NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: 88 Films Blu-ray (September 2025): 88 Films have transferred Lam Nai-Choi's The Cat to Blu-ray. It is cited as being a "Brand New 2K Restoration from the Original Negative". Shot primarily in practical locations like dingy apartments, junkyards, and city streets, the cinematography - handled by Lam himself in dual roles as director and cinematographer - favors dynamic, handheld camera work that amplifies the film's frantic energy. This results in a raw, unpolished look that feels immediate and immersive, often employing quick cuts and wide angles to capture the absurdity of interspecies battles and alien possessions. This 1080P transfer represents a significant upgrade over previous bootleg or downloaded versions, delivering enhanced clarity, color balance, and pleasing detail that bring the chaotic action sequences - such as the iconic junkyard cat-vs.-dog brawl and grotesque alien possessions - to life with renewed energy and visual eye-candy. The overall HD presentation highlights the film's practical effects and kinetic cinematography exceptionally well, making it the definitive way to experience this cult classic.

NOTE: We have added 64 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, 88 Films use a linear PCM dual-mono track (24-bit) in the original Cantonese language. The mono mix ensures that dialogue, animal sounds, and action cues are audible and impactful without distortion, even in the most frenzied moments like the junkyard fight. The uncompressed transfer appears to faithfully reproduce the film's eclectic soundscape - including feline growls, explosive gunfire, oozing gore effects, and the pounding synth score - with clear and balanced fidelity. The music score (credited to Philip Chan - Her Vengeance  - and Shunsuke Kikuchi - House of Terrors, The Snake Girl and the Silver-Haired Witch, Sister Street Fighter, Gamera vs. Guiron, Snake Woman's Curse and many more) primarily composed of pounding, stock synthesizer tracks, evokes 1980s action and horror vibes, with electronic pulses underscoring tense build-ups and explosive climaxes. 88 Films offer optional English subtitles on their Region FREE Blu-ray.

The 88 Films Blu-ray special features package is comprehensive and collector-focused, starting with an engaging audio commentary by, frequent participant, Frank Djeng of the NY Asian Film Festival, who delves into director Lam Nai-Choi's career, the film's brief Hong Kong theatrical run, and its source novel. A brand new 20-minute interview with writer Gordon Chan (Fist of Legend, Hard Boiled, Dragons Forever) explores the script adaptation, VFX challenges, and junkyard sequence creation; there's also the alternate Japanese cut titled Monster War (97 minutes in standard definition with English subs), essentially a neo-noir remake with new footage; an image gallery and a trailer. Limited edition perks elevate the set further, including a rigid slipcase with new artwork by Sean Longmore, a 40-page perfect-bound book featuring essays by Paul Bramhall (Eastern Heroes) and Matthew Edwards (The Atomic Bomb in Japanese Cinema, Bloodstained Narratives: The Giallo Film in Italy and Abroad,) a premium artcard, and a reversible sleeve, all housed in a handsome slipcover-encased box. 

Lam Nai-Choi's The Cat stands as a cult favorite in Hong Kong cinema, marking the director's final feature film before his retirement. Lam (Her Vengeance, Erotic Ghost Story) crafts a wildly eccentric science-fiction horror-action hybrid adapted from Ni Kuang's Wisely series novel Old Cat. The film combines elements of extraterrestrial invasion, grotesque body horror, martial arts, and absurd humor, often defying conventional storytelling in favor of chaotic spectacle. It features a modest budget but ambitious practical effects, earning praise for its unhinged energy while drawing criticism for its narrative looseness. As Lam's swan song, it encapsulates his career's blood-drenched, boundary-pushing style, though it doesn't reach the iconic heights of his earlier hits. Key sequences include explosive gun deals gone wrong, men engulfed in flames, and a surreal montage of sweat globules during intense confrontations. The narrative builds to a climactic showdown involving levitating cats, exploding creatures spewing glitter, and fiery ascensions, ending on a freeze-frame recap of highlights set to synth music. While the plot is thin and held together tenuously, it serves as a vehicle for nonstop action and gore, including a legendary cat-vs.-dog brawl where the feline (aided by wirework and puppets) duels a massive bulldog named Lao Pu, complete with kung fu reflexes, artifact thefts, and cartoonish window-smashing antics. Overall, the themes of alien otherness, loyalty, and apocalyptic survival are delivered with tongue-in-cheek absurdity, prioritizing entertainment over profundity. The Cat is a testament to Lam Nai-Choi's unbridled creativity - a film that prioritizes visceral thrills and absurdity over polish, resulting in a cult gem that's equal parts horrifying, hilarious, and heartfelt. For fans of Hong Kong exploitation or bizarre cinema, it's an essential, life-enriching watch; for others, a curiosity that defies easy categorization. 88 Films' limited edition Blu-ray of The Cat is a triumphant release for fans of Hong Kong cult cinema, combining a stellar 2K restoration, and relevant extras that honor Lam Nai-Choi's unhinged swan song with the care it deserves. Recommended to those seeking bonkers, effects-driven entertainment.

Gary Tooze