ROBOT DREAMS: Charming Beyond Words...Literally

ROBOT DREAMS (Blu-ray)

2023 / 102 min

FROM NEON/DECAL RELEASING

Review by Princess Pepper😺

Robot Dreams was nominated for Best Animated Feature at this year’s Oscars. While I don’t think it had a remote chance of winning - not with Miyazaki once again in contention - it’s nice that there’s still room for low-key, traditional animation.

Not a “kid’s movie” per se, it’s a heartfelt film with themes far more complex than the actual plot, in which a lonely dog living in New York purchases a robot companion. They bond immediately, then spend a fun-filled day together, capping it off at Coney Island. However, Robot rusts while they’re there, and Dog is unable to move it. Dog returns the next day with tools. But in the meantime, the beach has closed for the season.

Helpless to do anything, Dog leaves with the intention of returning in the spring, and the middle act depicts these two in several individual vignettes as time goes by and the seasons change. Robot dreams of reuniting with Dog, only to repeatedly awake up still alone on the beach; Dog tries and fails to establish other friendships while waiting until he and Robot are reunited. 

How Skynet began.

Loneliness and loss are strong recurring themes throughout these sequences, but just when the viewer thinks they know the direction the narrative will go, Robot Dreams takes an unexpected, bittersweet turn during the final act. Without revealing any story surprises, further themes related to the nature of friendship and acceptance are explored. 

The film features no dialogue. The entire story - and the emotions of its two main characters - are depicted through actions and expressions, aided considerably by an affecting soundtrack (with the song, “September,” frequently juxtaposed into the score). Dog and Robot are simply illustrated and animated, which is actually part of what makes both charming, even without voices. Conversely, 80s-era New York is vividly depicted through detailed imagery and sound design.

The film does tend to meander at times and is ultimately longer than it needs to be. I think its story and themes could have been just as effective if the whole thing were about 20 minutes shorter. Still, Robot Dreams is an enjoyable journey with engaging characters, touching moments and wonderful animation.

EXTRA KIBBLES

FEATURETTES - From Reality to Animation is about how the book was adapted; Once in a Lifetime Friendship features interviews with director Pablo Berger and original author Sara Varon )among others), who discuss how the book was adapted and its story expanded; The Sound of 1980s New York is about the sound design; The Art Direction; The Animation; Soundtrack features interviews with music editor Yuki Harami and composer Alfonso De Vilallonga; A Love Letter to New York features more interviews related to recreating 80s New York; A Film without Words features voice actor Ivan Lambada.

INTERVIEW - In addition to appearing in virtually all the other featurettes, another interview with writer.director Pablo Berger is included.

THEATRICAL & TEASER TRAILERS

BORDERLANDS: A Minority Opinion

BORDERLANDS (Blu-ray)

2024 / 101 min

FROM LIONSGATE

Review by Stinky the Destroyer😼

Borderlands was one of this year’s bigger critical and box office bombs. Though I hadn’t yet seen it for myself, I wasn’t monumentally surprised. A few noteworthy exceptions notwithstanding, video game adaptations are generally pretty terrible. Additionally, director/co-writer Eli Roth has always been wildly inconsistent. While he’s done some good stuff, his resume is also includes plenty of artless garbage.

So in reviewing the Blu-ray, I fully expected a spectacular dumpster fire. And with manic moron Kevin Hart in a prominent role, I was prepared for it to be an endurance test and a strong candidate for the worst major studio release of the year. But while Borderlands is certainly no masterpiece, I have to admit I kinda enjoyed it.

Granted, I’m not at all familiar with the video game series on which it’s based and maybe my assessment would be different otherwise. Based on interviews in some of the bonus features, the film drops familiar characters into a new story, which has bounty hunter Lilith (Cate Blanchett) hired to rescue Tina (Ariana Greenblatt), the daughter of powerful corporate bigwig Atlas (Edgar Ramirez). She’s been kidnapped by Roland Greaves (Hart), a rogue soldier from Atlas’ own army, Crimson Lance.

