HOPPERS (4K) is Prime Pixar

HOPPERS (4K UHD SteelBook)

2026 / 105 min

Disney/Pixar

Review by Princess Pepper😸

While reviewing Hoppers, it suddenly dawned on me that this is the first Pixar film I’ve ever watched in 4K. If this is indicative of how they all look in the format, I might have to invest in a little upgrading…of the great ones, anyway. And I’m happy to say that Hoppers ranks among the great ones, something I haven’t said about a Pixar film in a long time. While the studio’s never produced a pooch (Cars 2 came dangerously close), this is easily their best, most original effort since Inside Out…and the flat-out funniest since the Monsters Inc & Finding Nemo days. 

The story has young, idealistic college student Mabel trying to save a local forest glade and its wildlife from Beaverton’s self-absorbed mayor, Jerry Generazzo, who plans to clear it out to make way for a new freeway. He argues that the animals have since left, so he can do as he pleases. When Mabel later stumbles upon her professor’s experiment, which enables humans to transfer their minds into robotic animal bodies, she seizes the opportunity (without permission) and “becomes” a beaver, then ventures into the forest hoping to bring animals back to the glade.

Being inside the robot also allows Mabel to communicate with the wildlife, and vice versa. This is where Hoppers is at its most, whimsical, charming and funny. Mabel meets another beaver, King George, who (sort of?) rules over the local displaced wildlife. Not only does she learn about “pond rules,” she implores everyone to stand up to Jerry. However, when the Animal Council of other kings is informed, they decide Jerry should be “squished” (i.e. die). Newly crowned insect king Titus leads the charge, while Mabel and some of her new friends end up trying to save Jerry.

"I never thought I'd say this, but perhaps you're a little too eager."

That’s the nutshell plot, which is interesting, timely and sometimes subversively satirical. But where Hopper really shines is with its animal and human characters. Not only are they creatively rendered (I really liked the touch of the wildlife appearing expressively different when seen through robot eyes), they’re well conceived and engaging. The film is also loaded with humor, both clever and broad, as well as the usual heartfelt moments we always expect from Pixar, but are especially effective here. In fact, the only times Hoppers threatens to stumble is during a couple of “musical” asides that would be more at home in an Illumination Studios flick. Fortunately, those moments are brief.

Of course, the movie is visually stunning. All Pixar movies are, but this is the first one I’ve seen in a long time that also feels immersive, making me regret not seeing it on the big screen. Both the human and animal worlds are vividly depicted, stopping just short of photorealism. Even if one isn’t invested in the characters and story (what’s wrong with you?), Hoppers is wonderful just to look at. Perhaps part of that gushing praise is due to the 4K transfer. With an outstanding overall picture and three audio options (Dolby Atmos, 7.1 Dolby Digital and 5.1 Dolby Digital), 4K was made for movies like this. 

Also included are several bonus features. Like most Disney/Pixar releases, most of them are pretty short, but entertaining. For this review, we were sent the SteelBook edition, which features nice artwork both inside and out. I personally think it’s cool that the cover has no actual text, just a few of the characters “bursting” from the box. A nice touch. 

With the creative packaging, superlative transfer and a film that’s certainly worth repeated viewings, Hoppers is so-far one of the best physical media releases of the year

EXTRA KIBBLES

4K, BLU-RAY AND DIGITAL COPIES - The bonus material is on the Blu-ray disc and digital copy.

FEATURETTES - The Critter Diaries covers the research director Daniel Chong and crew undertook to create the characters; Hopping In: The Making of Hoppers features numerous interviews with the cast and crew; “Meet King George” Scene Breakdown takes a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of the Superlodge; Beaverton Revealed contains Easter Eggs and various filmmaking facts.

DAM GOOD BLOOPERS - Featuring the voice actors

7 DELETED SCENES

GRIZZLY NIGHT: More Bears, Please

GRIZZLY NIGHT (Blu-ray)

2026 / 87 min

Well Go USA

Available at MovieZyng

Review by Mr. Bonnie, the Bear Whisperer😼

Two genres I can’t resist are disaster movies and killer critter flicks. New and old, good and bad, epic and low budget, I generally have a good time with these things (if sometimes at the movie’s expense). It helps, of course, to adjust my expectations. No CGI-driven, direct-to-video cheapie is gonna match the epic thrills of The Towering Inferno, but still might be good for a few shits & giggles.

Similarly, there will never be another Jaws, and anyone thinking otherwise is delusional. Still, there’s been gobs of decent college tries over the years, including plenty that have attempted to create similar terror on land by replacing sharks with bears, arguably nature’s cuddliest carnivores. 1976’s Grizzly remains a highly enjoyable example of B-movie plagiarism, though the kitschy Cocaine Bear will probably go down in history as the Citizen Kane of belligerent bear movies.

But even with tempered expectations, Grizzly Night is not the movie I was anticipating, which is both a good thing and a bad thing. The film recounts the true story of a 1967 incident in at Glacier National Park, where a couple of bear attacks occurred on the same night, miles apart. In movies, “true story” is a term that’s often thrown around pretty liberally, but in this case, we get the impression that the events as depicted are more-or-less accurate. So on one hand, the film can be commended for its non-exploitative approach, maintaining a serious tone and an underlying theme of humans’ negative impact on animal behavior.

"Right behind me, huh? I ain't falling for that again."

On the other hand, not a hell of a lot actually happens in Grizzly Night, at least compared to your usual nature-run-amok flick. The animal attack sequences themselves are tastefully handled, but few and far between and not particularly exciting, with most of the mayhem occurring off-screen. The interim scenes largely consist of rangers and tourists searching for victims and treating their injuries while remaining wary of another possible bear attack. This may have indeed been how everything went down back in 1967, but that doesn’t always result in compelling viewing. Perhaps being more exploitative might have livened things up a little.

Still, while none of the characters are anything to write home about and the performances are merely serviceable, Grizzly Night is well made, makes good use of its scenic locations and at least features real bears (when it chooses to actually show them). There ain’t much in the way of animal action, but as an earnest account of true events, the film is watchable.

COYOTES: Pity the Poor Housepets

COYOTES (Blu-ray)

2025 / 92 min

Decal Releasing

Review by Josey, the Sudden Cat🙀

We here at Free Kittens are sad to say that Coyotes is yet-another horror movie that includes the violent death of a cat to move the story along. However, it is an equal-opportunity pet killer, offing an annoying little yippy dog in the very first scene. But despite such an overused trope, there’s one aspect of this feline demise that we appreciate: Upon learning the cat has been slaughtered by the titular beasties, its owner briefly considers killing himself. 

Of course he would.

Both of those deaths occur off-screen, saving the real carnage for its human characters. Taking place in the suburban hills of Los Angeles, coyote attacks are on the rise, as Scott and Liv (real-life couple Justin Long & Kate Bosworth) find out when a pack begins stalking them in and around their house. Other characters include daughter Chloe (Mila Harris), who feels responsible for the attack because she had previously been feeding them, hard-partying neighbor Trip (Norbert Leo Butz), and the prostitute he hired for the night, Julie (Brittany Allen).

Refuses to fetch.

Coyotes often goes for laughs, and gets a few here and there, especially whenever Trip and/or Julie on-screen (the former’s cocaine-fueled despair over losing his cat is particularly funny). As for Scott - a squeamish, workaholic comic artist - he’s not all that likable and I’ve seen Long play the same type of character so often that I’ve lost count. Bosworth does what she can with a pretty thankless role, which is mostly informing Scott when he’s being a dick.

Elsewhere, Coyotes is basically a home invasion movie with animals. The coyotes themselves are obviously CGI creations and never very convincing. On the other hand, there are some effectively gory scenes that boast pretty decent make-up effects. The film is never scary and seldom even suspenseful, but the playful tone and brisk pace keep it watchable. I gotta say, though...it might’ve been a lot funnier if it had the nerve to take itself seriously.

EXTRA KIBBLES

MAKING-OF FEATURETTE

THE POOP SCOOP: Upcoming Kibbles!

🧟1990’s NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD - UNCENSORED CUT on 4K SteelBook September 23 from Sony. It’s about damn time. Legendary make-up artist Tom Savini’s directorial debut is the underappreciated remake of George A. Romero’s seminal zombie film, Night of the Living Dead. Now available in 4K, with two versions, as well as gobs of new bonus features.

🤠THE UNHOLY TRINITY on Digital NOW, and Blu-ray DVD August 26. A tale of revenge, dark secrets, and buried treasures, the film is set against the turbulent backdrop of 1870s Montana. It picks up in the moments before the execution of Isaac Broadway, as he gives his estranged son, Henry, an impossible task: Murder the man who framed him for a crime he didn’t commit. Intent on fulfilling his promise, Henry travels to the remote town of Trinity, where an unexpected turn of events traps him in town and leaves him caught between Gabriel Dove, the town’s upstanding new sheriff, and a mysterious figure named St Christopher. Starring Pierce Brosnan and Samuel L. Jackson.

🦸THUNDERBOLTS* on Digital NOW and 4K, Blu-ray & DVD July 29. Thunderbolts* turns up the heat this summer as it blasts onto digital platforms including Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and Fandango at Home on July 1, before making its explosive entry on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD on July 29. The Thunderbolts are The New Avengers, the ultimate surprise to both audiences and Valentina Allegra de Fontaine as this misfit team of burned assets rallies their powers and unites against all odds. Their namesake movie Thunderbolts* is an action-packed, international adventure, with audiences embracing the film’s super-powered humor and adrenaline. 

😺Oscar Winning FLOW on 4K, Blu-ray & DVD September 23 from Criterion Collection. A thrilling tale of friendship and survival that took indie animation to ecstatic new heights of ambition and imagination, this Academy Award–winning international sensation follows a courageous cat after its home is devastated by a great flood. 

🎸THIS IS SPINAL TAP Goes to 11 on 4K & Blu-ray September 16 from Criterion Collection. This Is Spinal Tap, now beautifully restored, Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest), David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean), and Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer) embark on their final American tour, with filmmaker Marty DiBergi (Rob Reiner) capturing all the mishaps, creative tensions, dwindling crowds, and ill-fated drummers. 

🐶Wes Anderson’s ISLE OF DOGS on 4K September 30 from Criterion Collection. Wes Anderson conjures a dystopian future Japan in magical stop-motion. Innovatively blending English and Japanese dialogue through a cross-cultural voice cast that includes Bryan Cranston, Greta Gerwig, Jeff Goldblum, Scarlett Johansson, Yoko Ono, and Koyu Rankin, this fable of loyalty and disobedience combines Anderson’s signature themes.

🙀FINAL DESTINATION: BLOODLINES on Digital June 17, 4K, Blu-ray and DVD July 22 from Warner Bros. “Final Destination Bloodlines” is the newest chapter (and the great Tony Todd’s final role) in New Line Cinema’s bloody successful franchise which takes audiences back to the very beginning of Death’s twisted sense of justice.

🐍COBRA Limited Edition 4K Coming July/22 from Arrow Video. The Limited Edition release features a brand new 4K restoration of the film from the original 35mm negative, and is packed with bonus content. 

😺THE WES ANDERSON ARCHIVE: 10 FILMS, 25 YEARS Coming to 4K & Blu-ray September 30 from Criterion Collection. This momentous twenty-disc collector’s set includes new 4K masters of the films, over twenty-five hours of special features, and ten illustrated books, presented in a deluxe clothbound edition.

THE POOP SCOOP: Cats & Dogs Edition

😸Oscar Winning FLOW on 4K, Blu-ray & DVD September 23 from Criterion Collection. A thrilling tale of friendship and survival that took indie animation to ecstatic new heights of ambition and imagination, this Academy Award–winning international sensation follows a courageous cat after its home is devastated by a great flood. As the cat teams up with a capybara, a lemur, a bird, and a dog to navigate a boat in search of dry land, the crew must rely on trust, courage, and their wits to survive the perils of a newly aquatic planet. Working with a small team using open-source software, visionary DIY animator Gints Zilbalodis conjures a sublime sensory odyssey and a profound meditation on the fragility of the environment and the spirit of community. Bonus features include Zilbalodis’ first film, Away, audio commentary, making-of documentary, an essay, stickers, animated short and more.

🎸THIS IS SPINAL TAP Goes to 11 on 4K & Blu-ray September 16 from Criterion Collection. Spinal Tap has come to be recognized as England’s loudest and most punctual band. In the legendary rockumentary This Is Spinal Tap, now beautifully restored, Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest), David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean), and Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer) embark on their final American tour, with filmmaker Marty DiBergi (Rob Reiner) capturing all the mishaps, creative tensions, dwindling crowds, and ill-fated drummers. This Is Spinal Tap takes DiBergi’s brilliant vérité style and turns it up to eleven! Bonus features include 3 audio commentaries, outtakes, promo material, an essay and a new conversation between director Rob Reiner and actor Patton Oswalt.

🐶Wes Anderson’s ISLE OF DOGS on 4K September 30 from Criterion Collection. Wes Anderson conjures a dystopian future Japan in magical stop-motion. After a canine virus outbreak, the dogs of Megasaki are exiled to a vast island garbage dump. When Atari (the daring twelve-year-old ward of the city’s mayor) sets out to rescue his beloved Spots, he meets a pack of mongrel friends and is launched on an epic quest. Innovatively blending English and Japanese dialogue through a cross-cultural voice cast that includes Bryan Cranston, Greta Gerwig, Jeff Goldblum, Scarlett Johansson, Yoko Ono, and Koyu Rankin, this fable of loyalty and disobedience combines Anderson’s signature themes—friendship among outsiders, the adventure of rebellion—with a delight in the boundless possibilities of animated storytelling. Bonus features include The Making of Isle of Dogs, audio commentary, featurettes and more.

🙀FINAL DESTINATION: BLOODLINES on Digital June 17, 4K, Blu-ray and DVD July 22 from Warner Bros. “Final Destination Bloodlines” is the newest chapter (and the great Tony Todd’s final role) in New Line Cinema’s bloody successful franchise which takes audiences back to the very beginning of Death’s twisted sense of justice.

😺THE AMATEUR on Blu-ray July 8 from 20th Century Studios. Fans of smart, high-stakes action thrillers will be drawn into the gripping journey of CIA codebreaker Charlie Heller (Rami Malek), who channels his intellect into a relentless pursuit of justice after his wife is killed in a terrorist attack. Heller evolves from analyst to avenger in a riveting story of love, loss, and retribution. 

🚔COBRA Limited Edition 4K Coming July/22 from Arrow Video. The Limited Edition release features a brand new 4K restoration of the film from the original 35mm negative, and is packed with bonus content. 

🧛SINNERS on Digital June 3 and 4K, Blu-ray and DVD July 8 from Warner Bros. The critically acclaimed film has a “certified fresh” 97% Rotten Tomatoes score and is among the highest grossing horror movies of all time. “Sinners” will be presented with expanded aspect ratio sequences, allowing consumers to see both 1.78:1 and 2.76:1 aspect ratios.

😺THE WES ANDERSON ARCHIVE: 10 FILMS, 25 YEARS Coming to 4K & Blu-ray September 30 from Criterion Collection. This momentous twenty-disc collector’s set includes new 4K masters of the films, over twenty-five hours of special features, and ten illustrated books, presented in a deluxe clothbound edition.

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.

Craptastic CROCODILE

CROCODILE (Blu-ray)

1979 / 92 min

FROM SYNAPSE FILMS

Review by Josey, the Sudden Cat🙀

Of all the Jaws rip-offs that oozed into theaters for a slice of the killer critter pie (and there were a ton of ‘em), 1979’s Crocodile is a strong candidate for the crappiest, kookiest and most comical of them all. Considering how many hailed from Italy alone over the years, that’s really saying something…

…which means, for some viewers, this flick will be irresistible. You know who you are.

A Thai-Korean co-production, Crocodile opens with an ominous voice-over about nature striking back, followed by about five minutes impressively apocalyptic hurricane footage that’s clearly lifted from another movie. However, this disaster actually has nothing to do with the story because the giant title creature is the result of nuclear testing. 

Now when I say “giant,” it actually depends on the scene. Sometimes this ravenous reptile is as large as the awesome cover art depicts, other times he’s the size of a kayak. Either way, he indiscriminately chows down on tourists and villagers alike, including the families of a couple of doctors, who vow to destroy the beast themselves. That’s the nutshell plot, with a final act lifted right out of Jaws...the protagonists charter a boat owned by a hunkier version of Quint, leading to a similarly explosive (yet baffling) climax.

"We're gonna need a bigger budget."

But that isn’t what makes Crocodile comedy gold. As they say, the journey is more important than the destination. Along the way, this journey serves up a smorgasbord of endearing ineptitude. This is the English language version, meaning we’re treated to some truly daffy dubbing. In a scene featuring ducks in a pond, even the ducks are dubbed! And not only can this croc change size at-will, he can change eye color, too, even turning them into hellish red headlights in a night scene. 

Elsewhere, there’s plenty o’ stock footage, histrionic performances, borrowed music, weed-whacker editing, underwater sequences obviously shot in a swimming pool, and the piece de resistance, a ridiculously abrupt climax that leaves the viewer wondering what the hell just happened. I could go on, but poking fun at a movie like this is like shooting fish in a barrel, with the fish already dead. What matters is that the serious tone and sincerity of its filmmakers makes Crocodile more consistently entertaining than the smarmy self-awareness prevalent in today’s nature-run-amok cheapies.

But the fun doesn’t stop at the film itself. This disc features a 30-minute interview with director Won-Se Lee, whose recollections of the film might be a little hazy, but we're certainly convinced he thought he was making a good movie at the time. What makes the interview priceless is, when asked how he felt about his name being replaced by Sompote Sands in the credits of foreign releases, Lee was completely unaware this had happened. Upon hearing this - 45 years later! -  he’s genuinely surprised and vows to “look into this.” Poor bastard.

EXTRA KIBBLES

INTERVIEW WITH WON-SE LEE - Lee is director of the original version, titled Crocodile Fangs.

AUDIO COMMENTARY - By film historian Lee Gambin

5 DELETED/ALTERNATE SCENES

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