LE POOP SCOOP: Classic French Friskies Edition

UPCOMING KIBBLES THAT MAKE US PURR!

Lee Cronin’s THE MUMMY on Digital May 19 and Blu-ray, 4K and DVD July 4 from Warner Bros. Hot off the record-setting resurrection of EVIL DEAD RISE, writer/director Lee Cronin turns to one of the most iconic horror stories of all time with an audacious and twisted retelling: LEE CRONIN’S THE MUMMY. 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 film stars Jack Reynor, Laia Costa, May Calamawy, Natalie Grace, with Veronica Falcón. The film is written and directed by Cronin, and produced by James Wan, Jason Blum and John Keville. The executive producers are Michael Clear, Judson Scott, Macdara

Kelleher and Lee Cronin.

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. When the show’s closure in two weeks is announced, she tries to reconnect with her estranged daughter while leaning on her brassy former-showgirl best friend (Jamie Lee Curtis). Directed by Gia Coppola and featuring an original ballad by Miley Cyrus, this inspiring portrait of a resilient woman also stars Dave Bautista and Billie Lourd.  

BIRDS OF PREY (aka LE RAPACE) on Blu-ray June 6 from Kino Lorber. Iconic tough guy Lino Ventura stars in this ravishing action-thriller from author/filmmaker José Giovanni, whose hard-boiled novels Classe tous risques and Le deuxième souffle became Ventura-led screen classics. In 1938 Central America, a cynical hitman (Ventura) is hired to assassinate a head of state. Accompanied by a young revolutionary, he moves into a house opposite the presidential palace. As the assassin awaits his target, an unlikely friendship grows between the two men. Featuring vivid landscapes and a score by François de Roubaix, this unique France-Italy-Mexico co-production blends elements of a political thriller with a Spaghetti Western for a thoroughly entertaining genre concoction. 

INSPECTOR MAIGRET COLLECTION on Blu-ray June 2 from Kino Lorber. This three-film collection features screen great Jean Gabin (Touchez pas au grisbi) as Georges Simenon’s legendary, pipe-smoking sleuth. Maigret Sets a Trap (1958) – Inspector Maigret tries to trap a killer and discovers why a happily married, wealthy, and talented man should want to bump off women at night. Annie Girardot and Lino Ventua co-star in this suspenseful whodunnit. Maigret and the St. Fiacre Case (1959) –Maigret is summoned by the Countess to the Château de Saint-Fiacre (Valentine Tessier), where she shows him a letter she has received predicting the day on which she will die, hoping the great inspector can solve the identity of the secret ill-wisher. Michel Auclair and Paul Frankeur co-star. Maigret Sees Red (1963) – Gabin returns for his final outing in the role he was born to play. Three men, cruising Paris’s Pigalle district in a Chevrolet, shoot a bystander. When the police arrive, the body is gone. The good Inspector suspects a ring of U.S. mobsters when the trail leads him to a bowling alley where Americans gather and a mysterious femme fatale called Lily (Françoise Fabian) works. 

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.

HOPPERS on Digital NOW and Blu-ray, 4K & DVD June 2 from Disney/Pixar. 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.

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.

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 Now 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!

Catnip Reviews: CLASSE TOUS RISQUES, SOLDIER (4K) and the Original RUNNING MAN

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

CLASSE TOUS RISQUES (Blu-ray) - We here at Free Kittens are just now discovering the wonderful world of French thrillers from the ‘60s and ‘70s. Currently, we consider Le Circle Rouge the Citizen Kane of the genre, with Jean-Pierre Melville being our favorite director. In front of the camera, we’re particularly keen on Alain Delon, Lino Ventura and Jean-Paul Belmondo. Those last two actors star together in Classe Tous Risques, a crackling 1960 gangster movie about a fugitive mob boss trying to escape the executioner’s chair by fleeing to another country with his family. Ventura excels in the lead, while Belmondo also shines as the only man he can trust. Tough, violent, but also somber and poignant, this Claude Sautet-directed film hits all the right notes. Also available in a 4K version, the film’s been wonderfully restored and includes a few excellent archival bonus features. (1960/105 min/Criterion Collection).

KITTY CONSENSUS: 😼😼😼😼

SOLDIER (4H UHD) - Soldier didn’t leave much of an impression when first released nearly 30 years ago (in fact, it was a critical and commercial bomb). But like a lot of movies in Kurt Russell’s filmography, it has since become something of a cult classic, even enjoying a bit of critical re-assessment in some circles. While certainly no masterpiece, Soldier is arguably one of director Paul W.S. Anderson’s better efforts. Considering his track record, that might be faint praise, but the film has a lot going for it…a good premise, impressive production design and another great action role for Russell, who delivers a tough-yet-affecting performance despite having only 104 words of actual dialogue. This release features a solid 4K transfer and good selection of bonus features, most of them brand new. (1998/96 min/Arrow Video).

