Mike Spring
What’s New in Home Video & Pop Culture – September 16th, 2025
It’s been a while since we’ve had a properly big release week, but new to shelves right now we have some legitimate blockbusters, some noteworthy new films, some rare catalog titles, and some outstanding collector’s editions. Check out the full slate below!
In This Week’s Column:
- Jurassic World: Rebirth (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital)
- Ballerina: From the World of John Wick (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital)
- Elio (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital)
- Krull (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital Steelbook)
- High and Low (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray)
- Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045: Season 2 – Collector’s Edition (Blu-ray)
- Spider-Man: Shadow Warrior (Graphic Novel)
- Flaming Brothers (Blu-ray)
- The Betrayal (Blu-ray)
- Los Golfos (Blu-ray)
Jurassic World: Rebirth (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital)
The Movie:
If you rank each of the Jurassic Park/Jurassic World trilogies so far, they pretty much go in order of the films in terms of quality. Jurassic Park and Jurassic World are the clear standouts, both are amazing films. Jurassic Park 2 and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom are solid films but a step down. Manwhile, Jurassic Park III is still a fun movie but the weakest of the original trilogy, while Jurassic World: Dominion is a bit of a train wreck. So it would stand to reason that Jurassic World: Rebirth (which should have been called Jurassic Park: Rebirth, how did they mess that up??), being the first film in what I will presume is a new trilogy, should be the best of the new films, right?
Well, if that’s the case, sadly, it’s going to be a bumpy ride downhill from here.
Here’s the thing, Rebirth is a solidly mid Jurassic Park film. The story sees Scarlett Johanssen as a mercenary — something that seems out of place anywhere other than a Marvel movie — hired to lead a team back to the Jurassic Park B-site, where the “too dangerous” dinosaur experiments were housed. They’re in search of embryos that will lead to a miracle cure drug for a billionaire dressed all in black who surely isn’t actually a bad guy! Oh yeah, and a family who aren’t all that bright end up on the island because they don’t understand danger.
Now, the film does have some pretty good action sequences, that much is for sure, and the special effects are excellent as always. But the characters are paper thin and the dialogue is so incredibly pedestrian that the film lacks any spark whatsoever. Every time there was an opportunity for a bit of clever dialogue or a funny quip, the screenwriters instead went, “Yeah, some completely vanilla dialogue will do here. No need to overthink it.” It’s certainly not a bad movie, but is it what I wanted out of a Jurassic Park movie? Sadly not.
The 4K Video/Audio:
Not surprisingly, Jurassic World: Rebirth looks and sounds outstanding in 4K Ultra HD. The imagery is extremely sharp, clean and clear, and the visual and special visual effects really shine in the premium format. Colors are bold and bright, and contrasts are strong, with nice black levels. Obviously, the print is clean and devoid of any debris or blemishes. The surround soundtrack immerses your living room in the action, of which there is plenty, as the active surround channels and booming low-end bass ensure your ears are constantly picking up something new. All this while the dialogue rarely gets lost in the mix amongst all the dinosaurs roaring and explosions, resulting in a terrific sound presentation overall.
The Bonus Features:
- The World Evolves
- Off the Deep End
- Trekking Through Thailand
- Rex in the Rapids
- Don’t Look Down
- Mini-Mart Mayhem
- Meet Dolores
Digital Copy Included: Yes
The Wrap-Up:
Jurassic world: Rebirth is, at the end of the day, an enjoyable enough adventure movie outing. But I don’t want my Jurassic Park movies to be ‘enjoyable enough,’ I want them to wow me like Jurassic Park and Jurassic World did. And that’s where Rebirth falls short, unfortunately.
Ballerina: From the World of John Wick (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital)
The Movie:
I’m a pretty big fan of the John Wick movies (except for that awful fourth one), but I’m not so over the top crazy about them that I think they’re perfect. I enjoy the films, sure, but I don’t take it to the level of some fans who think they’re the second coming of moviemaking are anything like that.
That said, I was pleasantly surprised by Ballerina: From the World of John Wick, especially considering that it comes after John Wick 4, of which I am distinctly not a fan. (To be fair, however, it is set after the events of John Wick 3.) This film follows Eve McCarro, a young woman who is part of the Ruska Roma, an order in the world of the Wick universe that seeks to protect people rather than assassinate them. When Eve comes across one of the cult members who belongs to the same group that murdered her father when she was a little girl, she sets out to find out who they are and get revenge. Unfortunately, this goes against the orders of her tribe, who have an agreement with the death cult never to cross paths.
Ana de Armas, who I’m no small fan of because she’s amazing in everything, is outstanding in the lead role and matches Keanu Reeves in terms of martial arts agility and prowess on screen, but with a character who’s slightly less one-note than John Wick himself. And the action scenes are unbelievable. Not only are they just of the typical high quality the John Wick films bring, but there is legitimately an action sequence of a type I’ve literally never seen before towards the end of the film. I don’t want to spoil any surprises here, but suffice it to say that it is HOT! Add in some cameos and guest appearances by regulars from the John Wick films — including the late and dearly missed Lance Reddick in his final on-screen appearance — and I think John Wick fans will be very pleased. Frankly, I’m surprised and disappointed that this movie didn’t do better at the box office, especially because it’s nicely set up for a sequel. Hopefully the international box office will help us get one.
The 4K Video/Audio:
I was blown away by the 4K Ultra HD video quality on Ballerina. A lot of 4K movies look pretty great, naturally, but Ballerina takes things to a whole new level. Colors seem to explode off the screen, and there are subtleties to the shades that will have you seeing colors you’ve never seen before. Image clarity is at a premium, and the film is so well shot and features so many great set pieces and locales that you won’t be able to take your eyes off the screen. Not to be outdone, the surround soundtrack lets you feel every punch, gunshot, and explosion in your chest, while the action tracks all over your living room. This is one of the best 4K efforts I’ve seen this year.
The Bonus Features:
- The Making of Ballerina
- Building A Frozen Underworld
- The Art of Action
- Deleted & Extended Scenes
Digital Copy Included: Yes
The Wrap-Up:
Ballerina: From the World of John Wick goes on record as being one of my favorite films in the John Wick franchise. I highly recommend you check it out as soon as possible.
Elio (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital)
The Movie:
Boy, Disney can’t get a break sometimes. People complain that they keep remaking their old movies and aren’t creating anything new. But look at their two big releases for the year so far: Lilo and Stitch, a remake of a 25-year-old animated film, and Elio, an all-new Pixar animated adventure for all ages. Lilo & Stitch made over $1 billion worldwide. That’s Billion with a B. Elio grossed just a tad over $150 million worldwide. On a budget of $150 million. Which movie would you make next?
The film follows a young boy named Elio who has a hard time making friends, who finds himself accidentally beamed into the Communiverse, a galactic pantheon of planets, who mistake Elio for Earth’s official representative. While trying to navigate this unbelievable situation, Elio finds himself able to make friends with other odd and eccentric aliens around him and ends up having to help save the planet from a galactic mishap.
Now, Elio definitely skews towards younger viewers, but that’s not a bad thing. And for my money, it’s much more enjoyable than Lilo & Stitch. Is it a masterpiece? No. But it is a big, bright, fun kids’ movie that will leave a smile on your face? Absolutely.
The Bonus Features:
- Gag Reel
- Deleted Scenes
- Inside the Communiverse featurette
- Out of This World featurette
- Astronomic Art Class
Digital Copy Included: Yes
The Wrap-Up:
Elio is a great family movie that will go over well in households with younger kids, but that doesn’t mean that adults and older kids can’t enjoy it as well. Pick it up on disc and maybe we can convince Disney to keep making original films.
