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FRESH HORSES (Blu-ray) - Spending most of the ‘80s as a generation’s high school sweetheart, Brat Packer Molly Ringwald grows up just a smidgen in 1988’s Fresh Horses. Somewhat against type, she dons her white trash hat to play an underaged woman in an abusive marriage. Then she meets a well-to-do yuppie played by fellow Brat Pack alumni Andrew McCarthy, who falls hard enough in love with her to break off his engagement to another woman. But things eventually grow more complicated. Ringwald delivers an earnest performance, while McCarthy essentially plays the same guy he does in every movie. While the story is sporadically interesting, the overall tone is a little too serious, especially since we’ve seen this kind of thing plenty of times before. The film isn’t a gold star on anyone’s resume, least of all director David Anspaugh, the guy responsible for Hoosiers and Ruby (sports movies are definitely his forte). But as the last movie Ringwald did before leaving teen roles behind, this mostly forgotten effort might be of interest to those who loved her back in the day. Part of Alliance Entertainment’s ongoing Retro VHS series, the Blu-ray features a nifty throwback slipcover, but no bonus features. (1988/105/Alliance Entertainment).
KITTY CONSENSUS: 😼😼
IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT (Blu-ray) - For us, any movie that polarizes wide swaths of viewers definitely piques our interest. As for one that manages to raise the hackles of an entire government? Hell, sign us up! It Was Just an Accident was directed by Jafar Panahi and his film won the 2025 Palme d’Or at Cannes. It tells the story of a small group of former political prisoners who believe the man they kidnapped and stuffed into a van is the same Iranian guard who viciously tortured them while they were incarcerated. However, no one is 100% certain, so efforts are made to prove his identity. And even then, not everyone is convinced he should be killed. What initially seems like a fairly straightforward revenge tale evolves into a morally ambiguous, politically-charged film that raises some interesting questions. However, the backstory for this one is ultimately more fascinating than the movie itself. Filmed without permission from the Iranian government, Panahi shot most of this in secret, without permits. That he manages to pull it off - with a mostly amateur cast, no less - is a story unto itself, some of which is explored in this disc’s small selection of bonus material.
(2025/103 min/Criterion Collection).
KITTY CONSENSUS: 😺😺😺
MARSHALLS - SEASON ONE (Blu-ray) - You’re looking at the one guy who has never seen a single episode of Yellowstone or any of its spin-offs. I don’t know the basic premise, nor could I name a character. I’m pretty certain if I worked somewhere with a water cooler, I'd be the odd man out, watching from a distance while others traded reactions to the latest episode. That being said, I found the third Yellowstone spin-off, Marshals, kind of a chore to endure. Sort of a sequel, this has Luke Grimes returning as Kayce Dutton, who leaves the ranch to become a U.S. Marshal in Montana. Somewhat refreshingly, these 13 episodes are a little more self-contained than your typical serialized show (with mostly subplots forming ongoing story arcs), so one’s engagement doesn’t depend exclusively on previous developments (but be ready for everything to conclude with the usual cliffhanger, setting up Season Two). The police procedural aspects of the show are sporadically interesting, but the action is fairly routine and I was never all that invested in any of these characters. Of course, fans of the franchise, especially Yellowstone itself, may feel a lot differently. (2026/552 min/Paramount).
KITTY CONSENSUS: 😼😼
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