THE POOP SCOOP: Bring On The Action

UPCOMING KIBBLES THAT MAKE US PURR!

KILL BILL: THE WHOLE BLOODY AFFAIR 4K/Blu-ray Combo Pack Coming July 28 from Lionsgate. Quentin Tarantino's KILL BILL: THE WHOLE BLOODY AFFAIR unites Volume 1 and Volume 2 into a single, unrated epic—presented exactly as he intended, complete with a new anime sequence. Uma Thurman stars as The Bride, left for dead after her former boss and lover Bill ambushes her wedding rehearsal, shooting her in the head and stealing her unborn child. To exact her vengeance, she must first hunt down the four remaining members of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad before confronting Bill himself. With its operatic scope, relentless action, and iconic style, THE WHOLE BLOODY AFFAIR stands as one of cinema's definitive revenge sagas—rarely shown in its complete form, and now presented with a classic intermission. This release also comes with an assortment of physical extras, including posters, collectors cards and a 40 page booklet.

MORTAL COMBAT II on Digital June 9 and Blu-ray, 4K and DVD July 28 from Warner Bros. From New Line Cinema, the latest high-stakes installment in the blockbuster video game franchise in all its brutal glory, debuts digitally at home on June 9. This time, the fan favorite champions—now joined by Johnny Cage himself—are pitted against one another in the ultimate, no-holds barred, gory battle to defeat the dark rule of Shao Kahn that threatens the very existence of the Earthrealm and its defenders. Karl Urban stars as Johnny Cage, alongside Adeline Rudolph, Jessica McNamee, Josh Lawson, Ludi Lin, Mehcad Brooks, Tati Gabrielle, Lewis Tan, Damon Herriman, with Chin Han, Tadanobu Asano as Lord Raiden, Joe Taslim as Bi-Han, and Hiroyuki Sanada as Hanzo Hasashi and Scorpion. Director Simon McQuoid returns to helm the follow up to his explosive 2021 cinematic adventure, from a screenplay by Jeremy Slater, based on the videogame created by Ed Boon and John Tobias. 

MICHAEL on digital June 9 and Blu-ray, 4K and DVD July 17 from Lionsgate. MICHAEL is the cinematic portrayal of the life and legacy of one of the most influential artists the world has ever known. The film tells the story of Michael Jackson’s life beyond the music, tracing his journey from the discovery of his extraordinary talent as the lead of The Jackson 5, to the visionary artist whose creative ambition fueled a relentless pursuit to become the biggest entertainer in the world. Highlighting both his life off-stage and some of the most iconic performances from his early solo career, the film gives audiences a front-row seat to Michael Jackson as never before. This is where his story begins. Blu-ray and 4K versions include a selection of bonus features.  

An Underseen Gem from the 70s, THE OUTFIT, on Blu-ray July 28 from Arrow Video. Earl Macklin (Robert Duvall, The Godfather) is a professional thief. Once upon a time, he and his brother Eddie robbed a bank together. Unfortunately, that bank was owned by a criminal syndicate, "The Outfit". Now Eddie is dead, and it looks like Earl is next. But "The Outfit" hasn't counted on Earl's iron will. Released from a 27-month stretch in prison, Earl wants to get even and, with girlfriend Bett (Karen Black, Five Easy Pieces) and best friend Cody (Joe Don Baker, Walking Tall), he begins a private war to avenge the death of his brother. The entire criminal underworld is about to learn an unforgettable lesson: never mess with Earl Macklin. With a score by Peckinpah regular Jerry Fielding, gritty cinematography by Bruce Surtees (The Shootist), and a veritable rogues gallery of classic character actors including Robert Ryan (The Wild Bunch), Timothy Carey (The Killing), Richard Jaeckel (The Dirty Dozen), and Bill McKinney (Deliverance), The Outfit is as tough, taut, and relentless as its protagonist. This release includes numerous new bonus features.

Lee Cronin’s THE MUMMY on Digital May 19 and Blu-ray, 4K and DVD July 4 from Warner Bros. The young daughter of a journalist disappears into the desert without a trace—eight years later, the broken family is shocked when she is returned to them, as what should be a joyful reunion turns into a living nightmare.

THE LAST SHOWGIRL on Bluray + Digital June 23 from Lionsgate. Pamela Anderson shines as a glamorous Vegas showgirl whose 30-year career at Le Razzle Dazzle, the last remaining revue, is coming to an abrupt end.  

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.

CRIME 101 on Blu-ray, 4K and DVD June 30 from Alliance Entertainment. Set against the sun-bleached grit of Los Angeles, Crime 101 weaves the tale of an elusive jewel thief (Chris Hemsworth) whose heists have mystified police.

THEY WILL KILL YOU on Blu-ray, 4K & DVD June 30 from Warner Bros. Director Kirill Sokolov unleashes a blood-soaked, high-octane horror-action-comedy in which a young woman must survive the night at the Virgil, a demonic cult’s mysterious and twisted death-trap of a lair.

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?

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

You've Already Seen PROTECTOR

PROTECTOR (Blu-ray)

2025 / 92 min

Magenta Light

Review by Stinky the Destroyer😾

This is one of those cookie cutter action films where the cover and tagline tell you almost everything you need to know…another female variation of Taken, this time with Milla Jovovich assuming the ass-kicking duties. Not that there’s anything necessarily wrong with that. In the right hands, rip-offs can be fun if you keep your expectations in-check.

But Protector isn’t content to simply rip-off Taken. At one point, it also decides to become another Rambo movie (more specifically, First Blood). Jovovich plays Nikki Halstead, an ex-super soldier whose daughter is kidnapped by human traffickers known as The Syndicate (of course they are). Using her own special set of skills, Nikki becomes a one-woman wrecking crew as she hunts down and slaughters her way up the food chain, while her former CO, Colonel Lavelle (Matthew Modine), is on-hand to continuously remind befuddled cops how lethal she is. 

"Hi, Milla."

There isn’t anything wrong with that either. Nobody watches this stuff expecting enlightenment. But what sinks Protector is the execution. It is atrociously written, starting with Jovovich’s needless voice-over narration, where she pontificates life, death and the particulars of being trained killer with such solemnity that it becomes unintentionally humorous. All the characters are composites of those you’ve undoubtedly seen in better movies, the worst example being a police captain played by D.B. Sweeney, who’s so stupidly belligerent that he makes Brian Dennehy’s similar character in First Blood look like Frank Serpico.

As for Nikki’s rampage, some of it is enjoyable and Jovovich has always been a solid physical performer. That being said, I’m at a total loss why the film totally skips over her killing spree which kicks things off. Instead, one bad guy simply tells his boss that she blew up a whorehouse and killed five people before the narrative charges forward. Then there’s that plot twist at the end, clumsily tacked-on without any foreshadowing. Is it intended to shock the audience or leave the door open for a sequel? Either way, it’s a narratively pointless suckerpunch.

Jovovich’s obvious dedication to her role is admirable, but unfortunately, it’s in service of a depressingly derivative, disjointed film. Protector is devoid of engaging characters, suspense or anything resembling an original idea (not even the stupid twist ending).