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.

I LOVE LUCY and So Do You

I LOVE LUCY: THE COMPLETE SERIES (DVD)

75th Anniversary Edition

1951-1960 / 5398 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.

Not only that, it turned Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz into two of TV’s biggest power couple. Without Desilu productions, we would never have gotten The Untouchables, Mission: Impossible or Star Trek. Can you imagine life without Star Trek? Thanks to I Love Lucy, we never have to. So even if their own groundbreaking show might seem archaic and silly to some, everyone’s gotta love Lucy at least a little bit.

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).  

Is it the greatest sitcom ever made? That’s obviously subjective, so I won’t go there, but in addition to still regularly airing on TV, I Love Lucy has been repeatedly released on physical media in every format over the years, including the entire series on Blu-ray just a few years ago. So for those who do consider it the greatest, the show’s always been readily available…

"That's no moon. It's a space station!"

…which makes this 75th Anniversary DVD set kind of perplexing. Content-wise, it’s 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, which is still widely available at a cheaper price. And as far as I can ascertain, this new set might actually include less bonus material (there is still a ton, but none of it is new). And with a set this massive, some kind of episode guide would’ve been nice.

I also gotta say that it’s terribly packaged. Granted, any set consisting of 33 discs is always gonna be a challenge, but 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 fairly decent, as is the mono Dolby Digital track for all nine seasons. 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 good set, but there are better ones out there.

EXTRA KIBBLES (Spread out over several discs)

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

FLUBS - Various mistakes made during live tapings.

LOST SCENES

RESTORED MUSIC

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

LUCY ON THE RADIO - Some episodes were also done as radio broadcasts.

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.

THE AI DOC: The Movie Equivalent of Doomscrolling

THE AI DOC: OR HOW I BECAME AN APOCALOPTIMIST (Blu-ray)

2026 / 104 min

Universal

Available at MovieZyng

Review by Princess Pepper🙀

For me personally, AI began rearing its ugly head during my final years as a middle school teacher. Some students who’d previously demonstrated almost no ability (or desire) to put together a single grammatically correct sentence were suddenly turning in essays that displayed a level of “thinking” and vocabulary well beyond their grade level. Worse yet, those who bothered to proofread whatever ChatGPT belched out for them freely admitted they had no idea what certain words and passages even meant. But they didn’t consider it cheating because, to them, chatbots were simply another writing tool like spell-checkers. 

That, among other things, was a sure sign it was time to retire. This tired old teacher (who still considers writing to be an essential skill) did not want to be around to experience AI’s growing impact on the classroom. But damn, if AI didn’t soon become unavoidable, turning social media into a junkyard and embraced by countless boobs who don’t know (or care) if what they see, read or hear is real or the product of a data center. 

That being said, I found The AI Doc to be a depressing experience, a film I regret having seen because it alarmingly lays out just how far-reaching this capitalism-driven technology has insinuated itself into nearly every aspect of culture, politics, finance, business and the economy (to say nothing of its immediate negative impact on the environment itself). Not only that, AI is becoming exponentially smarter and more powerful every day. Even its own creators (some interviewed here) admit they aren’t fully certain how it works and what it’ll eventually be capable of…for better or worse.

"I just wanted to reassure you that, even though you're now obsolete, I'll be fine."

To be honest, I would have preferred to keep my head buried in the sand, kind of like some of those same creators who repeatedly gush over the wonders of AI and how it’ll turn the world into a work-free utopia, while completely ignoring that it’s already eliminated jobs by the millions and consumes an ungodly amount of natural resources to function. It’s like listening to a tag-team of Mayor Vaughns. But hey, who needs a job or drinkable water when you can make videos of a high-diving horse?

The most alarming aspect of the film is that directors Daniel Roher and Charlie Tyrell make it abundantly (and repeatedly) clear that we have no say in the matter. At this point, AI is a Pandora’s box that cannot be closed. Roher presents himself as an artist with growing anxiety over AI’s increasing omnipresence, interviewing various experts for assurance that there’s nothing to be afraid of. Such assurance isn’t forthcoming, though. On the extreme end of the spectrum, some interviewees take the Chicken Little approach by suggesting AI will be capable of killing people through manipulation. While I’m not quite ready to follow them down that particular rabbit hole, these claims certainly exacerbate the notion that nothing good can stem from AI continuing to grow without being regulated. Unfortunately, not even those who declare AI to be the greatest thing since the industrial revolution have any idea how to do that.

