CAT CITY (MACSKAFOGÓ), 1986, Hungary, 96 min. Unflappable and unstoppable mouse secret agent Nick Grabovsky (László Sinkó) with his deadpan voice, baggy pants, and a big “G” on his shirt, goes up against the criminal cat gang run by the sinister, metal-pawed Mr. Teufel (Miklós Benedek), in Hungarian director Béla Ternovszky’s surreal, animated sci-fi treasure. 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 deranged Euro-disco song (“Just purr with me / Touch me with tender paws”) and a bizarre chorus of Mexican vampire bats named Los Vampiros who inhabit an ancient Mayan temple. A cross between 1980s Don Bluth-style animation (THE SECRET OF NIMH) and the British TV series “Danger Mouse” (clearly an inspiration here), CAT CITY has long been a beloved cult favorite in Eastern Europe – recently restored by the National Film Institute in Hungary from the original 35mm camera negative for its first-ever U.S. Blu-ray release by Deaf Crocodile. In Hungarian with English subtitles.

For thoughts on Cat City, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

[youtube https://youtu.be/8LVGW1SoP0U?si=gUacy-mGnAfh_-MC&t=1882]

Video Quality

Cat City debuts on Blu-Ray in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio with a 1080p master derived from a restoration of the 35mm Original Camera Negative by the National Film Institute in Hungary. If you are an animation fan, this release is going to blow you away. The colors present in this transfer are magnificent with these bright hues complementing each other while maintaining crisp delineation. Black levels are grand with no serious issue of banding or compression issues.

The textures of the various environments look naturally filmic and give the journey the appropriate amount of depth. One of the areas where the film dazzles is the realization of the unique character designs, and every distinct facet is preserved on this newest release. This Blu-Ray provides a near-perfect presentation for your new favorite animated discovery. Deaf Crocodile continues to lead the way when it comes to preserving and distributing international animation.

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray comes with the original DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio stereo track in the original Hungarian (with optional English subtitles) along with a new DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio mix. The music is one of the most distinct elements of this experience, and it adds a dynamic touch to the proceedings which is conveyed flawlessly here. This is the area where you feel the most expansion with the 5.1 track as the music saturates the room with crystal clear sound. Dialogue sounds crisp without sound effects or the score trouncing on vital information. The film employs some whimsical sound effects in the form of gadgets and explosions that are given the appropriate presence within the mix. The track handles atmospheric effects well all around. This presentation keeps things moving and shaking without a single hiccup, and that is all you can really ask.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Film historian Samm Deighan delivers an informative commentary track in which she discusses the background of the project, the style of the animation, the Western influences on the narrative, the deeper thematic content of the narrative, and much more. This is a great addition that fans of the film should definitely check out.

Béla Ternovszky Animated Shorts: A trio of newly restored shorts from the director is provided which shows off some of his sly sense of humor and boundary-pushing tendencies of the form.

- Modern Training Methods – 1970 (6:24)

- Let Us Keep A Dog – 1974 (6:00)

- Where Is The Limit? – 1975 (7:03)

Ahead Of Its Time: A 27-minute video essay is provided featuring film historian Zoltán Varga discussing the innovative nature of Cat City, the history of Hungarian animation, the work of director Béla Ternovszky, the way the film uses multiple genres, the motifs throughout the narrative, and much more that draws a lot of connections that you will not want to miss.

We Just Made It For The Fun Of It: A 31-minute interview with director Béla Ternovszky who discusses his career from his earliest days, his work at Pannonia Studio, the state of animation in Hungary, the creation of Cat City, the most difficult shots to animate, and much more.

The Director Answers – Béla Ternovszky: Another 23-minute piece with director Béla Ternovszky in which he discusses his early life, his early career in animation, the creatives who helped guide him, the critical response and legacy of Cat City, and more.

Interview with György Ráduly: A new 45-minute interview with Deaf Crocodile’s Dennis Bartok and György Ráduly who discusses the place of Cat City in Hungarian cinema, the legacy of animation from Hungary, the career of Béla Ternovszky, the western influences on the film and more. The only drawback to this piece is that there are no subtitles provided for those who may need them.

Booklet: A multi-page booklet is included in this release which features the essay “Cat City” by critic and author Walter Chaw which gives a great amount of context to the state of international animation of the time along with details about Béla Ternovszky and the creation of this project.

Final Thoughts

Cat City is a terrific discovery for animation fans who long to find the perfect intersection of artistic boundary-pushing and strong storytelling. The “cats vs. mice” setup is an easy way to frame the story, but the narrative goes so much deeper than you would imagine at first glance. There are so many fun references and allusions to Western content that make this one especially approachable to an American audience looking to expand their horizons. The movie is hilarious and the animation will leave you smiling from ear to ear. Deaf Crocodile has released a fetching Blu-Ray which sports a top-tier A/V presentation and an invaluable assortment of special features. If you appreciate your animation with a bit of grit to it, this is an easy recommendation. Recommended

Cat City is currently available to purchase on Standard Edition Blu-Ray or with a Limited Edition Slipcover exclusively through Vinegar Syndrome.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Deaf Crocodile and OCN Distribution/Vinegar Syndrome have supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.