HUNGRY: More "Aww" Than "Ahh!"

HUNGRY (DVD)

2026 / 93 min

Decal Releasing

Review by Josey, the Sudden Cat🙀

Of course, the title is intended to evoke memories of the popular kids’ board game, Hungry Hungry Hippos, suggesting a goofy good time. But since they are herbivores, it’s essentially meaningless here.

Hungry is indeed about a disgruntled hippopotamus that stalks and terrorizes a boatload of tourists who wander into its territory. In this case, it’s a remote section of the Louisiana bayou. And don’t worry kids, one character explains how this malevolent mammal got there in the first place.

The same guy also informs the worried cast that hippos are vicious creatures responsible for hundreds of human deaths every year, which is actually true. But even if they were capable of committing genocide, hippos are simply too damn cute to be truly terrifying. You’d probably have better luck scaring the viewer with otters. At least they have claws and sharp teeth.

Done eating marbles.

But these fellas, with their big snouts, kloppy feet, round tummies and wiggly little ears? I watched Hungry with my daughter, and when the homicidal hippo finally appeared (after a long wait, I might add), our reaction was a collective “Aww!”

Still, writer-director James Nunn certainly gives it a good college try, and to his credit, Hungry reflects some genuine effort on both sides of the camera. Storywise, we’ve seen this kind of thing plenty of times before with a variety of critters. But despite a title that suggests a self-aware campfest, the overall tone remains fairly serious, and believe it or not, the special effects are actually pretty good (with only sparring use of CGI). This might actually come as a disappointment to bad movie connoisseurs. 

Save for Joaquim de Almeida as an amusingly cantankerous charter boat owner (and the aforementioned hippo expert), the characters and performances are merely serviceable. That’s perfectly okay, too, because we’re just waiting for this hippo to fuck people up anyway. And when she finally does get down to business, Hungry is an agreeable way to kill 90 minutes. 

EXTRA KIBBLES

THE MAKING OF HUNGRY - An entertaining doc with behind-the-scenes footage and cast/crew interviews. As B-movies go, this was actually a fairly big production.

THE OUTFIT: Thanks, QT!

THE OUTFIT Limited Edition (Blu-ray)

1973 / 113 & 115 min (2 cuts of the film)

Arrow Video

Review by Mr. Paws😸

I’m a huge Quentin Tarantino fan. One reason is that his love for movies is obvious in every frame he’s ever shot. He’s always worn his influences proudly, drawing inspiration from countless classic and not-so-classic films…artistic masterpieces, sleazy exploitation and everything in between. So when he enthusiastically champions an older film, I’m always eager to check it out, though I don’t always end up sharing his admiration. 

That’s how I discovered The Outfit. Tarantino dedicates a chapter to the film in his book, Cinema Speculation, and it sounded right up my alley. Luckily for me, it popped up on TCM soon after, and in this case, I wholeheartedly agree with Tarantino’s assessment. The Outfit is a tight, scrappy little revenge/mob movie that ranks up there with Charley Varrick and Fear is the Key as one of the most entertaining early ‘70s thrillers everyone seems to have forgotten.

The Outfit is based on a novel by Richard Stark, who created the character of Parker, a tough thief that appeared in a few dozen novels, some of which were the basis for movies like Point Blank and my personal favorite Mel Gibson vehicle, Payback (not the director’s cut though). But writer-director John Flynn, who is probably best known for Rolling Thunder, tops both of those movies with this one.

Not actually named Parker, the late, great Robert Duvall plays Earl Macklin, just released from a two-year stint in prison. He’s hoping to meet his brother, Eddie, but learns he was murdered. It turns out that Macklin, Eddie and their good buddy Cody (Joe Don Baker) once robbed a mob-owned bank, though they weren’t aware of that at the time. Now the mob - aka The Outfit - is coming after Macklin and Cody.

But Macklin’s ready for a little payback of his own, pairing with Cody to rob some of the Outfit’s fronts and business, which he threatens to keep doing until they pay him $250,000. At first, boss Mailer (Robert Ryan) considers them a nuisance, but becomes increasingly frustrated when his own men are unable to wipe them out. After Macklin’s girlfriend, Bett (Karen Black), is killed in a shootout, he and Cody decide to go after Mailer himself. 

