What’s New in Home Video & Pop Culture – June 16, 2026 – Scream 7, Hamilton, Day of the Dead, Star Trek, & More!

By Mike Spring

 on June 16, 2026

What’s New in Home Video & Pop Culture – June 16, 2026

This is a geek-friendly week, which is my favorite! We’ve got two major horror franchise offerings, an anime release, two great Star Trek books, and more! Dig in!

In This Week’s Column:

• Scream 7 (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital)
• Hamilton (Blu-ray)
• Day of the Dead (4K ultra HD + Blu-ray Box Set)
• Perfect Blue (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray Steelbook)
• The Art of Star Trek & Defiant (Book/Graphic Novel)
• Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Mirror War – IDW Classic Collections (Graphic Novel)
• The Jekyll Island Chronicles (Graphic Novel)

Scream 7 (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital)

Official Synopsis:

Ghostface returns with a vengeance – and this time it’s personal. Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) has built a new life in a quiet town with her family, but her worst fears become reality when her daughter (Isabel May) becomes his next target.

The Movie: 

I don’t want to damn Scream 7 with faint praise, so let me be clear right off the bat by saying that I liked Scream 7. In fact, I liked it a lot. I’m one of the biggest Scream fans around, it’s one of my two favorite horror franchises (along with Halloween), and I genuinely like every movie in the franchise, including this one. I just didn’t quite love it, and I wish I did.

Now, it’s hard to review a Scream movie without spoilers, but I promise I won’t spoil anything for you. The movie suffers from two fatal flaws that took it from great to just pretty darn good. Number one is simply the ending – and again, no spoilers. But ultimately, the motivation for Ghostface seemed really weak. In previous films, even when they were a bit of a credibility stretch, the reasons Ghostface was stalking who they were made sense and were sometimes genuinely creative. This one felt like they had run out of ideas. 

Which is surprising, because this is the first entry in the series that was directed by Kevin Williamson, who created the franchise and wrote Scream, Scream 2, and Scream 4 (and now this one). Which brings me to my second issue with the film, which is that the humor and meta references felt way dialed back. Dissecting horror movies has always been part of what made the franchise so fun, and this entry was the first time it kind of felt a little like just another slasher film. The exception to that is the traditional pre-credits sequence, which is terrific. Not only is it a heck of a lot of fun but it feels like the most Scream-esque sequence of the movie.

One last minor complaint, and admittedly this is more of a personal preference. There were a few kills in which the gore felt more amped up than it needed to be, but also more amped up than we usually see in a Scream film. It just felt a little unnecessary at times. That’s a lesser issue, but it still bugged me a little. 

Still, despite those comments, overall I really enjoyed the film. There’s a lot of suspenseful sequences, the cast is great, the kills are inventive, and it’s a lot of fun overall. If it could have just stuck the landing with a stronger ending, it would have been outstanding. As it is, it’s a good watch and a pretty solid flick for being the seventh entry in a franchise, which is no easy feat to pull off. 

The 4K Video/Audio:

Scream 7, not surprisingly, looks and sounds terrific in 4K Ultra HD. Image clarity is as sharp as Ghostface’s knife and the print is impeccably clean, as you would expect. Colors are deep and vibrant, which really shine in the fire scene that the trailers hint at. Shadow delineation is also strong, and as a good portion of the movie takes place at night, it’s nice that no action is obscured in the dark. The surround soundtrack isn’t dealing with spaceships and monsters, but it’s no less active than you’d find in a big-budget blockbuster. Surrounds are constantly active in creating an ambience, while the low end has some nice chair-rattling qualities to it. Dialogue is crisp and the music is driving, so it’s a win all around. 

The Bonus Features: 

• Scar Tissue: The Making of Scream 7 
• Building Tension: Production Design 
• Dance of Death: Stunts 
• Ice Nine Kills w/McKenna Grace “Twisting the Knife” Music Video
• Deleted Scenes

Digital Copy Included: Yes

Hamilton (Blu-ray)

Official Synopsis:

An unforgettable cinematic stage performance, the filmed version of the original Broadway production of Hamilton combines the best elements of live theater, film and streaming to bring the cultural phenomenon to homes around the world for a thrilling, once-in-a-lifetime experience. “Hamilton” is the story of America then, told by America now. Featuring a score that blends hip-hop, jazz, R&B and Broadway, “Hamilton” has taken the story of American founding father Alexander Hamilton and created a revolutionary moment in theatre—a musical that has had a profound impact on culture, politics, and education. Filmed at The Richard Rodgers Theatre on Broadway in June of 2016, the film transports its audience into the world of the Broadway show in a uniquely intimate way. 

