Mike Spring
What’s New in Home Video & Pop Culture – May 6th, 2025
While last week was a massive release week with new theatrical and catalogue titles rom several studios, this week seems to be something of a skip week for most studios, with no new theatrical releases hitting home video and a small release slate overall! Still, there are some great releases to be found, so read on for the full scoop!
In This Week’s Column:
- What Lies Beneath: 25th Anniversary Edition (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray)
- Lilo & Stitch (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital)
- Plane (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital Steelbook)
- TMNT Power Pack: Vol. 2 (Graphic Novel)
- Marley (DVD)
What Lies Beneath: 25th Anniversary Edition (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray)
The Movie:
It’s a little bit amazing in this day and age when blockbuster movies have to feature avengers or supersonic hedgehogs or animated princesses to think that a slightly creepy movie about a wife who thinks she might be haunted (or losing her mind) would gross almost $300 million worldwide, but that’s exactly what What Lies Beneath did in 2000.
Directed by the always-excellent Robert Zemeckis and starring Michelle Pfeiffer and Harrison Ford, the film sees Pfeiffer as a slightly depressed housewife married to renowned college research scientist Ford who begins to sense a ghostly presence in their lakeside residence. Honestly, to go any further than that would spoil the story, but suffice it to say the film slowly builds tension and suspense as we determine whether there really is a haunting or if she’s just depressed.
The film is a slow burn, but it’s character-driven, and the writing, directing, and acting are all on-point. You enjoy watching the mystery unfold and the tension increase as the proceedings go on, and I can’t help but think that ing the movie was made today, there would be at least one shot of an exploding helicopter and it would have been shot on a green screen set instead of on a lake.
The 4K Video/Audio:
Shout Factory’s new 4K Ultra HD release of What Lies Beneath looks and sounds very good in the premium format. The color saturation isn’t strong but not quite what I would call overly vibrant, as the film has a lot of grey tones defining the look of the picture. The predominant look and feel of the film is meant to be kind of dreary to reflect the action on screen, and that’s captured well. Image clarity is sharp, however, and the overall effect is quite strong. The surround soundtrack isn’t the most immersive ever, but it does a great job of bringing the action and dialogue into your living room. Meanwhile, the powerful bass channel ensure there’s an occasional rumble through your bones. All in all, this is a very good A/V presentation.
The Bonus Features:
While the bonus features aren’t copious in terms of the number of features you get, there is a feature-length documentary that’s like getting a second movie, and I absolutely love those!
- Audio Commentary With Director Robert Zemeckis
- NEW “You Know: Uncovering What Lies Beneath” – A retrospective documentary including brand-New Interviews with Robert Zemeckis, writers Sarah Kernochan and Clark Gregg, actor Amber Valletta, composer Alan Silvestri, and multiple crew members.
- “Constructing A Thriller” Featurette
- Trailer
Digital Copy Included: No
The Wrap-Up:
What Lies Beneath is a terrific thriller, and the added star power of Pfeiffer and Ford reminds you of a time when original stories starring big actors were still a huge box office draw. I was excited to revisit this movie after having not seen it in years and I was not disappointed.
Lilo & Stitch (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital)
The Movie:
“Ohana means family.”
What it also means is a huge box office bonanza for Disney on May 23rd when the live action Lilo & Stitch movie hits theaters. The original animated feature was a mid-sized hit for Disney back in 2002, grossing $145 million domestically and almost $300 million worldwide. Nowadays, those numbers sound great, but just a few short years after the success of Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King, Disney was still going after monster-sized grosses, and Lilo & Stitch sort of fell into pop culture purgatory.
But then a funny thing happened. The people who were kids in 2002 grew up, and Lilo & Stitch made a pop culture comeback. You may or not be aware of it, but there are a LOT of people in their twenties and thirties who feel about Lilo & Stitch the same way people a generation before them feel about The Lion King and The Little Mermaid.
Now, to get ready for the new theatrical release, Disney has re-released Lilo & Stitch on home video on a 4K Ultra HD (with accompanying Blu-ray and digital copy) edition that is sure to please fans, both adult and children.