The AI Doc ends with a call to action, but even then, we don’t walk away very optimistic that anything will change, not with financial gain being the driving force behind its use. In fact, what I mostly felt afterwards was resentment that AI is essentially inescapable. While the film itself is admittedly fascinating, maybe even Oscar worthy, watching it is kind of like doomscrolling without a computer mouse.

DUST BUNNY: For Those Mad About Mads

DUST BUNNY (4K UHD)

2025 / 106 min

Lionsgate

Available at Movie Zyng

Review by Mr. Bonnie, the Bunny Hunter😺

Maybe some of you fathers with daughters can relate to this…

I have two, Natalie and Lucy, and though they’re both adults now, I still see them as my little girls. So as they’ve gotten older, it’s been weird learning of their celebrity crushes, especially when we’re watching a movie featuring one of them. Weirder still is that both prefer their crushes in grungier roles… disheveled, grimy, unshaven and looking like they style their hair with a leaf blower.

For example, Lucy loves Pedro Pascal. Not clean-cut Pedro, but the weathered, grizzled Pedro from stuff like The Last of Us. Natalie happens to be mad about Mads…Mikkelsen, that is. Ever since seeing him in the Hannibal series, she’s loved the guy, especially the times he looks like he just spent a year out in the wild wrestling mountain lions.

She’d love Mikkelsen in Dust Bunny. He doesn’t live in the woods or throw-down with the local wildlife, but as a professional hitman, he certainly does his share of ass-kicking…as well as confronting the titular creature. That’s right, Natalie, the title isn’t anything symbolic. There’s literally a dust-created monster living under the floorboards of a little girl’s room, who eats her parents one night. After witnessing her ‘Intriguing Neighbor’ (Mikkelsen) handily dispatch what she thinks is a dragon, the girl, Aurora (Sophie Sloan), wants to hire him to kill the monster.

"The '70s called...they want their leisure suit back."

While he informs her that he does indeed kill monsters, they are human monsters, so he initially believes Aurora’s is a figment of her imagination. Still, he becomes her reluctant guardian, especially since he’s certain her parents were killed by people who were actually targeting him. However, when his handler, Laverne (Sigourney Weaver), learns Aurora witnessed his handiwork, she sends other assassins to the apartment to eliminate her. Needless to say, everyone (except Aurora) is in for a big surprise…literally, as it turns out.

While often very funny, Dust Bunny isn’t quite a comedy. It’s a fun film that successfully combines horror, violent action (though it’s not particularly bloody) and whimsical Burtonesque fantasy elements, the latter refined by colorful, imaginative production design. At its heart, however, is the charming relationship between an inquisitive child with a dark past and a hitman with an equally dark past. The banter between them is often amusing, sometimes heartwarming. Mikkelsen and Sloan are wonderful, both resisting the urge to overplay their roles. Conversely, Weaver’s exaggerated performance is kind of grating.

Then there’s the monster itself, which is both menacing and amusing (brought to life through special effects and puppetry), yet it shouldn’t traumatize your kids too much. In fact, despite the R-rating, I think most kids would get a kick out of Dust Bunny. I know one of my own will, but since she’s 30, her kicks will be for a different reason.

EXTRA KIBBLES

FEATURETTES - Making Dust Bunny features some cast & crew interviews and behind-the-scenes footage. The remaining five bonus features are basically promo spots running a minute or less.

TRAILER

THE POOP SCOOP: Upcoming Kibbles!

UPCOMING KIBBLES THAT MAKE US PURR!

