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What’s New in Home Video & Pop Culture – February 17, 2026 – Predator Badlands, Five Night’s At Freddy’s, Now You See Me, Song Sung Blue, Ben Hur, TMNT, All The President’s Men, Sisu, & More!

Mike Spring

By Mike Spring

 on 

What’s New in Home Video & Pop Culture – February 17th, 2026

So, there was no column last week because I only had two titles to review and it didn’t seem like I needed a whole column just for that. Apparently, the studios were holding all their releases for after the Super Bowl and Valentine’s Day, because this is one of the most stacked weeks I’ve seen since the holiday rush of last year’s quarter four release bonanza! Check out all the major titles dropping below!

In This Week’s Column:

Predator: Badlands (Blu-ray + Digital)

Official Synopsis:

This thrilling chapter in the heart-stopping Predator franchise is set in the future on a remote planet. A young Predator (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi), outcast from his clan, finds an unlikely ally in Thia (Elle Fanning) and embarks on a treacherous journey in search of the ultimate adversary.

The Movie: 

I’ve seen people call Predator: Badlands the best Predator film since the original. It’s not. It’s the SECOND best Predator film since the original. The second best film is 2008’s highly underrated Predators (starring Adrien Brody.) But, man, Predator: Badlands is still one hell of a movie, and I absolutely loved it. 

It’s the first film in the franchise to really dive into the culture and homeland of the Yautja (that’s the predators’ species, if you didn’t know) rather than just giving us a Predator movie from humans’ perspectives. We follow a young hunter who is undersized and ostracized from his family because he is considered weak. When he crash lands on a hostile alien planet, he has to survive using only his wits and his skills, along with some help from a damaged humanoid android. 

This is a science fiction movie, through and through. It’s not a human-oriented story, although there are some human elements that show up, which means we get alien creatures, insane wildlife, spaceships, exotic weapons, and so much more. It manages to somehow feel nothing like any other Predator movie while still managing to feel exactly like a Predator movie. Dan Trachtenberg, who also gave us Prey and the animated film Predator: Killer of Killers, seems to have been given the keys to the Predator kingdom, and frankly, it’s the best decision the studio could have made. 

The Bonus Features: 

Digital Copy Included: Yes

Five Nights At Freddy’s 2 (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital)

Official Synopsis:

One year after the supernatural nightmare at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza, a shocking new chapter of terror begins when former security guard Mike’s sister, Abby, sneaks out in search of her animatronic friends: Freddy, Bonnie, Chica, and Foxy. As terrifying events begin to unfold, dark secrets about the true origin of Freddy’s are revealed, unleashing a long-forgotten horror hidden away for decades.

The Movie: 

It’s well known that often times budgets for sequels are given less money than the original films. Well, clearly the budget for Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 must have been slashed pretty badly, because the filmmakers couldn’t even afford LIGHTING for the sets!

Blumhouse movies — of which I’m a big fan — have been doing this thing lately where they strive for realism by trying to make nighttime scenes appear how they actually would in real life. What that means, ostensibly, is they’re keeping artificial light to a minimum to replicate actual darkness. What that menas, in reality, is that they are ruining their movies. Hey Blumhouse, I’ve got news for you: nobody cares about realism when we’re watching a movie about haunted animatronic animals. WE CAN’T ENJOY A MOVIE WHEN WE LITERALLY CAN’T SEE A SINGLE THING THAT’S HAPPENING ON SCREEN! 

Honestly, I have a lot of problems with Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 — or at least I think I do. I honestly couldn’t tell what was happening on screen for 90% of the movie because not only did the filmmakers forget to light the sets, but not a single character ever turns on a light. Seriously, we have pitch black exercise classes, pitch black high school classrooms, pitch black houses… can even one character turn on a goddamned light?!? It’s so infuriating that my blood pressure is going up just as I write this. 

