KITTEN KATNIP: The Best Stuff We Reviewed in 2025

We reviewed a slew of Blu-Rays, DVDs and movies in 2025. Time to take a look back at the best of them. While we have seen more movies than the Surgeon General recommends, our list consists strictly of titles which were sent to us for review purposes.

PURR-R-R...THE BEST: We reviewed some good stuff this year, but the following titles were better than taunting a mouse to death (in no particular order):

SINNERS, WEAPONS, COMPANION and FINAL DESTINATION: BLOODLINES (Warner Bros) - It’s been a great overall year for horror, but no studio had the year that Warner Bros did. Sinners is actually Oscar worthy, Weapons proves director Zach Cregger is the real deal, Companion is surprising and thematically timely, while Final Destination: Bloodlines is far better than any fifth sequel ever has a right to be.

THE LONG WALK (Lionsgate) and THE LIFE OF CHUCK (Neon/Decal) - 2025 has also been a pretty damn good year for Stephen King movies. The Long Walk is one of the better King adaptations of the past 20 years, with a grim tone, anti-authoritarian themes prevalent in much of the author’s work, and a well-drawn cast of characters. Some of us waited a long time for this one, but it was worth it. The Life of Chuck defies genre classification, but might be the most emotionally affecting King movie since The Shawshank Redemption (though not always the most uplifting).

EDDINGTON (A24) - Eddington is Aster’s most narratively straightforward effort - it’s certainly his least ambiguous - but might also be his most compelling, to say nothing of polarizing. With healthy amounts of black comedy, none-too-subtle themes and bursts of brutal violence, it perfectly captures the chaos of the most tumultuous era in our recent history. I can imagine just as many people hating it, and any movie capable of such diverse reactions is always worth seeing.

THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN 4K (Warner Archive) - The classic that put Hammer Films on the map has been beautifully restored for 4K in all its gothic glory (in three different aspect ratios), and has never looked or sounded better. But the icing on the cake is the sheer abundance of new and archival bonus material. The movie itself remains wonderfully entertaining all these years later.

SEPTEMBER 5 (Paramount) - Set during the terrorist siege on the Munich’s Olympic village in 1972, this is a dramatic reenactment of ABC’s coverage behind the scenes. We feel like a fly on the wall, watching barely controlled chaos as the coverage is often complicated by conflict, miscommunication, ethically questionable decisions and occasional overreaching ambition. 

SUNSET BOULEVARD 4K (Paramount) - Many classify this classic to be film noir, a label I don't necessarily agree with. But whether it’s considered noir, melodrama, satire or horror, what ultimately matters is that it’s a great film, one of the best of the 1950s and well worth revisiting from time to time for its rich performances, great dialogue and Wilder’s typically brilliant direction. It’s also been given a great 4K restoration.

RE-ANIMATOR 40th Anniversary 4K (Ignite Films) - 40 years later, Re-Animator holds up really well. Like the best horror films of the ‘80s, it has since transcended its decade - narratively and aesthetically - to become a true classic. The movie’s power to shock audiences may have diminished, but it’s still a potent shot of nostalgic nastiness. In addition to an excellent 4K transfer, this set features a ton of substantial new & archival bonus features, along with two cuts of the film.

RELAY (Bleecker Street/Decal) and BLACK BAG (Universal) - It’s a damn shame these two gems came and went in theaters almost unnoticed. In a perfect world, both would have been huge hits, or at least successful enough to remind Hollywood that not everyone goes to the movies for fireworks. Both are superlative adult thrillers driven more by complexity and characters than kinetic kaboom.

CONCLAVE 4K (Universal) - Forget Anora…Conclave was the Best Picture of all the Oscar nominees this year. Beautifully shot and unfolding like a thriller, Ralph Fiennes gives one of his best performances as Cardinal Lawrence, reluctantly overseeing the entire conclave and managing the sequestered cardinals charged with electing a new pope. On paper, it sounds like a dull way to spend two hours, but director Edward Berger makes it extremely engaging and surprisingly suspenseful.

JAMES BOND: SEAN CONNERY 6-FILM COLLECTION (4K) (Warner Bros) - Bond. James Bond. In 4K. This is obviously a great batch of classic, influential films, which Bond fans probably don’t need to be reminded of. If you’re one of those Connery purists seeking technical upgrades (and a great looking package), this set is a must-own. 

IN THE HEART OF THE MACHINE (Rising Sun Media) - The basic story of convicts attempting to free a pigeon from a piece of machinery is just scratching the surface. This stunning Bulgarian film achieves a tone similar to The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile…often harrowing and brutal, but ultimately life-affirming & inspirational, with characters we grow to love. Fans of either of those films owe it to themselves to check this one out. I can't imagine them being disappointed.

SORCERER 4K (Criterion Collection) - William Friedkin’s Sorcerer has been one of my favorite films since I was 13. Though initially a critical and box office failure, it’s now widely considered one of Friedkin’s best. Today, the film remains as darkly compelling as ever, and looks & sounds stunning in 4K. If that weren’t enough, this release includes the wonderful 2018 feature-length documentary, Friedkin Uncut. 

HONORABLE MENTION: .

