THE POOP SCOOP: Dystopias & Dead Guys Edition

Mee-ow!

Bong Joon Ho’s MICKEY 17 on Digital Now and 4K, Blu-ray & DVD May 13 from Warner Bros. From the Academy Award-winning writer/director of “Parasite,” Bong Joon Ho, comes his next groundbreaking cinematic experience, “Mickey 17.” The film arrives for purchase and rental Digitally at home on April 8. “Mickey 17” will also be available to purchase on 4K UHD, Blu-ray and DVD on May 13. Written and directed by Bong Joon Ho, “Mickey 17” stars Robert Pattinson (“The Batman,” “Tenet”), Naomi Ackie (“Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker”), Steven Yeun (“Nope”), with Academy Award nominees Toni Collette (“Hereditary”), and Mark Ruffalo (“Poor Things”). The film is produced by Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner (Oscar winners for “Moonlight” and “12 Years a Slave”), Bong Joon Ho and Dooho Choi (“Okja,” “Snowpiercer”). It is based on the novel Mickey 7 by Edward Ashton. The executive producers are Brad Pitt, Jesse Ehrman, Peter Dodd and Marianne Jenkins.

NOVOCAINE on Digital April 8 and 4K/Blu-ray June 24 from Paramount. Get ready for the action-packed comedy as NOVOCAINE arrives to buy or rent on Digital April 8, 2025 from Paramount Home Entertainment.  The film will arrive in a 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo, a 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray SteelBook, and on DVD June 24. Hailed as “non-stop fun” (Jonathan Sim, Coming Soon), “an absolute blast” (Perri Nemiroff, Collider), and “a genuine riot” (Jeff Ewing, Collider), NOVOCAINE is Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.  Fans who purchase NOVOCAINE on Digital or 4K Ultra HD will have access to over 35 minutes of action-packed bonus content.  Find out how this genre-busting concept went from page to screen, go behind the scenes of the eye-popping stunts, and see how special effects makeup dialed up the carnage.

"DESTINATION DYSTOPIA" - The Curated Collection of Apocalyptic/Dystopian TV Series/Movies from Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment Ends May 12!!! As the highly anticipated Season Two premiere of HBO’s Emmy-winning original drama series The Last of Us approaches, Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment invites fans to immerse themselves in a gripping exploration of varying apocalyptic/dystopian worlds with the "Destination Dystopia" promotion. The promotion runs now through May 12. This curated collection features iconic dystopian television series and films that are captivating, thought provoking, and offer viewers a comprehensive journey through the genre's most compelling narratives. Titles are available on physical and digital. Shop Now at Amazon and FanFlix

Three CLINT EASTWOOD Classics Coming to 4K April 29 from Warner Bros. Available individual, you can now own The Outlaw Josey Wales, Dirty Harry and Pale Rider in fabulous 4.

William Friedkin’s classic, SORCERER, coming to 4K + Blu-ray June 24 from Criterion Collection. Today, this pulse-pounding reimagining of The Wages of Fear is recognized as one of the boldest auteur statements of the New Hollywood. Includes the documentary, Friedkin Uncut.

PLANE Re-departs April 29 on 4K Ultra HD SteelBook + Blu-ray + Digital from Lionsgate. This nail-biting action-thriller is now packaged in an all-new SteelBook exclusively at Amazon.

DUNE: PROPHECY: The Complete First Season - Coming To 4K UHD, Blu-ray, & DVD on May 13 from Warner Bros. Get ready to binge all 6 episodes from the epic sci-fi adventure, along with over an hour of bonus content including 5 extended featurettes and an all-new, never-before-seen featurette exclusive to 4K UHD, Blu-ray and DVD.

Tripping on BLUE SUNSHINE in 4K

BLUE SUNSHINE (4K UHD)

1977 / 95 min

From Synapse Films

Review by Josey, the Sudden Cat🙀

If the name Jeff Lieberman doesn’t quite ring a bell, his best-known film is probably the 1976 creepy-crawly feature, Squirm. He was never particularly prolific, but cranked out a few interesting things over the years. And though he’ll never mentioned in the same breath as Carpenter or Craven, most of his movies are pretty entertaining (if you’ve never seen 2004’s Satan’s Little Helper, you owe it to yourself to seek it out).

Lieberman’s second film, Blue Sunshine is built on a great premise, that of several people losing their hair and turning homicidal 10 years after dropping the same batch of LSD. After a guy named Frannie brutally kills three people during a party, good buddy Jerry Zipkin (Zalman King) tries to stop him, but during the struggle, Frannie dies. Now the prime suspect in the murders, Jerry goes on the run with the help of girlfriend Alicia (Deborah Winters). 

But when he learns of similar incidents, Jerry’s compelled to find out how the killings are connected. He eventually determines they all bought the same acid, called Blue Sunshine, during college, which was sold to them by Edward Fleming (Mark Goddard), who’s now running for a senate seat. Somewhat amusingly, the more Jerry investigates, the more guilty he appears to the police. 

Hair today, gone tomorrow.

Narratively and aesthetically, Blue Sunshine reminds me of the type of B-movies David Cronenberg and Larry Cohen were making at the time. It’s never as weird and bloody as Cronenberg, nor as cheeky and goofy as Cohen, but certainly cut from similar cloth. As such, it’s pretty fun and fast moving, though never as "trippy" as one might anticipate from the premise. That’s not to say the film doesn’t have its share of wild, campy moments, like when those affected by the drug finally snap and go apeshit, or better yet, King’s chuckleworthy overacting.

While Blue Sunshine isn’t quite as much grassroots fun as Squirm, Jeff Lieberman has put together a more accomplished film…tighter direction, better writing and (mostly) decent performances. And of course, it’s just offbeat enough to have continued appeal to the cult crowd. Speaking of which, Synapse Films really pulled out all the stops for its 4K release. Both the 4K and Blu-ray discs boast a great new video restoration, in addition to two audio options, DTS HD Master Audio and 5.1 Surround. The third disc is a 13 track CD of the original soundtrack and I wish more boutique labels would do this.

The set is also loaded with interesting bonus features, most of which prominently feature writer-director Jeff Lieberman. It’s also elaborately packaged, with the case, slipcover and sturdy box each featuring different art work. Finally, a foldout poster is included. Considering Blue Sunshine’s relative obscurity - maybe even in cult circles - we’re getting a hell of a lot of bells & whistles dedicated to a single, decades-old low budget film. 

EXTRA KIBBLES

4K & BLU-RAY COPIES

CD SOUNDTRACK - Contains 13 tracks of the original Charles Gross Score. A pretty good listen.

INTERVIEWS - 3 separate interviews with writer-director Jeff Lieberman, one of them featuring director Mick Garris.

FANTASIA FILM FESTIVAL Q&A - Shot during Blue Sunshine’s 4K premiere, featuring ex-Fangoria editor Michael Gingold and writer-director Jeff Lieberman

THE RINGER - An 1972 20-minute short by writer-director Jeff Lieberman. There are two versions, the original and one that’s remastered 4K with optional commentary.

LSD SCARE FILMS - LSD 25 and LSD: Insight of Insanity are two shorts from the 1960s (of course) about the perils of dropping acid. Great fun!

2 AUDIO COMMENTARIES - Both feature writer-director Jeff Lieberman.

OPTIONAL INTRO - By writer-director Jeff Lieberman.

SUPPLEMENTAL BOOKLET - Features an excerpt from Leiberman’s autobiography, Day of the Living Me: Adventures of a Subversive Cult Filmmaker from the Golden Age.

TRAILERS

STILL GALLERY

FOLD-OUT POSTER

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 my 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.

THE LONG KISS GOODNIGHT (4K) and the Great Dog Monologue

THE LONG KISS GOODNIGHT (4K UHD)

1996 / 120 min

From Arrow Video

Review by Mr. Bonnie, the Brain Smasher😺

If nothing else, The Long Kiss Goodnight features the greatest inspirational speech ever given in a film. Brian Cox’s character, Dr. Nathan Waldman, is sitting at the dining table with his wife and dog, the latter of which is bathing himself. It’s during this scene that Nathan says to his wife:

“He’s been licking his asshole for the last three straight hours. I submit to you that there’s nothing there worth more than an hour’s attention. I should think whatever he is attempting to dislodge is either gone for good, or there to stay. Wouldn’t you agree?”

Those lines come courtesy of screenwriter Shane Black, and if he never typed another word afterwards, he more-than-earned a place among the pantheon of legendary Hollywood writers. As for the rest of the movie…most of it faded from my memory over the years, though I do remember enjoying it. Back then, director Renny Harlin was still cranking out solid action films, Genna Davis was still an adorable A-lister and Samuel L. Jackson was still Samuel Motherf**king Jackson (then again, he's always been Samuel Motherf**king Jackson, hasn’t he?).

Married to Davis at the time, Harlin tried turning her into an action heroine, first with the historically disastrous Cutthroat Island, followed by this. Though a much better film, it did little for either of their careers. Davis went into the Stuart Little business, while hubby Harlin had one last decent movie in him (Deep Blue Sea) before descending into mediocrity. So as a power couple, The Long Kiss Goodnight could be seen as their legacy. And like a lot of movies written (and sometimes directed) by Shane Black, it developed something of a cult following thanks to home video.

The greatest speech...ever.

This 4K disc is the first time I’ve sat down to watch the movie in at least two decades. The story of amnesiac suburban mom Samantha Caine (Davis) slowly realizing she was once a government assassin named Charlie Baltimore is a solid foundation to build an action flick, albeit a familiar one. But it’s ultimately Black’s witty screenplay that makes it crackle, especially when heard through co-stars Samuel Motherf**king Jackson and Brian Cox, both who steal the movie right from under Davis’ nose. Elsewhere, there’s plenty of the usual kaboom, but like Black’s The Last Boy Scout, the dialogue is the movie’s most memorable aspect.

And you know what? Almost 30 years later, I still laughed my ass off during Cox’s tirade about his anally-obsessed pooch. In fact, I rewatched that scene twice. 

Speaking of rewatching, fans of The Long Kiss Goodnight will certainly enjoy revisiting it in 4K. I’ve never seen the film on DVD or Blu-ray, so I can’t draw any upgrade comparisons, but the picture and sound here are both excellent. Additionally, Arrow Video has thrown in a big batch of new bonus features, along with a few older ones.

EXTRA KIBBLES

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

NEW INTERVIEWS - Symphony of Destruction features stunt coordinator Steven Davdson (not Dave Mustaine); Long Live the New Flesh features make-up artist Gordon J. Smith (not David Cronenberg); Girl Interrupted features actress Yvonne Zima, who played Samantha’s eight-year-old daughter (not Angelina Jolie).

3 VISUAL ESSAYS - Amnesia Chick is by film scholar Josh Nelson, who discusses a long line of films with amnesiac protagonists; The Mirror Crack’d is by Howard S. Berger (not Agatha Christie); A Woman’s World is by author & film critic Alexandra Heller-Nicholas.

2 AUDIO COMMENTARIES - 1) By critic Walter Chaw; 2) By Bloodhaus podcasters Drusilla Adeline and Joshua Conkel.

ARCHIVE INTERVIEWS - Featuring director Renny Harlin, actors Geena Davis, Samuel Motherf**king Jackson and Craig Bierko (whatever happened to that guy?)

MAKING-OF FEATURETTE

BEHIND-THE-SCENES EPK

DELETED SCENES

IMAGE GALLERY

TRAILER

Looking Back at EARTH II

EARTH II (Blu-ray)

1971 / 97 min

From Warner Archive Collection

Available at www.MovieZyng.com

Review by Mr. Paws😺

In addition to bringing hundreds of old classics to Blu-ray, Warner Archive seems well aware of an entire generation who grew up on made-for-TV movies of the 1970s. Some of this writer’s first exposure to horror, science-fiction and thrillers came courtesy of the ABC Movie of the Week and CBS Tuesday Night Movies.