The Movie: 

This week sees the release of Hamilton on 4K Ultra HD as a nifty collector’s edition filled with all kinds of cool little physical goodies. I can’t tell you what those goodies are, unfortunately, as I only received the Blu-ray for review, which is a much more standard release. 

Hamilton is a Broadway play, for those of you who haven’t heard of it. I’m kidding, of course – if you haven’t heard of Hamilton, you should probably get out more. Calling Hamilton ‘a Broadway play’ is like calling Star Wars a movie that people ‘kind of like.’ It’s well past just being a Broadway show at this point and is instead a full-fledged pop culture phenomenon. I’m not personally as enamored with Hamilton as many people are, although I certainly enjoy it a good amount. 

Now, while nothing can compare to seeing the show live, the fact is that not everybody can make it to Broadway or a touring company version to see the show, so now Disney has made the filmed version of the show available on home video for people to watch over and over again. Even better, it’s the original cast, which means you get to see Lin-Manuel Miranda and all of the other show originators in all their glory. I don’t know why the Blu-ray edition couldn’t have also been a full-fledged collector’s edition, so I’d recommend the 4K edition if you have a player, but either way, this is a great way to dive into a show that’s considered a national treasure. 

The Bonus Features: 

• Spark Into a Flame featurette
• Reuniting the Revolution featurette
• Sing Along Version of Hamilton

Digital Copy Included: No

Day of the Dead (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray Box Set)

Official Synopsis:

Directed by George A. Romero, Day of the Dead follows a small group of scientists and soldiers who have taken refuge in an underground missile silo where they struggle to control the flesh-eating horror that walks the earth above. 

The Movie: 

Whenever Shout Factory’s Scream Factory imprint puts out a new release, I get excited. Because it means I’m either going to discover a new cult classic that I’ve never seen before, or I’m about to get a great new edition of a well-loved horror classic. In this case, Day of the Dead is the latter, a film I’ve seen before but haven’t rewatched in several years. 

While it’s not my favorite Romero zombie film (that honor goes to Dawn of the Dead), Day of the Dead is a classic of the genre, and a lot of fun. This time around, zombies have pretty much taken over the planet, and we see a small group of scientists, soldiers, and survivors in an underground bunker in Florida. With the scientists experimenting on the undead, tensions at an all-time high, and military officers on a power trip, it’s only a matter of time before things go wrong. And, of course, they do. 

Day of the Dead has always felt a little bit like the red-headed stepchild of Romero’s original trilogy in terms of DVD/Blu-ray releases – compare the number of releases for Day to that of Night and Dawn — so Scream Factory has done a great job here of giving it some love. This four-disc box set comes with killer new cover artwork, tons of great special features, and a collection of a dozen photo cards. Day of the Dead is still a great zombie film, and this edition absolutely gives it the respect it deserves.

The 4K Video/Audio:

As with most George Romero movies, Day of the Dead wasn’t a big-budget affair, so the film isn’t going to look like a brand-new movie, but I was quite impressed by the A/V work here. Image clarity is quite nice and there are some very fine details on close-up shots. Color saturation is occasionally a little on the darker side, but the more natural shots look extremely bright and vivid. The print is clear with hardly a blemish or speck of dirt to be found. The surround soundtrack also offers up an impressive amount of directionality and panning effects, creating a much more immersive soundfield than I was expecting. All in all, it’s an outstanding effort for a low-budget affair that’s over 40 years old.

The Bonus Features: 

• Audio Commentary with Author Daniel Kraus and Film Critic Drew McWeeny
• Audio Commentary with Writer/Director George A. Romero, Special Make-Up Effects Artist Tom Savini, Production Designer Cletus Anderson, and Actress Lori Cardille
• World’s End: The Legacy of Day of the Dead – A Feature Length Documentary About the Making of Day of the Dead
• Interview with Actor Lori Cardille
• Interview with Actor and Assistant to Tom Savini Greg Nicotero
• Interview with Composer and First Assistant Director John Harrison
• Interview with Founder of the George A. Romero Foundation Suzanne Romero
• Interview with Actor John Amplas
• Interview with 2nd Unit Cameraman Ernest Dickerson
• Interview with Filmmaker Tina Romero
• Monster Mania: Restoring Day of the Dead
• Stink of the Dead: Featurette
• Underground: A Look Into the Day of the Dead Mines
• Behind-the-Scenes Footage from Special Make-Up Effects Creator Tom Savini’s Archives
• Wampum Mine Promotional Video
• Photo Gallery
• Theatrical Trailers
• TV Spots
• 12 Photo Postcards

Digital Copy Included: No

Perfect Blue (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray Steelbook)

Official Synopsis:

“Excuse me, who are you?” Rising pop star Mima has quit singing to pursue a career as an actress and model, but her fans aren’t ready to see her go. Encouraged by her managers, Mima takes on a recurring role on a popular TV show, when suddenly her handlers and collaborators begin turning up murdered. Harboring feelings of guilt and haunted by visions of her former self, Mima’s reality and fantasy meld into a frenzied paranoia. As her stalker closes in, in person and online, the threat he poses is more real than even Mima knows.?

The debut film from legendary director Satoshi Kon (Paprika) has frequently been hailed as one of the most important animated films of all time—an intense psychological thriller for the social media era.

The Movie: 

This new 4K edition of Perfect Blue feels like it’s a year early; after all, 2027 marks the 25^th anniversary of the release of the seminal anime film. It seems like that would have been a natural time to drop a gorgeous Steelbook 4K UHD/Blu-ray hybrid. (Eh, who am I kidding, there’s probably one of those coming next year on top of this release!) 

While Perfect Blue may not be a household name, in the world of Asian cinema and anime, it’s a highly acclaimed film. I think part of that comes from the fact that it’s not the usual anime genre film that adds some combination of robots, imaginary creatures, monsters, children, witches, and so on. No, this is the story of a pop star-turned-actress who may for may not be being stalked by a killer, and who also may or may not be suffering some sort of mental breakdown. This is deep, heady stuff, and the fact that it’s told through an anime lens makes it unique and memorable. 

Perfect Blue is a visceral work, with several quite R-rated scenes, and while I wouldn’t say it’s a pleasant viewing experience per se, there’s no denying that it’s a powerful film. Now, fans of the film can own it in 4K Ultra HD for – I believe – the first time, all encapsulated in a cool-looking new Steelbook case. 

The 4K Video/Audio:

Perfect Blue looks and sounds quite good in 4K, as an animated movie should. Blacks are deep and solid and image clarity is sharp, while colors are vibrant (although occasionally leaning a tad to the lighter side of things for my tastes. I suspect that was the look the filmmakers were going for, however, rather than a fault with the transfer.) The surround soundtrack also bolsters the presentation, with a generous spreading out of surround effects through each satellite speaker. Dialogue is the focus here, and all of the voices sound crystal clear but also natural and lifelike. Music is full and powerful, and the low end bass channel gives a nice underlying rumble when needed. It’s a very strong A/V presentation overall.

The Bonus Features: 

• Promotional Video Edited by Satoshi Kon
• Rex Logo Trailer
• Madhouse Logo Trailer
• GKIDS Trailer
• Shudder Trailer
• Angel of Your Heart Recording Session
• Angel of Your Heart English Version
• Interview with Satoshi Kon
• Interview with Junko Iwao
• Interview with Ruby Marlow
• Interview with Wendy Lee
• Interview with Bob Marks
• 3 Satoshi Kon Lectures
• Original Definition Feature
• Theatrical Trailers & TV Spots

Digital Copy Included: No

The Art of Star Trek & Defiant (Book/Graphic Novel)

Official Synopsis:

You’ve read the series, now revel in the art that brought to life the critically acclaimed and award-winning Star Trek and Defiant comic series! Star Trek and Defiant have woven a story consisting of 65 issues’ worth of comics into one interconnected epic. This art book gives you an in-depth look into what made it all possible, focusing on cover art, concept art, and final interior art. Also included are interviews with a select number of artists talking about their process and what makes Star Trek special for them.

Artists include Ramon Rosanas, Francesco Francavilla, Declan Shalvey, Rachael Stott, Malachi Ward, JK Woodward, Liana Kangas, Ángel Unzueta, Angel Hernandez, Marcus To, Megan Levens, and more. In total, over 65 artists are highlighted for their contributions to the series!

The Book: 

Now THIS is how you do an art book!

For the past few years, IDW has been publishing two concurrent Star Trek comic books in a new, ongoing continuity (that takes place after the events of all of the TV series), Star Trek and Star Trek: Defiant. This gorgeous new oversized artbook is a celebration of those two series, and boy is it spectacular. 

First off, it’s split up into two main sections, Covers and Interior Artwork. The Covers section is filled with some of the most gorgeous Star Trek artwork you’ve ever seen. Not just main covers, but every variant cover you can imagine, letting you fill in all those gaps you might have in your collection. On top of that, there are spotlights on different artists who did themed covers, presented alongside commentary from the artists themselves. There are also full interviews with the writers of the comics as well as some of the artists who have contributed the most. 

Then we move into the Interior Art section, but this isn’t just a reprinting of pages from the books. First of all, they’re presented without lettering, so you can see the art in all its glory. But we also get to see all the various stages of the artwork: layouts, pencils, inks, and full colors. It’s not only visually spectacular, it’s like an art class in a book. Again, there are interviews and commentary along the way. 

The book’s layout is outstanding as well. I’ve seen so many of these kinds of art books where there’s a cover shown and it takes up, like, two-thirds of the page. Fill! Up! The! Page! This book never falls into that trap, using every bit of space it can to make sure the artwork is as big as possible. It also strikes the right balance of text and artwork. Some artbooks can feel  like you’re reading a textbook, while others, you would kill for just a little explanation of what you’re looking at. This one is perfectly balanced in the middle. The Art of Star Trek & Defiant is simply an outstanding effort in every way, and a must-have for Star Trek fans, whether you read the comics or not. 

The Specs: 

• Publisher: IDW Publishing
• Format: Hardcover
• Page Count: 216 pages
• Cover Price: $39.99

Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Mirror War – IDW Classic Collections (Graphic Novel)

Official Synopsis:

Explore the fan-favorite Mirror Universe of The Next Generation in this epic struggle showcasing Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the I.S.S. Enterprise-D in a convenient-to-read pocket-sized (6 x 9) edition!

There is the reality you know. And on another dimensional plane, there exists a dark, twisted reflection of that universe. So familiar, and yet so different. An Empire in place of a Federation, where profit and power take precedence over peace and exploration.

As the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance rules — having overrun the Empire, destroying its fleet and driving it back to Earth—rumors and propaganda spread throughout the Alpha Quadrant about the Empire’s final demise. Those rumors are, however, untrue. A handful of Imperial ships remain, intent on protecting Earth and what’s left of the Empire. And commanding the newest and most powerful of those ships is a man equally intent on seeing it rise again — Captain Jean-Luc Picard. Plus, expand upon the world of The Mirror War in four short stories focusing on some of your favorite characters: Data, Geordi La Forge, Benjamin Sisko, and Deanna Troi!

Collects Star Trek: The Mirror War issues #0–8 and Star Trek: Warriors of the Mirror War issues #1–4 together in one volume for the first time! By Scott Tipton, David Tipton, Gavin Smith, Carlos Nieto, Celeste Bronfman, Roberta Ingranata, J. Holtham, Carlos Rodriguez, Danny Lore, Hendry Prasetya, Marieke Nijkamp, and Megan Levens.

The Book: 

In the Star Trek universe, one of the most well-known and well-loved storylines is that of the Mirror Universe. First introduced in the classic Trek episode “Mirror, Mirror,” the universe was revisited numerous times in Deep Space Nine, and then brought back as a major plot point in Star Trek: Discovery. 

Star Trek: Mirror War, brings together all of the major Next Gen-era series and sets the story entirely in the Mirror Universe. The story sees Captain Picard leading a rebellion against the Klingons and Cardassians, who have teamed up to defeat the Terran (Earth) Empire. It’s a dark, twisty, complex story that has no shortage of action. It’s also a lot of fun to just see the mirror counterparts in the lead; in all of the TV shows, we always viewed the Mirror Universe through the characters from our universe who were interacting with it. This story is just set completely in the Mirror Universe. 

This compact edition Mirror War trade paperback collects all nine issues of Mirror War, and as a special bonus, it also includes all four issues of Star Trek: Warriors of the Mirror War, one-shots that focused on Data, Troi, Sisko, and La Forge. This book marks the first time the Mirror War and Warriors of the Mirror War have been collected in the same volume. And all for just $13.99! Amazing!