Krull (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital Steelbook)
The Movie:
I’m both surprised and thrilled to see Sony release Krull as not only a 4K Ultra HD release, but a Steelbook 4K Ultra HD release to boot. Maybe the studios are starting to figure out that if you make a package worth buying, fans will still support physical media. For those of you who don’t remember it, Krull is an ’80s sci-fi/fantasy with echoes of Clash of the Titans and Dune (and featuring a young Liam Neeson in one of his very first roles.) It’s cheesy, sure, but it’s also a beloved cult classic, and it’s a lot of fun to revisit.
Directed by the stalwart Peter Yates, the film stars Ken Marshall, Lysette Anthony, Freddie Jones, Francesca Annis, and Alun Armstrong, along with the aforementioned Liam Neeson in a supporting role. The plot is surprisingly dense to try and pack into a two-sentence summary, but suffice it to say that on the planet of Krull has been besieged by The Beast and his Slayers, and it’s up to Prince Colwyn, his band of merry men (really thieves), and his super awesome Glaive — a weapon that’s kind of like a ninja throwing star on crack — to rescue the princess and save the planet. I mean, what more do you really need to know than that?
Krull was never a box office hit, but it has grown into a cult classic over the years, and while it’s impossible to watch it and not see some of the flaws, it’s also a fun trip back to the 80s with some really fun and cool sci-fi moments.
The 4K Video/Audio:
The audiovisual upgrade for Krull is definitely noticeable, even if the film does show its age a fair amount. Imagery is nice and clear with excellent shadow delineation and strong contrasts, while colors are strong and the overall look of the film is a step up from previous home video efforts. The surround soundtrack won’t win any awards, but it does create an active atmosphere throughout the film while dialogue remains clear and present, so it’s hard to complain.
The Bonus Features:
- Audio Commentary with Director Peter Yates, Actors Ken Marshall & Lysette Anthony and Editor Ray Lovejoy
- Behind-the-Scenes Commentary
- “Journey to Krull” Featurette
- Theatrical Trailer
Digital Copy Included: Yes
The Wrap-Up:
Krull is a fantasy epic that a certain age group of ‘80s moviegoers remember extremely fondly. With cool weapons (the glaive!), some freaky creatures, and Liam Neeson’s first major role, Krull is a fun throwback.
High and Low (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray)
The Movie:
The Criterion Collection drops a banger this week with High and Low, a crime drama film by none other than Akira Kurosawa, the godfather of Japanese cinema. Best known for movies like Rashomon and Ran, Kurosawa here presents a modern-day (at the time) thriller that forgoes the Samurai robes and swords for good old-fashioned crime and kidnapping.
If you had asked me if Akira Kurosawa had ever adapted a novel by crime-master Ed McBain, I would have told you you were crazy. But it turns out I’d be the crazy one, because High and Low is exactly that: an adaptation of Ed McBain’s detective novel King’s Ransom. In it, a wealthy industrialist — expertly played by the legendary Toshiro Mifune — is trying to take over a shoe company (in order to save it.) He receives a call that his son has been kidnapped, but it turns out to be his chauffeur’s son instead. When the kidnappers still demand ransom money — which will prevent him from being able to save the company — Mifune must make an impossible choice.
Not surprisingly, with Kurosawa at the helm, the film is a near-masterpiece of tension and suspense, and it’s not hard to find a few parallels to the works of Alfred Hitchcock. This wasn’t a movie I was familiar with but give Criterion credit for doing what they do better than anyone else, as it’s a worthy inclusion to the Collection.
The 4K Video/Audio:
High and Low is in black & white, and while you might think the 4K Ultra HD format is wasted when you don’t get the additional color pop from it, you’d be wrong. The contrasts here are bold and strong, giving you nuanced pictures with strong blacks and many shades of grey. The image clarity is outstanding, with the films looking as crisp and clean as if you were watching it in theaters. The original mono audio is included, but Criterion has also included a special Dolby 4.0 track which gives some additional depth and directionality to the proceedings. It’s not a full-blown surround soundtrack, but it has more texture than the mono track for sure.