Aside from that, the story isn’t as good as the first film, either. This is clearly chapter two in a trilogy, becuase not only does the film end on a sort of cliffhanger, it’s not even a satisfying one. Like, we don’t get a fulfilling ending that simply leads in to the next film; instead the movie just kind of stops in the middle of the climax without really wrapping things up satisfactorily. The movie made $240 million at the U.S. box office, so it’s obvious there’s more to come, but I hope they can fix the mistakes of this film with the next one, because this entry was a huge disappointment.

The 4K Video/Audio:

Five Nights At Freddy’s 2 has been released on 4K Ultra HD (as well as Blu-ray and DVD), and while the 4K should be the standout release, the fact is that the filmmaking kind of kills it. As I mentioned earlier, everything in the film is so dark that it’s hard to appreciate any visual 4K enhancements. It’s like you’re staring into a pitch black room for 105 minutes, and it’s tedious. Colors are barely an issue because you can’t make any out, and good shadow delineation and black levels — usually at a premium on 4K releases — can’t overcome the lack of lighting in the film. I can’t imagine what the film would look like in standard definition, since I could barely see anything in 4K. The surround soundtrack at least offers up some good fidelity, using all of the channels regularly to either create atmosphere or bring pulse-pounding scary scenes to life. It’s a terrific audio presentation overall but that can’t overcome the look of the film.

The Bonus Features: 

Digital Copy Included: Yes

Now You See Me, Now You Don’t (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital)

Official Synopsis:

The Four Horsemen (Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Isla Fisher) are back — to unite with a new generation of illusionists (Justice Smith, Dominic Sessa, Ariana Greenblatt) for their most global, high-stakes magical adventure yet. Their mission: Expose the corruption of Veronika Vanderberg (Rosamund Pike), a powerful diamond heiress with ties to arms dealers, traffickers, and warlords. Aided by the legendary Thaddeus (Morgan Freeman), the two generations of magicians must overcome their differences to try and defeat their cunning and dangerous adversary, in this magic-fueled heist filled with the franchise’s signature twists, turns, and thrilling reveals — along with some of the most thrilling illusions ever captured on film.

The Movie: 

The Now You See Me movies have always been fun escapist entertainment (pun literally not intended, although very appropriate!) The first movie was a great magic-show-meets-heist-movie-with-a-dash-of-social-commentary event and I really enjoyed it. The second one got a little too convoluted for its own good and is a bit inferior, but I still liked it. Now, after a ten year break, we get Now You See Me, Now You Don’t, which sees the original crew reunite alongside three new and younger magicians. 

Now You See Me, Now You Don’t works great as a legacy sequel. We get the four original Horsemen (Jesse Eisenberg, Isla Fisher, Woody Harrelson, and Dave Franco) back front and center, but the three new characters (Justice Smith, Ariana Greenblatt, and Dominic Sessa) share the story and manage to get their own arcs without either being annoying or stealing too much screen time from the legacy actors. The film follows the franchise formula, giving us a whirlwind of exposition and then a major magic/heist set piece, and it all moves very quickly and is very shiny. 

None of that is a criticism, by the way: I want my Now You See Me movies to be fun and fast-paced; when they get bogged down, like with the second one, they’re not quite as good. I really enjoyed Now You See Me, Now You Don’t and I’d put it right alongside the first one in terms of quality. 

The 4K Video/Audio:

The 4K Ultra HD format works extremely well for NYSMNYD, especially considering how good the film looks from a production standpoint. The picture is crisp and clean with razor sharp clarity, and the colors have a nice balance between realism and “pop.” The surround soundtrack is where things kick into overdrive. This is a movie with no shortage of action, and you’ll feel like every special effect and atmospheric nuance are all around you. The dialogue remains centered, and the energetic soundtrack sounds both bright and warm. It’s a really terrific effort overall.

