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I WAS A TEENAGE SEX PISTOL (Blu-ray) - You’d be hard pressed to name another artist or band who became legendary with one album…and one album only. Such is the legacy of the Sex Pistols, four young British blokes of marginal musical ability who captured lightning in a bottle - as well as the pulse of disenfranchised youth - with a bit of help from opportunistic manager Malcom McLaren. Through interviews, archival footage and stills from the era, this revealing documentary tells the band’s story (and the enormous controversy that followed wherever they went) from the perspective of one of its founding members, bassist Glen Matlock. Additionally, former bandmates Steve Jones and Paul Cook are on-hand to discuss the band’s quick rise and fall (mostly corroborating Matlock’s recollections), while singer John Lydon is conspicuously absent. Other interviewees include Blondie, Billy Idol, Tracii Guns, The Faces’ Kenney Jones and The Damned’s Rat Scabies, all of whom convey their appreciation for the Pistols’ musical and cultural impact (well, maybe not Jones so much). The film is also about Matlock himself (based on his own book), and dedicates some time to his life & career after the Sex Pistols (which is a bit less interesting). For anyone who continues to love that one great album, or those simply curious over what the hubbub was about, this documentary is essential viewing…and really entertaining. (2025/102 min/Vantage Media).
KITTY CONSENSUS: 😼😼😼😼
NCIS: TONY & ZIVA, SEASON ONE (DVD) - Sometimes thinking outside the box doesn’t always pay off. Take Tony & Ziva, for instance. As the umpteenth spinoff in the never-ending NCIS franchise, this one takes two popular characters from the original series (played by Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo) and reunites them in Paris, along with a kid they had together. But it isn’t business as usual. This season eschews the tried & true episodic format for an ongoing narrative of a mysterious, high-tech thief who’s framed Tony for an Interpol theft. The main story is fairly engaging and its two stars slip comfortably back into their roles, but as someone who never religiously watched the original show, I was less interested in the flashbacks depicting how the couple fell apart. Perhaps many others felt the same, because Tony & Ziva has already been canceled. For those who did appreciate the franchise’s attempt to try something a little different, this 10 episode set comes with a few interesting bonus features. (2025/437 min/Paramount)
KITTY CONSENSUS: 😺😺😺
RELENTLESS (Blu-ray) - Former Brat Packer Judd Nelson plays Buck Taylor, a sadistic serial killer in this silly concoction from director William Lustig, best known for the gory cult classics, Maniac and Maniac Cop (no relation). But Relentless is no horror film. Instead, it's a crime thriller that features an ambitious rookie detective (Leo Rossi) teaming up with a cynical, seasoned cop (Robert Loggia) to find and stop Buck, who selects his victims at random. There’s a decent story in there somewhere, but it’s largely undermined by a static pace, lapses in logic (such as Buck being able to crash through a skylight without so much as a scratch) and an overwrought performance by Rossi (despite the deceptive billing, he’s the actual star of the film). And maybe it’s because of all the Brat Pack baggage he brings with him, but I simply didn’t buy Nelson as a psychotic killer, though he gives it a good sporting try. Still, Relentless enjoyed a healthy afterlife on home video (spawning three sequels, all starring Rossi), making this a logical choice for inclusion in Alliance Entertainment's ongoing Retro VHS series. (1989/92 min/Alliance Entertainment)
KITTY CONSENSUS: 😼😼
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