KITTEN KATNIP: The Best Stuff We Reviewed in 2025

We reviewed a slew of Blu-Rays, DVDs and movies in 2024. 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.

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)

THE SAND Gets Soggy

THE SAND (Blu-ray)

2015 / 84 min

Rising Sun Media

Available at www.MovieZyng.com

Review by Josey, the Sudden Cat🙀

About a thousand years ago, I wasted hard-earned allowance money to catch Blood Beach, a tacky little creature feature about a subterranean monster that sucks its victims down into the sand. But in my defense, the movie’s tagline - Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water, you can’t get to it - was too tempting to resist.

But you can resist The Sand, a low-wattage 2015 flick with a similar premise. 

After a night of hard partying on the beach, several twentysomethings wake up the next morning. Some are in a car, a couple are in a lifeguard shack and one poor bastard is stuck in a barrel. Almost immediately, the film establishes them as unlikable and obnoxious, but at least they look good in bathing suits. When one girl sets foot on the sand, she quickly gets sucked beneath. So does the guy who foolishly tries to rescue her…a scene that succinctly establishes The Sand as a cheap flick with cut-rate CGI, including the gore effects.

"You've never actually surfed, have you?"

When they aren’t bickering over who’s cheating on who, the rest try to find a way of escaping the beach without stepping on the sand. At this point, we still might hold out hope that The Sand will be good for a few shits & giggles, even with shoddy special effects, awful dialogue and characters you’d never want to hang out with in real life. However, the movie slows to a crawl wherever people aren’t being eaten, operating on the assumption that anyone gives a damn about their personal drama. 

Just when you think the movie won’t get worse, Jamie Kennedy shows up as an idiotic beach cop. Though he’s the most recognizable member of the cast, it’s essentially a glorified cameo. But with a unique talent for making just about any movie worse, Kennedy and his stupidly-written character need only a few minutes to drag the rest of this one into the sand with the other victims. 

Then there’s the ending. Oh, wait a minute…what ending? Though the monster is finally revealed in all its glory (looking like the final boss of a video game), the story itself just sorta peters out into nothing before the credits role. The Sand might be good for a moment or two of unintentional laughter, especially with such a dead-serious tone. But ultimately, it seldom even rises to the level of endearingly tacky.

McCARTNEY: NOW AND THEN: What Did He Just Say?

McCARTNEY: NOW AND THEN (Blu-ray)

2021 / 52 min

From Rising Sun Media

Available at www.MovieZyng.com

Review by Stinky the Destroyer😾

There’s certainly no shortage of documentaries, articles and books on the Fab Four, both as a band and as individuals. And why not? The Beatles continue to fascinate and entertain millions, so the backstories will probably keep coming long after all four of them are gone.

That being said, McCartney: Now and Then is short, superfluous and offers absolutely nothing any self-respecting Beatlemaniac doesn’t already know. It’s a Cliff’s Notes summary of McCartney’s career (mostly his time with The Beatles), jumping from one highlight to the next with less insight than a detailed Wikipedia article, accompanied by interviews with McCartney himself, as well as producer George Martin, sad sack Pete Best and other musicians of the era. However, I don’t believe the interviews were shot for this particular film.

"The one song I wish I'd written? Balls to the Wall, of course."

While Now and Then purports to be an authorized documentary, such authorization apparently doesn’t apply to Paul's or The Beatles' music. Instead, the soundtrack consists of generic instrumental rock & roll that plays over photos and archive footage. Worse yet, its so bloody loud in the mix that it drowns out most of what the interviewees are saying. Even if the viewer is fine with the same Beatles factoids over and over again, good luck hearing most of ‘em.

Additionally, the “Now” of the title should be taken with a grain of salt. This film was released in 2021, but unless Paul McCartney suddenly discovered the fountain of youth, it’s obvious all of the interview footage is at least 20 years old (and looks it). I doubt director Robin Bextor even met his subject before patching this thing together. If you really want to hear from the horse’s mouth, stick with The Beatles Anthology.

IN THE HEART OF THE MACHINE: Pigeons Need Love Too!

IN THE HEART OF THE MACHINE (Blu-ray)

2021 / 115 min

From Rising Sun Media

Available at www.MovieZyng.com

Review by Stinky the Destroyer😸

As the purveyor of this site, I frequently receive discs of movies that I’ve never heard of. More often than not, it turns out there’s a good reason for that. But every now and then, I’m completely blindsided by something wonderful. In the Heart of the Machine is one of those, and so far, it’s the best movie I’ve had the pleasure to review this year. I’m also pretty sure it’s the first Bulgarian movie I’ve ever seen.

The deceptively simple story takes place in a maximum security prison. Bohemy (Alexander Sano) is an inmate entrusted by the warden to assemble a crew to increase production in the machine shop. They’re supervised by vicious guard Captain Verkilsky (Julian Vergov) and trainee Private Kovachky (Vladimir Zombori). Before starting work, however, the prison’s most feared inmate, a hulking double-murderer known as “The Cleaver” (Igor Angelov), refuses to turn on his lathe because there’s a pigeon trapped inside.

Verkilsky orders him to turn the machine on and go to work, but instead, The Cleaver grabs Kovachky and threatens to kill him unless they free the pigeon first. That’s easier said than done, since one can’t simply open the lathe or disassemble it like a lawnmower engine. Meanwhile, the most unruly of the inmates, “The Needle” (Hristo Petkov), manages to disarm and restrain Verkilsky (enjoying a little payback by beating him multiple times). Bohemy tries to reason with The Cleaver (real name, Satura) that he’s making their situation worse, but Satura is adamant about his single demand.

Bohemy forgets why he came into the room.

This turns into a standoff between the crew and guards assembled outside the shop. The only way to end the situation is to free the bird before the guards force their way in. But here’s where In the Heart of the Machine turns into something much different than just another prison picture. They become personally invested in rescuing the pigeon as a form of redemption, or has Satura sees it, to remember what it’s like to “be human,” however briefly. Even The Needle, who initially doesn’t give a shit about the bird, undergoes a remarkable transformation.

However, it’s Satura and Bohemy (who also narrates) that are the heart of the film, especially when their pasts are revealed and it’s obvious \saving the bird becomes more important to them than surviving the standoff. Their increasing desperation is both heartwarming and heartbreaking, laying the groundwork for a memorable, emotionally-charged climax and resolution.

In the Heart of the Machine 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.