Cat City Collection: Standard Edition – Deaf Crocodile (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Dates: Hungary, 1986 (Cat City), Hungary, 2007 (Catcher: Cat City 2)
Director: Béla Ternovszky (Both Films)
Cast: Miklós Benedek, Gyula Bodrogi, Ilona Béres, Péter Haumann, András Kern, Ferenc Kállai, János Körmendi, István Mikó, Károly Mécs, Vera Pap, Zsuzsa Pálos, László Sinkó, Gyula Szombathy (Cat City), László Sinkó, Péter Rudolf, Miklós Benedek, Péter Haumann, György Dörner, Béla Stenczer, Péter Balázs, Mátyás Usztics, Gábor Reviczky (Catcher: Cat City 2)

Release Date: October 13th, 2026
Approximate Running Times: 97 Minutes 18 Seconds (Cat City), 94 Minutes 6 Seconds (Catcher: Cat City 2)
Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1 Aspect Ratio / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Cat City), 1.78:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Catcher: Cat City 2)
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Stereo Hungarian (Cat City), DTS-HD 5.1 Hungarian (Catcher: Cat City 2)
Subtitles: English (Both Films)
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $34.95

Cat City: "Set in the year 80 AMM (“After Mickey Mouse”) on Planet X where cats and rats have banded together to eliminate mice, the film features a show-stopping series of musical numbers including a bizarre chorus of Mexican vampire bats who inhabit an ancient Mayan temple." - synopsis provided by the distributor 

Catcher: Cat City 2: "It’s 20 years after the epochal battle between cats, rats and mice in the beloved original CAT CITY.  Planet X is now peacefully run by rodents, and former secret agent Nick Grabovsky has an organic spinach farm – until an African explorer discovers the last untamed tribe of cats in the jungle, who call up the ancient feline demon Moloch to help reclaim their place atop the food chain." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5 (Cat City, Catcher: Cat City 2)

Here’s the information provided about Cat City's transfer, "Cat City was restored in 4k by The National Film Institute Film Archive of Hungary."

Cat City comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 43 GB

Feature: 24.1 GB

Catcher: Cat City 2 comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 35.3 GB

Feature: 27 GB

Vital Passenger provides high-quality encodes for both films, and their sources are in excellent shape. Colors look correct, image clarity, black levels, and compression are solid.

Audio: (Both Audio Tracks)

Cat City comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD stereo mix in Hungarian with removable English subtitles. Catcher: Cat City 2 comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in Hungarian with removable English subtitles. Both tracks sound excellent; dialogue comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and ambient sounds are well-represented.

Extras:

Extras on the Blu-ray disc with Cat City include an archival interview with director Béla Ternovszky discussing his career at Pannonia Studio titled We Just Made It For The Fun Of It (30 minutes 39 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Hungarian with removable English subtitles), an archival video essay by Péter Szalay about Cat City titled Ahead Of Its Time (26 minutes 53 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Hungarian with removable English subtitles), an archival extra titled The Director Answers: Béla Ternovsky (23 minutes 14 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Hungarian with removable English subtitles), an interview with György Ráduly, director of the National Film Institute-Film Archive, moderated by Dennis Bartok of Deaf Crocodile (46 minutes 55 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with film historian Samm Deighan, and three animated short films directed by Béla Ternovszky: Modern Training Methods (6 minutes 24 seconds, 1.37:1 aspect ratio, Dolby Digital mono with text in Hungarian and removable English subtitles), Let’s Keep a Dog (6 minutes, 1.37:1 aspect ratio, Dolby Digital mono with text in Hungarian and English, no subtitles), and Where Is the Limit (7 minutes 3 seconds, 1.37:1 aspect ratio, Dolby Digital mono with text in Hungaria, no  subtitles).

Modern Training Methods: Béla Ternovsky’s wicked and gruesome satire of athletic training.

Let’s Keep a Dog: For dog lovers everywhere, this classic Pannonia Studio short is fueled by a wildly groovely 70s jazz-funk score.

Where Is the Limit: A cheerfully oblivious orange figure bumbles from one surreal situation into another until he discovers he can escape from the cartoon world into the real one with unexpected consequences.

Extras on the Blu-ray disc with Catcher: Cat City 2 include an interview with Béla Ternovszky, translated by Anna Klaniczay, moderated by Dennis Bartok (45 minutes 42 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English and Hungarian translated into English), a video essay by film historian Evan Chester titled The Satirical, Postmodern World of Cat City (15 minutes 49 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and an audio commentary with filmmaker and animator Dorian Saisse.

Other extras include reversible cover art and a 48-page booklet with an essay titled Cat City written by Walter Chaw, an essay titled Catcher: Cat City 2 written by Dan Schindel, an essay titled About the Films of the Ternovszky-Nepp Duo written by Anna Ida Orosz, Cat City Sketches, and information about Cat City’s transfer.

Summary:

Cat City: A crime syndicate run by cats joins forces with rats to exterminate the mouse population from planet X. The only thing standing in their way is a secret agent named Nick Grabowsky, who’s tasked with retrieving microfilm with plans for a cat catcher device.

While the premise presents a clear goal for the protagonist Nick Grabowsky, it is not what makes Cat City so enjoyable to watch and rewatch. What drives its narrative is its colorful cast of characters, many of whom might look familiar since Cat City is overflowing with pop culture references. Another strength of the narrative is how it balances time between cats and mice. That said, the narrative does an excellent job building momentum as it moves briskly to its very satisfying finale.

Besides being a satire of the spy film, Cat City is also a biting critique of bureaucracy and its inefficiency and authoritarianism. Cat City’s 2D cel animation holds up incredibly well. Cat City’s color palette does a superb job of reinforcing its dystopian vibe. When it comes to humor, it's a perfect mix of funny dialogue and outrageous situations. Ultimately, Cat City is a highly entertaining film that works as well as it does because it deals with universal themes that transcend language barriers.

Catcher: Cat City 2: Twenty years after the events of Cat City, the narrative picks up in a remote area of central Africa where a lone cat tribe still dominates mice. When the cats hear what’s happened to cats elsewhere, they summon Moloch, who helps them in their quest to liberate tamed cats and regain control over the mice.

Like its predecessor, Catcher: Cat City 2 is filled with pop culture references; unfortunately, all similarities end there. Where Cat City was very effective at employing social commentary that perfectly weaved into the narrative, Catcher: Cat City 2 is the polar opposite. While Catcher: Cat City 2’s opening setup is strong, what unfolds is an all-too-predictable narrative that tends to drag, killing any momentum. Another area that did not work for me was the animation; while more modern than Cat City’s 2D cel animation, it does not hold up as well as its predecessor. Ultimately, Catcher: Cat City 2 is another in a long line of sequels that fail to capture the magic of its predecessor.

Cat City Collection is another solid release from Deaf Crocodile. Recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Marquis – Mondo Macabro (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Belgium/Chile/France, 1989
Director: Henri Xhonneux
Writers: Roland Topor, Henri Xhonneux
Cast: François Marthouret, Valérie Kling, Michel Robin, Isabelle Wolfe, Vicky Messica, Nathalie Juvet, René Lebrun, Bob Morel, Roger Crouzet, Willem Holtrop, Eric De Sarria, Henri Rubinstein

Release Date: October 13th, 2026
Approximate Running Time: 83 Minutes 22 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono French
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $29.95

"Imprisoned in the Bastille for a minor act of blasphemy, the Marquis navigates lust, censorship, and the chaos of pre-revolutionary France. Through his wild imagination, he escapes into scandalous tales he writes down on scraps of paper. But the idea of a real escape begins to take shape when his cellmates start planning their breakout to join the revolutionary movement beyond the Bastille walls." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "New 2K restoration from the original negative."

Marquis comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 37.7 GB

Feature: 24.3 GB

The source looks excellent; flesh tones look healthy, colors are nicely saturated, contrast, black levels, image clarity, and compression are solid, and the image retains an organic appearance.

Audio: 5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in French with removable English subtitles. The track sounds excellent; dialogue comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and ambient sounds are well-represented.

Extras:

Extras for this release include reversible cover art, an image gallery with music from the film playing in the background (drawings/behind-the-scenes stills), a theatrical trailer (44 seconds, Dolby Digital mono French with removable English subtitles), animation storyboards, a text-based extra about a TV series titled Téléchat that influenced Marquis, a making-of featurette titled Faces Beneath the Masks (33 minutes 4 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo French with removable English subtitles), a making-of featurette titled The Creation of Marquis (15 minutes 38 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo French with removable English subtitles), and an audio commentary with producers Eric van Beuren and Claudie Ossard and actor Philippe Bizot.

Summary:

The Marquis de Sade and his writings have served as the basis of numerous films. While Marquis retains the essence of Marquis de Sade’s writings, it is not an adaptation of them; it is a new creation. The film is set during the French Revolution; an imprisoned Marquis de Sade and other political prisoners are being held in a Bastille. The guards and the police chief, who hold power, are the true deviants, despite the declaration of Marquis' libertine lifestyle as obscene.

Marquis is a live-action film that employs animatronics and an occasional moment of clay animation. All of the characters have a human form with animal heads, and the Marquis character has a talking penis that he confides in. While the central figure is Marquis, the narrative does a commendable job balancing between him and its cast of colorful characters.

For a film inspired by the Marquis de Sade, it's not surprising that some of the sexual content pushes boundaries. The most memorable moment is a scene where Marquis sodomizes a man who lusts after him with a lobster. When it comes to its subversive humor, Marquis never misses its mark. Ultimately, Marquis puts on a unique take on Marquis de Sade while retaining his essence.

Marquis gets an exceptional release from Mondo Macabro that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and informative extras. Highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Aswang – Mondo Macabro (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: USA, 1994
Directors: Wrye Martin, Barry Poltermann
Writers: Frank L. Anderson, Wrye Martin, Barry Poltermann
Cast: Norman Moses, Tina Ona Paukstelis, John Kishline, Flora Coker, Victor Delorenzo, Mildred Nierras, Jamie Jacobs Anderson, Daniel Demarco, John Garekis, Lee Worrell, Rosalie Seifert

Release Date: October 13th, 2026
Approximate Running Time: 82 Minutes 18 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Aspect Ratio / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Stereo English, DTS-HD 5.1 English
Subtitles: English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $29.95

"A pregnant girl enters into a strange pact, agreeing to play the part of someone else’s wife. She is taken to a huge, isolated estate to give birth. What happens next will haunt your nightmares for years!" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "New 4K restoration of the original 16mm negative."

Aswang comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 30.2 GB

Feature: 23.3 GB

While there is some very minor print debris, the source looks incredible for a low-budget film shot on 16mm. Flesh tones and colors look correct; image clarity and black levels are strong, compression is solid, and the image retains an organic appearance.

Audio: 4.5/5 (Both Audio Tracks)

This release comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD stereo mix in English and a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in English. You can’t go wrong with either track; both sound clean, clear, and balanced, and ambient sounds are well-represented. Included are removable English SDH.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a fundraising trailer for Aswang (1 minute 57 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a theatrical trailer for Aswang (2 minutes 2 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a trailer for Aswang’s VHS release under the alternate title The Earthing (1 minute 36 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a featurette that discusses music from the film titled The Nullbery Cooler (2 minutes 28 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), Norman Moses’ audition tape (3 minutes 30 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), John Garekis’ audition tape (3 minutes 14 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a deleted scene recreation titled Lost Scene Narration (6 minutes 43 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a documentary titled Different Than Hollywood: Making of Aswang (27 minutes 53 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English subtitles), an audio commentary with co-directors Wrye Martin and Barry Poltermann, moderated by Pete Tombs, and an audio commentary with executive producer David Dahlman and actors Norman Moses and Tina Ona Paukstelis.

Summary:

A pregnant woman in a desperate situation accepts an offer to pretend to be an affluent man’s wife so he can claim his inheritance from his dying mother.

What starts off fairly innocent quickly takes on a sinister tone once the pregnant woman and affluent man arrive at his family's estate. With each day that passes by, the pregnant woman becomes more uneasy about the deal she’s made, and when she reveals her regret, it's met with hostility. While the premise is based on Filipino folklore, at times it's reminiscent of Rosemary’s Baby.

The vampire has been depicted in countless films, and there have been some variations of what it looks like and how it attacks. While most of these variations are similar, Aswang, the Filipino version of the vampire, takes things in an entirely different direction. That said, Aswang is much more than a vampire in Filipino folklore; it's a general term that also includes witches, ghouls, and shapeshifters. The Aswang depicted in this film is a vampire-like creature that feeds off fetususes in their mothers' wombs.

Made for a very modest budget, Aswang, like most low-budget horror films, is not without its shortcomings. Fortunately, it's positive, far outweighing any of its negatives. The star of Aswang is its special effects, which hold up really well, and they bring the gory set pieces to life. The most surprising aspect of Aswang is the performances. Ultimately, Aswang is a genuinely creepy horror film that constantly surprises you.

Aswang gets a definitive release from Mondo Macabro. Recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

The Haunted Cop Shop – 88 Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Hong Kong, 1987
Director: Jeffrey Lau
Writers: Wong Kar-wai, Jeffrey Lau
Cast: Jacky Cheung, Ricky Hui, Billy Lau, Kitty Chan, Wu Fung, Chung Fat, Rico Chu, Michelle Si-Ma Yin, Fung Ging-Man 

Release Date: October 6th, 2026
Approximate Running Time: 95 Minutes 14 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: LPCM Mono Cantonese
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $29.95

"Set in a police station built atop a former wartime site once occupied by Japanese soldiers, the film unleashes a wave of restless spirits who return to haunt the living. When a group of bumbling, underachieving cops find themselves assigned to the precinct, they must confront increasingly bizarre and dangerous paranormal encounters. As the hauntings escalate, it becomes clear that surviving the night will require more than courage--it will take luck, ingenuity, and a willingness to embrace the absurd." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "2K restoration from the original negative."

The Haunted Cop Shop comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 34.1 GB

Feature: 26 GB

The source looks excellent; flesh tones and colors look correct, image clarity, black levels, and compression are solid, and there are no issues with digital noise reduction.

Audio: 4.25/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in Cantonese with removable English subtitles. The track sounds clean, clear, and balanced, and ambient sounds are well-represented.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an image gallery with music from the film playing in the background, a theatrical trailer (4 minutes 11 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Cantonese with removable English subtitles), alternate and extended shots (36 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Mandarin with removable English subtitles), an interview with film critic James Mudge titled Hauntings and Hollerings (24 minutes 45 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with Asian Cinema Expert Frank Djeng, reversible cover art, a double-sided poster (limited the first pressing), and a slipcover (limited the first pressing).

Summary:

Jeffrey Lau directed The Haunted Cop Shop. He’s known for The Haunted Cop Shop II, All for the Winner, Treasure Hunt, and Out of the Dark. The screenplay for The Haunted Cop Shop was written by Wong Kar-wai, who would go on to be a notable filmmaker in 1990s and beyond Hong Kong cinema. The Haunted Cop Shop was produced by In-Gear Film, the production company that would produce Wong Kar-wai’s As Tears Go By and Days of Being Wild.

Japanese soldiers who committed harikari at the end of World War II haunt a Hong Kong police station.

Although Hong Kong horror/comedy hybrids rose to prominence in the early 1980s, after the success of Encounters of the Spooky Kind, they hit their peak in the latter half of the 1980s, starting with Mr. Vampire. While some of the humor in The Haunted Cop Shop comes from dialogue, the bulk of it is based on situations characters find themselves in. That said, when it comes to horror elements, The Haunted Cop Shop is very effective at creating sinister moments and delivering jump scares.

The narrative revolves around two mischievous cops, Kim Mak-Kei and Man Chiu, who constantly find themselves in the presence of ghosts and vampires. Jacky Cheung (Bullet in the Head) and Ricky Hui (To Hell with the Devil) are cast in the roles of Kim Mak-Kei and Man Chiu. They make a solid comedic duo; their characters often find themselves in absurd situations that are humorous. Another performance of note is Kitty Chan in the role of Chief Superintendent Fanny Ho.

The premise is superbly realized, and the narrative moves briskly as it effectively builds to its finale. When it comes to the humor, The Haunted Cop Shop never misses its mark. Two of the funniest moments are a scene where a prisoner in the jail sees a ghost who he chases, and when he leans in for a kiss and calls her sexy, she disappears, and another prisoner is in her place. The other standout moment is a scene where Kim Mak-Kei and Man Chiu convince Fanny Ho that wearing underwear on her head will protect her from vampires. An area where The Haunted Cop Shop holds up really well is its special effects. Ultimately, The Haunted Cop Shop is a satisfying mix of humor and horror that fans of Hong Kong supernatural comedies should thoroughly enjoy.

The Haunted Cop Shop gets an excellent release from 88 Films that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and informative extras. Recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

The Giant of Marathon – Explosive Media/Plaion Pictures (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy/France, 1959
Directors: Jacques Tourneur, Mario Bava
Writers: Ennio De Concini, Augusto Frassinetti, Bruno Vailati
Cast: Steve Reeves, Mylène Demongeot, Sergio Fantoni, Daniela Rocca, Philippe Hersent, Alberto Lupo, Daniele Vargas, Miranda Campa, Gianni Loti

Release Date: August 13th, 2026
Approximate Running Time: 88 Minutes 14 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVCC
Rating: FSK 12 (Germany)
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Italian, DTS-HD Mono English, DTS-HD Mono German
Subtitles: Italian, German, English
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: 19,99 EUR

"490 BC: Athens faces the threat of the Persian army, while powerful men within the city spin their own intrigues. The celebrated athlete Philippides becomes a beacon of hope for his people and must fight not only against external enemies but also against betrayal within his own ranks. At his side stand the beautiful Andromeda and the general Miltiades, while above it all hovers the impending collision at Marathon." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5

The Giant of Marathon comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 39 GB

Feature: 21.7 GB

Though no information is provided about this transfer source, it is in great shape, and print debris has been cleaned up. Flesh tones look correct, colors are nicely saturated, the image looks crisp, black levels are strong, and compression is very good. That said, peplum is a genre that has not fared well transfer-wise; fortunately, this transfer is one of the stronger ones.

Audio: 4/5 (DTS-HD Mono Italian, DTS-HD Mono English)

This release comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in Italian, a DTS-HD mono mix in English, and a DTS-HD mono mix in German. For this review, I only listened to the Italian and English tracks. Quality-wise, these two tracks are comparable. They both sound clean, clear, and balanced. Also, range-wise, they sound robust when they should. Included are removable English and German subtitles. The English subtitles appear to be a direct translation of the Italian track.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an image with music from the film playing in the background (67 images—posters/lobby cards/stills), a US theatrical trailer (2 minutes 7 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), a German version of The Giant of Marathon (84 minutes 33 seconds, 2.35:1 aspect ratio, DTS-HD mono German, no subtitles), an audio commentary with Benedikt Wilken and Leonhard Elias Lemke in German, no subtitles, and reversible cover art.

Summary:

Jacques Tourneur co-directed The Giant of Marathon. Notable films he’s directed include Cat People, I Walked with a Zombie, The Leopard Man, Out of the Past, Nightfall, and Night of the Demon. Cinematographer Mario Bava was forced to finish The Giant of Marathon when Jacques Tourneur did not extend his ten-month contract with the production company.

The sacred god, led by a Greek soldier named Phillipides, is the only thing standing in the way of Persian invaders attacking Greece.

Although Peplums are most known for their fantastical elements and mythical characters, most of Steve Reeves' Peplums are based on historical events. For example, The Giant of Marathon derives its title from and is inspired by the historical event the Battle of Marathon. That said, Steve Reeves’ character Phillipides is based on a 5th-century-BC Athenian running courier who was a central figure in what became the marathon race.

While an impending Persian invasion looms throughout The Giant of Marathon, it is ultimately a story about power and betrayal of country. The opening setup quickly establishes Theocritus's treachery and lust for power. From there, the Greeks, who are outnumbered against the Persians, make an alliance with another enemy, the Spartans. All of these events set in motion an epic battle that culminates the film.

The main attraction is Steve Reeves (Hercules) in the role of Philipides. Where his roles to that point relied heavily on his physical attributes, Philipides is one of his most rounded characters. Another performance of note is Sergio Fantoni’s (Atom Age Vampire) portrayal of Theocritus. The female cast offers plenty of eye candy, with Mylène Demongeot (Fantômas) in the role of Andromeda and Daniela Rocca (Caltiki – The Immortal Monster) in the role of Charis, the two women vying for Philipides’ attention.

The first half of the film is exposition-heavy with only a few action-related moments. The latter half kicks off with the film's first of two big action set pieces, and the other is a surprise attack finale. While The Giant of Marathon feels more like a Jacques Tourneur film, Mario Bava’s influence is felt in the visuals, notably special effects and underwater sequences. Ultimately, The Giant of Marathon is a well-crafted Peplum that fans of the genre are sure to enjoy.

The Giant of Marathon gets a strong audio/video presentation from Explosive Media/Plaion Pictures. Recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer