What's New in Home Video & Pop Culture - February 3, 2026 - Keeper, Exorcismo, Jim Aparo Artist Edition, Snowlands!

By Mike Spring

on February 3, 2026

What’s New in Home Video & Pop Culture – February 3, 2026

It’s been a while since I’ve had a review week this small. I suspect it has more to do with the massive snowstorms in my neck of the woods slowing down review products than anything else, but there’s just a few titles on tap this week.

In This Week’s Column:

Keeper (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray)
Exorcismo: Defying A Dictator & Raising Hell in Post-Franco Spain (Blu-ray)
Jim Aparo’s DC Classics Artists Edition (Graphic Novel)
Snowlands: Book 1 – A Blood Moon (Graphic Novel)

Keeper

Official Synopsis:

A romantic anniversary trip to a secluded cabin turns sinister when a dark presence reveals itself, forcing a couple to confront the property’s haunting past.

The Movie:

If you’ve read enough of my columns, you’ll know that I’m not the guy who comes in and just rips movies to shreds left and right. I’m fairly easy to please, and even if I don’t really love a movie, I try and find something positive to say about it (or at least identify who might enjoy the movie more than I did.) For example, with director Osgood Perkin’s 2024 hit horror movie Longlegs, I thought it had a lot of flaws but I also recognized that it was different and unique and that he was trying to do something to stand out, which is a good thing.

Which brings us to Keeper, and the reason I stated everything I just did. Because I know that Perkins has some talent, but man, I can’t remember the last time I hated a movie as much as I hated Keeper. The plot – and it feels like a real stretch to call it that – follows a man and a woman who have been dating for a year. He takes her to his rich-boy cabin to get away for a weekend, she hears strange noises and sees strange things, and then things start to get weirder. I don’t want to spoil what little there is of a story so I won’t say more than that, but I can’t guarantee there might not be some spoilers ahead.

The only good thing about this film is Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black, She-Hulk), who gives a strong performance, as usual. It’s a shame that her character is so uninteresting and weak. Rossif Sutherland is as uncharismatic a lead as there can be, and his weird cadence/accent/I-don’t-know-what-it-is is severely off-putting. He also has all the charisma of a damp towel. We learn absolutely nothing about these characters aside from that she’s an artist and he’s rich before weird things start to happen, and they never get more interesting from there. There’s zero chemistry between the two, so you wonder why they’re even together, forget believing that they’re supposed to be in love.

(But wait! There are endless shots of a river. Or a plant. Or a rock. Or a table. With either ominous silence or ominous droning music. So, you know, they’re scary! Forced ambience, my favorite!)

Meanwhile, literally nothing happens in the film. We get, like, a solid hour of Tatiana Maslany hearing creepy noises in the house and then seeing weird stuff until the film reaches its climax, which is both grotesque and non-sensical. The film’s logic falls apart at the end, and the conclusion is just as dumb as the rest of the film. I’m sorry, but I literally cannot think of what anyone will take away from this movie in order to consider it enjoyable.

The 4K Video/Audio:

Keeper looks exactly the way I think it’s supposed to look in 4K. Which means that while I actually hate the way the film looked on my TV screen, I think it’s a fault of the cinematography and not the transfer. The movie is dark. Like, so-dark-you-can’t-tell-what’s happening dark. It’s like that from the very start of the film. Even the lighter scenes have a dark overtone to them, and since no one in the film can turn on a g–damned light switch in the film(!), everything is near pitch black at almost all times. Color saturation is solid when it’s allowed to be, and imagery is very clear, again, at least what you can see of it. The surround soundtrack is another story, though, as it does its job impeccably. The film is all atmosphere, and the endless creepy noises will reverberate through your living room and amplify the creepiness. Dialogue is clean and clear and fidelity is high, so overall the surround mix is a top-notch effort.

The Bonus Features:

Audio Commentary with Osgood Perkins
Trailers

Digital Copy Included: No

Exorcismo: Defying A Dictator & Raising Hell in Post-Franco Spain (Blu-ray)

Official Synopsis:

Under the Franco dictatorship, Spain’s rigid censorship laws controlled all national entertainment. But following Franco’s death in 1975, certain films began to embody a period in Spanish history when cinematic expression became political freedom. Spanish audiences considered these films – featuring graphic explorations of sex, violence and horror – to be a cultural ‘exorcismo.’ These 18 films, including landmark features directed by Eloy de la Iglesia, León Klimovsky, Javier Aguirre and Eugenio Martín, range from those that dared to actively subvert the oppressive regime to productions made during the post-Franco era of ’70s/’80s exploitation excess. Also included is the award-winning Severin Films original documentary Exorcismo: The Transgressive Legacy of Clasificada “S” narrated by Iggy Pop, in which writer/producer/director Alberto Sedano explores the history behind the notorious rating that rocked Spanish culture, changed the face of genre films and left its mark on global cinema forever. The majority of the titles in this unprecedented collection are Worldwide Blu-ray Premieres scanned in 4K from original camera negatives, curated with a 168-page book of essays, stills and posters, plus over 21 combined hours of new and archival Special Features.

Includes the films Exorcismo: The Transgressive Legacy of Clasificada “S”, Far from the Trees, The Bell from Hell, Creation of the Damned, The Devil’s Exorcist, After… Part One: Can’t You Be Left Alone?, The People Who Own the Dark, Battered Flesh, The Priest, Sins of a Nympho, Dimorfo, Bloody Sex, Morbus, Faces, Triangle of Lust, That House in the Outskirts, Supernatural, Poppers, After… Part Two: Tied Up and Tied Up Well.

The Movie:

While I like to consider myself an expert on film, I also can recognize that 90% of my “expertise” is on American-made movies, mostly from the mid-70s to current day. I have some other pockets of interest, but I’m by no means a film scholar. So I can humbly admit that my knowledge of post-Franco-censorship Spain is, well, pretty darn limited.

It turns out it’s a little like post-Hayes-code filmmaking in the U.S., when censorship was lifted and counterculture films started becoming prevalent. In Spain’s case, however, the lapse in state-fueled censorship resulted in a heavy leaning towards more eclectic fare in movies: sex, violence, and horror. The new box set from Severin Films, Exorcismo: Defying a Dictator & Raising Hell in Post-Franco Spain is a behemoth of a collection that spans 10 discs and includes 18 films plus an all-new feature-length documentary.

As for the movies themselves, they range from the early 1970s to about the mid-1980s, and as you would expect from a box set like this, the quality also varies widely. A lot of the movies are on the fringe of horror, more thrillers than out and out horror. Movies like The Bell from Hell, Triangle of Lust, and Bloody Sex are all very dark thrillers, often with a revenge or exploitation theme running through them. Movies like The Devil’s Exorcist and Morbus offer more traditional horror fare. Interestingly — and not surprisingly considering the time period — there are a couple of post-nuclear war thrillers in Creation of the Damned and The People Who Own the Dark mixed in as well. The People Who Own the Dark might be my favorite film in the set.

Topping it all off is the excellent documentary Exorcismo: The Transgressive Legacy of Clasificada “S”. This film effectively gives a wide view of the entire genre and era of films, with the sociopolitical background needed to contextualize some of the films’ places in Spain’s cinema pantheon. I wouldn’t say you have to watch it before watching the films, but I think it’s actually a great way to ease into the world of these extreme movies.

Exorcismo is an outstanding box set for people who are interested in cinema history, Spanish films, or just exploitation filmmaking at its finest. With over 20 hours of bonus features, a new documentary film, and a massive collector’s book filled with essays, it’s a really outstanding product from Severin Films (as usual)!

The Bonus Features:

Audio Commentaries for The Bell from Hell, Creation of the Damned, The Devil’s Exorcist, The People Who Own the Dark, Battered Flesh, Bloody Sex, Triangle of Lust, and Supernatural
Censorship and Curses – Film Scholar Dr. Álex Mendíbil on The Bell from Hell
Luciano (1965) – Short film Co-Written/Directed by Claudio Guerín, Director of The Bell from Hell
I’m Proud of My Films – Interview with Creation of the Damned Director José Ulloa
Being There – Interview with Creation of the Damned Camera Assistant Paco Marín
A Daring Film – Interview with The Devil’s Exorcist actor Jack Taylor
Horror Comes from the Church – Interview with The Devil’s Exorcist cinematographer José Luis Alcaine
Sound Experiments – Interview with The Devil’s Exorcist composer José Nieto
Joking on Set – Interview with The People Who Own the Dark Actor Antonio Mayans
A Unique Iconography in Spanish Terror – Ángel Sala, Head of Programming at The Sitges Film Festival, on The People Who Own the Dark
A Spain to Break – Interview with Battered Flesh actress Sandra Alberti
The Socialist Priest – Interview with The Priest actor Emilio Gutiérrez Caba
A Provocative Filmmaker – Interview with The Priest actor Martín Garrido Ramis
El Otro Luis (1975) – Short Film by Eloy De La Iglesia’s friend and collaborator Alejo Loren
I Regret Nothing – Interview with Sins of a Nympho assistant director Alejo Loren
The Haunted Cartoonist – Spanish Film Scholar Dr. Álex Mendíbil on the films of Rodjara
A Bohemian Life – Interview with Bloody Sex producer Gloria Sancho
Sex And Horror – Interview with Morbus director Ignasi P. Ferré
A Well-Deserved Recognition – Interview with Morbus actress Carmen Serret
The Evil Faces of Victor Israel (2010) – Archival Documentary
An Unclassifiable Movie – Ángel Sala, head of programming at The Sitges Film Festival, on Faces
Triangle of Lust extended/alternate scenes
A Very Strong Character – Interview with That House in the Outskirts actress Silvia Aguilar
Supernatural Effects – Interview with Supernatural actor Máximo Valverde
A Bold and Delirious Movie – Interview with Poppers art director Javier Fernández
A Film Like No Other – Interview with Poppers assistant director Eduardo Campoy
Trailers & Promos
Still Galleries
168-page book of essays, stills and posters

Digital Copy Included: Yes/No

Jim Aparo’s DC Classics Artists Edition (Graphic Novel)

Official Synopsis:

Experience the peak period of Jim Aparo’s artistry from his runs featuring Batman and The Spectre, with over 175 pages of original art in this gorgeous Artist’s Edition! Jim Aparo was one of DC’s most prolific artists through the 1970s and 1980s, especially celebrated for his work on Batman (Brave and the Bold, Detective Comics) and The Spectre (Adventure Comics).