This means Lilith has to return to her home planet of Pandora, which she succinctly describes as “a shithole.” Pandora is also where an advanced alien race, the Eridians, stashed their technology in a hidden vault eons earlier. Companies, criminals and treasure hunters have been searching for the vault ever since, and it turns out that Tina - supposedly cloned from Eridian blood - might be the key to finding it, which is the real reason Atlas wants her back. Naturally, Lilith has a change of heart, joining Roland, Tina and a few others in finding the vault before it falls into the wrong hands (namely, Atlas’).

"Well, it is a hole...make the bunny go first."

Borderlands didn’t exactly knock my socks off. The story is pretty derivative, as is the whole ragtag motley crew concept that seems inspired by Guardians of the Galaxy, though these guys are never as funny or endearing (Claptrap, the Jack Black-voiced robot, is downright irritating). The film features the usual big CGI set-pieces and competent action scenes, though nothing that hasn’t been pulled off more creatively in other movies. 

On the other hand, I liked some of the characters and performances. Blanchett is fun (and kinda sexy) as Lilith, and believe it or not, Borderlands has the distinction of being the only film I’ve ever seen where Kevin Hart was fairly enjoyable. At the very least, he turns off his oxygen-depleting hey-look-at-me! schtick long enough to make Roland an engaging character. Additionally, the props and production design are pretty neat and appear to be directly derived from the game. Though predictable, the story more-or-less stays on-point and moves along at a decent clip.

I dunno…maybe it was my frame of mind at the time, or maybe my expectations weren’t high to begin with, but Borderlands was a agreeable way to kill a couple of hours. I don’t know if I’d ever feel compelled to revisit it, but the film was certainly worth catching once.

EXTRA KIBBLES

FEATURETTES - From Game to Screen; Meet the Team; All Aboard the Death Choochoo; Bringing Borderlands to the Screen; Badonkadonk Time; Fashion and Action on Pandora; High-Tech Hellscapes. Most of these featurettes are self-explanatory and run 5-10 minutes each.

BLU-RAY, DVD & DIGITAL COPIES

THE POOP SCOOP: Retro Edition

👽ALIEN: ROMULUS Gets Limited-Edition VHS Release on 12/3 in Addition to 4K, Blu-ray and DVD from 20th Century Studios.

Director Fede Alvarez announced at a special Beyond Fest partnered screening at the Aero Theater in Los Angeles that 20th Century Studios will release the terrifying sci-fi horror thriller, Alien: Romulus, on limited edition VHS December 3. An ultimate movie collector’s dream, the fully functioning VHS tape was created in celebration of the 45th anniversary of the legendary Alien franchise, the box features artwork by renowned artist Matt Ferguson. The legendary Alien franchise gives birth to an all-new terrifying sci-fi horror thriller when 20th Century Studios’ Alien: Romulus arrives to digital retailers (Prime Video, Apple TV and Fandango at Home) on October 15 and on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD on December 3. Alien: Romulus is the start of a new chapter with a brand-new story unlike any other Alien movie that came before it, featuring all-new creatures and characters that are “tense enough to grab you by the throat” (Owen Gleiberman, Variety). Fans can delve deeper into the Alien franchise with all-new exclusive bonus features, including featurettes with filmmakers Fede Alvarez and Ridley Scott, behind the scenes content, and alternate and extended scenes. The 4K UHD will be available in a collectible limited edition SteelBook with custom artwork and packaging.

🤖TRANSFORMERS ONE Arrives On Digital 10/22 & On 4K Ultra HD And Blu-ray 12/17 from Paramount.