The Bonus Features:
- Audio commentary featuring Akira Kurosawa scholar Stephen Prince
- Documentary on the making of High and Low, created as part of the Toho Masterworks series Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create
- Interviews with actors Toshiro Mifune and Tsutomu Yamazaki
- Trailers and teaser
- Illustrated booklet with an essay by critic Geoffrey O’Brien and an on-set account by Japanese-film scholar Donald Richie
Digital Copy Included: No
The Wrap-Up:
Akira Kurosawa may be best known for groundbreaking samurai epics and storytelling techniques, but he was also just a hell of a filmmaker who could make all kinds of films. High and Low is an excellent entry into his oeuvre if you aren’t quite as into period epics.
Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045: Season 2 – Collector’s Edition (Blu-ray)
The Synopsis:
The year is 2045. As a result of an economic disaster that shook every country on Earth to its foundations, as well as the explosive evolution of artificial intelligence, the world has plunged into the Sustainable War, a planned war that can be continued indefinitely. In this near future, the decline has not yet become bad enough that people can sense in their daily lives the risk to human survival posed by A.l. To combat cybercrimes by the Posthumans, a new breed of human being has suddenly arisen: Public Security Section 9, led by the fully prosthetic cyborg Kusanagi Motoko. What they find in the ruins of Tokyo are a refugee group that calls itself “N” and a hostile American Special Forces unit. As the risk of nuclear war set off by a hijacked submarine grows ever greater, the three-way battle between Public Security Section 9, America, and the Posthumans intensifies.
The Movie:
One of the most popular and influential anime films of all time, Mamoru Oshii’s Ghost in the Shell didn’t stop with just a movie. It’s become a franchise in its own right, and the latest entry to hit home video is Ghost in the Shell: SAC (Stand Alone Complex) _2045: Season 2, which hits shelves with a gorgeous deluxe collector’s edition that is sure to thrill any Ghost in the Shell fan.
Now, I’ve always freely admitted that I’m a casual anime fan at best, and to add to that, I didn’t get a copy of the first season of Stand Alone Complex to review. The show debuted on Netflix in 2020, and chances are if you’re an anime fan, you’ve already seen this show, but if you haven’t you really should check it out. Admittedly, the story was tricky for me to follow, but I also stepped in halfway through by not seeing Season 1. Overall, though, I think it’s a strong cyber-thriller that is a visual feast for the eyes.
Also, if you’re a fan of the show, this box set is made for you. It’s compact enough to fit on your shelf next to your other Blu-rays, but it’s so chunky it’s about the width of a two or three Blu-ray cases next to each other. Some of that comes from the awesome 100-page squarebound book that’s included in the package, which is a real treat.
The Bonus Features:
? 100 page artbook
? 4 Art Cards
? 11.7″ x 16.5″ poster
? Behind the scenes
? CG Breakdown
? Clean Opening
? Clean Ending
? Teaser trailer
? Trailer
Digital Copy Included: No
The Wrap-Up:
I can’t say I’m personally a huge Ghost in the Shell fan – although I certainly don’t dislike it — but I know that people love it and I recognize a high-quality home video release when I see one. For fans of the show, this Collector’s Edition set is a must have.
Spider-Man: Shadow Warrior (Graphic Novel)
The Book:
Spider-Man: Shadow Warrior is a brand new graphic novel in the popular manga format, by a manga artist (as opposed to an American artist trying to emulate the manga style.) There’s no shortage of interpretations of Spider-Man on screen, in video games, and in comics, and while this isn’t the very first manga version of Spidey, it’s the first in several years. It’s presented in the traditional manga digest size, and while it’s printed in English, it is read in the traditional right-to-left manga formant.
The story takes place outside of the traditional Spider-Man universe. In this reality, Wilson Fisk – AKA The Kingpin of Crime – has fled the USA and set himself up as the governor of Edo, Japan. When a teenager named Hyo in search of his missing dad stumbles across a symbiote in Fisk’s possession, he becomes a new version of Venom. Determined to get his dad back and defeat the Kingpin, Hyo teams up with Peter Parker, Miles Morales and Gwen Stacy to save the day.
Spider-Man: Shadow Warrior is written and drawn by Shogo Aoki, who handles the story beautifully. This book is not created to appeal to traditional Spidey fans; it’s written and drawn to appeal to manga readers who might also happen to be Spider-Man fans. Aoki’s art is right in the sweet spot for a story like this; it’s not overly smooth and polished and cartoony like a Pokemon comic book, but it’s not completely ragged and scratchy like some of the more edgy manga. Instead, it’s right in between, with a strong focus on storytelling but an art style that’s sketchy enough to feel unconstrained. It’s really well done.
The Specs:
- Publisher: Graphix
- Format: Softcover
- Page Count: 192 pages
- Cover Price: $12.99
The Wrap Up:
Spider-Man: Shadow Warrior is a great read for manga fans and a good read for Spider-Man fans. If you overlap between the two of those, you should find this book to be a really enjoyable read.
Flaming Brothers (Blu-ray)
The Movie:
Before he went on to create acclaimed dramatic critical favorites such as Chungking Express and In the Mood for Love, Wong Kar-Wai was just a regular screenwriter who made movies that would appeal to the public at large (not that his later films wouldn’t!) One of the movies you might not know is in his filmography is Flaming Brothers, a crime action/drama starring Chow Yun-Fat and Alan Tang.
Released in 1987, right before Chow Yun-Fat became a household name, the Asian film circuit was redefining itself as filmmakers like John Woo came to the attention of Hollywood. The film follows two orphans who grow up together, brothers in spirit if not by blood, who have finally made it, on the eve of opening a new nightclub. When a criminal element threatens their livelihood, the duo finds themselves in the middle of a conflagration that will test the bonds of their brotherhood.
Not just a straight up action film, Flaming Brothers is terrific because it puts the characters first. While Wong Kar-Wai only wrote the screenplay for the film (it was directed by Joe Cheung, however), it’s not hard to see that the film is a cut above some of the other movies in the same genre that were coming out at the time. I’ve never really loved Chow Yun-Fat in American films where he’s forced to speak English; in his native tongue, he’s much more charismatic and effective.
Flaming Brothers comes to Blu-ray this week in a limited edition of 2,000 copies from Eureka Entertainment with a visual upgrade, presented in 1080p HD from a new 2K restoration.
The Bonus Features:
- New audio commentary by action cinema experts Mike Leeder and Arne Venema
- Archival interview with director Joe Cheung
- Original theatrical trailer
- Illustrated Collector’s Booklet
Digital Copy Included: No
The Wrap-Up:
While I don’t always love Eureka’s graphic design for their Asian action releases, beneath the Blockbuster Video-era throwback cover art is a surprisingly effective crime drama that’s worth tracking down before it’s gone.
The Betrayal (Blu-ray)
The Synopsis:
To protect his clan, an honorable samurai (Raizo Ichikawa, Shinobi) takes the blame for a murder committed by one of his fellows. He is promised a safe return after one year in exile, but this vow is broken and he becomes a fugitive chased by his own clansmen. Disillusioned by the bushido code of honor, he realizes there are only two ways out: vengeance or death. From director Tokuzo Tanaka (The Snow Woman), a former assistant to Akira Kurosawa, this cruel jidaigeki stands alongside such notable works of the genre as Harakiri and Sword of Doom with its classic mix of honor codes and samurai action. Beautifully filmed in black and white ‘scope with thrilling set pieces, The Betrayal features one of the most breathtaking finales in all of samurai cinema.
The Movie:
The official film synopsis makes sure to mention that The Betrayal’s director, Tokuzo Tanaka, was a former assistant to legendary director Akira Kurosawa. There’s a reason for that; Tanaka may not be at the same level of talent as Kurosawa, but he’s also no slouch, and it’s clear that his time with Kurosawa had an impact on him. The Betrayal would go nicely on your shelf next to a movie like Rashomon.
The film is an effective Samurai action/drama movie that is beautifully shot and is revitalized here thanks to some crisp black-and-white imagery on Blu-ray courtesy of Radiance Films. I was unfamiliar with The Betrayal before this, but I found it to be an engaging and thoughtful film. Plus, at just shy of 90 minutes, the film’s pacing never slows down enough to be slow, which is a thing that could sometimes plague older foreign films (at least to this viewer.)
The Bonus Features:
- Select-scene audio commentary by Japanese film historian Tom Mes (2025)
- Visual essay by film critic Philip Kemp, comparing The Betrayal with the original Orochi the Serpent (2025)
- Visual essay on director Tokuzo Tanaka by Tom Mes (2025)
- New English subtitle translation
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Tim Tomorrow
- Limited edition booklet featuring new writing by Alain Silver
Digital Copy Included: No
The Wrap-Up:
The Betrayal isn’t quite a masterpiece of the Samurai genre, but it’s one of the better efforts I’ve seen from the 1960s era of Japanese samurai films. This is a terrific Blu-ray edition that is limited to 3,000 copies, so get it while you can.
Los Golfos (Blu-ray)
The Synopsis:
A group of poor youths tear around Madrid pulling scams and petty crimes. As one of their gang prepares to perform in a serious bullfighting competition, they plan a heist that will raise the money to finance his entry. Breaking with tradition by filming in the streets and utilizing documentary techniques to give the film an urgent resonance, Carlos Saura and producer Pere Portabella (Viridiana) were announced as a powerful new force in Spanish cinema when the film was nominated for the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Suffering curtailed distribution by Francoist censorship, this new restoration reinstates previously removed footage and presents the film as originally intended.
The Movie:
While the title of this film might bring to mind the game of golf to non-Spanish speakers, what the title Los Golfos really means is The Delinquents, which is what this movie is about. The movie is sort of a Rebel Without a Cause/Blackboard Jungle type of film but set in a much more dangerous world, with slightly less honorable characters, and not so sanitized.
The synopsis mentions how director Carlos Saura won the Palme d’Or at Cannes for his groundbreaking style of guerrilla filmmaking, in which he took his cast and crew to the streets and shot without permission using documentary filmmaking techniques. The result is a movie that has an immediacy and a visceral realism unlike most movies from 1960 which are layered with artifice and a sheen of polish. Los Golfos is suitably raw and unpolished and – as a result – it’s quite impactful.
The Bonus Features:
- Introduction by author and former director of Filmoteca Catalunya Esteve Riambau (2025, 22 mins)
- Interview with filmmaker and curator Ehsan Khoshbakht on Los golfos, its influences and makers (2025, 17 mins)
- Censored scenes – scenes affected by censorship are presented alongside notes from the censorship committee and Carlos Saura (2025, 13 mins)
- Two early short films by Saura: La llamada, about a soldier leaving for war (1955, 7 mins) and La tarde del domingo, about an oppressed live-in maid (1957, 34 mins)
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Vincent Wild
- Limited edition booklet featuring new writing by Mar Diestro-Dópido, reprints of original documents including committee notes on the script and a detailed breakdown of the restoration process
Digital Copy Included: No
The Wrap-Up:
Los Golfos – like The Betrayal discussed above – is short; it comes in at just an hour and 20 minutes. But that brevity is also its strength, as the film hits fast and furiously and makes an impact. You feel and experience this movie more than you just watch it, and that’s a win for a movie that’s 65 years old.