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s ERASER Coming to 4K & Digital June 16 from Warner Bros. U.S. marshal John Kruger (Arnold Schwarzenegger) “erases” the lives and identities of people entering the Witness Protection Program. When his latest charge (Vanessa Williams) uncovers a deal to put a new superweapon in the wrong hands, it’s a do-or-die assignment. Kruger embarks on a high-octane action spree to protect her. 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. In this animated comedy adventure, animal lover Mabel seizes an opportunity to use a new technology to ‘hop’ her consciousness into a lifelike robotic beaver and communicate directly with animals. As she makes amazing discoveries, Mabel befriends a charismatic beaver and must rally the entire animal kingdom to face a major, imminent human threat. 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.  When he eyes the score of a lifetime, his path crosses that of a disillusioned insurance broker (Halle Berry) who is facing her own crossroads. Convinced he has found a pattern, a relentless detective (Mark Ruffalo) is closing in, raising the stakes even higher. As the heist approaches, the line between hunter and hunted begins to blur, and all three are faced with life-defining choices—and the realization that there can be no turning back. 

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 April 7 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!

The Fantasy Thriller, DUST BUNNY Coming to 4K and Digital from Lionsgate. Some monsters are real in this fantastical and wickedly inventive feature directorial debut from visionary creator Bryan Fuller.

THE BLACK BELLY OF THE TARANTULA on 4K and Blu-ray May 12 from Celluloid Dreams. This giallo classic is now available for preorder on the Celluloid Dreams website.

Catnip Reviews: 28 YEARS LATER: THE BONE TEMPLE, ROBIN HOOD: PRINCE OF THIEVES and SEND HELP

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

28 YEARS LATER: THE BONE TEMPLE (Blu-ray) - Picking up where last year’s 28 Years Later left off, The Bone Temple doesn’t simply continue the same story. Though Ralph Fiennes and Alfie Williams return in their roles, this one goes in a different narrative direction and introduces who might be the most menacing and hateful antagonist in the entire franchise, played with gleeful aplomb by Jack O’Connell. And while this is certainly the goriest chapter yet, it’s also the most emotionally affecting, largely due to Fiennes’ excellent performance. If nothing else, you haven’t lived until you’ve seen one of Britain’s most respected actors parading around as Satan while lip-synching Iron Maiden’s “The Number of the Beast.” A thrilling, brutal film, it also manages to be both heartwarming and heartbreaking. While the door is enticingly left open for a sequel, The Bone Temple’s underwhelming box office performance might have dashed those plans. If it does end up being the final film, at least the series ends on a high note. This Blu-ray release comes with some interesting behind-the-scenes featurettes, an audio commentary by director Nia DaCosta and (surprise!) a blooper reel. (2026/109 min/Sony).

KITTY CONSENSUS: 😼😼😼😼😼

ROBIN HOOD: PRINCE OF THIEVES Limited Edition (4H UHD) - How great was the late Alan Rickman? Sure, he was a big part of what made such films as Die Hard and Galaxy Quest modern classics, but the strongest testament to his talent might be his performance in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. For those who weren’t around back then, this film felt more like a corporate decision than a creative one, hastily assembled to capitalize on the tremendous audience goodwill afforded Kevin Costner after Dances with Wolves. Slickly assembled, Robin Hood boasts the best production design and big-name cast money can buy, and even throws in the prerequisite Oscar-baiting power ballad. It made millions, of course, but 35 years later, Rickman’s scene-stealing, turbo-charged performance as the Sheriff of Nottingham remains the only memorable aspect of the entire film and the main reason for revisiting it today. This limited edition release from Arrow Video serves up good 4K UHD transfers of both the theatrical and extended cuts, as well as a big batch of bonus features, including a multipart documentary. (1991/143 min/Arrow Video).

KITTY CONSENSUS: 😺😺😺

SEND HELP (4K + Blu-ray) - While director Sam Raimi isn’t as prolific as most of us would like, he certainly brings his own unique panache to the films he does end up doing, even those where he’s essentially a director-for-hire. That being said, Send Help is his best film in years. This wildly constructed survivor thriller is chock-full of tension, black comedy, gruesome violence and relevant social commentary. It’s all built around a gonzo performance by Rachel McAdams, a socially awkward (and slightly looney) corporate employee to gets stranded on an island with her shallow, narcissistic boss (Dylan O’Brien) and uses the situation to turn the tables on him. The film runs a little longer than necessary, but it’s got a couple of nifty twists during the climax that we don’t see coming. This 4K/Blu-ray combo pack includes several making-of featurettes, a collection of bloopers and over an hour of deleted/extended scenes. (2026/113 min/20th Century Studios).

KITTY CONSENSUS: 😼😼😼😼