What’s New in Home Video & Pop Culture – December 10th, 2024 – Never Let Go, Pulp Fiction, Interstellar, Toxic Avenger, & More!

What’s New in Home Video & Pop Culture – December 10th, 2024

With the holidays around the corner, we’ve got another full week of titles! There’s not much in the way of recent theatrical releases this week, but there’s a ton of great catalogue titles, 4K discs, and Collector’s Editions. Read on for the full details!

In This Week’s Column:

– Never Let Go (Blu-ray + Digital)

– Pulp Fiction: 30th Anniversary Limited Edition (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital)

– Interstellar: 10th Anniversary Limited Edition (4K Ultra HD + Digital)

– Silent Night, Deadly Night (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray)

– Rock ‘n’ Roll High School (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray)

– Aguirre, the Wrath of God – Collector’s Edition (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray)

– Tonikawa: Over The Moon For You – Season 1 (Limited Edition Blu-ray)

– Toxic Crusaders: The Series (Blu-ray)

– Winnie The Pooh: Blood and Honey II (Blu-ray)

– The Block Island Sound (4K Ultra HD)

– Someone Like You (Mill Creek)

– Crust (Blu-ray)

Never Let Go (Blu-ray + Digital)

The Movie: Halle Berry earned critical notices for her performance in Never Let Go, an intriguing new horror film. And rightfully so, as she’s quite good in it, but really, the raves should be going to Percy Daggs IV (who’s father, Percy Daggs III, was one of the series regulars on Veronica Mars) and Anthony B. Jenkins, the two young boys who star in the film with here, as they turn in preternaturally aware performances that really carry the movie. 

The film sees Berry playing June, a woman who lives in a run down house in the middle of the woods with her two young sons, Sam and Nolan. According to her, the world has turned evil (something she learned from her parents) and they are only safe in the house. In order to leave the house, they have to tie ropes to themselves, which keeps them safe from The Evil, a creeping force that haunts the woods around the house. The ropes are life, basically. But when one of the boys starts to doubt that there really is a threat, their tenuous existence is threatened. 

The film plays the line very carefully between horror and psychological thriller: is there really an Evil out there, or has June just had a break from reality? That’s the question that will keep you guessing throughout the film. Overall, I liked it, but it does some of the things I don’t love in horror movies like these where sometimes things are just a touch ambiguous for my tastes, especially in the third act. 

The Bonus Features: 

• Creating Momma’s House
• Deleted Scenes
• Theatrical Trailer

Digital Copy Included: Yes/No 

The Wrap-Up: Never Let Go might not be a slam dunk, but is an intriguing film that features true standout performances by Daggs and Jenkins. It’s worth watching just for these two alone, and I hope we see a lot more of both of them in the future. 

Pulp Fiction: 30th Anniversary Limited Edition (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital)

The Movie: Quentin Tarantino’s breakout film returns to 4K Ultra HD this week with an excellent new 30th Anniversary Limited Edition. I really don’t think at this point I need to try and sell anyone on Pulp Fiction; it’s one of the most revered and well-loved films of the past 30 years and it served as inspiration for a whole generation of filmmakers. It’s also just a really fun (and still slightly twisted) movie. 

Now, largely this is the same version of the film and bonus materials that you got on the 4K Steelbook a few years back, but it does include some new collectible goodies: a collectible premium slipcase, a new slipcover with pop-up artwork, lobby card reproductions, a photography select sheet, and decals, so those are pretty cool You also get a digital copy of the film, which is a nice bonus, especially as there’s only been one or two previous releases of the movie that allowed you to add it to your digital library.

The 4K Video/Audio: Pulp Fiction is still a medium-budgeted movie from 30 years ago, so it’s not like it suddenly looks brand new, but you’ll notice brighter colors, a slightly sharper picture, and a relatively active soundtrack (mostly making sure the music sounds terrific), and it’s hard to complain about any of those things.