Macklin confronts the man who stole his shirt.

In the best neo-noir tradition, The Outfit tells a tough, pulpy story loaded with bad guys and worse guys, which I’ve always loved. The action and heist scenes are gripping and well developed, as are the characters. Duvall may not be the first name that comes to mind when one thinks of stoic badasses, but he nails the role. As his partner in crime, Baker never possessed much in the way of range, but he’s really enjoyable and I liked him more in this one than in his best-known film, Walking Tall. These two guys together are what elevate this one a little higher than similar mid-level gangster flicks of the era. 

In addition to keeping the pace and action lively, Flynn pays homage to noir of the past by casting some genre legends, including Ryan, Elisha Cook, Jane Greer, Marie Windsor and Timothy Carey. Elsewhere, Joanna Cassidy and Richard Jaeckal have some good moments. But through no fault of her own, Karen Black is largely ineffective, stuck in kind of a thankless role. Like Stark’s Parker novels, none of this is high art, but it’s damned entertaining. So thanks, Quentin!

And now it’s finally available on Blu-ray from Arrow Video with a terrific looking restoration from the original 35mm negative. Not only that, there are two cuts of the film, including a version that restores the alternate ending Flynn originally planned (and is more effective, in my opinion). Providing historical context, the disc also serves up some interesting new and archival bonus features. For fans of neo-noir, heist movies and ‘70s thrillers in general, The Outfit is essential viewing.

EXTRA KIBBLES

FEATURETTES - Paths Not Taken and Tapping into the Outsider are a couple of new appreciations for the film, though Walter Chaw (featured in the former), is sometimes tough to understand); The Man with the Getaway Face is an appreciation more focused on author Donald E. Westlake (Richard Stark) himself, by Levi Stahl.

INTERVIEW - Archival interview with director Walter Hill, who knew John Flunn well and contributed a little to the screenplay.

AUDIO COMMENTARY - By author Jedidiah Ayres and podcaster Mike White.

TRAILER

IMAGE GALLERIES

SUPPLEMENTAL BOOKLET - This features three essays: “On Parker: Last of the Goddamned Independents,” by Priscilla Page; “Getting the Feeling Right: The Stark World of John Flynn’s The Outfit,” by Glenn Kenny; “Richard Stark’s The Outfit,” by Chris D. All three are insightful and entertaining. Also included are cast, crew and presentation credits.

REVERSIBLE COVER - Featuring new and vintage artwork. We kinda like the new art!

DRACULA HAS RISEN FROM THE GRAVE: "G"-Willikers!

DRACULA HAS RISEN FROM THE GRAVE (Blu-ray)

1968 / 92 min

Warner Bros

Available at MovieZyng.com

Review by Josey, the Sudden Cat🙀

Dracula Has Risen from the Grave has the historic distinction of being the first movie to receive an MPAA rating using their new system. It was given a ‘G,’ the same rating bestowed upon Disney’s The Love Bug. 

This is a movie that opens with a priest discovering a corpse hanging from a church bell. But there’s more family fun in store…open bite wounds, blood gushing from a staked heart, guys getting shitfaced and a body being disposed of in a roaring fireplace. And let’s not forget the lovely Barbara Ewing as the flirty, ill-fated barmaid, Zena, who not only attempts to bed-down the drunken protagonist, her prominently featured cleavage makes one wish the movie was shot in 3-D.

Either the MPAA (now MPA) thinks today’s children are a bunch of fragile flowers, or the organization never knew what the hell they were doing in the first place. Perhaps it's a little bit of both.

There's a lot at stake.