Discover the untold story of how legendary leaders OPTIMUS PRIME and MEGATRON went from brothers-in-arms to sworn enemies in the action-packed and visually stunning TRANSFORMERS ONE, arriving to buy on Digital October 22, 2024 from Paramount Home Entertainment.  The film will arrive on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD on December 17, in time for holiday gift-giving. Directed by Academy Award-winner Josh Cooley, TRANSFORMERS ONE is the first fully CG-animated TRANSFORMERS film and boasts character designs and action sequences created by the renowned artists of ILM that are “truly astonishing” (Rafael Motamayor, SlashFilm). The film also features an exceptional all-star voice cast, including Chris Hemsworth, Brian Tyree Henry, Scarlett Johansson, Keegan-Michael Key, Steve Buscemi, with Laurence Fishburne, and Jon Hamm. Fans who purchase the film on Digital or 4K Ultra HD will have access to over 45 minutes of thrilling bonus content.  Explore the lively and colorful world of CYBERTRON like you've never seen it before. Hear from the A-list voice cast, including Chris Hemsworth, Brian Tyree Henry, and Scarlett Johansson.  Go behind the scenes for the making of the epic Iacon 5000 race and much, much more!

🤡JOKER: FOLIE À DEUX on Digital 10/29 and 4K, Blu-ray & DVD 12/17 from Warner Bros Discovery.

From acclaimed writer/director/producer Todd Phillips comes Joker: Folie À Deux, the follow-up to 2019’s Academy Award-winning Joker, which earned more than $1 billion at the global box office. The new film stars Joaquin Phoenix once again in his Oscar-winning dual role as Arthur Fleck/Joker, opposite Oscar winner Lady Gaga (“A Star Is Born”). Joker: Folie À Deux debuts for purchase and rental digitally at home on October 29. Joker: Folie À Deux finds Arthur Fleck institutionalized at Arkham awaiting trial for his crimes as Joker. While struggling with his dual identity, Arthur not only stumbles upon true love, but also finds the music that's always been inside him. The film also stars Oscar nominees Brendan Gleeson (The Banshees of Inisherin) and Catherine Keener (Get Out, Capote), alongside Zazie Beetz, reprising her role from Joker. Phillips, who received Oscar nominations for directing, writing and producing Joker, directed Joker: Folie À Deux from a screenplay co-written with fellow Oscar nominee Scott Silver, based on characters from DC. The film was produced by Phillips, Oscar nominee Emma Tillinger Koskoff and Joseph Garner. Lady Gaga served as music consultant. The film’s executive producers are Michael E. Uslan, Georgia Kacandes, Silver, Mark Friedberg and Jason Ruder.

😺ALFRED HITCHCOCK: THE ICONIC FILM COLLECTION on 4K and Digital 11/26 from Universal.

From one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema comes the all-new ALFRED HITCHCOCK: THE ICONIC FILM COLLECTION, releasing on 4K Ultra HD disc and Digital on November 26, 2024 from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. This must-own collection consists of some of the most unforgettable and groundbreaking films of all time including Rear Window, To Catch a Thief, Vertigo, North By Northwest, Psycho, and The Birds. In partnership with Warner Bros. and Paramount Home Entertainment, the collection features the newly released 4K Ultra HD remasters of North by Northwest and To Catch a Thief. It’s the very first time you can own all six films together on 4K Ultra HD disc and includes digital codes. The premium book style-packaging consists of rare photos, bios, trivia, and original cover art by renowned artist Tristan Eaton. It features over 15 hours of revealing bonus features including Psycho Uncut (the extended version of the movie originally seen in theaters), audio interviews with Alfred Hitchcock, behind-the-scenes featurettes, rare production photographs, creative storyboards, insightful feature commentaries, and so much more!

CUCKOO: Creepy & Crazy

CUCKOO (Blu-ray)

2024 / 102 min

FROM NEON/DECAL RELEASING

Review by Josey, the Sudden Cat🙀

Cuckoo is a crazy film, and the less you know going in, the more fun you’re likely to have. I first caught the trailer during a screening of NEON’s bigger horror release this year, Longlegs, and it was just enough to pique my interest without revealing anything significant about the plot. I wish more trailers were put together this way, especially those promoting horror films.

So I went into this review not really knowing what Cuckoo was about, and I gotta say, this is the NEON film I thought Longlegs was going to be: unusual, unpredictable and unnerving. Not to disparage Longlegs, which was very good for what it was, but ultimately reminiscent of other movies. This one, on the other hand, is consistently engaging, not only because it’s very well made on a technical level, but the narrative is full of surprises. Had I been privy to the story and characters beforehand, I don’t think I’d have enjoyed it as much.

Hence, I’ll do readers a solid and refrain from providing to much story detail aside from the set-up: Teenage girl Gretchen (Hunter Schafer), still mourning the dead of her mother, is sent to the German Alps to live with her father (Marton Csokas), his second wife Beth (Jessica Henwick) and their daughter Alma (Mila Lieu). They’re in Germany to help build a new resort hotel run by Herr König (Dan Stevens)...

Guess who just tried to give their cat a pill.

…and this is when things get weird, in ways the viewer isn’t likely to expect. I'll also say that Cuckoo’s title not-only applies to a major thematic component, but the overall tone, writer-director Tilman Singer’s creepy stylistic touches and disorienting sequences of hallucinatory psychological horror (along with a few well-earned jump scares). Best of all, narrative never resorts to spoonfeeding the audience, instead inviting us to come along for the ride, even if we’re never sure of the destination. 

The film benefits immensely from a compelling - and sympathetic - main protagonist, as well as a terrific primary villain. If there’s one aspect of the film that’s a little lacking, it’s some of the thinly-conceived secondary characters, including some we’re led to believe are important, only for them to more-or-less disappear from the story. However, the overall performances are very good, with Schafer & Stevens being particular stand-outs. 

All these elements combined make Cuckoo a terrific surprise and one of the more original horror films I’ve seen recently. While NEON has distributed some that have gotten more attention this year, I think this might (unexpectedly) be the best of them.

EXTRA KIBBLES

FEATURETTE - The Making of Cuckoo

VIDEO DIARIES

ON-SET INTERVIEWS

DELETED SCENES

TRAILERS

CATNADO: More Actual CATS Would've Been Nice

CATNADO (DVD)

2022 / 87 min

FROM WILD EYE RELEASING

Review by Bonnie, the Barometer😾

Given the premise, we here at Free Kittens Movie Guide were really rooting for Catnado to be good. 

Okay…maybe ‘good’ is not right the word. No movie blatantly drawing inspiration from Sharknado was ever going to be good. But considering our ongoing infatuation with felines & films - to say nothing of felines in films - fun was a reasonable expectation.

But there’s only one fun aspect of Catnado, and that’s the wonderful DVD cover art. If it was a poster, we’d definitely throw that shit up on the Catcave wall. And like most other B-movies with crazy titles and crazier promotional artwork, there’s absolutely nothing in Catnado as awesome as that cover…

…not that we had any illusions. We knew going-in that Catnado would be cheap, but Jesus Christ, no movie should have the viewer suspecting more effort was put into selling it than actually making it. 

This cat has a word with his agent.

Sort of an anthology film, this is the work of nine directors, each tasked with creating a story centered around, as the title says, a tornado raining killer cats. Yet at no point does Catnado even rise to so-bad-it’s-good territory. Shot on video, it’s amateur night on every level...the performances, the dialogue, the production values and the eye-rolling attempts at humor. Deadly dull right from the get-go, the movie doesn’t even have the courtesy of being self-aware.

But the biggest sin? There are hardly any actual cats in the movie. Granted, they generally aren't the most cooperative actors on Earth, but aside from inserted shots of felines that are obviously not even at the same location, the animal action is all done with stuffed animals, puppets and shitty CGI (you could probably create more convincing effects with your I-Phone). And since there are plenty of funnier videos on YouTube featuring real cats, why waste your time?

Too bad…we really wanted to like this one.

