Mike Spring
What’s New in Home Video & Pop Culture – May 5, 2026
This week is so jam-packed with cool releases that I rearranged the order I put the titles in at least half a dozen times. For example, I usually group the graphic novels together at the end (which I ultimately still did), but the new Marvel graphic novel from Fantagraphics is so cool I wanted to bump it up! Ultimately, order prevailed, but it was a tough week! Check out everything that’s new!
In This Week’s Column:
- Wuthering Heights (Blu-ray + Digital)
- It: Welcome to Derry – The Complete First Season (4K Ultra HD)
- I Can Only Imagine 2 (Blu-ray + Digital)
- Task: The Complete First Season (DVD)
- The Amazing World of Gumball: The Complete Series (DVD)
- Feeding Frenzy (Blu-ray + CD Box Set)
- Youngblood (Blu-ray)
- The Marvel Creator Collection No. 1: “Back to the Savage Land” Barry Windsor-Smith at Marvel Vol. 1 (Graphic Novel)
- New Girl: First Crush (Graphic Novel)
Wuthering Heights (Blu-ray + Digital)
Official Synopsis:
Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights is a bold and original interpretation of one of the greatest love stories of all time. Margot Robbie as Cathy and Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff take center stage in an epic tale of forbidden love that escalates from romantic longing into a dizzying spiral of lust, passion, and madness.
The Movie:
I’m not quite sure what to make of Emerald Fennell as a filmmaker yet. Her first film as writer/director, Promising Young Woman, was an absolute scorcher, and I was blown away by it. She followed that up with Saltburn, which got a lot of buzz and critical acclaim, but felt to me like it was trying a little too hard to be edgy, even though I ultimately liked it. Now we have Wuthering Heights, Fennel’s adaptation of the novel by Emily Bronte. And it is certainly an Emerald Fennell movie, but I’m not yet sure if that makes it a good thing or not.
The movie is a period drama about a tempestuously romantic couple who can’t seem to get out of their own way, Catherine and Heathcliff Earnshaw, played by Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi. So right off the bat you get points for casting absolutely gorgeous leads, and their performances are strong as well. But despite the sexual chemistry on screen, it’s hard to connect to the characters or the film. It’s stylized and looks beautiful, for sure, but there’s some missing piece; call it heart, call it soul, but the movie feels a little empty at times. And at two hours and 16 minutes long, it also feels like the pace can drag a bit from time to time.
Now, I’ve never actually read Wuthering Heights, so I can’t say how the movie stacks up to the books, but ultimately it’s a solid movie that feels like it could have clicked just a little bit more.
The Bonus Features:
- Director Commentary with Emerald Fennell
- Threads of Desire
- The Legacy of Love and Madness
- Building a Fever Dream
Digital Copy Included: Yes
It: Welcome to Derry – The Complete First Season (4K Ultra HD)
Official Synopsis:
It: Welcome to Derry – The Complete First Season Back in 1962, USAF Maj. Leroy Hanlon (Jovan Adepo) had the expected societal pressures when he relocated with wife Charlotte (Taylour Paige) and son Will (Blake Cameron James) to a base outside Derry, Maine. He didn’t expect that the military was looking to exploit a strange phenomenon that would plague the region every 27 years… or that Will would band with other local misfit kids to investigate a recent child disappearance.
The Show:
I wasn’t sure what to expect from It: Welcome to Derry. After all, I was never sure they’d be able to make a good movie out of Stephen King’s novel, but we got a fantastic first film and a solid sequel, so I guess I was proven wrong. But a TV show? Hmmm… I wasn’t sure that felt necessary. But then I thought about it, and I realized that when you have a bad guy that comes back every couple of decades, well, the storytelling opportunities in the past were pretty endless.
The show takes place in 1962, or 27 years before the events of the first movie. We follow a military family that moves to a base in Derry, Maine, while concurrently tagging along with a group of kids investigating the disappearance of one of their friends. I will say this: the first episode is pretty amazing, if for nothing else than that it has one of the most genuinely shocking endings I’ve seen in a long time.