So even though the violence and titillation on display is comparatively mild by today’s standards, Dracula Has Risen from the Grave is hardly kids' stuff. One of several Dracula films produced by Hammer Films, this one has Christopher Lee as the titular bloodsucker with a history of terrorizing a nearby village. Back from the dead, he’s a little miffed that Monsignor Mueller (Rupert Davies) has placed a giant gold crucifix on his castle door. So decides to get even by turning Mueller’s daughter, Maria (Veronica Carlson) into a creature of the night…

…but not if boyfriend Paul (Barry Andrews) has anything to say about it. He’s an atheist who bears an uncanny resemblance to Roger Daltrey. While it’s a toss up whether Andrews or Carlson gives the most ineffectual performance, there’s no question who owns the movie. Lee makes an terrific, scenery-chewing Dracula, oozing menace whenever he’s on the screen. When he isn’t, the narrative is kind of meandering. 

Elsewhere, Dracula Has Risen from the Grave benefits from handsome production design and wonderful matte paintings that greatly enhance the overall gothic feel of the film. Hammer veteran Freddie Francis always had an eye for striking imagery, which he uses to good effect here. While this is far from the greatest vampire movie ever made, it’s fairly enjoyable. But, man…that G rating! What the hell were they thinking?

This is a re-issue of a Blu-ray previously released in 2015.

MORTAL KOMBAT II: The Urban Legend

MORTAL KOMBAT II (Blu-ray)

2026 / 116 min

Warner Bros. 

#InPartnershipwithWB 

Review by Mr. Bonnie & Princess Pepper (transcribed by D.M. Anderson)😺

Two of Free Kittens’ crack staff, Princess Pepper and Mr. Bonnie, take their usual spots on the sofa.

MR. BONNIE: So what’s on tonight’s agenda, Pepper?

PRINCESS PEPPER: Mortal Kombat II, a sequel to the 2021 film, which was based on the popular video game series. 

MR. BONNIE: Did we see the original? I don’t recall.

PRINCESS PEPPER: I think so, Bonnie, but I’ll be honest…other than a great scene where one unfortunate character met a spectacular demise from a flying hat, I don’t remember much of it either.

MR. BONNIE: Maybe we should rewatch that one first, so we can reacquaint ourselves with the story and characters.

PRINCESS PEPPER (shakes head): That would involve our food handler digging through those boxes in the garage filled with movies he has no plans on watching again. The other thing I remember, aside from the killer hat, was that Mortal Kombat was great for fans with opposable thumbs, but not for those expecting a compelling story. As one of the latter, do you really wanna sit through it again?

MR. BONNIE (shrugs): Good point. Let’s just fire this one up and get it over with.

Princess Pepper hits play…

MR. BONNIE (fifteen minutes in): So the fate of Earthrealm is in the hands of these good fighters squaring off against the evil fighters?

PRINCESS PEPPER: Yeah, and this Shao Kahn dude is their leader. If he gets hold of that green amulet he becomes unkillable. 

MR. BONNIE: Are these the same good guys from the first movie?

PRINCESS PEPPER: Damned if I remember. I’m assuming so since they act and speak like we should already know who they are.

MR. BONNIE (twenty minutes in): Hey! Karl Urban! I didn’t know he was in this! Awesome!

PRINCESS PEPPER: And what a great introduction to his character, Johnny Cage! 

MR. BONNIE: Is Cage a character from the video game?

PRINCESS PEPPER: Who cares? He’s already the most interesting guy in the movie…and funny, too! The way Urban plays him, I’m getting kind of a Bruce Campbell vibe. 

MR. BONNIE: I kinda like how Cage is a grumpy has-been action star who doesn’t want any part of the Mortal Combat tournament, even if it means saving the world.

PRINCESS PEPPER: That’s Kombat with a ‘K,’ Bonnie. 

MR. BONNIE: Whatever. His reactions to repeatedly getting his ass handed to him are hilarious. So are his insults of the other characters. Bruce would be proud.

Karl wishes he had a sash.

As the movie plays on…

PRINCESS PEPPER: A lotta f-bombs in this one.

MR. BONNIE: Sure…kids love f-bombs.

PRINCESS PEPPER: They don’t really make the plot more interesting. It’s kinda dull whenever Urban ain’t on the screen.

MR. BONNIE: The gore is pretty cool. Kids love gore, too.

PRINCESS PEPPER: Yeah, but the CGI is stuff we’ve seen in gobs of other movies. Looks good, though.