Se7en 4K (Warner Bros); Antiviral 4K (Severin); Outland 4K (Arrow); Side Street (Warner Archive); Amadeus (Warner Bros); The Monkey (Decal); Juror #2 (Warner Bros); Bring Her Back (A24); Together (Neon); The Day of the Jackal - Season One (Universal); Airport - The Complete 4-Film Collection (Kino Lorber); The X Trilogy (A24); When We Went MAD! (Gravitas Ventures)

RE-ANIMATOR at 40: Nostalgic Nastiness

RE-ANIMATOR 40th Anniversary Edition (Blu-ray)

1985 / 86/105 min (2 cuts)

From Ignite Films / Eagle Rock Pictures

Review by Josey, the Sudden Cat🙀

Man, this one sure stirs some memories…

Back in the ‘80s, weekends often began with a case of beer, Domino’s pizza and a trip to the video store. We’d inevitably make our way to the horror section and choose a handful of titles, usually based on the VHS box covers or histrionic synopses. Re-Animator was one of those, because no horror fan in their right mind could resist the tagline, Herbert West has a good head on his shoulders…and another one on his desk.

Most movies glutting horror shelves back then were junk…countless slashers, Italian gorefests, zombie flicks and Exorcist ripoffs. Though fun, few of them would seriously be mistaken for good movies, nor were we ever expecting them to be. 

But shortly after popping it into my Winnebago-sized VCR, it was obvious Re-Animator was something different. Sure, it was gory (really gory), and considering the budget, boasted excellent make-up effects, but so did almost everything that oozed out of Italy. Aside from great production values - again, for the budget - what made Re-Animator stand out was brisk pace and playful tone, as well a gleeful willingness to leap beyond the boundaries of good taste with a healthy sense of humor…

…in particular, a scene involving legendary scream queen Barbara Crampton and a severed head, which has since become part of horror movie lore. For the sake of anyone reading who hasn’t yet watched Re-Animator, I’ll refrain from specifics because it must be seen to be believed. 

Most importantly, Re-Animator was (and remains) a genuinely great movie. It’s audacious, funny and clever, with engaging characters and terrific performances, especially Jeffrey Combs as the hilariously snotty & arrogant Herbert West. On that fateful weekend all those years ago, my friends and I had such a good time that we immediately rewound the tape and watched it again. Though previously unaware of H.P. Lovecraft (who wrote the original story), I was even inspired to check out more of his work. Turns out ol’ H.P. is considerably more dour than Stuart Gordon and his merry band of misfits.

"Herbert, I don't think this is how you're supposed to 'Do the Dew'."

And you know what? 40 years later, Re-Animator still holds up really well. Like the best horror films of the ‘80s (there aren’t nearly as many good ones as some guys would have you believe), it has since transcended its decade - narratively and aesthetically - to become a true classic. The movie’s power to shock audiences may have diminished, but it’s still a potent shot of nostalgic nastiness. Revisiting it for the first time in at least 20 years, I had a great time all over again.

So of course its 40th anniversary should be commemorated, which Ignite Films does with four different editions, from an elaborate 4K boxed set to a more wallet-friendly two-disc Blu-ray. We reviewed the latter, and in addition to an excellent 4K transfer with three audio options, the set features a ton of substantial new & archival bonus features (outlined below). It also includes two cuts of the film, the classic unrated Re-Animator we’ve all grown to know and love, and the lesser-known “Integral” version, which runs about 20 minutes longer. For longtime fans (or the simply curious), this upgrade is highly recommended.

EXTRA KIBBLES

UNRATED & “INTEGRAL” VERSIONS - The latter is basically an extended cut that was released about a decade ago, with extra scenes from the old R-rated version added. Might be interesting to watch once, but is certainly no improvement.

NEW KIBBLES - Re-Animator at 40 is a conversation between producer Brian Yuzna and actors Barbara Crampton & Jeffrey Combs; Piece By Piece: Cutting Re-Animator is an interview with editor Lee Percy; Suzie Sorority and the Good College Boy is an interview with actor Carolyn Purdy-Gordon; The Horror of It All: The Legacy of Re-Animator is an appreciation by several modern directors; I Give Her Life: A Look Back at Re-Animator: The Musical (There was a musical???); Re-Animating a Horror Classic: The 4K Restoration of Re-Animator; The Organic Theater Company of Chicago is a 1977 documentary about the Stuart Gordon’s theater group; New Trailer.

ARCHIVAL KIBBLES - Re-Animator Resurrectus is a feature-length documentary (and the best of the bonus features); Interviews with director Stuart Gordon, producer Brian Yuzna, co-writer Dennis Paoli, composer Richard Band and Fangoria editor Tony Timpone; The Catastrophe of Success features Stuart Gordon discussing his Organic Theater Company; Theatre of Blood features Mark Nutter, who did the music and lyrics for Re-Animator: The Musical; Barbara Crampton in Conversation is a 2015 interview; A Guide to Lovecraft Cinema; Doug Bradley’s Spinechillers: Herbert West: Re-Animator features Jeffrey Combs reading the original story; Isolated Score; Deleted/Extended Scenes; Trailer & TV Spots; Still Gallery; Storyboarded Screenplay.

3 AUDIO COMMENTARIES - 1) By director Stuart Gordon and actors Graham Skipper & Jesse Martin; 2) By director Stuart Gordon; 3) By director Stuart Gordon, producer Brian Yuzna, actors Barbara Crampton, Jeffrey Combs, Bruce Abbott and Robert Sampson.