KITTY CONSENSUS: 😺😺😺

THE RUNNING MAN (Blu-ray) - Edgar Wright’s 2025 adaptation of Stephen King’s The Running Man isn’t without issues of its own, but it’s Children of Men compared to the 1987 version with Arnold Schwarzenegger (when he was still struggling with the whole acting thing). Gleefully tossing damn near everything but the title, the film replaces the novel’s dark tone and serious themes with garish, dumbed-down buffoonery loaded with WWE glitz and plenty of Arnie’s eye-rolling one-liners. Back then, it was the biggest bastardization of a King story since Kubrick dug his mitts into The Shining and time has not been particularly kind to it…at least aesthetically. However, The Running Man still has its share of fans and admittedly serves up some lunkheaded fun at times. If nothing else…casting Family Feud legend Richard Dawson as the film’s evil, ratings-obsessed game show host was a masterstroke. (1987100 min/Paramount).

KITTY CONSENSUS: 😼😼

Weekends with LE SAMOURAÏ

LE SAMOURAÏ (1967)

Starring Alain Delon, François Périer, Nathalie Delon, Cathy Rosier, Jacques Leroy, Jean-Pierre Posier. Directed by Jean-Pierre Melville. (105 min)

Essay by D.M. ANDERSON💀

I used to get excited for the weekend because it meant turning loose with friends and staying out until the wee hours of the night. Sure, I paid for such revelry the next day, but hey, recovery is what Sundays were made for. If you did Saturday right, anyway.

Weekends are still awesome, of course. But what excites me about them these days is that’s usually when my wife breaks out the casserole dish, meaning she’s getting ready to throw together something mind blowing. I also look forward to staying in my pajamas the entire day (perhaps only removing them to thank the wife for such awesome comfort food). 

And at my house, weekends are also made for film noir. 

Though I’ve been an avid movie lover my entire life, I’ve only dived into the dark pleasures of film noir over the past 20 years or so. So not only have I been turned on to some of the all-time classics during that time, there are still dozens and dozens I have yet to check out. I have Eddie Muller to thank for a lot of that. He's the host of TCM’s Noir Alley, which airs on Saturday nights. In addition to the iconic films, I've also been introduced to a ton of others I never knew existed. 

One such film was 1967’s Le Samouraï, which was an eye opening reminder that not every great film noir came out of Hollywood. Hailing from France, it was directed by Jean-Pierre Melville, best known for crafting dark, stylish crime thrillers. I suppose this one might more accurately be considered neo-noir, especially with an overall aesthetic more akin to the French New Wave movement (which Melville was part of) than the traditional look and tone typically associated with the genre. Either way, this film is a masterpiece.

The late, great Alain Delon plays Jef Costello, an enigmatic freelance hitman. In a dialogue-free opening sequence that I can’t help but think had an influence on Charles Bronson’s 1972 classic, The Mechanic, Costello meticulously carries out the contract killing of a local nightclub owner while the place is open. Maybe not meticulous enough, though, since several witnesses see him leave. On the other hand, he’s also created an airtight alibi for himself, instructing call girl/girlfriend Jane (Nathalie Delon, Alain’s wife at the time) to claim he was with her at the time of the killing.

""Time to recycle those bottles, Jef."

Costello is rounded up by the police along with dozens of others to stand in a line-up before the witnesses. Though a few think the killer might be Costello, the only one who clearly saw him, club performer Valerie (Cathy Rosier), does not identify him as the man they’re looking for. With a concrete alibi and no solid witness statements, Costello is released, though the Commissaire in charge of the investigation (François Périer), is convinced of his guilt. While repeatedly grilling Jane to come clean with her story, he instructs dozens of officers to tail Costello wherever he goes. 

Meanwhile, the man who hired Costello for the hit in the first place, Olivier Rey (Jean-Pierre Posier), wants to ties up loose ends, but an initial attempt to kill Costello fails. Costello now wonders if Valerie was instructed not to identify him in the line-up so the mob could get to him first. With both sides of the law now hunting for him, Costello looks to settle the score with Rey. He’s also offered another contract, which he accepts, and his new target figures prominently in the climax, leading to a surprising resolution related to the fate of a major character. I'm not gonna spoil that here.

Le Samouraï is a moody, tension-filled film with a compelling story, a few great plot twists and excellent cinematography that nicely captures the atmosphere of urban Paris streets. But what makes the film crackle is its protagonist. Living alone in a seedy apartment with a gaged bird, Jef Costello is an intriguing character…smart, calculating and emotionally aloof. He knows Paris like the back of his hand, relying on stolen cars and the subway to get around, yet almost always staying a step ahead of his pursuers. Aside from his relationship with Jane (which appears to be more of a business arrangement), we know little about him beyond his methods. And since he says very little throughout much of the film, we’re never certain what Costello is thinking or contemplating. Hell, we’re not quite sure we should even be rooting for this guy.

"Stay!"

Yet almost immediately, we’re totally invested in him - a superlative antihero - which is largely due to Delon’s steely performance. For years, the only thing I knew him from was The Concorde: Airport ‘79, the infamous titanic trashbag that ended up being his last ill-fated attempt at Hollywood stardom. But I’ve since discovered he’s starred in some absolute bangers in his home country, such as The Sicilian Clan, Three Men to Kill, Borsalino and Le Cercle Rouge, the last of which was also directed by Jean-Pierre Melville (and also a masterpiece). Based on what I’ve seen of his work so far, Delon may not have been gifted with a ton of range, but like Steve McQueen on this side of the pond, he had gobs of charisma. 