The Bonus Features: 

Digital Copy Included: Yes

Song Sung Blue (Blu-ray + Digital)

Official Synopsis:

Based on an incredible true story, Mike (Hugh Jackman) and Claire (Kate Hudson) are two down-on-their-luck musicians who prove that it’s never too late to find love and follow your dreams. They form a joyous Neil Diamond tribute band called Lightning and Thunder, rising from a humble garage to dive bar gigs to unexpected hometown stardom. When tragedy strikes, their love for each other and passion for music give them the strength to overcome hardships, rediscover hope, and inspire everyone around them.

The Movie: 

Song Sung Blue is not a Neil Diamond biopic. I guess that’s fairly clear by now, but the earliest imagery I saw for the film had me thinking that’s what it was, so I want to make sure people know what they’re in for. Instead, it’s the endearing true story of a couple, Mike and Claire Sardina, who create a Neil Diamond tribute band — nay, an “experience” — and start to gain some fame as a result of it. 

But what it really is is a love story and a film about overcoming hardship in pursuit of following your dreams. Hugh Jackman is excellent as Mike Sardina, also known as Lightning, a man who just wants to sing and play guitar and entertain people. Kate Hudson plays Claire, his partner, who helps him make his dreams happen and shares the stage with him. The film starts off as a pretty fun music-driven feel-good film, until about halfway through, when things take a turn and the movie transforms much more into a drama than I expected. That doesn’t take away from how much I enjoyed it, though. 

While everyone in the film is terrific, including supporting players Michael Imperioli and Jim Belushi, it’s Kate Hudson who steals the show from the very first scene she’s in. Her performance is both grounded and transcendent at the same time, and you’ll forget you’re watching Kate Hudson and think you’e watching Claire Sardina instead. I was very happy when I found out after watching the film that she’s been nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress, and I hope she wins. It would be well deserved. 

Song Sung Blue is a really good film that might not be high concept enough to get a ton of attention, but it is enjoyable, musical, funny, moving, and engaging. Definitely track it down. 

The Bonus Features: 

Digital Copy Included: Yes

All the Presiden’t Men (4K Ultra HD + Digital)

Official Synopsis:

Academy Award winners Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman star in this true story as Washington Post reporters Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward. When they cover a seemingly routine story of a break-in of the Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington’s Watergate office building, their reportage and subse­quent revelations move Congress to force the President of the United States to resign.

The Movie: 

It’s amazing to me that two reporters not only managed to uncover the facts that brought down a corrupt presidency (Richard Nixon’s, in case you weren’t sure), but that they did so without the use of the internet or cell phones. All The President’s Men is a fascinating look at the heyday of investigative journalism, when phone books, off-the-record interviews, pay phones, and actual investigation were the order of the day. 

All The President’s Men is, of course, one of the most revered films of the 70’s, considered by many to be the golden age of cinema. I’m not a giant fan of 70’s cinema myself, but All The President’s Men is one of the films from that era that deserves its accolades. Granted, there are a few parts where it slows down a bit in the middle, but it’s a captivating story anchored by excellent performances by Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman. And now it’s a captivating story anchored by excellent performances in high definition, just in time for the film’s 50th anniversary.

This week we get the 4K Ultra HD debut of All the President’s Men, and it’s a terrific package. We get a good number of extra features, excellent picture and sound quality, and — of course — the movie itself. Hopefully people will watch this movie and be inspired to become the next Woodward & Bernstein, something the world could certainly use these days. 

The 4K Video/Audio:

The new 4K Ultra HD release of All the President’s Men sees the film presented in the highest quality A/V yet on home video, and it is a nice upgrade. The fact is that the film is 50 years old, and while some older movies can look brand new in 4K, All The President’s Men doesn’t quite hit that level. It does, however, boast clearer imagery than ever before and improved colors, giving the film new life. The surround soundtrack is similarly limited by the age of the film, but the dialogue is clear and there are some decent surround effects to be found to build the film’s atmosphere.

The Bonus Features: 

Digital Copy Included: Yes

Ben Hur (4K Ultra HD + Digital)

Official Synopsis:

Told on a sweeping canvas encompassing the Roman Empire at the time of Christ, this story of the life of a Jewish man who is unjustly enslaved yet who rises to greatness in Rome climaxes with a chariot race that is one of the most famous of all movie scenes.

The Movie: 

If ever there was a classic Hollywood film that was made for a 4K Ultra HD release, it’s Ben Hur. William Wyler’s 1959 epic action/drama was one of the biggest movies of it’s time, an I don’t mean that in terms of box office. I mean in terms of scope; the sets, the action set pieces, the story… they’re all larger than life and the 4K Ultra HD experience is probably the closest we’ll ever get to seeing it the way it looked in theaters. 

Now, as for the film itself, it’s 75% awesome, and it’s 25% too long, at least in my opinion. I love the story and the spectacle, and of course the horse chariot race that acts as the film’s climax is absolutely incredible, especially for a movie made in the 1950s. That said, it is three and half hours long, and there are very few movies that earn a running time of over three hours as far as I’m concerned. Still, I find that knowing the pacing issues ahead of time make them easier to deal with, and if I get myself in a “Ben Hur mindset,” I find that enjoying the entirety of the film is easier. I don’t want to cast any aspersions on the movie, it really is an experience that I love to revisit, but I can’t ignore the fact that three-and-a-half hours is a bit too long. 

But honestly, lately I’ve been getting into period dramas and epics more than ever before, so this was the perfect time for this legendary classic to get released on 4K. So get on your horse and track down Ben Hur on 4K as soon as you can!

The 4K Video/Audio:

The 4K presentation of Ben Hur is pretty terrific, especially considering how old the film is. It’s clear that Warner Bros. has given the film the same treatment as many of their classic catalogue titles have gotten for the past couple of years, and it shows. The film has a nice new sheen to it, with vibrant colors, razor sharp clarity, and good shadow delineation. It just looks like an epic Hollywood classic should look. The surround soundtrack is actually better than I expected it to be. I assumed because of the film’s age and the limited fidelity it had to work with, things might feel flat. But the surround track does make good use of all of your speakers and delivers nice atmosphere and directional effects, while making sure dialogue is clear and music sounds lush and full. The overall effect is quite pleasing to the eyes and ears.

The Bonus Features: 

Digital Copy Included: Yes

Sisu: Road to Revenge (Blu-ray + Digital)

Official Synopsis:

An explosive action event sequel to SISU. A war survivor returns to the house where his family was brutally murdered during the war. He dismantles it, loads it on a truck, and is determined to rebuild it somewhere safe in their honor. When the Red Army commander who killed his family comes back hellbent on finishing the job, a relentless, eye-popping cross-country chase ensues.

The Movie: 

Sisu: Road to Revenge continues a long Hollywood tradition of cult classic sequels acting as sort of a sequel and a remake or reimagining at the same time. Okay, it may not be that long of a tradition, but I’m thinking of Evil Dead and Evil Dead 2, where the second film is pretty much a remake of the first, as well as Mad Max and The Road Warrior, in which The Road Warrior basically takes the skeleton of the first movie and transforms it while upping the action quotient by a hundred. 

Sisu: Road to Revenge takes a first film that was a Dutch release and gives us a sequel filmed in English. And while it’s certainly not a remake of the first film, you can watch this movie without even having seen the original (although I highly recommend yoiu watch the original, it’s terrific!) The parallels to Mad Max continue, as this film — intentionally titled ROAD to Revenge — ups the ante and instead of having our main character walking everywhere, this one sees him become a road warrior of sorts as he tries to bring a precious cargo back from USSR-occupied territory to his homeland of Finland. Chased by and/or in cars, trucks, motorcycles, airplanes, and trains, our hero makes his way acrosss the land in every vehicle he can.

Like the first film, the movie is a non-stop action spectacle. I actually think I like this movie better, if for no other reason than that the action is bigger and faster, and the pacing of the movie moves at a much faster clip. The first one might be the original and have a little more heart, but this one is a little more fun. It doesn’t shy away from the over-the-top blood and guts of the first film, either; it has all the teeth the original did. I loved Sisu: Road to Revenge and anyone who enjoyed the first movie should love it as well.  

The Bonus Features: 

Digital Copy Included: Yes

Nightcrawler (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray)

Official Synopsis:

Nightcrawler is a pulse-pounding thriller set in the nocturnal underbelly of contemporary Los Angeles. Jake Gyllenhaal stars as Lou Bloom, a driven young man desperate for work who discovers the high-speed world of LA crime. Finding a group of freelance camera crews who film crashes, fires, murder and other mayhem, Lou muscles into the cutthroat, dangerous realm of nightcrawling — where each police siren wail equals a possible windfall and victims are converted into dollars. Aided by Nina (Rene Russo), a veteran of the blood-sport that is local TV news, Lou blurs the line between observer and participant to become the star of his own story.

The Movie: 

Jake Gyllenhaal is mesmerizing (and should have been nominated for an Academy Award) in the lead role of Nightcrawler, the story of a driven and somewhat desperate man who becomes a “nightcrawler.” A nightcrawler, in media parlance, is someone who tries to get to crime scenes before any other news outlets (and sometimes the police) so he can videotape them and sell them to news stations. 

Jake Gyllenhaal’s Lou Bloom is fascinating: intelligent, persistent, creepy, amoral, manipulative, but all in a way that makes you never want to take your eyes off of him. Gyllenhaal’s “I act through blinking a lot” method actually works here, as Bloom is a neurotic, nebulous personality that you never quite figure out how you feel about. 

This week, Shout Factory brings us Nightcrawler on a 4K Ultra HD release that comes packaged in a collectible Steelbook case, and I’m here for it. The film is a fantastic look into a world most people probably know nothing about, and it terrifically skates the line between drama and thriller. I highly recommend checking Nightcrawler out; I love it.

The 4K Video/Audio:

This new 4K Ultra HD version of Nightcrawler sees the film getting a nice upgrade from the Blu-ray and DVD releases in the past. The Dolby Vision treatment benefits the film nicely, with rich and even blacks and strong contrasts. Color saturation is strong, with daytime scenes bright and vivid, and nighttime scenes not seeing the various hues getting lost in the crush. The surround soundtrack isn’t a masterpiece, but it does feature strong musical cues and clear dialogue, as well as some decent directional effects in the surround speakers. It’s a very strong overall presentation.

The Bonus Features: 

Digital Copy Included: No

Deathstalker (Blu-ray)

Official Synopsis:

In a dark age of swords and sorcery, a wandering warrior discovers a powerful amulet that could decide the fate of a war-torn kingdom. Hunted by dark forces, he embarks on an epic quest battling monsters, magic, and his own past.

The Movie: 

What do you do when you really, REALLY want to make a Conan the Barbarian movie but you can’t secure the rights to the property? Well, you secure the rights to an all-but-forgotten cult classic from the 1980s instead. And that’s how you end up with a 2025 reboot of Deathstalker, a 1983 swords-and-sorcery cheesefest starring Rick Hill and Barbi Benton. 

Deathstalker is a semi-low budget affair, but it wants to be a low-budget affair. It’s all about practival effects, puppetry, make-up, and larger than life sets and action scenes. It’s kind of like if you let a bunch of kids who grew up watching Conan and He-Man got their hands on a bunch of video equipment and a few credit cards and made their own love letter to fantasy barbarians. 

And let me be clear: I think that’s AWESOME! Deathstalker isn’t cinematic greatness, but it’s clearly made with heart and with a clear understanding of what kind of film it wants to be. More high-minded moviegoers probably want to avoid this one, but genre fans and cult classic die-hards will want to check it out immediately. 

The Bonus Features: 

Digital Copy Included: No

Best of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Collection: Volume 6 (Graphic Novel)

Official Synopsis:

TMNT has some of the best characters in pop culture, and in this sixth collection, the spotlight shines on Nobody, Ray Fillet, Old Hob, and Renet!

In these stories from throughout TMNT history, see the characters develop from their early roots to their present-day incarnations. Delve into issues from the original Mirage series, TMNT Adventures, IDW’s 2011 ongoing series, and more! See how Nobody and Ray become two of the Turtles’ biggest allies; uncover the complexity of Old Hob; and get to know the Turtles’ favorite Timestress, Renet! Includes stories by Kevin Eastman, Peter Laird, Jim Lawson, Tom Waltz, Mateus Santolouco, Dean Clarrain, Ken Mitchroney, and more!

The Book: 

For the last several years, IDW has been publishing “Best Of” oversized single issue comics based on all of the various Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles characters. So, for example, they released a Best of Leonardo issue that collected four different comic book stories focusing on Leo that spanned all the way from the original Mirage series to the current IDW offerings. 

Eventually, IDW started collecting these single—oversized-issue collections into trade paperbacks, and that’s what we get here with Best of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Collection: Volume 6. This time around, the TPB collects the four Best of Collections focusing on the TMNT’s most beloved supporting characters: Renet, Old Hob, Nobody, and Ray Fillet.

There’s a mix of stories here, some in black and white (from the original Tales of the TMNT series, one of my favorites) and mostly in color. There are a good number of issues from the cartoon-themed comics, but also newer stories from the current IDW run (The Old Hob stuff, naturally, as that’s where he originated.) As with any anthology book, the individual issues can be hit or miss, but most of these are entertaining reads. And with 16 issues and almost 300 pages in the book, there’s a lot of bang for your buck!

The Specs: 

Godzilla: Heist (Graphic Novel)

Official Synopsis:

Get ready for an all-out crime adventure in this graphic novel that combines the kaiju action of Godzilla with the intrigue of a classic heist movie.

What if you could predict when and where Godzilla would appear? What if you knew of the perfect opportunity to pull off the heist of the century? Jai is a young man who knows two things: A heist needs a good distraction, and there’s no distraction like Godzilla. So, when Jai discovers Godzilla responds to specific energy signals he can send into the atmosphere, he creates the perfect opportunity to stage high-profile heists in the middle of Godzilla attacks. But these heists put Jai on the radar of some very dangerous people—people who want Jai to work with them to pull off the most dangerous job the world has ever seen. 

The Book: 

Godzilla: Heist might be the most fun you’ll have with a Godzilla comic book this year. Now, don’t get me wrong, I like a lot of what IDW does with the Godzilla franchise, but there’s a couple of their newer books that haven’t quite grabbed me. But Godzilla: Heist is just a really good time from thevery first page. 

Effectively, the story combines Kaiju actuion with a calssic heist film; we meet Jai, a young man with a secret who knows how to attract Godzilla. But he doesn’t use it to save the earth; instead, he uses it to get Godzilla where he and his team need him to be in order to pull off the heist of the century. There are twists and turns in every issue, and the story will keep you guessing from start to finish. Like every good heist movie, the story lays out one expectation and then delivers a different result, and the end result is an action thriller heist movie that just happens to co-star the King of the Monsters. 

Author Van Jensen and artist Kelsey Ramsey have perfected the dialogue and visuals needed to fit the mood of the book. It’s irreverent and fun but with real stakes and major carnage. If you only read one Godzilla graphic novel this year, make it Godzilla: Heist. 

The Specs: 

What’s New in Home Video & Pop Culture – February 17, 2026 – Predator Badlands, Five Night’s At Freddy’s, Now You See Me, Song Sung Blue, Ben Hur, TMNT, All The President’s Men, Sisu, & More!
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