The problem with the show, though, is that – as with any television expansion – the showrunners have to fill ten hours of TV with new material. So the world of It is expanded greatly, with the military investigating the mysterious events that come with Pennywise’s return, new characters, secret societies, and the like. Even though there are tie-ins to the characters we know and love from the book and the movie, it all feels a little convoluted at times.
Ultimately, It: Welcome to Derry is a solid show that die-hard Stephen King fans will enjoy digging into, but it isn’t quite the slam dunk I was hoping for.
The 4K Video/Audio:
It: Welcome to Derry may be a TV show but it looks like a movie. The 4K Ultra HD transfer captures the aesthetic of the show nicely, with razor sharp imagery as the standout feature. Color saturation is deep and rich, but also reactive, meaning some of the nighttime scenes or more horrific moments are toned down intentionally, and the transfer reflects that. The surround soundtrack gives primacy to the dialogue and most obvious sound effects, but more nuanced moments come through when needed as well. It’s a well-balanced aural experience.
The Bonus Features:
- Inside Derry (for each episode)
- Becoming Pennywise
- Special Visuals & Mashups
- Character & Lore Content
- Episode Sneak Peeks
Digital Copy Included: No
I Can Only Imagine 2 (Blu-ray + Digital)
Official Synopsis:
Bart Millard, lead singer of MercyMe, faces a personal crisis at the peak of his success. As his world unravels, he struggles with his faith and inner demons while seeking a path through adversity. Starring John Michael Finley, Milo Ventimiglia, Sophie Skelton, Arielle Kebbel, Sammy Dell with Trace Adkins and Dennis Quaid.
The Movie:
You don’t often see biopics get sequels, but I guess when a film focuses on the early years of someone’s life more than their success, there’s an opportunity. The first film, I Can Only Imagine, told the life story of Bart Millard, lead singer of Christian band MercyMe, whose hit song “I Can Only Imagine” topped the Christian Rock charts for three years straight. (I know how successful they are because I actually know a song by MercyMe, and I don’t listen to Christian music at all!) That film left off with Bart in the wake of the death of his father, having found success with MercyMe and happily married.
But it turns out that life isn’t always easy, despite faith and success. This movie tackles Bart’s life in the wake of MercyMe’s arrival and stardom. Personal issues cause Bart to struggle in his relationship with his wife and son, and he has to turn to his faith to help him work his way through the problems.
Now, I’m not the biggest fan of faith-based films, not so much because of the religion (although I’m not a religious person), but because so many of them are often so badly made. I Can Only Imagine 2 at least rises above that trope somewhat, if for no other reason than the cast. Besides John Michael Finley returning in the lead role, you’ve got a number of talented supporting actors including Dennis Quaid, Milo Ventimiglia, Outlander’s Sophie Skelton, and Arielle Kebbel. I can’t say I Can Only Imagine 2 is a masterpiece, but it’s a solid film and it will definitely hit the right notes for the target audience.
The Bonus Features:
- Audio Commentary with Producer and Lead Singer of MercyMe Bart Millard and Singer/Songwriter Tim Timmons
- Audio Commentary with Writer/Co-Director Brent McCorkle and Producer/Co-Director Andrew Erwin
- Making I Can Only Imagine 2
- Recording at Abbey Road
- Joy in the Making
- Finding the Song “Even If”
- Early Access Bonus Content
- Deleted Scenes
- Theatrical Trailer
Digital Copy Included: Yes
Task: The Complete First Season (DVD)
Official Synopsis:
From creator Brad Inglesby (Mare of Easttown), the HBO Original Series Task is set in the working-class suburbs of Philadelphia, where an FBI agent (Mark Ruffalo) heads a task force to put an end to a string of violent robberies led by an unsuspecting family man (Tom Pelphrey).
The Movie:
HBO is no stranger to making gritty television, so it should come as no surprise that Task works as well as it does. Created by Brad Inglesby, who also created the hit Mare of Easttown, the show follows three men: an FBI agent, a man who’s robbing drug dealers, and the drug dealer who’s being robbed. When these three end up on intersecting paths, it’s inevitable that violence and danger will follow soon thereafter.
Mark Ruffalo takes on the lead role as Tom Brandis, a complicated FBI agent who splits his time between working, drinking, and birdwatching. Ruffalo is outstanding here, his performance both effecting and subtly nuanced. Tom Pelphrey and Jamie McShane also both shine in their roles as the other two points of this law enforcement/crime triangle.
While the show works and works well as a crime/drama/action hybrid, it is also awfully intense. There isn’t a character in the show, seemingly, who isn’t affected by a deep trauma and self-loathing or self-doubt of some sort, and it gets pretty heavy. If you’re looking for a dark, complex, and intense show, Task will fit the bill. If you want something more light and escapist, you might want to head elsewhere.
The Bonus Features:
- Unmasked featurette
- Philly Slang featurette
Digital Copy Included: No
The Amazing World of Gumball: Complete Series (DVD)
Official Synopsis:
You cannot get more amazing than The Amazing World of Gumball: The Complete Series! Why? Because this is every single hilarious mis-adventure, every awesome song, every “what the what?!”, every trip to Joyful Burger and yes…every amazing character, all in one collection! Gumball, Darwin and the rest of Elmore are waiting for you to join them! And we promise it will be completely amazing!
The Movie:
Sometimes, it’s nice to get a reminder that some cartoon shows are just made for kids. The Amazing World of Gumball, which ran for six seasons starting in 2011, is one of those shows that’s (mostly) just a relatively simple kids show.
In it, we follow Gumball (a blue cat) and his brother Darwin as they go on adventures around town or that involve their imagination. It’s not exactly a plot heavy show, but it was quite sharp from a visual standpoint, which mixes traditional 2-D animation with backgrounds that often feature photos, CGI, puppets, and other creative backgrounds, rather than just animation cels.
The show also often has some lessons for youngsters, often layering in some complex themes that may not educate them so much as plant a seed for future education. But largely it’s about being fun and imaginative, and while I can’t say as an adult viewer it blew me away, I can see where young kids would enjoy it.
This 15-disc box set collects all 240 11-minute episodes into one place for the first time (plus two miniseries that add 14 more episodes), making it an excellent buy for fans of the show!
The Bonus Features:
This set is jam-packed with episodes but there are no bonus features.
Digital Copy Included: No
Feeding Frenzy (Blu-ray + CD Box Set)
Official Synopsis:
There’s excitement in the air, blood in the water and sharks vs Italians in your future: The trilogy of teeth-to-tailfin delights including The Shark Hunter, Monster Shark and Night of The Sharks belongs to a shiver we call Feeding Frenzy: The Italian Sharksploitation Collection. Our exclusive rigid slipcase – featuring a killer illustration by Rondo Awards Artist of the Year Mark Spears – houses all three titles, including their individual slipcovers. You’re gonna need a bigger shelf…
The Movie:
Even though I review movies, I hate the term “film critic” because it inspires feelings of, well, criticism. I’m no movie snob; I love mainstream movies and I hate bad movies, no matter how artfully they’re made. So even though I can enjoy a good B-movie, I don’t go out of my way to watch them, because often they’re just, well, bad.
The exception to that is shark movies. Ever since I first saw Jaws as a wee lad, I’ve been obsessed with shark movies. I’ll watch them all: good, bad or ugly, it doesn’t really matter to me. That doesn’t mean I don’t like some better than others, but I’ll give ‘em all a chance.
Naturally, Severin Films’ new box set, Feeding Frenzy: The Italian Sharksploitation Collection was going to pique my interest, then. This 3-movie, 6-disc box set features three Italian-made exploitation films made in the wake of the success of Jaws and its sequels. If you’re familiar with Italian exploitation filmmaking, you pretty much know what you’re going to get here. But if not, it’s pretty much low-budget filmmaking that exists solely to capitalize on another movie’s success yet has its own unique charm.
This set includes the North American home video premieres of three films: The Shark Hunter, Monster Shark and Night of the Sharks. The Shark Hunter lets you watch Italian superstar Franco Nero fistfight with a shark, which is pretty amazing, while Monster Shark was directed by horror maestro Lamberto Bava and features a Sharktopus long before the current wave of mash-up creature features gave us one. My favorite of the three is Night of the Sharks, which is more of a revenge/gangster film that has sharks in it, but also inexplicably stars Treat Williams, who I guess wanted an easy paycheck.
Each of the three films comes on Blu-ray but also includes a Soundtrack CD, which is an awesome bonus. I love soundtrack music, and anytime you get one included for free, I’m a big fan. The whole Feeding Frenzy box set is also available with an exclusive slipcover (you can also buy them individually) with new artwork by current comic book superstar Mark Spears. Check out their website at www.SeverinFilms.com to order the set.
The Bonus Features:
The Shark Hunter –
- Deep Bond – Reunion Between Director Enzo G. Castellari and Actor Franco Nero
- Money And Fins – Interview with Producer Enzo Doria
- Trailer
Monster Shark –
- Audio Commentary with Sharksploitation Experts Stephen Scarlata, Josh Miller and Matt Mercer
- They Call Him John Old Jr. – A Talk with Director Lamberto Bava
- Man Versus Devil Fish – Interview with Actor Michael Sopkiw
- Trailer
Night of the Sharks –
- Trailer
Digital Copy Included: No
Youngblood (Blu-ray)
Official Synopsis:
Raised on grit and hockey by his hardline father, Dean Youngblood leaves Detroit to join Canada’s Hamilton Mustangs. His elite skill turns heads, but his arrogance earns enemies and keeps him benched by a resentful coach. After a costly clash with rival goon Carl Racki, Dean finds guidance from team captain Sutton and unexpected love with the coach’s daughter. When Racki brutally injures Sutton, Dean faces a defining playoff showdown-and a choice between rage and maturity.
The Movie:
It’s not like the original The Karate Kid was exactly a completely original story. We’d seen plenty of other sports movies that featured an Angry Young Man getting tutelage and excelling at a sport by that time. But it’s also hard not to watch Youngblood and see it as The Karate Kid on ice.
What it really is is a pseudo-remake of the 1986 hockey movie of the same name starring Rob Lowe. I’m not sure how many people even remember that movie, so using the same name feels a bit more like an IP cash grab than an artistic decision, but it does feature largely the same overarching plot, so I guess it’s fair play. In this case, Dean Youngblood is a prodigal hockey talent with a chip on his shoulder who has to learn to channel his anger into making him a better hockey player rather than ruining his life.
The film is largely by-the-numbers. We’ve got the requisite love story, training sequence, turning point, and sports action scenes, and while all of it is done with a modicum of talent, it all feels a little familiar. That’s not necessarily a bad thing with sports dramas, because we like them despite knowing what’s going to happen most of the time. Youngblood is perfectly enjoyable on that front, it’s just not special.
The Bonus Features:
- Behind the Scenes
- Trailer
Digital Copy Included: No
The Marvel Creator Collection No. 1: “Back to the Savage Land” Barry Windsor-Smith at Marvel Vol. 1 (Graphic Novel)
Official Synopsis:
This first of a three-volume series collecting the legendary Barry Windsor-Smith’s work at Marvel features his early work on X-Men, The Avengers, Doctor Strange, and Iron Man, as well as his amazing run on Ka-Zar in Astonishing Tales, and much more.
From the moment Marvel brought him to the U.S. in 1969, Windsor-Smith was a creative force to be reckoned with. A passionate devotee of Jack Kirby, Windsor-Smith’s earliest drawing at Marvel reflected that influence, but he quickly developed his own unique, eye-opening style, combining intricately detailed realism with the dreamlike lushness of art nouveau and late-1960s psychedelia.
This volume focuses on the earliest of his work, including memorable storylines on The Avengers, Iron Man, Doctor Strange, and individual stories for Chamber of Darkness, Tower of Shadows, and Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. All new benchmarks of comics art, culminating in what may be the highlight of this period: Windsor-Smith’s collaboration with writer Gerry Conway on an epic tale of civil war in Ka-Zar’s Savage Land. Future volumes will trace Windsor-Smith’s career through such milestones as Machine Man and Weapon X.
The Book:
Fantagraphics are blowing me away with their Marvel-related output these days. Last year, they brought us the Lost Marvels series, giving us three volumes of rarely seen and never-before-reprinted comics in gorgeous, oversized hardcovers.
Now they are giving us the first volume in the Marvel Creator Collection with Back to the Savage Land by Barry Windsor Smith. The first in a planned three-volume set that is slated to collect BWS’s entire Marvel output, this volume focuses on his earliest works, with a heavy focus on, obviously, The Savage Land, thanks to a number of issues from The Avengers and Astonishing Tales (featuring Ka-Zar). Because these are collected chronologically, it’s interesting to see how Smith’s earliest works were very much done in the Marvel “house style” of the time. What we would come to know as Barry Windsor Smith art didn’t really develop until the 1980s.
That style is represented most clearly in Iron Man #232, a nightmare-themed issue featuring Tony Stark battling his silver-and-crimson armor. I’m not sure what changed for Smith at that time, but from that point on his artwork would become instantly identifiable to any comic fan’s eye.
This monstrous tome weighs in at over 350 pages. Even better, its entire graphic design is made to mirror the Lost Marvels books, so not only is the aesthetic familiar and comfortable, but the books will look great next to each other on your bookshelf. I can’t recommend The Marvel Creator Collection No. 1 highly enough!
The Specs:
- Publisher: Fantagraphics
- Format: Hardcover
- Page Count: 352 pages
- Cover Price: $49.99
New Girl: First Crush (Graphic Novel)
Official Synopsis:
Cassandra Calin returns with this charming and comical follow-up to The New Girl, her long-form graphic novel debut that became a New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, and Indie bestseller! This middle-grade graphic novel about crushing and being crushed is the perfect next read for fans of Guts by Raina Telgemeier, Fruitcake by Rex Ogle and Dave Valeza, and Parachute Kids by Betty C. Tang.
Lia is finally feeling settled into her new life. Her friends are amazing, her French is improving, and her periods… ugh, those are still terrible. But Lia’s crush, Julien, is noticing her. Lia thinks he likes her, but she can’t tell for sure. And while she’s obsessing over him, Lia’s not noticing another person’s growing crush on HER. With so many big feelings and even bigger changes, could things get any worse?
In this follow-up to the breakout hit The New Girl, Lia’s relationships — with her friends, her crush, her mom, and even herself — are all tested like never before.
The Book:
As an adult male who reviews a large number of YA graphic novels, I think New Girl: First Crush by Cassandra Calin finally crystallized for me what sets apart the simply readable YA books from the truly enjoyable ones: relatability. Having never been a teenage girl, you would think there wouldn’t be much for me to relate to in this book, but thanks to Calin’s openness and skill, I felt a strong kinship with Lia, the main character.
Dealing with school projects? Been there, done that. Navigating who you like and who likes you? Oh boy, did I go through that! The complications of friendship in middle school? Check. Homework? Ugggh! Now, maybe the part about dealing with menstruation I can’t directly connect to, but for the most part, there’s nothing Lia deals with in this book that most people can’t identify with, and that’s what makes it so engaging for a reader.
Add to that Calin’s perfect use of dialogue: it’s spare enough so no pages are overwhelmed with weighty word balloons, but there’s also enough there to fully develop the characters and situations. And her artwork is fantastic; manga-inspired and cartoony, yet stylish and bubbly, filled with her personality. All in all, New Girl: First Crush is an excellent YA graphic novel for kids and adults alike!
The Specs:
- Publisher: Graphix
- Format: Softcover
- Page Count: 272 pages
- Cover Price: $14.99
