THE CAT (1992) LANDS ON BLU-RAY IN NORTH AMERICA VIA 88 FILMS THIS AUGUST

The feline-fueled chaos is coming to Blu-ray. 88 Films brings the North American debut of The Cat (1992) to disc August 26, 2025, in a limited edition set packed with extras and high-def weirdness.

If you’ve ever wanted your Hong Kong cinema with a splash of alien possession, a telekinetic cat, and a junkyard brawl that might be cinema’s greatest dog vs. cat showdown—this is it.

What is The Cat?

Directed by Ngai Choi Lam (Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky, Erotic Ghost Story), The Cat is a mashup of:

Sci-fi paranoia
Off-the-wall action
Horror beats
Buddy-cop beats
An actual space cat

Originally released in 1992, the film finally claws its way to U.S. shelves with a new HD restoration and some of the most niche Hong Kong deep-cut bonus features you’ll find in 2025.

Plot Recap (Because You’ll Need It)

Li Tung (Lawrence Lau, Bullet in the Head) can’t sleep.
His noisy neighbors are a young woman, an old man, and a mysterious black cat.
Then they vanish, leaving behind a nasty surprise under a pile of newspapers.
Inspector Wang Chieh-Mei (Philip Kwok, Hard Boiled) pulls Tung into an investigation involving novelist Wisely (Waise Lee, A Better Tomorrow), who suggests the cat and woman are aliens fighting a shapeshifting entity called The Star Killer.
Cue possession, space lore, creature effects, and yes—a cat-dog wire-fu battle in a junkyard.
It all ends in a burning swimming pool, because of course it does.

Wisely may be bluffing. Or recounting true events. Or making all of it up on a bet.

Why It Matters (Seriously)

Hong Kong sci-fi rarely gets this unhinged—or this fun.

Ngai Choi Lam directed some of the most memorable Category III films of the early ’90s. The Cat was one of his few attempts at broader genre storytelling, and it deserves its cult status.

This new release is the first time North American audiences get the film in full HD, and it’s worth it for the sheer novelty and practical effects work alone.

Blu-ray Release Specs from 88 Films

This is not a barebones reissue. Here’s what you get:

Limited Edition Contents:

High-definition transfer from original elements
Rigid slipcase with new art
40-page perfect-bound book
Premium artcard included with initial copies

On-Disc Features:

Audio Commentary by Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival)
New interview with writer Gordon Chan
Still gallery and promotional images

No word yet on deleted scenes or effects breakdowns, but the inclusion of Djeng’s commentary makes this worth it alone. He’s one of the most informed Hong Kong film historians working today.

Where to Buy

Pre-orders are now live at:

Amazon (check for region confirmation)
DiabolikDVD
88 Films Official Store

Quantities are limited to the initial print run. If you’re a collector of Hong Kong horror, don’t wait.

Final Word about The Cat

The Cat is a brain-melting, genre-busting film from the golden age of Hong Kong oddities. And now—with a fresh coat of HD polish and a real collector’s edition treatment—it’s finally accessible to Western fans who missed it the first time.

Think Men in Black if it was made by the crew from Riki-Oh and starred a housecat. You’re either in… or you’re wrong.

THE CAT (1992)
Director: Ngai Choi Lam
Starring: Lawrence Lau, Gloria Yip, Waise Lee, Philip Kwok
88 Films Limited Edition Blu-ray Release: August 26, 2025
Rating: Unrated, but weird enough to earn it