Here Comes the BRIDE OF RE-ANIMATOR in 4K

BRIDE OF RE-ANIMATOR (4K + Blu-ray)

1990 / 96 min

Ignite Films

Review by Josey, the Sudden Cat🙀

Historically, Bride of Re-Animator has never been as highly revered as the original cult classic. But that didn’t dissuade the good folks at Ignite Films from putting together a new 4K boxed set that’s just as awesomely packaged and packed with goodies as their 2025 Re-Animator set, along with an equally impressive restoration.

But while Bride never reaches the delirious heights (or depths) of the original, it’s still a pretty good film, something you can’t really say about a majority of horror sequels, especially those which negate events in the first film in order to exist. So while no plausible explanation is given for how Herbert West (Jeffrey Combs) and Dr. Carl Hill (David Gale) manage to return for this one, isn’t it great to have them back anyway?

And because the narrative itself is cohesive and engaging, with creative allusions to more than just H.P. Lovecraft’s source material, Bride never feels brazenly slapped together like, say, Highlander II (our vote for the most insultingly illogical sequel of all time). Largely taking place some months after Re-Animator, West and beleaguered partner-in-crime Dan Cain (Bruce Abbott) are now doctors at the same institute. After the havoc they caused before, one would think these two wouldn’t even be allowed back in the building. 

They’re also up to the same undead shenanigans, with West obsessed with assembling a woman made from recovered body parts and using his reagent to bring her back from the dead. Dan is initially horrified, but West coerces him by using the heart of his dead girlfriend, Meagan (Barbara Crampton’s character in the first film), in the newly assembled creation. Meanwhile, vengeful cop Leslie Chapham (Claude Earl Jones) remains suspicious of what happened at the institute all those months ago, and more amusingly, Dr. Hill (or at least his head) is back and batty (!) and looking to get even with West.

Bride is seldom as uninhibited and audacious as Re-Animator, but still serves up plenty of black humor, amusing dialogue and, of course, a supreme amount of splatter. If anything, there’s a greater emphasis on comedy in this one, my personal favorite moment being the eyeball/finger critter West assembles on a whim. Clearly drawing inspiration from Bride of Frankenstein, the film sometimes plays like an affectionate homage. And if I didn’t know better, I’d suggest this film may have been a bit influential in its own right. Just look at Dan’s character late in the film, with his open shirt and flowing hair…he looks a hell of a lot like Kenneth Branagh’s flowery depiction of Dr. Frankenstein five years later. 

"Oh, bartender..."

Still, this one falls short of the first film, and with hindsight, that was probably inevitable. Brian Yuzna’s direction is serviceable, but he lacks Stuart Gordon's chutzpah, which was a big part of what made Re-Animator such a wild ride (and a cult classic). The narrative is also a little more meandering, especially during the first half, which throws in a superfluous new love interest for Dan. By and large, though, Bride of Re-Animator is a decent sequel, perhaps the best we could’ve hoped for, with another wonderfully snotty performance by Combs (still the franchise’s MVP).

Ignite films has released Bride of Re-Animator in four different editions (one of which includes a Finger Creature collectible figure!). We reviewed the Deluxe Edition 3-disc set, which offers two cuts of the film, a 4K restoration of the unrated version and an HD restoration of the rated version. There are also three audio options (5.1, 2.0 and original mono). Overall, the movie looks and sounds better than ever. But the best part is the abundance of new and archival bonus material (outlined below). All the new stuff is included on the 4K disc, and it’s substantial. So while the movie itself isn’t as good as the original, this boxed set is a must own for anyone who loved Ignite’s Re-Animator 4K release.

EXTRA KIBBLES

UNRATED (4K & Blu-ray) & R-RATED (Blu-ray) VERSIONS

TILL DEATH DO US PART: MAKING BRIDE OF RE-ANIMATOR is an excellent new hour-long retrospective documentary, featuring behind the scenes footage and interviews. 

EXTENDED INTERVIEWS are individual interviews expanded from the aforementioned documentary, featuring director Brian Yuzna, actors Bruce Abbott, Kathleen Kinmont, Jeffrey Combs and Fabiana Udenio. 

4 AUDIO COMMENTARIES - 1) NEW: By comedian/actor “Sarah Squirm” (Sarah Sherman) (4K only); 2) By director Brian Yuzna (Blu-ray); 3) By Yuzna, actor Jeffrey Combs and most of the make-up FX team (Blu-ray); 4) By actors Jeffrey Combs and Bruce Abbott (Blu-ray).

ARCHIVAL KIBBLES - Brian Yuzna Remembers Bride is an interview with the director; Splatter Masters is a look at the make-up effects; Getting Ahead in Horror is a making-of featurette; Behind the Effects.

DELETED SCENES - Meg is Re-Animated also includes on-set footage; Carnival Sequence is actually more of a still gallery with commentary from various cast & crew.

SUPPLEMENTAL BOOK - This is a beautifully designed hardcover book that includes an intro by Brian Yuzna, a collection of comments from cast & crew, 4 new essays, cast & crew credits, vintage photos.

5 COLLECTOR’S ART CARDS - Featuring stills from the movie.

LOCKER: Not A Perfect Storm

LOCKER (Blu-ray)

2025 / 99 min

Lumina Films

Available at MovieZyng.com

Review by Stinky the Destroyer😾

I’m sure a lot of you recall the recent Titan disaster, where a submersible imploded on its way down to see the Titanic, killing its owner/operator and four others who paid a few hundred-grand for the privilege of being turned into salt water puree. 

Not to make light of the tragedy, but as subsequent news revealed, there were already safety concerns about the sub’s construction, which were largely ignored by the owner. Later, I watched a Netflix documentary that painted this man as a villain…arrogant, overconfident and reckless, which is far more characterization than Locker offers.

Inspired by the incident, this is a fictionalized telling of the same story. Four guys, including the pilot/owner Marcus Graves (Vincent Donato) and his terrified son, David (Matt Visciglio), head down to Titanic and end up stuck on the ocean floor. Taking place entirely inside the submersible, they are forced to deal with depleting oxygen, carbon monoxide poisoning and the dwindling hope of rescue…with a little death and insanity along the way. Speculatively and structurally, Locker is like a low budget variation of The Perfect Storm.

"On the bright side, fellas, we still have HBO."

Considering the already limited cinematic possibilities of its claustrophobic setting, one would think writer/director Peter Ninos might have put a little more effort into creating engaging characters, whether the audience likes them or not. But the closest he comes is throwing in a smug YouTuber whose reaction to every life-threatening crisis is dripping with sarcasm. In fact, the only character who plausibly faces the reality of impending death is David. Even Marcus is mostly just a talking head providing exposition, and the narrative barely suggests he might be responsible for their predicament. 

99 minutes is a long time to spend in a dark, tight space with dull characters whose ultimate fate is a foregone conclusion. Like The Perfect Storm, the film speculates what it must have been like for the ill-fated people involved in a real life tragedy. But unfortunately, Ninos fails to make us care what happens to them. There are documentaries about the same incident that are far more compelling.

THE AGENCY - SEASON ONE: Espionage Without the Upgrade (which suits us just fine)

THE AGENCY - SEASON ONE (DVD)

2024 / 495 min

Paramount

Review by Carl, the Couch Potato😽

Back in the day, I remember there being a lot of A-list actors who wouldn’t be caught dead doing television unless their careers were waning. For the most part, you had your TV actors, then you had your movie stars, and if you wanted to see the latter do their stuff, you had to pay for it. 

And in a way, you still do, with scores of famous faces typically associated with the big screen popping up in their own TV series, the big difference being that few of them are served up for free. Seeing the likes of Harrison Ford doing turns on 1923 or Shrinking is gonna cost you a streaming subscription for the privilege. 

A show like The Agency requires even more. It’s not enough to simply have Paramount+. You have to upgrade your subscription to include Showtime. Is the show worth the extra effort (and money) just to enjoy this impressive cast led by Michael Fassbender, Richard Gere, Jodie Turner-Smith and the always awesome Jeffrey Wright? Probably not, because there are times when these 10 episodes throw so much plot at you - without providing a hell of a lot of clarity - that waiting a whole week for the next installment runs the risk of having you play catch-up for half the episode.

But being able to binge it all on DVD helps, not only because the multiple plot threads remain fresh in our minds, but the show maintains the urgent tone necessary to be just compelling enough to keep the viewer charging forward. And trust me, both are important because, storywise, The Agency is all over the place and doesn’t always seem concerned whether or not we can easily follow along. In a nutshell, the series is about the London branch of the CIA and the current three crises it’s facing. The first, about the sudden disappearance of an undercover operative known as “Coyote,” is the most compelling. The hows, whys and what’s at stake eventually turn his rescue into a race against time. 

"You need to leave. You're scaring away the pigeons."

Elsewhere, the increasingly complicated (and sometimes meandering) relationship between CIA agent Brandon Colby (Fassbender) and Sudanese professor Samia Zahir (Turner-Smith) only gets interesting once her superiors begin to suspect his real identity. Last and least is the subplot involving the training and infiltration of young recruit Daniela Morata (Saura Lightfoot-Leon) into Iran. While occasionally harrowing, sometimes it seems unnecessarily inserted into the overall story arc, not helped by a character who isn’t all that interesting or likable in the first place.

Most of these characters are pretty ruthless when it comes to their jobs, essentially forsaking personal lives and humanity for the sake of something larger at stake. A lot of the time, none of the main characters really even trust each other, which leads to the one thing The Agency does very well: It makes working for the CIA look like a terrible occupation, living in a near-constant state of stress, paranoia and fear.

Even though the viewer might need a flow chart to keep track of every character and story development, The Agency lends itself fairly well to binge watching. While a few plot threads are left open-ended, the Season One does sort of conclude with a sense of closure, making this DVD set an enjoyable evening-or-two of espionage without having to upgrade a subscription.

CITIZEN VIGILANTE: Garbage Message, Garbage Movie

CITIZEN VIGILANTE (Blu-ray)

2026 / 88 min

Event Film

Review by Stinky the Destroyer😾

Never mind that Citizen Vigilante reveals its anti-immigrant stance (with the subtlety of a hammer) in the first five minutes. Or that the film essentially blames all violent crime on Islamic extremists enabled by the “woke left.” Or that the protagonist is a privileged white man who vocally condemns a migrant family’s “archaic value system” before blowing them away. Or that this is the film neo-Nazi narcissist Elon Musk loved so much he served it up on Twitter for free. Or that the star of this hatefest had recently torpedoed his own career with allegations of sexual abuse and cannibalism.

Maybe some of you are fine with all that. Hell, maybe this is the kind of movie you’ve been waiting for, one with a message that speaks to the darkest regions of your heart. If so, I sure hope I don’t know any of you personally. But regardless of where you plant your flag, Citizen Vigilante is simply a bad movie, which probably shouldn’t come as a surprise. After all, this epic atrocity was written, produced, directed and shot by the notorious Uwe Boll. If the name doesn’t ring a bell, Boll is a German auteur who’s managed to make films for over 30 years without ever learning how. 

Armie had the choice of doing a cat food commercial or a Uwe Boll film. He now realizes he chose wrong.

The quasi-comprehensible plot focuses on stone-faced property owner Michael Sanders (Armie Hammer, who displays one emotion). When he isn’t evicting poor people from his properties, he’s fast becoming a global hero by taking the law into his own hands, killing rapists and murderers (all foreigners of color), as well as public officials who’ve set them free. In the interim, he goes on the internet and spews jingoistic bile about taking the country back. Trying to stop him is dedicated Interpol cop Henry (Costas Mandylor), though we really don’t see him do anything throughout the entire film.

In fact, even would-be thrillseekers might be disappointed by the overall lack of action, and that Sanders does more talking than killing, putting us to sleep with laborious, jingoistic monologues (I get the impression Sanders is simply a conduit for Boll to voice his own personal grievances). Elsewhere, the film is poorly paced, structurally baffling, lazily written and apparently edited with a weed whacker. And hypocritically, the narrative sometimes belies its own message, as when Sanders slaughters an entire team of cops, and in another scene where he intentionally causes the death of an innocent motorist to prove a point to the judge he’s abducted. Or is Boll saying a little collateral damage is okay, so long as those nasty immigrants suffer?

Whatever the case, Citizen Vigilante is an awful film, even by Boll’s subterranean standards. Narratively vapid, technically inept and morally repugnant, this one doesn’t even qualify as so-bad-it’s-good...save for a hilarious sex scene where Sanders stops mid-coitus to complain about mold on the walls.

EXTRA KIBBLES

FEATURETTE - Costas Mandylor on Uwe Boll, where the actor spends two minutes gushing how brave and ballsy the director is.

AUDIO COMMENTARY - By writer-director Uwe Boll.

THE POOP SCOOP: Epic Edition

UPCOMING KIBBLES THAT MAKE US PURR!