This Artist’s Edition presents more than 175 pages of classic Aparo art from what is regarded as his peak period and features eight complete Brave and the Bold and Spectre stories, as well as a selection of classic covers and pages. Although appearing to be in black and white, all the art is scanned in color, enabling the reader to see the work as close to the original as possible – ink gradients, blue pencil, and all the unique nuances that make original art so special – are all clearly visible and printed at the same size as drawn.

The Artist’s Edition of Jim Aparo’s work is an art book disguised as a comic collection. The only better way to see these pages is by looking over Aparo’s shoulder at his drawing board!

The Book:

If you aren’t familiar with the Artist’s Edition books that have been hitting the comic market for the past five or ten years, you’re missing out on one of the most unique art forms in the industry. These giant-sized books reprint the original artwork that went into your favorite comic books of days past at full size and in full color (well, sort of.)

What that means is that the original art boards by the artists have all been scanned in full color. While obviously 99% of it is still in black and white (these are inked pages but not colored), you do get to see things like blue-line pencils, coffee stains, and more in color. It’s the next closest thing to holding the original artwork, especially at the 11×17 size.

Jim Aparo is a legend in the comic book industry, and his unparalleled Batman run remains one of the seminal and defining eras of Batman’s long history. While this book doesn’t focus solely on Batman, there’s no denying the mastery of Aparo’s artwork. This nearly-200 page tome gives us a mix of complete stories from The Spectre and The Brave and the Bold (two of Aparo’s signature titles) but also bonus pages and covers from other works. As a big Aparo fan, I have to say that the artwork in this book is INCREDIBLE. I love seeing every pencil and ink stroke and all the details and nuances of his art. Every time I see Jim Aparo’s take on a superhero, it still blows me away.

Holding this giant tome in my hand, I was really struck by the artistry Aparo brough to even seemingly routine stories, such as The Spectre outings, which were surely much lower profile than the Batman stories. The cover gallery is also another huge bonus, allowing us to see Aparo’s takes on some other characters outside of Batman and The Spectre. What an amazing book!

The Specs:

Publisher: Image Comics/Skybound
Format: Hardcover
Page Count: 214 pages
Cover Price: $150.00

Snowlands: Book 1 – A Blood Moon (Graphic Novel)

Official Synopsis:

In the heart of the Snowlands, prey and predator alike mysteriously disappear as three outcasts join forces for the adventure of a lifetime in the first book of the heart-stopping Snowlands series — perfect for fans of Wings of Fire and Warriors!

Feba, an orphaned wolf cub, is believed to be cursed. Her rare white fur is said to be a bad omen. When a mysterious creature starts killing members of Feba’s pack one by one, all eyes fall on her. She has no choice but to run away, forced to roam the perilous Snowlands all on her own. Until she meets Usha, a fiercely independent leopard, and Batu, a bumbling wildcat, each with their own secrets and reasons for wandering the Snowlands. Together, they form an unlikely trio, bound by fate. As these uneasy allies cross the frosty wilderness, they’ll uncover a widespread danger in the mountains that threatens to destroy everything.

Get ready for the adventure of a lifetime in A Blood Moon, the epic first book in the Snowlands series!

The Book:

I’m a big fan of middle-readers-aged graphic novels. I love that they’re fast-paced and easy to read, but also complex and involved enough to engage adults because they’re not written for little kids. Now, some are obviously better than others, but writer/artist Morr Meroz has really hit on something enjoyable with Snowlands: Book 1 – A Blood Moon.

The story focuses on animal protagonists; Feba, a rare, white-furred wolf has been banished by her pack for being a bad portent. On her own in the Snowlands, she makes friends with a few other outcasts and together they have to take on an evil that threatens the whole land. It’s not a plot we’ve never seen before, but it is a classic hero’s journey, and who doesn’t love those? Plus, Merroz has both a fluidity to his writing and a beautiful art style that blend together seamlessly to make Snowlands a world you can easily find yourself wrapped up in.

If there’s one (very minor) flaw with the book, it’s that sometimes the wolf characters can look a little similar and that can get a touch confusing at times, but it’s really mostly only an issue in the first third of the book. Plus, I’m sure most of the kids reading this will have no trouble at all telling the characters apart and the problem is that I’m just an Old.

Snowlands is a great, fun, and exciting first book in a new adventure series that I think will be a terrific read for people of any age. Check it out!

The Specs: