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

Song of the Miraculous Hind: Standard Edition – Deaf Crocodile (4K UHD/Blu-ray Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: Hungary, 2002
Director: Marcell Jankovics
Writer: Marcell Jankovics
Cast: László Áron, Árpád Besenczi, Gergõ Bódi, Ildikó Bokor, Róbert Bolla, Ferenc Borbiczky, Gyula Buss, Imre Csuja

Release Date: April 21st, 2026
Approximate Running Time: 94 Minutes 2 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1 Aspect Ratio / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / Dolby Vision HDR10
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Stereo Hungarian
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free (4K UHD), Region A (Blu-ray)
Retail Price: $39.95

"Song of the Miraculous Hind is Marcell Jankovics’ incredibly ambitious attempt to depict thousands of years of Hungarian culture and myth, based in part on early Siberian and Finno-Ugric legends and incorporating Scythian, Iranian, and Turkic artistic influences. Divided into four sections, the film opens in a violent snowstorm, with nomadic hunters stalking deer and woolly mammoth and singing songs of their spiritual brethren—and it ends millennia later, with Géza, Grand Prince of the Hungarians, who helped bridge the gap between Paganism and early Christianity." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5 (4K UHD, Blu-ray)

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "4K restoration of the film by the NFI – Film Archive in Hungary."

Song of the Miraculous Hind comes on a 100 GB triple layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 75.4 GB

Feature: 62.1 GB

Vital Passenger delivers a solid encode; the source looks excellent. Colors are nicely saturated, image clarity, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image retains an organic look.

Song of the Miraculous Hind comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 39.8 GB

Feature: 27.1 GB

This Blu-ray uses the same master that is used for the 4K UHD disc.

Audio: 5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD stereo mix in Hungarian with removable English subtitles. The audio sounds excellent; dialogue comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced and robust when it should.

Extras:

Extras on the 4K UHD disc include a video essay by film historian Evan Chester titled Mythic Origins, Sacred History, and the Making of National Identity in Song of the Miraculous Hind (16 minutes 49 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with the film’s composer Levente Szörényi (of legendary Hungarian rock band Illés) and animator Piroska Martsa, translated by Anna Klaniczay and moderated by Dennis Bartok for Deaf Crocodile (49 minutes 34 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English and Hungarian with English translation), and an audio commentary with animation producer and podcaster Adam Rackoff, podcaster and film critic James Hancock, and filmmaker and podcaster Martin Kessler.

Extras are the same on the Blu-ray disc.

Summary:

Marcell Jankovics directed Song of the Miraculous Hind. He’s known for Son of the White Mare and The Tragedy of Man.

The narrative is divided into four sections: Land of Origin, Hunor and Magyar, On and On, and Pannonia. The narrative covers one thousand years of Hungarian history, beginning with the time of Prince Géza, when Hungary was Christianized. Although the four stories are based on Siberian and Finno-Ugric legends, they incorporate Scythian, Iranian, and Turkic artistic influences.

While Song of the Miraculous Hind was made specifically for a Hungarian audience, its four stories have a universal appeal to them. Anyone familiar with Marcell Jankovics's other films knows his distinct style of filmmaking. He uses techniques that give his films a retro look, and when it comes to the way images appear onscreen, they are not bound by conventionalism. That said, his style of animation and storytelling is overflowing with imagination.

Each story stands strong independently, and in terms of pacing, the narrative effectively builds momentum. Not all of the characters are human; there are half-human/half-bear, half-human/half-deer, and other hybrids. Spoken words come in the form of narration, songs, and dialogue exchanges between characters. While there is carnage throughout, the last story with its depiction of public executions is the most violent. Ultimately, Song of the Miraculous Hind is a film that fans of Marcell Jankovics will thoroughly enjoy, while those uninitiated to his cinema would be better suited starting with Son of the White Mare.

Deaf Crocodile gives Song of the Miraculous Hind a definitive release. Highly recommended.

Note: There is a deluxe release of Song of the Miraculous Hind that comes in a slipcase and a 60-page book with an essay by film historian Jenny Barker and an essay by film critic Walter Chaw (Film Freak Central).

Note about the 4K screenshots: It is not possible to make Dolby Vision or HDR10 screenshots that faithfully match the experience of watching a film in motion on a TV. Instead of not having any screenshots, all of the 4K screenshots are m2ts taken with a MPC-HC player and lossless PNGs.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Heroic Times: Standard Edition – Deaf Crocodile (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Hungary, 1983
Director: József Gémes
Writers: János Arany, József Gémes
Narrator: Gyula Szabó

Release Date: January 20th, 2026
Approximate Running Time: 83 Minutes 34 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1 Aspect Ratio / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: LPCM Mono Hungarian
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $29.95

"“A crime is a crime, even if committed by kings,” intones the narrator of director József Gémes’ animated portrait of the supposedly “heroic” age of medieval knights and kings, a sprawling and bloody tapestry of ruthless combat to rival Game of Thrones." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "New 4K restoration of Heroic Times by the NFI – National Film Institute-Film Archive in Hungary."

Heroic Times comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 35.8 GB

Feature: 24.1 GB

Fidelity In Motion delivers a solid encode; the source looks excellent. Colors are nicely saturated, image clarity, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image retains an organic look.

Audio: 5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in Hungarian with removable English subtitles. The audio sounds excellent; narration comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced and robust when it should.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an interview with Heroic Times animator Sándor Békési, moderated by Dennis Bartok of Deaf Crocodile (26 minutes 8 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with György Ráduly, Director of the National Film Institute-Film Archive on József Gémes and the history of Hungarian animation, moderated by Dennis Bartok (50 minutes 9 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with film historian Samm Deighan, three short films directed by József Gémes: Koncertissimo (4 minutes 11 seconds, 1.66:1 aspect ratio, LPCM mono), Parade (Díszlépés) (6 minutes 10 seconds, 1.66:1 aspect ratio, LPCM mono), and Funeral (Temetés) (3 minutes 9 seconds, 1.66:1 aspect ratio, LPCM mono), and a 16-page booklet with an essay written by film historian and professor Jennifer Lynde Barker, and information about the transfer.

Koncertissimo: In this scathing anti-war satire, an elegant crowd gathers at the concert hall to hear a very different kind of orchestra perform.

Parade (Díszlépés): A beautiful hand-painted short about the absurdity of military dress parades.

Funeral (Temetés): A solemn and tearful funeral is interrupted by unexpected laughter in Gémes’ black comic gem.

Summary:

While on the run for murder, a man becomes a knight, only to quickly become disillusioned by the horrors of war.

Heroic Times is a 2-D animation based on an epic narrative poem by 19th-century Hungarian writer János Arany. The animation in Heroic Times is a unique style that looks like paintings, and it blends extremely well with moments of more traditional 2-D animation. Reinforcing these striking images is an exemplary driving score that heightens the mood by perfectly fusing image and sound.

There are no dialogue exchanges in Heroic Times; voice-over narration is used to convey all exposition. Gyula Szabó serves as the narrator, and the tone of his voice does a phenomenal job propelling the narrative forward. That said, his voice-over narration conveys so much that viewers never miss the lack of conventional dialogue.

The narrative is always engaging, and pacing is never an issue, as it does an exceptional job building momentum. Besides its striking imagery, Heroic Times is a film that’s overflowing with symbolism. Ultimately, Heroic Times is a perfect blend of drama, romance, and tragedy that quickly draws you in and stays with you.

Heroic Times gets a definitive release from Deaf Crocodile; highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Sirius: Standard Edition – Deaf Crocodile (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Hungary, 1942
Director: Dezsõ Ákos Hamza
Writers: Imre Földes, Ferenc Herczeg, Péter Rákóczi
Cast: Elemér Baló, Ilona Bánhidy, Géza Berczy, Jenö Bodnár, Endre C. Turáni, Jenö Danis,Sári Déry, Dóra Fáy Kiss

Release Date: November 11th, 2025
Approximate Running Time: 103 Minutes 29 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1 Aspect Ratio / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Hungarian
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $29.95

"In the 1940s, a brash Hungarian playboy (László Szilassy) travels back two hundred years with a mad scientist to the mid-18th century world of wigs and pompadours, where he falls in love with a penniless opera singer (Katalin Karády) and makes enemies of all the aristocratic fools he encounters (including his own great-grandfather). But can he make it back to the present before dawn with his new love—or will he lose her forever?" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "beautifully restored from the original 35mm B&W nitrate negative by the NFI, and released for the first time on Blu-ray in the U.S. by Deaf Crocodile."

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

Disc Size: 33 GB

Feature: 27.7 GB

The source looks excellent, free of debris or other imperfections. Flesh tones look correct, image clarity and compression are solid, black levels are strong, and there are no issues with digital noise reduction. Fidelity In Motion delivers another exemplary encode.

Audio: 4.5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in Hungarian with removable English subtitles. The audio sounds clean, clear, balanced, and robust when it should.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a newly created trailer (2 minutes 48 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Hungarian with removable English subtitles), Sirius Werkfilm—ultra-rare behind-the-scenes footage of Sirius during production that was shot by a 19-year-old studio trainee and shows the director and lead actors setting up for filming (2 minutes 27 seconds, silent footage), a video essay by journalist and physical media expert Ryan Verrill and film professor Dr. Will Dodson of Someone’s Favorite Productions titled Vissza a Jovobe: Hungary at a Tipping Point (20 minutes 18 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with non-removable English subtitles for Hungarian film clips), an interview with György Ráduly, director of the National Film Institute (NFI) – Film Archive on the making and preservation of Sirius, moderated by Dennis Bartok (18 minutes 54 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and an audio commentary with hall of fame comics artist, film historian, and author Stephen R. Bissette.

Summary:

A professor offers his wealth and his daughter's hand in marriage to any man willing to travel with him in his time machine.

Time travel is a device used countless times in cinemas, and while each film has offered its own interpretation, the main constant is how one's actions in the past alter the future. The protagonist, navigating the past using time travel, always wants to alter history. Despite its use of time travel, Sirius best fits the description of a melodrama with limited sci-fi elements.

The opening up does a superb job drawing you in, and from there the narrative creates an engaging story that always holds your attention. Although there is a predictability to the events that unfold, everything builds effectively to a very satisfying finale. Another strength of the narrative is its ability to create dramatic moments that build upon each other.

The protagonist, a count named Tibor Ákos, is a brash character whose refusal to conform to rituals and etiquette puts him at odds with those from the past that he encounters. Rosina Beppo, a singer, is the only person who's not averse to his demeanor. She has become fond of him despite only knowing him briefly. Rosina is also a doppelganger of the professor's daughter. That said, the performances all suit the story that unfolds.

Sirius is a film that delights and exceeds the sum of its parts, notably when it comes to its exemplary production design. Although the visuals let the performances take center stage, that is not to say that they don’t greatly contribute to reinforcing the mood. Ultimately, Sirius is a well-crafted romantic costume drama that effectively employs time travel.

Sirius gets an excellent release from Deaf Crocodile that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and insightful extras; highly recommended. 

Note: There is a deluxe release of Sirius that comes in a slipcase and a 60-page book with an essay by film historian Rolf Giesen and an essay by film critic Walter Chaw (Film Freak Central).

Written by Michael Den Boer