Mike Spring
Recap
Review
What’s New in Home Video & Pop Culture – May 27th, 2025
This week we the usual interesting mix of titles, with new movies, catalog titles, steelbooks, and a few graphic novels thrown in for good measure. You would be hard pressed not to find something that strikes your fancy this week. Read on for full details!
In This Week’s Column:
- The Alto Knights (Blu-ray + Digital)
- Scent of a Woman (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray)
- Starman 4K Steelbook (4K Ultra HD + Digital Steelbook)
- The Colors Within (Blu-ray Steelbook)
- The Prosecutor (Blu-ray)
- Dr. Who & The Daleks and Daleks: Invasion Earth 2150 AD (Blu-ray)
- Brothers After War (DVD)
- Murder Kingdom (Graphic Novel)
- Revolution 9 (Graphic Novel)
- Love Languages James Alton (Graphic Novel)
The Alto Knights (Blu-ray + Digital)
The Movie:
Just a couple of weeks ago, I reviewed Better Man, a biopic in which British pop star Robbie Williams was portrayed as a monkey throughout the entire film, and I summed my review up with, “I just don’t get it.” And as much as I hate to plagiarize myself — especially after just a couple of weeks — here we are again.
In The Alto Knights, directed by the great Barry Levinson, we are told the story of mobsters Frank Costello and Vito Genovese, who are in sort of a cold war with each other. They’re both part of the same organization, but Vito wants power and Frank doesn’t think he should have it. It’s based on a true story, and apparently the events in the film led the U.S. government to realize the mafia was a nationwide organization.
But here’s the thing: Robert De Niro plays both Frank Costello and Vito Genovese. Yep, he’s in the lead dual roles. And… there’s literally no reason for it. They’re not brothers. They’re not cousins. They’re not related. They’re two completely different people. Why on earth would you go through all the logistical difficulties — the make-up, the digital effects, the body doubles — to have De Niro play two different characters when there is ABSOLUTELY NO REASON HE SHOULD BE PLAYING THEM BOTH?!? In fact, in the few flashback scenes where we see young Frank and Vito, they’re played by two different actors in those. What was the point?
I just don’t get it.
Ultimately, the movie is solidly okay. It’ s a slow burn, and the dual De Niro performances doesn’t add anything to the film. I didn’t dislike it, but I was never all that invested in it either. It’s kind of a typical “aging-mobsters” movie, just without any action.
The Bonus Features:
Sadly, there are no extra features on the disc. Not even a single featurette about how the dual De Niro performance was achieved. I don’t get that either.
Digital Copy Included: Yes
The Wrap-Up:
I was pretty interested in seeing The Alto Knights, so I’m disappointed that at the end of the day it’s a pretty mediocre film. There’s a lot of talent involved and I will say that it’s a very well-acted film, but it is rather forgettable overall.
Scent of a Woman (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray)
The Movie:
Pop quiz: which movie did Al Pacino win his lone Best Actor Oscar for? It had to be The Godfather or The Godfather Part II, right? Or maybe it was Dog Day Afternoon? Serpico? Glengarry Glen Ross? And Justice for All? It wasn’t Jack and Jill, was it?
Nope, it wasn’t any of those iconic performances. Instead, it was for this, 1992’s Scent of a Woman, which makes its 4K Ultra HD debut this week courtesy of Shout Factory. And while it is surprising that this movie is the one that Pacino won his sole Oscar for, it’s not like it was undeserved. He’s absolutely magnificent in the role.
The film is a drama (with a good touch of comedy in it) about a college student named Charlie Simms (Chris O’Donnell) at a prestigious university who wants to earn some money over the holiday break, so he agrees to be the aide for a retired Army Lieutenant Colonel named Frank Slade (Pacino). The problem is that Frank is a real sonofabitch, bitter and angry at the world over being blinded, alcoholic, lecherous, and possibly suicidal. Over the long holiday weekend, Charlie has to survive the Wrath of Frank and maybe, just maybe, have an impact on the man in return.
I actually really like Scent of a Woman. It’s not a Friday-night-popcorn-and-candy movie, but it’s a really well-made and well-acted movie for when you want something with a little more weight to it.
The 4K Video/Audio:
Scent of a Woman was not a big-budget blockbuster to begin with, but the 4K Ultra HD presentation offers up a nice audiovisual upgrade. Image clarity is nice and sharp and the print is free of any blemishes or artifacts, and that’s what you would hope for. The color saturation is solid, with some moments where some real vibrancy shines through, and the film has a nice, warm tone to it that gives it a lot of life. The surround soundtrack focuses mostly on music and dialogue, both of which sound great, and the surround soundtrack creates a nice atmosphere without being overly active.
The Bonus Features:
- One Last Tour of the Battlefield: Directing Scent of a Woman—A Retrospective Interview with Director Martin Brest
- Just Tango On: Editing Scent of a Woman—Interview With Co-editor Michael Tronick
Digital Copy Included: No
The Wrap-Up:
Scent of a Woman may not be the most heavily in-rotation movie on streaming services and network television these days, but it’s an excellent movie with a truly outstanding performance by one of our greatest actors. This one is worth adding to your collection!
Starman (4K Ultra HD + Digital Steelbook)
The Movie:
Starman has always stood out as something of an anomaly among John Carpenter’s films. Known mostly for horror and action films like Halloween, The Thing, and Escape From New York, Carpenter took a left turn in the mid-1980s with this romantic sci-fi road trip comedy thriller. And while that’s a lot of genres mashed into one film, that’s part of what I love about it.
Jeff Bridges is outstanding as an alien who takes on the form of Karen Allen’s late husband, and the film works as both an E.T.-like tale of an alien being hunted and a romance between a man and a woman from (quite literally) different worlds. While the film has been released on home video before, this new 4K Ultra HD Steelbook from Sony is a must-have for fans of the film, as previously the only way to get it on 4K was as part of the Columbia Classics Volume 4 box set (which is an excellent set but is also a tad on the pricey side.) The Steelbook features striking artwork from one of the most memorable scenes in the movie, and all of the original extra features have been ported over from previous releases.
I’m a huge Starman fan and have been since the film came out, and in fact, it made the curt for inclusion in my new book, I Want My Two Dollars: 20 Cult Classics From the 1980s. You can check it out here: tinyurl.com/80scultclassics
The 4K Video/Audio:
Starman has been restored and remastered in Ultra HD, and despite the age of the film, it has been wonderfully revitalized in the premium format. The film sparkles with bright new colors and improved clarity, looking sharp and clear with no blemishes on the print at all. The soundtrack also does a great job overcoming the age of the film, and between dialogue, music and surround effects, I didn’t hear anything that sounded less than terrific. Technically speaking, you can’t beat the job the studio has done with the transfer of a movie from the 1980s that didn’t have a huge budget to begin with.
The Bonus Features:
- Audio Commentary with director John Carpenter and actor Jeff Bridges
- Deleted Scenes
- Behind-the-Scenes Time Lapses
- They Came from Hollywood: Revisiting Starman: A retrospective featurette with cast and crew
- Making-of Featurette: A classic EPK-style featurette
- Music Video: The “All I Have to Do Is Dream” music video.
- Still Gallery
- Theatrical Trailer
Digital Copy Included: Yes
The Wrap-Up:
Starman is a magical film from one of my favorite directors, and I’m thrilled to see it receiving so much love on home video. Whether you’re already a fan or you’ve never seen the movie before, this is a must-have for any cinema-lover.
The Prosecutor (Blu-ray)
The Movie:
Donnie Yen is an international superstar. In the U.S., he’s probably less known than most international superstars, but in the Asian World he’s akin to a Liam Neeson or a Brad Pitt. I’ve always had a bit of a mixed reaction to Yen’s films; sometimes I love them and sometimes I don’t, and usually that depends on how accessible I find him to be in the movie. Yen can be a bit steely and a bit… stand-offish in some of his movies, and sometimes that effects how much I enjoy them.
But I absolutely loved The Prosecutor. In it, Yen plays a former police officer who retires when he’s injured on the job and goes to law school to become a prosecutor. On his very first case as a prosecutor, however, he smells something fishy, and he has to work to unravel the truth and clear an innocent man’s name all while trying to live up to the ideals of being a prosecutor and not a public defender. Of course, in doing so, he also ends up taking on mountains of bad guys with his fists and feet, and the movie deftly blends all-out action and trail drama, and the end result is a truly enjoyable movie that will scratch multiple itches.
The Bonus Features:
- Trailer
Digital Copy Included: No
The Wrap-Up:
I don’t generally advocate for English-language remakes of Asian films, but I could see The Prosecutor being remade with a bag-name Hollywood star and it being a massive hit. Why not check out the excellent source material before that happens?
Dr. Who & The Daleks and Daleks: Invasion Earth 2150 AD (Blu-ray)
The Movies:
I’m not a die-hard Doctor Who fan, but I’m no casual rube, either. I’ve watched my fair share of the Doctor’s adventures, I know who Russell T. Davies is, I can tell you who most of the companions are, I know what a TARDIS is… I know the Doctor Who universe more than I don’t. Again, I won’t claim to be an expert, but I can tell you who played all the doctors, and in order, so I know a thing or two.
So how exactly has it escaped my knowledge completely that there were two Doctor Who movies made in 1965 and 1966 that featured Peter Cushing (Grand Moff Tarkin from Star Wars himself!) as The Doctor? I mean, I had never even heard of these before Severin Films’ new Blu-ray releases of both movies. (They are also both available in North America only as 4K UHD releases through Severin’s website, but I only received the Blu-rays for review.) I don’t know is the answer, but they did. So diving into these was a completely new adventure for me.
The first film sees The Doctor and his companions traveling to a distant planet where the Daleks are at war with a race called the Thais, and the human travelers are infected by radiation poisoning and need the Thals’ antidote to survive. In the second (and superior) movie, the Doctor and his companions travel to Earth’s future in the year 2150 and discover that the Daleks have taken over the planet. Both films are campy fun, but the first movie seems to have more of the camp while the second one has more of the fun.
Of course, these are Severin releases, so they have provided some serious bang for your buck. Both films come loaded with hours of extra features (detailed below) and featured restored picture quality that is way better than it has any right to be.
The Bonus Features:
Dr. Who & The Daleks –
- Audio Commentary With Whovians Barry Forshaw, Stephen Jones And Kim Newman
- Audio Commentary With Stars Jennie Linden And Roberta Tovey, Moderated By Journalist Jonathan Sothcott
- Audio Commentary With Critic Kim Newman, Screenwriter/Writer Robert Shearman And Actor/Writer Mark Gatiss
- 1992 Audio Interview With Director Gordon Flemyng By Author/Journalist Tony Earnshaw
- Subotsky And The Daleks: Part 1 – Interview With Producer Milton Subotsky
- Kara And The Daleks – Interview With Doctor Who Expert Kara Dennison
- DALEKMANIA – 1995 Documentary (60 mins)
- Interview With Gareth Owen, Author Of The Shepperton Story
- The Dalek Legacy: Destination Skaro – With Nicholas Briggs (Voice Of The Daleks), Screenwriter Robert Shearman, Visual Effects Designer Mike Tucker (Doctor Who), Editorial Assistant Emily Cook (Doctor Who Magazine) And Writer/3D Artist Gavin Rymill (Doctor Who Magazine)
- Trailer
- Still Gallery
Daleks: Invasion Earth –
- Audio Commentary With Whovians Barry Forshaw, Stephen Jones And Kim Newman
- Audio Commentary With Critic Kim Newman, Screenwriter/Writer Robert Shearman And Actor/Writer Mark Gatiss
- Daleks’ Invasion BBC, 1963 To 1969 A.D. – Interview With Doctor Who Expert Stephen Thrower
- Subotsky And The Daleks: Part 2 – Interview With Producer Milton Subotsky
- Interview With Actor Bernard Cribbins
- Interview With Gareth Owen, Author Of The Shepperton Story
- The Dalek Legacy: Invasion Earth – With Nicholas Briggs (Voice Of The Daleks), Screenwriter Robert Shearman, Visual Effects Designer Mike Tucker (Doctor Who), Editorial Assistant Emily Cook (Doctor Who Magazine) And Writer/3D Artist Gavin Rymill (Doctor Who Magazine)
- Restoring Dr. Who In 4K – With Restoration Expert Anthony Badger, Film Prep And Scanning Expert Ray King And Colorist Steve Bearman
- Trailer
- Still Gallery
Digital Copy Included: No
The Wrap-Up:
Both of these films will be a welcome addition to a Doctor Who fan’s collection, especially when you consider there are more than 10 hours of bonus features between the two releases. They’re not the greatest films ever, of course, but they are fun slices of sci-fi/Doc Who history.
The Colors Within (Blu-ray Steelbook)
The Movie:
If you’ve read my reviews regularly for a while, you’ll know that I’m not the biggest anime fan in the world. I don’t dislike it per se, but there are a lot of anime movies and shows which don’t always do that much for me, usually because they’re too weird or because they were made by Studio Ghibli. (I know, I know. Blasphemy!)… Occasionally, though I do really enjoy some anime.
The Colors Within fell somewhere in the middle for me. The film is a gentle coming-of-age story with a touch of fantasy to it. Teenage Totsuko can see colors that represent people’s emotions or, more like, their general state of being. Her friend Kimi radiates the most beautiful color in the world, and in order to get closer to her, Totsuko forms a band with Kimi and a boy named Rui, who’s the “quiet one.” From there, it’s a journey of discovery of one’s self and each other, and it’s a charming little tale.
The film’s pedigree is solid; it was directed Naoko Yamada (A Silent Voice, Liz and the Blue Bird) and features music by Kensuke Ushio (Chainsaw Man, DAN DA DAN). It’s well made, and I think people will enjoy it. This week it comes to Blu-ray in a gorgeous Steelbook Blu-ray release courtesy of Shout Factory.
The Bonus Features:
- Garden of Remembrance Short Film
- Live Talk & Drawing with Naoko Yamada
- Crate Digging & Photowalk with Naoko Yamada
- Director Scene Breakdowns
- Starting a Band with Kensuke Ushio
- Color Palette Special Featurettes
Digital Copy Included: No
The Wrap-Up:
The Colors Within is one of the better anime movies I’ve seen in a while, but you have to be in the mood for something more sedate. It’s an engaging story, don’t get me wrong, but there are no robots or talking birds or princesses out anything like that. It’s just a simple tale about friendship and relationships and growing up with a hint of something magical to it. And there’s nothing wrong with that!
Brothers After War (DVD)
The Movie:
Gary Sinise gets premium mention in the press materials for Brothers After War, but in effect he’s a sideline guy, acting as a producer on the film. The man behind the movie is director Jake Rademacher, who released a film in 2009 called Brothers at War in which he embedded himself with his brother’s military unit (and follows his other active duty brother as well) during the Iraq War. Now, some 15+ years later, he’s released a new movie called Brothers After War, in which Rademacher reunites with his brothers and some of the other soldiers he was with to see what their lives are like now.
And what we see is the reality of adjusting to life after combat military service. Mental health struggles, depression, PTSD… these are all common issues that we learn about. The film sounds like it could be depressing, but it isn’t. It’s filled with serious moments, sure, but it also features moments of levity and heartfelt emotion and hope as well. It’s a moving film, and a worthwhile one.
The Bonus Features:
There are no bonus features on this DVD.
Digital Copy Included: No
The Wrap-Up:
Brothers After War is a strong documentary about a very real aspect of life for people in the military. Whether you’ve ever served or not, you’ll find it an engaging viewing experience.