THE DIRTY DOZEN Limited Edition on 4K and Blu-ray November 17 from Arrow Video.  The World War II epic blockbuster The Dirty Dozen storms onto 4K UHD for its worldwide premiere. Director Robert Aldrich (The Longest Yard) assembles an all-star cast for this tale of a deadly mission carried out by some of the most dangerous men in the U.S. Army. The Limited Edition release features a brand-new 4K restoration from the original 35mm camera negative by Arrow Films. A Limited Edition Blu-ray release will also be available. Special features include a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision, original restored lossless mono, 5.1 audio and a newly restored 6.0 (70mm mix) track, optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing, a brand-new audio commentary, an archival audio commentary with actors Jim Brown, Trini Lopez, Stuart Cooper and Colin Maitland, producer Kenneth Hyman, novelist E.M. Nathanson, and others, an archival introduction to the film by Ernest Borgnine, the theatrical trailer, image gallery, The Dirty Dozen: Next Mission, a feature-length TV sequel starring Lee Marvin and Ernest Borgnine (standard definition only), newly discovered on-set footage and an interview with Lee Marvin, a brand-new appreciation by film historian Kim Newman, a brand-new breakdown of Frank De Vol’s score, an archival featurette on the making of the film, an archival featurette on the history behind the film, an original promotional featurette, a Navy recruitment film narrated by Lee Marvin, and a collectors’ booklet.

Christopher Nolan’s THE ODYSSEY on 4K, Blu-ray and DVD November 17 from Universal. A mythic action epic of mammoth proportions, THE ODYSSEY has cemented itself as the highest-grossing film in both Nolan's filmography and Universal Pictures' storied 114-year history by earning more than $1.7 billion at the global box office. As it continues its dominant global box-office run, the film will be available to own just in time for the holidays. Now audiences can venture deeper into THE ODYSSEY with an essential collection of Special Features personally overseen by Christopher Nolan. Through exclusive behind-the-scenes footage and intimate interviews with the cast and crew, each piece extensively details an aspect of the film's production, including constructing enormous sets, casting the actors, choreographing intense fight sequences, creating the effects, composing the score and much more, all while shining revealing lights on how Homer's classic literary work transformed into a powerful cinematic epic. A LIMITED EDITION 4K STEELBOOK IS ALSO AVAILABLE.

ROCKY 50th Anniversary 4K SteelBook coming December 15 from Alliance Entertainment. Alliance Home Entertainment will release the Academy Award®-winning classic as a limited-edition 2-disc 4K UHD / Blu-ray SteelBook arriving December 15. The Rocky™ 50th Anniversary Edition arrives in premium SteelBook packaging with a souvenir mini-poster, bringing the film to 4K UHD and Blu-ray in a release worthy of the milestone. The 4K UHD includes three commentaries featuring Sylvester Stallone, members of the cast and filmmakers, and renowned boxing experts. The Blu-ray also offers more than three hours of additional bonus content, including archival 8mm home movies of Rocky (1975), a three-part making-of documentary, and behind-the-scenes featurettes exploring the film’s music, makeup, directing, camera work, and more.

THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KING on 4K/Blu-ray November 24 from Warner Archive. Based on a Rudyard Kipling story, Sean Connery and Michael Caine -- chins out, shoulders squared and with a sly wink -- star as British sergeants Danny Dravot and Peachy Carnehan. The Empire was built by men like these two. Now they're out to build their own empire, venturing into remote Kafiristan to become rich as kings. 

 

FALL 2: DEADPOINT on Digital now and Blu-ray & DVD November 17 from Lionsgate. On a perilous climb across Thailand's Mount Kwan, two climbers become trapped thousands of feet above the ground, where vertigo-inducing heights, sheer exposure, and impossible odds turn every moment into a fight for survival. 

IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE 80th Anniversary Limited Edition Gift Set coming November 17 from Paramount. This new Amazon Exclusive set includes 4K, Blu-ray, DVD and digital copies, as well as a keepsake book by actor/author Jimmy Hawkins.

COYOTE VS. ACME on 4K and Blu-ray December 1 from Ketchup Entertainment. Teaming up with billboard accident lawyer Kevin Avery (Will Forte), Wile E. Coyote takes on slick corporate counsel Buddy Crane (John Cena) and ACME, Inc.. 

LOGAN’S RUN on 4K and Blu-ray December 8 from Arrow Video. This new limited edition features a new restoration with plenty of new and vintage bonus features.

BULLITT on 4K and Blu-ray December 8 from Arrow Video. This new limited edition features a new restoration with plenty of new and vintage bonus features.