The Bonus Features: 

• Not the Usual Mindless Boring Getting to Know You Chit Chat                           
• Here Are Some Facts on the Fiction                                       
• Pulp Fiction: The Facts – Documentary                                 
• Deleted Scenes                               
• Behind the Scenes Montages                                    
• Production Design Featurette                                   
• Siskel & Ebert “At the Movies”- The Tarantino Generation            Independent Spirit Awards                                        
• Cannes Film Festival – Palme d’Or Acceptance Speech                                  
• Charlie Rose Show                                        
• Marketing Gallery                                                                           
• Still Galleries                                   
• Enhanced Trivia Track     
• Soundtrack Chapters

Digital Copy Included: Yes 

The Wrap-Up: Pulp Fiction is one of the great films of the ‘90s, and I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t always buy the next version of it available. Simply put, a must have.

Interstellar: 10th Anniversary Limited Edition (4K Ultra HD + Digital)

The Movie: Interstellar is not Christopher Nolan’s best film. It’s not even the best film that came out in 2014. But it is a Christopher Nolan film, and that is cause for celebration. While it has some flaws for sure (notably the third act), it is also big, bold, epic, and filled with ideas. In short, it’s what you wish more movies were like. Visually spectacular, emotionally challenging, and solidly intellectual, the film doesn’t pander or stoop to a lowest level. And while it’s set in space and filled with some spectacular set pieces, this is a film that is — first and foremost — about family. 

Even though I have some issues with Interstellar, I really enjoyed it and I enjoyed revisiting it for the first time in a few years. I can already see that it’s one of those films that will benefit from repeat viewings over the years, something I’m more than happy to do. This week, we get a new 10th Anniversary Collectors Edition of Interstellar, which includes not only the film on 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray, but also includes a number of cool collectible goodies. Those include reproductions of five costume patches, five theatrical poster reproductions, and a never-before-seen storyboard sequence from the director’s archives.

The 4K Video/Audio: Interstellar looks and sounds outstanding on 4K Ultra HD, which is the format that movies like this are made for. It looks absolutely breathtaking and the surround sound is booming and expansive. I can’t think of many movies that would be better formatted for 4K Ultra HD.

The Bonus Features: 

• NEW! The Future Is Now: A Look Back at Interstellar (23 minutes) – A cool retrospective documentary with participation from Christopher Nolan, Emma Thomas, Kip Thorne, Jonathan Nolan, Peter Jackson, and Denis Villeneuve
• The Science of Interstellar (50 minutes)
• Inside Interstellar (Approximately 110 minutes total) – 14 making of featurettes of varying lengths
• Creating Interstellar (14 minutes)            
• Experiencing Interstellar (6 minutes)       
• Trailers  

Digital Copy Included: Yes 

The Wrap-Up: I may have voiced some concerns about Interstellar, but overall I think it’s an incredibly impressive and ambitions movie. This terrific new 10th Anniversary set should be a real thrill for any fans of the movie. 

Silent Night, Deadly Night (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray)

The Movie: This all-new 4K Ultra HD collector’s edition comes from Shout Factory’s Scream Factory imprint, and it’s everything a fan of slasher films could want. Silent Night, Deadly Night is a 1984 cult classic horror movie that was once considered so extreme that it was notoriously pulled from theaters after just a week in release. And while, sure, a murderous Santa Claus might be considered disturbing, the film isn’t really all that controversial when you watch it through the lens of 30 years of horror films since. But that’s okay, because I love this film. It’s twisted and dark and funny and has that classic slasher film feeling. 

This week’s new Collector’s Edition is largely the same as the Blu-ray Collector’s Edition that came out from Scream Factory a few years ago, but it includes four new extra features that weren’t on the previous release. Plus, it’s still loaded with bonus materials from the earlier version. Add to that the fact that it’s on 4K Ultra HD for the first time, and this is the best home video version yet!

The 4K Video/Audio: The audiovisual upgrade for Silent Night, Deadly Night on 4K is definitely noticeable, even if the film does show its age (and low budget) a fair amount. Imagery is nice and clear with strong shadow delineation (a must-have for a film where large portions of it occur in the dark), while colors are solid and clarity is terrific. The mono soundtrack is obviously a limited affair, but it keeps dialogue and music clear and un-muddied, so no complaints there. 

The Bonus Features: 

• NEW! Audio Commentary With Author Amanda Reyes And The Hysteria Continues Podcast
• NEW! “The Night He Came Home… For Christmas: Creating Silent Night, Deadly Night” – An Interview With Producer Scott Schneid
• NEW! “In Search of Charles Sellier Jr: Remembering the Director” – An Interview With Editor Michael Spence
• NEW! “Naughty or Nice: 40 Years Of Silent Night, Deadly Night” – An Interview The Producers Scott Schneid And Dennis Whitehead About The Longevity Of The Film
• Audio Commentary With Actor Robert Brian Wilson And Co-Executive Producer Scott J. Schneid
• Audio Commentary With Writer Michael Hickey, Composer Perry Boykin, Producer Scott J. Schneid, and Unit Director Michael Spence
• “Slay Bells Ring: The Story Of Silent Night, Deadly Night” – Featuring Interviews With Writer Michael Hickey, Co-Executive Producers Scott J. Schneid And Dennis Whitehead, Editor/Second Unit Director Michael Spence, Composer Perry Botkin, And Actor Robert Brian Wilson
• “Oh Deer!” – An Interview With Actor Linnea Quigley
• Christmas In July – Silent Night, Deadly Night Locations – Then And Now
• Audio Interview With Director Charles E. Sellier, Jr. From Deadpit Radio (Extended Version)
• “Santa’s Stocking Of Outrage”
• Poster And Still Gallery
• R-Rated Theatrical Trailer & Japanese VHS Trailer
• TV Spots
• Radio Spot

Digital Copy Included: No 

The Wrap-Up: If you’re a fan of Silent Night, Deadly Night at all, it’s hard to think you’d want to skip this disc. Between the new format, the loads of extra features, the new bonus materials, and how much fun the film is to begin with, it’s simply the best possible release I could imagine for a movie like this. 

Rock ‘n’ Roll High School (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray)

The Movie: If there’s a movie that encapsulates what makes a great B-movie (to the nth degree of B-movie-osity), it’s Rock ‘n’ Roll High School. Starring Halloween’s P.J. Soles, Clint Howard and The Ramones (and if that cast doesn’t tell you everything you need to know, I don’t know what will!) the film is a mash-up of high school comedy, rock ‘n’ roll rebellion screed, and Roger Corman cheesefest. Yet somehow, it works, as long as you don’t go into expecting a serious film or anything other than big, dumb fun. I’ll be honest, I’m not sure I’d ever seen the film in its entirety before this, and I absolutely had a blast with it. I also discovered how much I like The Ramones’ music!

This new 45th Anniversary Edition from Shout Factory is pretty much the same as the 40th Anniversary Edition that came out from Shout Factory five years ago just without the Steelbook case, which is a shame. Still, this release is absolutely jam-packed with extra features. Seriously, the movie is only 90 minutes long, but the extras will keep you busy for hours and hours. 

The 4K Video/Audio: Rock N’ Roll High School looks and sounds pretty great on 4K Ultra HD, especially considering that the movie is 45 years old. The transfer is clean and clear with relatively sharp imagery and improved color saturation that gives the movie a really nice pop. The soundtrack is DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Dual Mono, but it still manages to really bring the power punk music of The Ramones to life. It’s a great presentation of a fun film.

The Bonus Features: 

• NEW! Audio Commentary With Stephen B. Armstrong, Author Of “I Want You Around: The Ramones And The Making Of Rock ‘n’ Roll High School”
• Audio Commentary With Allan Arkush, Mike Finnell And Richard Whitley
• Audio Commentary With Allan Arkush And Actors P.J. Soles And Clint Howard
• Audio Commentary With Richard Whitley And Russ Dvonch
• Audio Commentary With Executive Producer Roger Corman And Actress Dey Young
• NEW Interview With Musician And Actor Marky Ramone
• Class Of ’79: 40 Years Of Rock ‘n’ Roll High School – Revised
• Back To School: A Retrospective
• Staying After Class: An Interview With Actors P.J. Soles, Vincent Van Patten And Dey Young
• Allan Arkush’s 2019 Sunday Slasher Rock ‘n’ Roll High School Intro
• Interview With Roger Corman Conducted By Leonard Maltin
• Interview With Director Allan Arkush
• Audio Outtakes From The Roxy
• Original Radio Ads, Theatrical Trailer, and TV Spot

Digital Copy Included: No 

The Wrap-Up: Rock N’ Roll High School isn’t a household name or one of the most loved movies of all time, but it fits right alongside movies like Airplane and The Naked Gun as spoof movies, but this one also happens to have a rocking soundtrack. I really like this film and this new 4K version of it is incredible. 

Aguirre, The Wrath of God – Collector’s Edition (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray)

The Movie: Werner Herzog is a… unique director, to say the least. Known for being a bit of a madman behind the camera, his films have run the gamut from period epics to action movies to dramas to documentaries and everything in between. One of his most well-known films is one of his frequent collaborations with acclaimed German actor Klaus Kiski, Aguirre, The Wrath of God. 

In it, Kinski plays a Spanish conquistador who leads his men through a hellish jungle in the name of gold and glory. They come across all manner of hardships, but Aguirre’s single-minded obsession means they will either succeed in glory… or literally die trying. As with most Herzog films, it’s uncompromising in its grittiness, and Kinski is intense as usual. The film is pretty incredible, but you have to be in the mood to watch it, as I find is the case with most Herzog films.

The 4K Video/Audio: 4K Ultra HD releases of older and foreign movies can often be minor upgrades due to the nature of the source materials. The format offers up improvements over Blu-ray, obviously, but it’s not like you can magically transform the source elements from a movie that’s now over 50 years old. That said, this is an impressive effort. Image clarity is quite sharp, colors pop nicely, and there’s enough film grain to retain the cinematic feel of the film. It’s completely devoid of blemishes or artifacts, and yet never appears artificial or overly processed. The surround soundtrack is a little front-channel heavy, but that said, the ambient surround activity does create a sense of atmosphere that works surprisingly well. It’s a very strong presentation overall

The Bonus Features: 

• Audio Commentary With Writer/Producer/Director Werner Herzog
• Audio Commentary With Werner Herzog, Moderated By Lauren Straub 
• Theatrical Trailer
• Still Gallery

Digital Copy Included: Yes 

The Wrap-Up: I might be hit or miss with Werner Herzog overall, but Aguirre, The Wrath of God is an impressive film that is visceral and intense. Exactly how you want your Werner Herzog movies to be. 

Tonikawa: Over The Moon For You – Season 1 (Limited Edition Blu-ray)

The Movie: While I’ll never claim to be the world’s biggest anime fan, one thing I’ve really grown to appreciate about the genre is how far it’s come in terms of stories and themes in recent years. Anime used to largely be entirely the domain of robots and sci-fi and the like, but in more recent years it’s spanned to slide-of-life stories, romance, school, and sports, among other things. 

Tonikawa: Season 1 is a romance show with a bit of a mystery twist to it. A young teenager named Nasa spots a beautiful girl right before he gets into a devastating accident. She helps save his life and he professes his undying love to her, proposing to her. She accepts right before he blacks out, and then disappears. He spends many years searching for her to no avail, until one day, out of nowhere, she appears. Where has she been? How do they move forward? What kind of life can they have together? That’s what Tonikawa is all about. 

This new Blu-ray set from Crunchyroll includes the entirety of Season 1 on two-Blu-ray discs, and it’s a sweet and enjoyable show that I liked a lot more than I expected to. Anime fans or fans of romantic fare will definitely find a lot to like here. 

The Bonus Features: There are no bonus features in terms of video content but you do get a poster and a 16-page mini-manga comic in the slipcover. 

Digital Copy Included: No 

The Wrap-Up: I really didn’t know what I was getting into with Tonikawa, but I found myself enjoying it quite a bit. Hopefully a Season 2 release is on the horizon!

Toxic Crusaders: The Series (Blu-ray)

The Show: Ahh… the ‘90s, what a magical time to be alive! And what a magical time to take R-rated movies and turn them into kids’ cartoons! Sure, why not make a Rambo cartoon? Or a Toxic Avenger cartoon? Never mind the fact that the original Toxic Avenger movie is as R-rated as it gets, filled with vile characters, blood and guts, and truly disgusting moments; that seems perfect for a kids cartoon, no?

Well, believe it or not, it got made, running for 13 episodes from 1991 to 1993. Amazingly enough, a cartoon series about a mutated avenger and his mutant pals that all look like sludge monsters fighting against an alien named Dr. Killemoff didn’t last, but I guess I can see why it got made in the first place in a post-Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles world. The show isn’t great, but honestly, I like it better than I like the Toxic Avenger movie, of which I’m not a big fan. 

This new Blu-ray collection from MVD Home Video collects all 13 episodes on home video for the first time on two discs and even adds in a few bonus features. It’s a fun release for fans of the Toxic Avenger franchise. 

The Bonus Features: 

• A new introduction from Troma’s Lloyd Kaufman
• Commercials for Toxic Crusaders toys
• TV spots
• Lost archival footage
• A documentary on the video game

Digital Copy Included: No 

The Wrap-Up: If you’re a fan of the Toxic Avenger movie franchise, then Toxic Crusaders: The Series is kind of a fun oddity to add to your home video collection. 

Winnie The Pooh: Blood and Honey II (Blu-ray)

The Movie: I covered some of this in my original review of the first Winnie The Pooh: Blood and Honey film, but some of you may be wondering how Winnie the Pooh is starring in a horror movie; after all, that doesn’t seem very Disney-like. Well, in case you hadn’t heard, the original A. A. Milne character of Winnie the Pooh is now in the public domain, meaning people can create their own interpretations of him. In the case of the first film, that means we got a low-budget horror film in which Pooh and Piglet and the other denizens of 100 Acre Wood are imaginary friends (of a sort) who were abandoned by Christopher Robin. When he comes back with his girlfriend and some others, the animals are murderously angry and start killing in a variety of grisly ways.

This time around, Pooh and his friends aren’t content to stay in 100 Acre Wood, and they make their way to a small town and start killing there. Like the first film, ultimately this sequel is just a low-budget slasher that isn’t particularly interesting or good. The animals are represented on screen as live-action characters, effectively looking like creepy fixed-mask characters (like you might see walking around a theme park.) I’ve said this before, but just because you now CAN make a slasher movie with Winnie The Pooh doesn’t mean you SHOULD make a slasher movie with Winnie the Pooh. .

The Bonus Features: 

• Image Gallery
• Trailer

Digital Copy Included: No 

The Wrap-Up: Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey II is once again a novelty film and little more, but apparently it was successful enough to warrant a sequel. If you want to check this one out because you’re curious about it, I totally understand, just don’t expect too much in the way of good filmmaking

The Block Island Sound (4K Ultra HD)

The Movie: Brothers Kevin and Matthew McManus are probably best known for being a writer and producer (respectively) on Cobra Kai, the hit Netflix show that continues the Karate Kid movie franchise. However, they’ve also made a few low-budget movies of their own, and their most recent one was The Block Island Sound (although it came out in 2020; I guess they’ve been mostly busy with Cobra Kai since then.)

The film sees a small fishing island come under the influence of a… something. A force, a sound, an evil presence. It lurks in the distance, and its influence is affecting fish, animals, and eventually, humans. We follow a family as their father starts to fall under the thrall of this force and his adult children at first pass it off as simply old age and possibly dementia. 

The Block Island Sound is one of those movies where the story makes the low budget feasible, but the low budget makes the story less interesting. The movie is all atmosphere with very little actually happening, and we get endless shots of dead fish, an old guy staring off into the sea, and quiet nature seeming ominous. I just never cared enough about the character to invest in the story, and not enough happens in the story to get me invested in the characters. 

The 4K Video/Audio: The Block Island Sound is a low-budget movie, but it’s shot well and looks quite good in 4K. Colors are minimal, as this is a movie that doesn’t feature a lot of colorful imagery to begin with. But everything is crisp and clear and the darker scenes remain quite visible at all times. The surround soundtrack is largely made up of dialogue, but it does create some eerie and atmospheric sounds throughout that will enhance the tension of the film. 

The Bonus Features: 

• A Practical Apocalypse
• Finding the Cast
• Filming on the Water
• Special Effects on a Shoestring
• Los Angeles Behind-the-Scenes (Super 8mm)
• McManus Family Home Movies 
• Teaser Trailer
• Limited Edition Slipcover (with pretty cool art!)

Digital Copy Included: No 

The Wrap-Up: I liked the concept and set-up of The Block Island Sound, I just wish the final film was a little more engaging. It might not have been my cup of tea, but if you want a more thoughtful horror film, you might want to check it out. 

Someone Like You (DVD)

The Movie: Not to be confused with the Ashley Judd/Hugh Jackman rom-com from 2001, this new Someone Like You is a 2024 drama film starring Sarah Fisher, Jake Allyn, and Lynn Collins. Based on Karen Kingsbury’s best-selling novel, I would say that this movie is right up the alley of people who are looking for a new Colleen Hoover fix but have already read all of her books. 

In the film, we meet Dawson Gage, who’s been in love with London Quinn since high school. When she dies, a grieving Dawson learns from her parents that she was fertilized via in vitro and that she effectively has a (non-identical) twin sister out there. Dawson tracks the sister, Andi, down and he reveals to her more about her parentage and her late sister. And oh yeah, he might just have a thing for Andi, too. 

It’s kind of a weird premise, and it kind of can make you uncomfortable if you think about it too much, but the film manages to pull it off. Like I said, while I wouldn’t recommend it to everyone, roman certainly movie aficionados and Colleen Hoover fans (as well as Karen Kingsbury fans, obviously) will likely enjoy it quite a bit. It should be noted that while it’s not the overarching drive of the film, Someone Like You is a faith-based film, although it’s not nearly as heavy handed as many other movies in the genre. 

The Bonus Features: 

• Cast Auditions
• Behind the Scenes Featurettes
• Deleted Scenes
• Audio Commentary by Someone Like You Author Karen Kingsbury

Digital Copy Included: No 

The Wrap-Up: If you’re looking for a romantic drama that has a bit of a faith-based message but feels more like a mainstream movie, Someone Like You might fit the bill. 

Crust (Blu-ray)

The Movie: You probably don’t know Sean Whalen’s name. But you definitely know his face. Go Google him. Go ahead, I’ll wait. 

Okay, now that you know who I’m talking about, you recognize the actor from his roles in movies like Twister, The People Under the Stairs, and many others. Well, now he’s moved to the other side of the camera and has a new indie horror film out called Crust that he co-wrote, directed, and stars in. In it, he plays a depressed former child actor who’s pile of dirty socks comes to life. And like any dirty sock monster does, it starts killing people that hurt or upset Whalen’s character, Vegas. 

It’s a low-budget, schlocky affair and it’s filmed in black-and-white, giving it a unique feel. And all of that adds to exactly what kind of movie it’s trying to be: a horror/comedy monster flick that doesn’t take itself too seriously but has a serious side to it when it needs to. In addition to Whelan, the film stars Felissa Rose from Sleepaway Camp, Daniel Roebuck, Rebekah Kennedy, and Alan Ruck from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off in a cameo appearance that is quite memorable. 

The Bonus Features: 

• Audio Commentary by Sean Whalen 
• Q & A filmed at the Los Angeles premiere

Digital Copy Included: No 

The Wrap-Up: Crust isn’t for everyone, but if you like lo-fi indie fare and have a sense of humor that leans to the darker side, you’ll probably find a lot to like here.