HELLRAISER: QUARTET OF TORMENT: Three Classics and a Coaster

HELLRAISER: QUARTET OF TORMENT (Blu-ray)

1987-1996 / 371 min (4 movies)

FROM ARROW VIDEO

Review by Josey, the Sudden Cat🙀

Several years ago, Arrow Video released The Scarlet Box, which collected the first three Hellraiser films. A bit later, they re-released Hellraiser and Hellbound: Hellraiser II individually, but not Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth, which was kind of a disappointment because I missed out on grabbing the boxed set (which had since gone out of print) and the third one was always one of my guilty pleasures.

Now Arrow’s got a new boxed set available, Hellraiser: Quartet of Torment, which features great looking 4K restorations of the first four films…presumably because they either don’t own the rights to the entire series, or because these were the only four to be given a theatrical release. And that’s fine because everything after Hellraiser III was a dumpster fire anyway. If you don’t believe me, just pop in Hellraiser: Bloodline.

But this set is more than a repackaging of The Scarlet Box with Hellraiser: Bloodline thrown in to make die-hards double dip. In addition to a bevy of archival bonus features, it includes a lot of new supplements. Most of them are retrospective discussions regarding Hellraiser’s cultural impact, as well as original author (and director) Clive Barker’s importance to the genre. Even the fourth poo-poo platter has a new audio commentary. 

As for the films themselves…

The original Hellraiser was unique for its time. Author Clive Barker was still a relatively new kid on the block, but even as a first-time director, no one was better-qualified to put his lurid imagination on the big screen. Considering the relatively low budget, the film is atmospheric and stylish, with gruesomely imaginative make-up effects and violence. Three decades later, the film holds up remarkably well, only a few wonky visual effects disrupting the overall tone. Though Pinhead (Doug Bradley) is a horror icon today, he and his Cenobites don’t actually have all that much screen time in this one. However, Claire Higgins as Julia and Sean Chapman/Oliver Smith as her lover, Frank, make a wonderfully contemptible pair of antagonists.

I might be in the minority on this, but I always felt Hellbound: Hellraiser II was a better film. Gorier and more disturbing than Hellraiser, this one pushes into the realm of dark fantasy rather than pure horror. Ambitious and visually imaginative, Hellbound eschews the claustrophobic atmosphere of the original to finally show us a concept of Hell that was previously only hinted at. The film also features the most twisted villain in the entire franchise: Dr. Channard (Kenneth Cranham), whose detached sadism makes Frank Cotton look a poster boy for empathy. But the most intriguing aspect of the film is Pinhead’s backstory. Revealing without being over-explanatory, we’re provided just enough knowledge about his past to add a surprising touch of poignancy to the climax.

E.T. phone Hell.

Ol’ Pinhead experiences a little of the New York nightlife in Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth, arguably the first film in the series where he’s the undisputed, balls-out bad guy (as opposed to being sort-of an antihero in the first two). This one’s a little sillier and more contrived, but also bigger, flashier and a hell of a lot of fast-paced, gory fun…so who really cares if it’s mostly a Pinhead killing spree? It’s even kind of funny at times - on purpose - especially when some of the goofy new Cenobites are introduced. This was also the last good work by late director Anthony Hickox, who once showed great promise with his two Waxwork films. The unrated version is also included.

After Hellraiser III, the Law of Diminishing Returns dealt the franchise a savage blow from which it wouldn’t recover (at least until that interesting reboot a few years ago). Hellraiser: Bloodline is a drab, depressing dung heap with a dull story, bland characters and cheap visual effects. Hell, even Pinhead looks bored in this one. The whole thing reeks of post-production tampering, resulting in a choppy narrative with hamfisted editing. The fact that part of it takes place in space (a bad sign for any horror sequel) and was directed by Alan Smithee (a pseudonym used by directors who want their name left off the credits) tells you all you need to know. On the plus side, the disc will make a decent coaster in my mancave.

Still, this is a good overall collection. The restorations and newly added bonus features make Quartet of Torment a better set than The Scarlet Box. For this writer, it’s another chance to grab Hellraiser III on Blu-ray (unfortunately, it’s still unavailable separately). For others, three horror classics and a drink coaster is a pretty good deal.

EXTRA KIBBLES

NOTE: Free Kittens Movie Guide was provided with promo discs for review purposes. Physical supplemental material included with the final product (booklets, artwork, inserts, etc) were not available for review.

HELLRAISER

POWER OF IMAGINATION - This is a new hour-long conversation/appreciation by Sorcha Ni Fhlainn and Karmel Kniprath.

2 VIDEO ESSAYS - Unboxing Hellraiser, by author Alexandra Benedict; Flesh is a Trap, by author Guy Adams.

THE PURSUIT OF POSSIBILITIES - Another new hour-long conversation between authors Pula D. Ashe & Eric LaRocca, who discuss the queer aspects of Hellraiser, as well as Clive Barker’s influence on the queer community.

3 AUDIO COMMENTARIES - 1 (NEW) By historian Stephen Jones and critic/author Kim Newman; 2) By writer-director Clive Barker; 3) By Clive Barker and actor Ashley Laurance.

EPK INTERVIEWS - These aren’t new, but have never been available on home video before. Featuring Clive Barker, actors Ashley Laurence, Clare Higgens & Andrew Robinson, RX artist Bob Keene. Also includes a new intro by Stephen Jones & Kim Newman.

INTERVIEWS - Individual archival interviews featuring actors Sean Chapman & Doug Bradley, musician Stephen Thrower (who worked on the unused Hellraiser score).

TRAILER/TV SPOTS

IMAGE GALLERY

DRAFT SCREENPLAYS

HELLBOUND: HELLRAISER II

HELL WAS WHAT THEY WANTED - A new 80-minute appreciation/discussion by authors Daniel Lea & Kit Power.

THAT RAT SLICE SOUND - A new video essay about Christopher Young’s score for both films by author Guy Adams.

3 AUDIO COMMENTARIES - 1 (NEW) By historian Stephen Jones and critic/author Kim Newman; 2) By director Tony Randell and writer Peter Atkins; 3) By director Tony Randell, writer Peter Atkins and actor Ashley Laurence.

INTERVIEWS - Individual archival interviews featuring actors Sean Chapman & Doug Bradley, author Clive Barker.

MORE INTERVIEWS - A collection of interviews with Clive Barker, director Tony Randell, FX artist Bob Keen, writer Peter Atkins and som of the cast.

BEHIND-THE-SCENES FOOTAGE

TRAILER/TV SPOTS

IMAGE GALLERY

HELLRAISER III: HELL ON EARTH

THEATRICAL AND UNRATED VERSIONS - Unrated version features scenes not remastered or in the same aspect ratio.

3 AUDIO COMMENTARIES - 1 (NEW) By historian Stephen Jones and critic/author Kim Newman; 2) By director Anthony Hickox and actor Doug Bradley; 3) By writer Peter Atkins. 

INTERVIEWS - Individual interviews featuring actors Paula Marshall and Doug Bradley, director Anthony Hickox.

EPK INTERVIEWS - These aren’t new, but have never been available on home video before. Featuring Clive Barker and Doug Bradley.

TRAILER

IMAGE GALLERY

HELLRAISER: BLOODLINE

WORKPRINT VERSION - Apparently, this was closer to what original director Kevin Yagher had in mind.

THE BEAUTY OF SUFFERING - A new documentary about Hellraiser’s impact on the BDSM and fetish culture, as discussed by some of its practitioners.

AUDIO COMMENTARY - 1 (NEW) By historian Stephen Jones and critic/author Kim Newman.

ARCHIVAL DOCUMENTARIES - Hellraiser: Evolutions features several directors who discuss the entire franchise, many of them who directed some of the films; Books of Blood and Beyond: The Literary Works of Clive Barker is an appreciation of Barker’s work by author David Gatwalk.

TRAILER

IMAGE GALLERY

EASTER EGG