The Specs: 

• Publisher: IDW Publishing
• Format: Softcover
• Page Count: 312 pages
• Cover Price: $13.99

The Jekyll Island Chronicles (Graphic Novel)

Official Synopsis:

In the shadow of World War I, a thrilling new world rises—a gilded world of miraculous technology, frightening threats, and brave new heroes. Discover this award-winning alternate-history graphic novel trilogy, now collected in a single volume! The early 20th century is a time of great societal upheaval, technological advancement, and intense political struggle. Some of the most brilliant and horrible minds of the age—wealthy industrialists, amazing inventors, and violent anarchists—collide to create a war between the wars. This is the backdrop for the award-winning alternate-history saga known as The Jekyll Island Chronicles.

At the turn of the century, one-sixth of the world’s wealth vacationed in and around the tiny Georgia island of Jekyll. Captains of industry like Rockefeller, Vanderbilt, Morgan, and Carnegie all called the Jekyll area home. The Jekyll Island Chronicles uses this place of grandeur and elegance as a pivotal location in the struggle to preserve the peace fostered by the end of the Great War. But an international cabal of anarchists, known internationally as Zeno and led by the infamous Luigi Galleani, seeks to disrupt the new order. Working across the globe, Zeno uses startlingly advanced technologies to seed unrest, taking lives in an effort to force the world back into another bloody conflict. Supported by the wealth of Jekyll and the most innovative minds of the early 1900s, a newly formed band of heroes—all wounded veterans of the Great War—stand against the forces of chaos. As rivals race to unlock the secret of Nikola Tesla’s death ray, cities burn, electricity crackles, and the fate of the world hangs in the balance.

Blending bizarre and often forgotten historical fact with heavy doses of alternate history and adventure, The Jekyll Island Chronicles is a captivating graphic novel trilogy for young and old. As classic comic book action comes to life with retro high-tech imagination and the aesthetics of the art deco era, the series vividly captures the period following World War I, injecting real villains, historic characters, original heroes, and exotic locales into an unforgettable narrative. This massive volume collects the entire epic struggle, taking the reader all across the globe and presenting a cavalcade of historic characters, real villains, and original heroes who fight to preserve the peace—from eye-popping beginning to jaw-dropping end.

Collecting The Jekyll Island Chronicles, Book 1: A Machine Age War, Book 2: A Devil’s Reach, and Book 3: A Last Call.

The Book: 

There’s nothing I hate more than when I really, really want to love a book, and then find myself underwhelmed by it. But unfortunately, that was the case for The Jekyll Island Chronicles. 

Here’s the thing: the books have been hugely successful. Originally a trio of graphic novels funded on Kickstarter by writers Steve Nedvidek, Ed Crowell, and Jack Lowe, The Jekyll Island Chronicles have sold a ton of copies and gotten lots of press and critical praise. A blend of alternate historical fiction and Steampunk, the story focuses on a collective of geniuses and millionaires who form a trust devoted to protecting the world’s societies from an evil cabal led by Zeno and Galleani, anarchists in pursuit of a powerful weapon in the aftermath of World War I. 

And here’s the thing: the book is populated by real people such as Nelson Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, and Cornelius Vanderbilt, who all actually did vacation and socialize on Jekyll Island, near Georgia in the southern United States. And it’s kind of cool to see this alternate history unfold in which bold technological inventions come into existence that never truly existed. But here’s the thing, I found the story really hard to follow for a good chunk of the book. It felt a lot to me like if you didn’t already know who Vanderbilt and Rockefeller and Henry Ford and Nikola Tesla and so on were and what they did, you were behind the eight ball. Now, I know who these people are and I know the broad strokes of what they did, but right from the start, I felt like there were missing pieces of information. 

That said, the series is ambitious throughout and fascinating at times, and you can see the artwork get better as the books progress. The story also gets more exciting as it goes, and with over 500 pages of story, it’s a heck of a chunky tome that will keep you reading for quite some time. I think this is the kind of book that will appeal to history buffs and alternate history readers. I suspect those people will have no trouble following what was going on. Perhaps because I’m not steeped in those worlds, it was a little harder for me, and so I wish I had enjoyed the story from start to finish as much as I wanted to. 

The Specs: 

• Publisher: Top Shelf Productions
• Format: Softcover
• Page Count: 548 pages
• Cover Price: $39.99