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RINGS OF POWER - SEASONS 1 & 2 on 4K November 3 from Alliance Entertainment. This epic drama follows an ensemble cast of characters, both familiar and new, as they confront the long-feared re-emergence of evil in Middle-earth.

THE END OF OAK STREET on Digital Now and Blu-ray, 4K and DVD November 3 from Warner Bros. The Platt family soon discovers that their very survival depends on them sticking together as they navigate their now unrecognizable surroundings.

KPOP DEMON HUNTERS on Blu-ray, 4K and DVD November 3 from Criterion Collection (seriously!). Few films have taken the world by storm quite like KPop Demon Hunters, an Academy Award–winning sensation overflowing with dazzling animation, unforgettable characters, and tenaciously catchy songs. 

GONE WITH THE WIND in 4K and Digital November 3 from Warner Bros. The classic returns newly remastered with extraordinary picture and sound and includes new bonus content. 

Guillermo del Toro’s FRANKENSTEIN on 4K and Blu-ray October 27 from Criterion Collection. A decades-in-the-making triumph of darkly ravishing visual invention and operatic storytelling.

Catnip Reviews: NADINE, IRON MAIDEN: BURNING AMBITION and PULP MODERN: HAND OF DOOM

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

NADINE (Blu-ray) - To be honest, I forgot this one even existed, and there’s a good reason for that. That isn’t to suggest Nadine is a bad movie, not with the caliber of talent on both sides of the camera. There’s Kim Basinger, whose career was riding pretty high at the time, sharing the screen with national treasure Jeff Bridges. The guy in the director’s chair, Robert Benton, was certainly no slouch either, having written and/or directed the likes of Bonnie & Clyde, Kramer vs. Kramer and The Late Show. So the end result of such a collaboration shouldn’t be so…well, forgettable. Basinger and Bridges have their moments, but are undermined by their own static characters and a generic story where the combined crime and comedy elements never rise above mildly amusing. Back in the day, this was the kind of movie you’d grab off video shelves because of its star appeal and passively watch without giving it another thought afterwards. In that respect, I suppose that makes it a fitting addition to Alliance Entertainment’s ongoing Retro VHS series. (1987/86 min/Alliance Entertainment).

KITTY CONSENSUS: 😼😼

IRON MAIDEN: BURNING AMBITION (4K/Blu-ray SteelBook) - We all need a little more Iron Maiden in our lives, and as someone who’s been a fan almost from the beginning, it does my heart good to see they’re still packing arenas and “upping the irons” 50 years later. During that time, there’s been no shortage of books and documentaries chronicling the band’s career, and there isn’t a hell of a lot offered in Burning Ambition that would be revelatory to dedicated fans. Still, it’s an affectionate tribute to both the band and those same fans. The film nicely summarizes the ups and downs of Maiden’s lengthy career through plenty of vintage footage, live performances and new interviews from current & former band members (mostly bassist/founder Steve Harris and lead singer Bruce Dickinson). Along the way, various peers and fans (including Javier Bardem) offer personal testimonials to the band’s greatness. However, some of the animated sequences in between leave a lot to be desired. Other than that, this handsomely packaged 4K SteelBook is a great way to include more Maiden in your life. (2026/106 min/Universal).

KITTY CONSENSUS: 😼😼😼😼

PULP MODERN: HAND OF DOOM (Blu-ray) - Pulp Modern, which I must confess I’d never heard of until now, is a fiction digest that’s been kicking around for about fifteen years, and has recently ventured into producing horror anthology films. Hand of Doom is the second one, a series of vignettes assembled by several writers and directors. The overall aesthetic, comedic tone and framing device reflect aspirations of being another Creepshow, but with a fraction of the resources. Keeping the obvious micro-budget in mind, the film ain’t half bad. As with most anthologies, consistency is sort of an issue, but other than an aggressively stupid wraparound story, none of the segments are terrible, and a few are actually quite good. Highlights include “Overtime,” where an overworked paper pusher tries to make it home before the full moon turns him into a werewolf, and the visually bizarre “Hell Hole,” featuring an inept maintenance man who accidentally opens a portal and releases a giant demon. Elsewhere, “Croak!” has its moments, mostly gross ones. Performances run hot and cold, as do the visual effects, but with tempered expectations, there’s some campy fun to be had here. (2025/71 min/Indie Rights).

KITTY CONSENSUS: 😺😺😺