One of them I vaguely recall is Earth II. Like such similar TV movies from the era as Genesis II and The Questor Tapes, it was originally produced as the pilot episode for a potential series, but never found an audience. As a kid with a growing interest in science-fiction, I remember tuning in to watch it, but almost nothing about the actual plot

Revisiting Earth II on Blu-ray was an interesting experience. The special effects and space sequences that kept me glued to the set when I was eight years old are obviously antiquated, but an enjoyable trip down memory lane nevertheless. Conversely, having remembered nothing about the story beyond the basic premise, much of the film felt completely new to me.

Earth II is an orbiting space station (predating the ISS) that is declared a sovereign nation with its own democratic government, so committed to peace that even toy guns are forbidden. Though commanded by David Seville (Gary Lockwood), all decisions affecting its thousands of citizens are voted on by everyone. This idyllic existence is threatened when the Chinese park an orbiting nuclear weapon nearby, threatening war if anyone tinkers with it.

Gary suddenly realizes how much he misses Stanley Kubrick.

David wants to leave it alone, but goaded by hawkish new arrival Frank Karger (Anthony Franciosa), the citizens vote to capture the bomb and deactivate it. But Frank wants to go one step further and keep the bomb to make Earth II a nuclear superpower, to the chagrin of his distraught wife, Lisa (Mariette Hartley), who wants to keep the station a peaceful society to raise their son. So she launches the weapon, thinking it will fly into the sun (which was originally suggested by David). Instead, it heads toward Earth. So now David and his team must retrieve and disarm the bomb, which is growing increasingly unstable.

Conceptually, I can see how Earth II could’ve been a decent series (if somewhat short-lived, like most sci-fi shows of the era). Though not particularly thrilling, the movie’s teleplay is pretty well written and occasionally thought provoking. With a cast consisting primarily of television actors, the overall performances are decent. And despite obviously being created with future episodes in mind, the pilot works well enough as a standalone story.

Of course, the primary appeal of Earth II today is purely nostalgic. Its quaint ‘70s aesthetic and TV origins would probably be lost on anyone who didn’t grow up with this stuff. For those who did - like yours truly - watching this is an agreeable look back at a bygone era of TV science-fiction.

COMPANION Is Full of Surprises

COMPANION (Blu-ray)

2025 / 97 min

From Warner Bros #InPartnershipwithWB

Review by Stinky the Destroyer😺

Part of me wishes I could’ve watched Companion without any prior knowledge of the premise. But I get it…you can’t market a sci-fi horror thriller without at least dropping a hint that its main character, Iris (Sophie Thatcher), is a robot created and programmed to be a loving soulmate. Still, even the Blu-ray cover tends to undermine the big revelation writer-director Drew Hancock masterfully builds up to during the first act.

On the other hand, Hancock has plenty of other surprises up his sleeve, most of which the viewer isn’t likely to see coming. More importantly, the basic plot subverts our assumptions that Companion is yet-another tale of AI gone bad. So no…Iris doesn’t become an unstoppable Terminator or malicious Weyland Yutani android. In fact, she’s the main protagonist.

Shopping in Stepford.

To avoid spoiling some of the movie’s wild, wonderful twists and turns, I’m gonna refrain from going into any more story details. I will say that Companion features a consistently compelling narrative, excellent overall performances (especially Thatcher) and well-realized characters, most of whom, at one point or another, are not who they seem to be when first introduced. This is all largely thanks to a well-constructed, intelligent screenplay that also addresses such timely issues as toxic relationships, personal autonomy and, of course, the ramifications of AI technology.

That’s not to say Companion is some kind of serious cautionary tale. Though certainly offering ideas and themes that are worth pondering, it’s mainly a wildly entertaining sci-fi thrill ride. Suspenseful, violent and sometimes wickedly funny, it’s a fast-paced film that doesn’t wear out its welcome with unnecessary peripherals, building to a satisfying climax and resolution. So far, this is one of the best of the year.

EXTRA KIBBLES

FEATURETTES - Companion: I Feel Therefore I Am focuses on Sophie Thatcher’s role as Iris; Companion: Love, Eli features Harvey Gullen discussing his character; AI Horror includes details related to the special effects.

DIGITAL COPY