MR. BONNIE (perking up): There’s Karl getting beat up again! Yay!

PRINCESS PEPPER: Yeah, and look…there’s Cage’s trademark sunglasses, turning him into a total badass when he puts ‘em on!

PEPPER & BONNIE TOGETHER: Karl! Karl! Karl! Karl! 

MR. BONNIE: Hey, wait a minute! That guy with the missing eye…Kano! Now I remember…he’s played by Josh Lawson and was the funniest part of the first movie.

PRINCESS PEPPER: He’s pretty damn funny here, too. I’m glad they brought him back.

MR. BONNIE: And now he’s equipped with a laser eye! Man, I’d sure like to chase that!

The end credits roll…

MR. BONNIE: Even though I know nothing about the video game, that movie was a lot more fun than I expected. Casting Karl Urban was a stroke of genius.

PRINCESS PEPPER: Agreed, but you know what would be really cool? A spin-off movie that featured Kano and Cage in their own adventure…kinda like Hobbs and Shaw. I’d be down with that, maybe more of a comedy with a story that has nothing to do with the game.

MR. BONNIE (shakes head): And risk raising the ire of fanboys? That’ll never happen.

PRINCESS PEPPER: Well, at least Mortal Kombat II has more going for it than simple fan service. I'd even consider watching it again just for Urban’s performance, so maybe this one won’t be relegated to a box in the garage. 

EXTRA KIBBLES

FEATURETTES - Mortal Kombat II: Evolving the Saga features cast/crew interviews and behind the scenes footage; Building the Realms of Mortal Kombat focuses on the production design; Choose Your Fighter spotlights the characters; Klose Quarters Kombat is about the fight sequences; A Boon to Gamers Everywhere is an interview with MK creator Ed Boon.

DIGITAL COPY

IS GOD IS: Bittersweet Revenge

IS GOD IS (Blu-ray)

2026 / 99 min

Alliance Entertainment

Review by Princess Pepper😺

Humorist Josh Billings once wrote, “There is no revenge so complete as forgiveness.” Yeah, okay…but show me someone who doesn’t enjoy a good revenge flick now and again and I’ll show you someone whose life is devoid of joy…and spicy food…and novelty socks…and sex with the lights on. Sure, in real life, revenge seldom works out the way we want it to, but in movies? Sometimes there’s nothing more satisfying than swift violent payback. 

Of course, the inherent problem with the subgenre is there are a finite number of scenarios, meaning we tend to see variations of the same story over and over again. And if done well, I’m generally cool with that. After all, who goes to an AC/DC concert hoping to hear a ballad? Still, I always appreciate one that tries to do something unique with the formula. With the awkwardly titled Is God Is, first-time writer-director Aleshea Harris has made a Tarantinoesque revenge film that's both rousing and bittersweet.

Racine (Kara Young) and Anaia (Mallori Johnson) are twins who were disfigured during childhood and raised in numerous foster homes. As adults, all they really have is each other. When unexpectedly summoned by their dying mother (Vivica A. Fox), who they thought was already dead, they see that she, too, bears similar scars. She then reveals how they all ended up this way: Years earlier, their father set her on fire, and the two girls suffered burns trying to save her. Worse yet, their father got away with it thanks to a fast talking lawyer. 

Sometimes you gotta dance like the entire state of Tennessee is watching. 

Mom (whom they refer to as God, since she “created” them) has one dying wish…for Racine and Anaia to find their dad and kill him, along with everything he now loves. Though Anaia has mixed feelings over committing murder, Racine  (who’s always been the more aggressive twin), is more than ready to exact revenge, reasoning that he’s solely responsible for the misery they’ve endured all their lives.

The middle act is an episodic journey to find him. While this stretch is sometimes a little pokey, the sisters have some amusing encounters with Dad’s old acquaintances. In fact, the film is often pretty damn funny, due to how well-realized the two protagonists are…so in-tune with each other that they’re able to carry on conversations without speaking (the subtitles are a clever touch). There’s also conflict between them, largely because of their opposing views over the quest they’ve undertaken. We get the impression this is the first time they don’t see eye to eye. But their unconditional love for each other is very clear, which endears us to them.

I won’t reveal anything that transpires after they do finally find their father (Sterling K. Brown) and his new family (including Janelle Monae as his wife, who might also be suffering from abuse). However, I will say that Harris delivers a wild, violent and emotionally-charged finale. Whether or not it’s a satisfying ending depends on what viewers expect from their revenge flicks, but I appreciated how it made me feel.

I LOVE LUCY: Building a Bigger Blu-ray

I LOVE LUCY: THE COMPLETE SERIES (Blu-ray)

75th Anniversary Edition

1951-1960 / 5453 min

Paramount

Review by Carl, the Couch Potato😽

Like Elvis Presley and rock & roll, I Love Lucy didn’t invent the sitcom, but sure as hell defined it in the early days of American television. Its popularity and cultural impact was huge, its influence immeasurable. Just think of the sheer number of similarly-structured shows that probably would never have existed without it.

I Love Lucy first aired long before my time, but has been in syndication forever. I can’t say I grew up on the show, nor did I ever go out of my way to watch it, so it holds no real nostalgic value. But whenever it happened to pop up on TV, I always found it pretty funny and a lot of the humor holds up even today, especially the classic episodes that have since become iconic (I dare anyone not to laugh their ass off during Season 1’s Lucy Does a TV Commercial).  

Content-wise, this set is priceless. The initial I Love Lucy TV show actually ran for six seasons, but this set also includes three seasons (13 episodes) of the retooled hour-long version, The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour, which ran from 1957 to 1960. It’s all here, spread out over 33 discs. Then again, so did the DVD set released in 2020, as well as a Blu-ray edition released in 2024. However, this 75th Anniversary Edition offers some bonus features that, as far as I can ascertain, are new to disc, including a few that were not included on the DVD version of this set released a just couple of months ago, such as I Love Lucy: The Movie (see below). Here's hoping some of you die-hards held out for this.

Desi realizes he could've had a V8.

It’s also packaged identically to the recent DVD, meaning it’s pretty cumbersome. Granted, any set consisting of 33 discs is always gonna be a challenge, though Paramount did a pretty decent job with Mission: Impossible a few years ago. But here, the discs are stacked atop each other and tend to slide around inside the box. That might be a minor quip for some, but I personally don’t know a single physical media collector not put-off by inconveniently housed discs that are likely to get scratched up. 

Still, the overall video transfer is good, as is the audio quality, which in some cases differs from the recent DVD version. And it goes without saying that those who love the show will like having every episode immediately on-hand. As a 75th Anniversary commemoration, I Love Lucy: The Complete Series is a nice souvenir, but I’d be a little miffed if I was one of those buyers who just shelled out for DVD set thinking that a Blu-ray version wasn’t happening, only to have this sprung on me.

EXTRA KIBBLES (Spread out over several discs)

ORIGINAL OPENINGS & CLOSINGS - These changed a bit from season to season.

ORIGINAL PILOT

ORIGINAL BROADCAST VERSIONS OF SELECT EPISODES

AUDIO COMMENTARIES OF SELECT EPISODES

LUCY ON THE RADIO: MY FAVORITE HUSBAND - Episodes from the radio program.

I LOVE LUCY: THE MOVIE - From 1953, this seldom seen “movie” combines three episodes from the first season, along with some newly-shot material.

CHRISTMAS REBROADCAST FOOTAGE

EYE ON CBS SEGMENTS - From 1959.

SELECT COLORIZED EPISODES - For those into that sort of thing.

FLUBS - Various mistakes made during live tapings.

LOST SCENES

RESTORED MUSIC

BEHIND THE SCENES - Most are excerpts from a book about the show.

VINTAGE ADS 

SLIDE SHOW GALLERY

COLOR MONTAGE VIDEOS, FOOTAGE AND HOME MOVIES

CAST LIST MENUS

GUEST CAST LIST MENUS

PRODUCTION NOTES 

AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION

SPONSOR SPOTS - Vintage ads from the show’s sponsors.