Murder Kingdom (Graphic Novel)
The Book:
Writer Fred Van Lente and artist Chris Panda deliver a cracking slasher killer/parody/mystery thriller with the new Murder Kingdom Trade Paperback, which collects all five issues of the miniseries.
The story follows Tanith, a somewhat disaffected young woman who’s working at a fantasy-themed amusement park (that is DEFINITELY not Disney World) while avoiding going to college. She wants to be an escape room designer, and she gets a chance to put her puzzle solving skills to the test when a series of savage slasher-killer-styled murders starting happening around her.
I really enjoyed Murder Kingdom. Having grown up in Orlando and having had most all of my friends work at a theme park at one time or another, I can say that all the behind-the-scenes theme park scenes are spot-on. The book blends together some great comedy as well as some innovative kills along with a good, old-fashioned murder mystery that unravels very effectively. The artwork by Chris Panda is outstanding and fits the story well, and the whole thing is a great read.
The Specs:
- Publisher: Mad Cave Studios
- Format: Softcover
- Page Count: 112 pages
- Cover Price: $17.99
The Wrap Up:
I can’t recommend Murder Kingdom highly enough. If you like any of the genres listed above, you should find it a heck of a ride. I certainly did!
Revolution 9 (Graphic Novel)
The Book:
Underneath an absolutely gorgeous cover by superstar cover artist Dan Panosian — and seriously, it’s one of the best covers I’ve ever seen — lies an absolutely outstanding action-thriller of a comic book. Revolution 9 may be named after a Beatles song but it has absolutely nothing to do with The Beatles or any of their ideals at all.
In the book, which is comprised of all four issues of the original Revolution 9 miniseries, we follow Velveteen, an assassin who works for an ancient order that is out to save the world from itself, or so it seems. But Velveteen has gone rogue, sparing the life of a hacker for reasons only she knows.
I don’t want to say more because I don’t want to spoil the story, but I do want to emphasize just how much I loved Revolution 9. It plays out exactly like an action movie in comic book form, and it has an engaging story to boot. I could easily see Jessica Chastain or Ana de Armas starring in a big screen adaptation of this, as it reads just like a movie.
One thing to add, from the official Mad Cave description of the book: “Revolution 9 is the first thrilling title in Underworld, an all-new universe created by Mark London which also includes Hour of the Wolf and Exit City. Each miniseries set within can be savored as a standalone serial, while serving as a stepping stone towards Endless Night, the must-read crossover guaranteed to blow your mind in 2025!” Soooo… that sounds cool!
The Specs:
- Publisher: Mad Cave Studios
- Format: Softcover
- Page Count: 88 pages
- Cover Price: $17.99
The Wrap Up:
If you’re an action movie junkie on top of being a comic book fan, you absolutely have to track down Revolution 9. It’s a rip-roaring good time with great characters, sharp-writing, and better action than almost any comic I’ve read in the past few years.
Love Languages (Graphic Novel)
The Book:
James Albon’s Love Languages is a graphic novel, but not the kind you usually think of. It’s a romance story and a slice-of-life story that is artsy and romantic and has nothing to do with superheroes or Image-style artwork.
The story follows Sarah, an American working in Paris who is, well, lonely. One day, she randomly meets Ping, a young Chinese woman, in a marketplace. They end up starting to spend time together, but the language barrier adds a layer of complexity to things. Sarah speaks English and a little French, Ping speaks Cantonese and a little French, and they have to try and learn how to communicate while also figuring out their relationship.
Love Languages is an enjoyable and interesting read. There are times when Albon’s technique — where he mixes three languages together in the text balloons to try and capture the reality of Sarah and Ping’s exchanges — can be a bit overwhelming. Aside from that, though, it’s a great read.
The Specs:
- Publisher: Top Shelf Productions
- Format: Softcover
- Page Count: 176 pages
- Cover Price: $19.99
The Wrap Up:
Love Languages won’t be for everyone, but if you like more realistic comics that aren’t about sci-fi or super heroes, Love Languages offers up a different take on the art form.
