. That’s not intended as criticism, either. If you’re gonna cop another director’s moves, why not the guy responsible for such modern classics as Thief, Heat and Collateral?

While you’re at it, why not set yours in L.A., too, showcasing the city like it’s another character? And don’t stop there. Surely casting a couple of Mann alumni, Chris Hemsworth (Blackhat) and Mark Ruffalo (Collateral), will provide some good karma (though the film’s box office ultimately proved otherwise). Still, I wouldn’t quite call Crime 101 a ripoff. Though nothing particularly original, it’s very entertaining, arguably the best Michael Mann film that Mann didn’t make.

Hemsworth plays Mike, a high-end jewel thief who pulls off large heists without ever killing anyone. After turning down a job offered by his usual fence, Money (Nick Nolte), he plans a job on his own, which will hopefully be his last. When Money gets wind of this, he recruits violent psychotic Orman (Barry Keoghan) to tail Mike and rob him of the score afterwards. Mike solicits help from frustrated insurance broker Sharon Combs (Halle Berry), whose client is the wealthy jerk he plans on robbing. Ruffalo plays Lt. Lubesnick, the only cop who’s convinced the recent string of robberies up and down Highway 101 are being committed by the same guy.

"Flip you for the check?"

While there aren’t a lot of surprises, the story and characters are well conceived and engaging. A heist film isn’t worth its salt without detailing the perpetrator’s meticulous methods, and Layton convincingly presents Mike as a cool and calculating thief, sharply contrasting Orman’s reckless smash & grab approach. Additionally, the film boasts some well-executed action sequences, including a couple of nifty car chases through L.A. streets. Speaking of which, there are numerous moments that definitely recall Mann’s own infatuation with L.A. Aesthetically, Crime 101 sometimes plays like it exists in the same cinematic universe as Heat and Collateral.

But continuing to draw comparisons is selling the movie a little short. Aside from a somewhat superfluous romantic subplot that occasionally stalls the momentum, Crime 101 is a lot of stylish fun, with solid performances by the entire cast. It may not rank among the greatest crime thrillers ever made, but fans of the heist genre will find a lot to love. It also looks and sounds excellent on 4K, much better than what you’ll see and hear streaming it on Amazon (who distributed this one).

Catnip Reviews: DAY OF THE DEAD (4K), SOLO and MARLOWE

Snack-sized opinions from the frisky felines at Free Kittens…

DAY OF THE DEAD (4K + Blu-ray) - Largely maligned when first released 40 years ago, George A. Romero’s Day of the Dead has since become a beloved cult classic and has even gone under critical reassessment in many circles. Today, it stands alongside Night of the Living Dead and Dawn of the Dead as one of the most influential zombie films ever made. Arguably Romero’s darkest, most nihilistic film, it isn’t as “fun” as Dawn, but as usual, the director has more on his mind than simple gut-munching (though this remains the most ferociously gory entry in the entire franchise). Shout Factory has pulled out all the stops for this 4K boxed set. Wonderfully packaged inside and out with new and vintage artwork, this 4-disc set includes the restored film on 4K and Blu-ray, both with an excellent overall picture and four audio options. The remaining two discs feature a huge selection of new and archival supplemental material. With a set of 12 lobby card replicas thrown in for good measure, this is a must-own for horror fans. Now could someone please do the same thing for Dawn of the Dead? (1985/101 min/Shout Factory).

KITTY CONSENSUS: 😼😼😼😼😼

SOLO (Blu-ray) - Solo begins with an orgy and ends with a shoot-out. All that’s missing in between is Alain Delon, whose French thrillers from the ‘60s and ‘70s have been some of our favorite watches lately. Instead, Jean-Pierre Mocky directs himself as Vincent, an international thief who returns to Paris to stop his little brother from committing terrorist attacks on various wealthy people, occasionally pausing to boink most of the female cast. Mocky is certainly no Delon, but he’s a reasonable facsimile and does a decent job carrying the film. Behind the camera, he stays on-point and keeps the pace lively, though the screenplay (which he co-wrote) could have put a bit more effort into making the other characters a little more interesting (or likable). Solo doesn’t rank among the greatest French thrillers of the era, but it’s entertaining in the moment. Also included with this disc are interviews with Mocky and co-star Anne Deleuze. (1970/83 min/Radiance Films).

KITTY CONSENSUS: 😺😺😺

MARLOWE (Blu-ray) - Private detective Philip Marlowe has been played by a wide variety of actors over the years. Bogart did it best, of course, but there’s been some other good portrayals before and after. Even James Garner took a stab at it back in the ‘60s, and while he’s not terrible, his performance feels like a dry run for his Jim Rockford character. In fact, the whole thing plays like an extended Rockford Files episode, only with more violence and boobs (and less laid-back humor). Watchable without ever being memorable, at least it sports a good cast, including none other than Bruce Lee in a small role (doing what he does best). This disc includes a nifty video history of the Phillip Marlowe character by Howard S. Berger, which runs almost an hour and is actually more interesting than the movie itself. (1969/96 min/Arrow Video).

KITTY CONSENSUS: 😼😼

THE POOP SCOOP: No Dodging These Arrows!

UPCOMING KIBBLES THAT MAKE US PURR!

SOYLENT GREEN, Proud Owner of the Second Greatest Plot Twist in Sci-fi History, Coming to 4K UHD and Blu-ray July 28 from Arrow Video.  The dystopian science fiction masterpiece, Soylent Green, makes its global debut on 4K UHD. Director Richard Fleischer (Fantastic Voyage) creates a police thriller set within a desolate future where humanity is bursting at the seams. The Limited Edition release features a brand new 4K restoration from the original 35mm camera negative by Arrow Films, hours of special features and newly commissioned extras. A Blu-ray edition will also be available. 

Every militant consverative’s wet dream, FALLING DOWN, Coming to 4K UHD and Blu-ray 7/21 from Arrow Video. Falling Down, a transgressive travelog through post-riots Los Angeles, makes its global debut on 4K UHD. Director Joel Schumacher creates a compelling portrait of an everyday man feeling obsolete in the modern city. The Limited Edition release features a brand new 4K restoration by Arrow Films approved by cinematographer Andrzej Bartkowiak, hours of special features and newly commissioned extras. A Blu-ray edition will also be available. 

The International western classic, THE RED SUN, Coming to 4K UHD & Blu-ray July 14 from Arrow Video. The movie unites four international superstars under the direction of Terence Young (Dr. No, Thunderball) in the rugged Almería region of Spain. The Limited Edition release features a brand new definitive 4K restoration, hours of special features and newly commissioned extras. A Blu-ray edition will also be available. The loaded cast includes Charles Bronson Alain Delon, Tishiro Mifune and Ursula Andress.

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 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.

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 who begins a private war against the mon to avenge the death of his brother. The Outfit is as tough, taut, and relentless as its protagonist. This release includes numerous new bonus features.

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. Director Simon McQuoid returns to helm the follow up to his explosive 2021 cinematic adventure, 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. 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..  

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 who begins a private war against the mon to avenge the death of his brother. 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.  . 

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.

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.