At the time I first saw it, Le Samouraï was sort of a revelation. In addition to the American classics I love, there’s great film noir (and neo-noir) to be found all over the world....such gems as The Third Man, Rififi, Symphony for a Massacre, The Beast Must Die, Cast a Dark Shadow, The Good Die Young and gobs of others. Some are acknowledged classics, others wonderful obscurities, but they were all new to me. Along with the wife's Jedi skills with a casserole dish, they're part of what makes this ol' movie lover's weekends exciting...and hangover free!

DELICATESSEN (4K) and ANTIVIRAL (4K): Some Casual Cannibalism

DELICATESSEN and ANTIVIRAL (4K UHD)

From Severin Films

Review by Princess Pepper😺

Severin Films serves up a couple of meaty treats in delicious 4K. One is a French cult classic. Considering the name and growing reputation of the director, the other probably will be. And both of them throw subtle touches of cannibalism into their already bizarre narratives.

DELICATESSEN (1991/99 min) - The first feature film by Jean-Pierre Jeunet (co-directing with Marc Cano), Delicatessen is a visually stunning calling card. It combines elements of post-apocalypse sci-fi, horror and black comedy into a Pythonesque tale of a butcher who hires handymen so he can kill, cut-up and sell them as meat in his deli. But the new guy, ex-circus performer Louison (Dominique Pinon), endears himself to the butcher’s daughter, Julie (Marie-Laure Dougnac), who wants to save him from the same fate.

The nutshell story is only a small part of what makes Delicatessen enjoyable. There are other subplots involving other eccentric tenants who share the building (my favorite being an unhappy housewife’s elaborate attempts to commit suicide). And despite some dark underpinnings, the overall tone often borders on whimsical, as exemplified with Louison & Julie’s developing romance, as well as some strange-but-amusing musical set-pieces. 

Both narratively and aesthetically, the whole thing plays like something out of Terry Gilliam’s repertoire (Gilliam himself lent his name to the promotional campaign during its initial release). The subject matter might be off-putting to casual viewers, and the story is occasionally a little meandering, but overall, Delicatessen is a unique film that’s engaging just to look at.

EXTRA KIBBLES: FEATURETTE - Fine Cooked Meats: The Making of Delicatessen; INTERVIEWS - Individual interviews with directors Jean-Pierre Jeunet & Marc Cano, ‘presenter’ Terry Gilliam and Marc Cano by himself; TRAILER; AUDIO COMMENTARY - By co-director Jean-Pierre Jeunet; 4K & BLU-RAY COPIES.

This man orders the Not-So-Happy Meal.

ANTIVIRAL (2012/108 min) - Brandon Cronenberg is, of course, the son of undisputed body horror master David Cronenberg. Having previously watched and reviewed his second film, Possessor, one thing was certain: The apple didn’t fall too far from the tree. 2012’s Antiviral was actually his first effort, and while not as graphic and gory, there’s some twisted imagination at work.

There’s also a timely, relevant theme running throughout the film, that of celebrity worship taken to sick extremes. In this world, fans can buy and eat meat genetically grown from their idols’ cells. But the truly obsessed are happy to pay exorbitant amounts of money to inject themselves with viruses and diseases carried by famous people. In fact, its a huge business, with corporations competing for the rights to the most popular celebrities’ blood.

Syd Match (Caleb Landry Jones), a salesman for Luca Clinic, hawks pathogens from Hannah Geist (Sarah Gadon), the Taylor Swift of infected idols. He also injects himself in secret, then sells his infected blood on the black market, which not only renders him increasingly ill, he runs afoul of pirates and competitors.

That’s the rudimentary summary of a fairly complex (and occasionally murky) storyline. The film is pretty thin on characterization, but remains morbidly compelling and visually impressive. Cronenberg fills the screen with beautiful and repulsive imagery, leading to a twisted climax that must be seen to be believed. All told, it’s one hell of an audacious debut.

EXTRA KIBBLES: FEATURETTES - Anatomy of a Virus is an interesting 30 minute making-of doc; Reviving a Dead Cell is about the film’s 4K restoration; Brandon Cronenberg: A First Time Director’s Vision is a short interview; First Meeting features actors Caleb Landry Jones and Sarah Gadon; The Design of Antiviral focuses on the film’s production design; Manufacturing Celebrity features short segments with cast & crew; “BROKEN TULIPS” - Short film by Brandon Cronenberg, which was the basis for Antiviral; AUDIO COMMENTARY - By Brandon Cronenberg & cinematographer Karin Hussein; DELETED SCENES; TRAILER.

"Guess I shoulda read the instructions first."

In addition to a bunch of interesting bonus features (especially those accompanying Antiviral), both films have been given excellent 4K transfers. Delicatessen has never looked or sounded better, while Antiviral’s cold aesthetic seems tailor made for the format. They are highly recommended for those whose tastes lean toward the offbeat and bizarre.