LE POOP SCOOP: Classic French Friskies Edition

UPCOMING KIBBLES THAT MAKE US PURR!

Lee Cronin’s THE MUMMY on Digital May 19 and Blu-ray, 4K and DVD July 4 from Warner Bros. Hot off the record-setting resurrection of EVIL DEAD RISE, writer/director Lee Cronin turns to one of the most iconic horror stories of all time with an audacious and twisted retelling: LEE CRONIN’S THE MUMMY. 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 film stars Jack Reynor, Laia Costa, May Calamawy, Natalie Grace, with Veronica Falcón. The film is written and directed by Cronin, and produced by James Wan, Jason Blum and John Keville. The executive producers are Michael Clear, Judson Scott, Macdara

Kelleher and Lee Cronin.

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. When the show’s closure in two weeks is announced, she tries to reconnect with her estranged daughter while leaning on her brassy former-showgirl best friend (Jamie Lee Curtis). Directed by Gia Coppola and featuring an original ballad by Miley Cyrus, this inspiring portrait of a resilient woman also stars Dave Bautista and Billie Lourd.  

BIRDS OF PREY (aka LE RAPACE) on Blu-ray June 6 from Kino Lorber. Iconic tough guy Lino Ventura stars in this ravishing action-thriller from author/filmmaker José Giovanni, whose hard-boiled novels Classe tous risques and Le deuxième souffle became Ventura-led screen classics. In 1938 Central America, a cynical hitman (Ventura) is hired to assassinate a head of state. Accompanied by a young revolutionary, he moves into a house opposite the presidential palace. As the assassin awaits his target, an unlikely friendship grows between the two men. Featuring vivid landscapes and a score by François de Roubaix, this unique France-Italy-Mexico co-production blends elements of a political thriller with a Spaghetti Western for a thoroughly entertaining genre concoction. 

INSPECTOR MAIGRET COLLECTION on Blu-ray June 2 from Kino Lorber. This three-film collection features screen great Jean Gabin (Touchez pas au grisbi) as Georges Simenon’s legendary, pipe-smoking sleuth. Maigret Sets a Trap (1958) – Inspector Maigret tries to trap a killer and discovers why a happily married, wealthy, and talented man should want to bump off women at night. Annie Girardot and Lino Ventua co-star in this suspenseful whodunnit. Maigret and the St. Fiacre Case (1959) –Maigret is summoned by the Countess to the Château de Saint-Fiacre (Valentine Tessier), where she shows him a letter she has received predicting the day on which she will die, hoping the great inspector can solve the identity of the secret ill-wisher. Michel Auclair and Paul Frankeur co-star. Maigret Sees Red (1963) – Gabin returns for his final outing in the role he was born to play. Three men, cruising Paris’s Pigalle district in a Chevrolet, shoot a bystander. When the police arrive, the body is gone. The good Inspector suspects a ring of U.S. mobsters when the trail leads him to a bowling alley where Americans gather and a mysterious femme fatale called Lily (Françoise Fabian) works. 

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.

HOPPERS on Digital NOW and Blu-ray, 4K & DVD June 2 from Disney/Pixar. This release also includes numerous bonus featurettes, deleted scenes and a blooper reel.

 

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.

NIRVANA, THE BAND, THE SHOW, THE MOVIE on Blu-ray May 26 from NEON/Decal. In this indie sci-fi comedy, Lifelong friends Matt and Jay once again try to book a gig at a legendary venue when they accidentally travel back in time to 2008. 

THEY WILL KILL YOU on Digital April 28 and 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?

THE BRIDE! On Digital Now and Blu-ray, 4K & DVD May 19 from Warner Bros. This is a bold, iconoclastic take on one of the world’s most compelling stories. 

SPEED RACER on 4K UHD May 19 from Warner Bros. Based on the classic series created by anime pioneer Tatsuo Yoshida, the live action Speed Racer is newly remastered and includes new bonus content. 

FALLOUT SEASON 2 on Blu-ray, 4K & DVD May 19 from Amazon MGM Studios. While Fallout Season 1 took us through the dangerous remains of Los Angeles, Season 2 picks up after the epic finale and takes us on a journey through the “Mojave Wasteland.”.

ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER 4K Collector SteelBook Coming June 2 from Warner Bros. The collectible steelbook will include a Blu-ray bonus disc with special features created by Paul Thomas Anderson along with a 24-page booklet with behind-the-scenes photos. 

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

NIRVANA THE BAND THE SHOW THE MOVIE: Parody and Homage...Canadian Style

NIRVANA THE BAND THE SHOW THE MOVIE (Blu-ray)

2025 / 100 min

NEON/Decal Releasing

Review by Princess Pepper😽

Until this movie came along, I had no idea Nirvana the Band was even a thing. It was first a Canadian web series, followed by an actual TV show that ran for a couple of seasons. In both, Matt Johnson and Jay McCarrol play a couple of guys obsessed with getting their band booked at the Rivoli, a famous Toronto bar. They also use the set-up to parody various aspects of popular culture.

Nirvana the Band the Show the Movie expands the same concept into a feature length film, which is sure to please fans. But even if you’ve never heard of these guys, Johnson and McCarrol have the good sense to make it accessible to newcomers. No prior knowledge is required, so if nothing else, these guys could teach the good folks at Disney a thing or two about continuing a TV property on the big screen.

Storywise, the film is both a parody and homage to Back to the Future. For their next publicity stunt, Matt decks out the inside of their RV like the time machine from the movie. But when it surprisingly works, they end up back in 2008. While in the past, they have a heated argument and go their separate ways. Upon returning to the present, however, Jay has since become a rock star, while Matt struggles in a Jay McCarrol tribute band, the result of having altered the past.

"Wireless? Not in my lifetime!"

Complications and plot twists ensue, of course, some of them pretty clever spins on sequences from BTTF. But as a comedy with largely improvised dialogue, it’s kind of a mixed bag. While it’s occasionally very funny, Johnson’s character is really abrasive, his personality, dialogue and actions a little cringeworthy, which is probably intentional. The film is done in cinéma vérité style (including camera operators as characters) and many of the bystanders they encounter are unaware they’re in a movie, so their reactions to him are real.

But even if Nirvana the Band the Show the Movie is seldom laugh-out-loud funny, the story is fun, as are many of its satiric elements. And while Matt’s character isn’t someone I’d want to hang out with any longer than I have to, the friendship between him and Jay is ultimately charming enough that we’re invested in both of them. 

EXTRA KIBBLES

FIRST EPISODE OF THE ORIGINAL SHOW

FEATURETTES - Back to 2008; Running Cable.

ALTERNATE OPENING, DELETED SCENE, POST CREDIT SCENES, OUTTAKES

HOME MOVIES

2 AUDIO COMMENTARIES - 1) By Matt Johnson & Jay McCarrol; 2) By Matt Johnson & post-production team.

DVD COPY

DELUGE: Pre-Code Catastrophe

DELUGE (1933)

Starring Peggy Shannon, Sidney Blackmer, Lois Wilson, Matt Moore, Fred Kohler, Ralf Harolde. Directed by Felix E. Feist. (70 min)

Essay by D.M. ANDERSON💀

Ever since seeing 1974’s The Towering Inferno as an impressionable 11-year-old, disaster has been my favorite genre, and it’s been an ongoing quest ever since to see every damn one of them. The journey has taken me to some interesting places over the years - other countries, other eras - and I’ve experienced more than my share of the good, the bad and the ugly (an example of the latter being a 1943 German film, Titanic, yet another depiction of the sinking, along with a heaping helping of Nazi propaganda).

But the most unusual one might be 1933’s Deluge, a low budget, pre-code apocalyptic disaster movie released by RKO Pictures. For those of you who spent most of your formative years at Waffle House instead of the classroom, ‘deluge’ is fancy French-speak for ‘lotsa water.’ There’s certainly lotsa destruction, especially during the first act. Dispensing with the narrative foreplay typical of most films of the genre, Deluge wastes no time getting to the disaster at-hand…cataclysmic weather, earthquakes and tidal waves, all apparently triggered by an eclipse (and you thought the science in Armageddon was wonky). 

Ocean views ain't all they're cracked up to be.

Those pesky eclipses…always ominously foreshadowing a variety of things, and none of them good (in movies, anyway). I had a similarly horrific experience a few years back, when I lived within driving distance of an approaching eclipse’s path of totality. Packing the family into the car, we drove 20 miles south with viewing glasses I just purchased from 7-Eleven (is there anything they don’t have right when you need it?). 

We managed to make it to our destination with time to spare, and that’s when one of my daughters’ IBS started flaring up. The impending celestial event may or may not have the catalyst for her sudden and urgent need to defecate, but with no restroom in the vicinity, we had no choice but to speed back home and pray her bowels didn’t explode along the way. I missed my last opportunity to view an eclipse in my lifetime, but hey, at least I didn’t end up spending the rest of that Sunday cleaning shit out of the backseat. Fair trade, I guess.

The poor bastards in Deluge aren’t so lucky. Skyscrapers topple, cities are submerged and millions die. Though it's established that this is happening all over the world, most of the onscreen mayhem occurs in New York. On a related note, Deluge holds the distinction of being the first film to visually depict the total destruction of a major American city.

And I do mean total. Nearly every building crumbles and falls apart spectacularly, interspersed with scenes of people fleeing in panic, only to be crushed by falling debris. And this is all before a massive tsunami comes rolling into Manhattan to finish the job. The special effects are a bit quaint compared to what Hollywood is capable of these days, but still pretty damn good for a film that’s almost 100 years old. So good, in fact, that Republic Pictures later bought the rights to reuse them in other movies (most notably, 1939’s ultra-daffy SOS Tidal Wave). 

All this happens during the first 20 minutes. The remainder of Deluge largely focuses on three survivors, Martin (Sidney Blackmer), who lost his wife and kids, shapely swimmer Claire (Peggy Shannon), and horndog thug Jephson (Fred Kohler), who quickly establishes his rapey intentions when he finds Claire washed ashore. Keeping her captive in his cabin, Jephson fights with equally rapey roommate Norwood over who gets to have her, resulting in the latter’s death. 

Fred Kohler...the Marjoe Gortner of his day.

Rapey guys are no strangers to movies about earthquakes. 2012’s Aftershock is a recent example, with gang rape o’ plenty. But the most famous and disturbing seismically stimulated rapey guy is Marjoe Gortner as an unhinged National Guardsman in 1974’s Earthquake. After making a dubious living as a child evangelist, Gortner turned to acting, where he excelled at playing psychotic villains. Even in rare cases where he was cast as a good guy, the man and his awesome afro were inherently intimidating. If you were a director in the ‘70s and your movie needed a rapey guy, you gave Marjoe a call.

Made and released before the Hayes Code, Deluge not only features a rapey guy as one of the main characters, but a gaggle of more rapey guys who show up later. Before that though, Martin rescues Claire from Jephson and they eventually fall in love, setting-up house in a cozy cabin. However, two things complicate their relationship. First, Jephson hooks up with a gang of lecherous thugs...and he's hellbent on revenge. Second, they meet a community of other survivors trying to restart civilization again, including the wife he assumed was dead, Helen (Lois Wilson), and their two kids. So not only does Martin have to contend with a mob of Marjoe Gortners, he finds himself in a soapy love triangle.

From a narrative standpoint, Deluge kind of runs contrary to other films of this type. All the spectacle occurs during the first act. Afterwards, the film struggles to maintain interest, no matter how many rapey guys the story throws at us. The whole thing slowly winds down into a mess of preachy melodrama with a Debbie Downer of an ending. That’s no way to end a disaster movie. What would’ve been really great is to cap things off with a bang by throwing in another round of nature getting nasty. Still, the opening of Deluge delivers the disaster goods and is worth catching just for the massive onscreen destruction, a creative combination of miniatures and matte paintings. Seeing New York drowned and gobbled up by the Earth (without the aid of CGI) is a hell of a lot of fun.

THE POOP SCOOP: Under the Radar Edition

UPCOMING KIBBLES THAT MAKE US PURR!

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. Still reeling from her brutal escape from the Le Domas family, Grace is thrust into an even more unhinged bloodbath when she becomes prey once again – this time hunted alongside her estranged sister by four rival families, each ruthlessly vying for absolute power and control of the High Seat of the Council. In Ready or Not 2: Here I Come, Samara Weaving returns as "Grace" alongside an all‑star cast including Kathryn Newton, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Shawn Hatosy, Nestor Carbonell, with David Cronenberg, and Elijah Wood. 

THE 7TH VOYAGE OF SINBAD on 4K + Blu-ray July 7 from Sony. The legendary Sinbad (Kerwin Mathews) sets off on a dangerous journey to the mysterious Island of Colossus to break the spell cast over his beloved princess (Kathryn Grant) by a diabolical magician (Torin Thatcher). Before he can save her, Sinbad must battle an awesome collection of mythical monsters: the man-eating Cyclops, a saber-wielding skeleton, a ferocious two-headed bird called the Roc and a fire-breathing dragon, all animated by the stunning visual effects mastery of Ray Harryhausen. 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 classic French thrillers, so when another great one comes along on Blu-ray, we gotta meow it out loud! In this cold-blooded crime tale, a man named Roberto La Rocca (Jean-Paul Belmondo) goes to Marseille to help his friend Xavier (Pierre Vaneck), who has been imprisoned after a frame-up by his associate. Unflappably cool, Rocca sets out for some good old-fashioned revenge—and his own piece of the action. Teaming the newly-minted superstar Belmondo (Breathless), debuting director Jean Becker (One Deadly Summer) and a source novel by José Giovanni (Le trou, Classe tous risques), 1961's A Man Named Rocca is a noir gem riding the crest of the radical French New Wave. A decade later, Giovanni would go on to direct his own adaptation, La scoumoune a.k.a Hit Man, starring Belmondo in the same role. This release includes an all new audio commentary. 

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. In this one, a group of international passengers en route from Los Angeles to Shanghai are forced to make an emergency landing in shark-infested waters. Now they must work together in hopes to overcome the frenzy of sharks drawn to the wreckage. Starring Aaron Eckhart, Ben Kingsley, Angus Sampson, Lucy Barrett, and Molly Belle Wright. 

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.

HOPPERS on Digital NOW and Blu-ray, 4K & DVD June 2 from Disney/Pixar. This release also includes numerous bonus featurettes, deleted scenes and a blooper reel.

 

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.

NIRVANA, THE BAND, THE SHOW, THE MOVIE on Blu-ray May 26 from NEON/Decal. In this indie sci-fi comedy, Lifelong friends Matt and Jay once again try to book a gig at a legendary venue when they accidentally travel back in time to 2008. 

THEY WILL KILL YOU on Digital April 28 and 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.

 

GINGER SNAPS on 4K + Blu-ray + Digital May 19 from Lionsgate. Ginger Snaps is the story of death-fixated teenage sisters Ginger and Brigitte, who are attacked one night by a creature drawn to Ginger’s first menstrual period. 

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?

THE BRIDE! On Digital Now and Blu-ray, 4K & DVD May 19 from Warner Bros. This is a bold, iconoclastic take on one of the world’s most compelling stories. 

SPEED RACER on 4K UHD May 19 from Warner Bros. Based on the classic series created by anime pioneer Tatsuo Yoshida, the live action Speed Racer is newly remastered and includes new bonus content. 

FALLOUT SEASON 2 on Blu-ray, 4K & DVD May 19 from Amazon MGM Studios. While Fallout Season 1 took us through the dangerous remains of Los Angeles, Season 2 picks up after the epic finale and takes us on a journey through the “Mojave Wasteland.”.

ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER 4K Collector SteelBook Coming June 2 from Warner Bros. The collectible steelbook will include a Blu-ray bonus disc with special features created by Paul Thomas Anderson along with a 24-page booklet with behind-the-scenes photos. 

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

BLUE THUNDER (4K): One of the Best Action Movies No One Ever Talks About

BLUE THUNDER (4K UHD)

1983 / 109 min

Arrow Video

Review by Mr. Paws😸

The government has developed a new, state-of-the-art, super-spy helicopter. It can see through walls, fly silently, look down dresses and blow the bejeezus out of everything in its path. What better person to test fly it over one of the biggest cities in the world than a psychologically unstable Vietnam vet?

I had no problem with the implausibility of that scenario back in ‘83, and I still don’t. In fact, the only real problem I had with the Blue Thunder at the time was an early scene where chopper pilot Frank Murphy (Roy Scheider) breaks-in his new partner by flying out to Encino so they can spy on a young beauty who does nude yoga in her living room every night. The two hover outside her spacious epic-windowed mansion, gawking as she contorts in ways most guys can only dream of their wives doing.

The problem wasn’t that the scene was totally gratuitous, to say nothing of far-fetched (who isn't gonna hear a goddamn helicopter right outside their window?). But I went to go see this film with a girlfriend who had an unbelievably ugly jealous streak. She got so pissed off at me that she damn near walked out of the theater. What did she think…that I was gonna look up Anna Forrest (the yoga gal) after the credits rolled?

Other than that, I still think Blue Thunder remains one of the best ‘80s action flicks no one ever talks about these days. Murphy is an L.A. cop who patrols the skies at night, thwarting robberies and peeping into naked women’s windows. In his spare time, he checks his sanity with his wristwatch. He’s entrusted to fly a new copter, nicknamed Blue Thunder, to see what it can do, during which time he discovers the government has nefarious plans for the bird. It’s never made too clear exactly what the evil powers-that-be wants to accomplish with a helicopter, but that doesn’t stop them from trying to kill Murphy. Leading the charge for Frank’s demise is Colonel Cochrane, played by a perpetually bug-eyed Malcolm McDowell.

"When do I get my cool shades?"

Blue Thunder has a very high “oh, come on!” quotient, rife with absurdities. However, most of that is negated by great dialogue, engaging characters and a truly spectacular climactic air battle over L.A. between Murphy and Cochrane, where buildings explode, planes are shot down, and a copter is taken out by a freight train (though no one, including our hero, seems concerned about all the massive collateral damage). Director John Badham handles these action scenes with considerable skill and they still hold up well 40 years later, as do the special effects. 

The film’s got a great cast. Scheider is terrific, and though he’s played so many cops in his career that he could’ve phoned this one in, he makes Murphy gruffly endearing. McDowell lays it on a little thick, but certainly attacks his role with zeal. Elsewhere, Candy Clark and Daniel Stern are amusing in key supporting roles, while the great Warren Oates (in his last role) makes the most out of his cliched angry police captain character. He also has some of the film’s funniest lines. As for the lovely Ms. Forrest…I still wonder why she never returned any of my calls.

At the time, I loved Blue Thunder and all its fiery mayhem (the coolest action movie I'd seen since Raiders of the Lost Ark), and never scrutinized the plot until long afterwards. Even revisiting it today for this review, I didn’t stop to cynically ponder its plausibility. There’s too much earnestness on both sides of the camera for that to happen. 

And speaking of revisiting…this 4K UHD release comes courtesy of Arrow Video, who have that knack for reviving and restoring films you forgot you needed. In this case, the video transfer is generally excellent, as are both audio options…a restored 2.0 stereo track and a DTS-HD MA 5.1 remix. While I wish Arrow would’ve gone all-out with a Limited Edition boxed set like they’ve done with some other films (such as the recent, less-deserving Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves), this one does boast a great selection of new and archival bonus features. 

EXTRA KIBBLES

NEW INTERVIEWS - Flight Risk features director John Badham; A Rollercoaster Ride features actor Candy Clark; Catching Up features actor Malcolm McDowell.

FEATURETTES - Ride with the Angels is a 45-minute, three-part documentary from 2006; The Special: Building Blue Thunder, also from 2006, focuses on the titular helicopter; promotional featurette from 1983.

AUDIO COMMENTARY - By director John Badham, editor Frank Morris, motion control supervisor Hoyt Yeatman.

EXTENDED SCENE - The car chase with Candy Clark…and I can see why they cut out a certain sequence.

TRAILER

IMAGE GALLERY

SUPPLEMENTAL BOOKLET - Includes a detailed essay by Dennis Capicik, photos, cast & crew credits.

REVERSIBLE COVER - Featuring original and new artwork, the latter of which is one of Arrow’s better recent ones.