The 4K Video/Audio:
I can say that this 4K Ultra HD edition of Lilo & Stitch is the best the film has ever looked in your living room. It looks and sounds great, as an animated movie should on 4K. Blacks are deep and solid and image clarity is sharp, while colors are vibrant and backgrounds appear more vibrant than I’ve ever seen them. 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 oomph. It’s a terrific A/V presentation overall.
The Bonus Features:
While none of the extras are particularly in-depth, you do get a nice wide range of bonus materials.
- Deleted Scenes
- Audio Commentary with writer/director Chris Sanders, co-director Dean DeBlois, and producer Clark Spencer
- Hula Lesson
- Animating the Hula
- DisneyPedia: The Islands
- A Stitch in Time mockumentary
- Two music videos (“Burning Love” and “Can’t Help Falling in Love”)
- Behind-the-music featurette
Digital Copy Included: Yes
The Wrap-Up:
Lilo & Stitch is a delightful animated movie that is great for the whole family and was a lot of fun to revisit. Grab it now to get ready for what is sure to be a blockbuster hit in theaters in a few weeks.
Plane (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital Steelbook)
The Movie:
I love action movies.
Plane and simple (See what I did there?), it is my favorite genre of film, and I’ve watched, I’m pretty sure, every single one of them at this point. SO when a good or even pretty good action film comes along, I get pretty excited. Is Plane that movie? Yes. Yes it is.
Gerard Butler and Mike Colter star in this high-octane action film that checked off every box I wanted it to. Butler plays a commercial air pilot whose passenger jet is forced to crash land on an island that is populated by modern-day pirates and gangsters. Colter plays the prisoner on board the plane who is being transported when it crashes. Together, the two of them have to help the passengers and crew survive the bad guys on the island who want to hold them for ransom.
It’s not a complicated film, but I absolutely loved it. It gets right to the action, with a little bit of a disaster film component to it before moving into more familiar Die Hard-esque territory. Butler is his usual charmingly gruff and growl-y self, but he does it so well that it instantly feels familiar and comfortable. The film zips along with action set piece after action set piece and it never slows down, yet manages to give us just enough character development to care at least a little about our main characters. Honestly, it reminds me a lot of ‘90s action thrillers, and since that’s probably my favorite era of my favorite genre of movie, I was all in on Plane.
This week, Lionsgate has re-released what is clearly a top-selling catalogue title for them on 4K Ultra HD in a sharp-looking Steelbook case that includes an acetate overlay slipcover that gives you two images, one when the slipcover is on, and a different one when its removed.
The 4K Video/Audio:
Not surprisingly, the 4K Ultra HD transfer of Plane looks very impressive. Color saturation is top-notch, while image clarity is razor sharp. The whole image has a sheen to it that gives the film a glossy look, but in a way that reflects the filmmaker’s vision. The Dolby Atmos surround soundtrack has a lot to work with and it makes the most of it, using the surround channels to fill in your living room with gunfights, punches, explosions, car chases, plane crashes, and the like. It’s constantly active, but the dialogue never gets lost in the mix, all while retaining a pounding low-end bass channel. All in all, it’s a terrific A/V presentation of a fun movie.
The Bonus Features:
- This Is Your Captain
- Plane Clothes
- Brace for Turbulence
- Theatrical Trailer
Digital Copy Included: Yes
The Wrap-Up:
If you’re looking for a movie that will change your life, you’ve come to the wrong place. But if you want a fun ride, this is it. Give Plane a watch and just have fun with it, and I think you’ll really enjoy it.
TMNT Power Pack: Vol. 2 (Graphic Novel)
The Book:
This new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles graphic novel is aimed squarely at younger readers, and it’s a great pick-up for a low price that will keep younger readers engaged and encouraged to read.
This slightly-smaller-than-regular-comic-book sized collection (that is also slightly bigger than digest-sized; I’d put it around 6” x 9”) collects four TMNT comic book adventures, all stand-alone stories and all taken from the comic books that are based on the cartoon shows, rather than the original in-universe continuity stories.
First up are two issues of the original TMNT Adventures comic (originally published by Archie back int he day) called Return of the Shredder. These are actually the first two issues of the original ongoing series, which are now quite expensive collector’s items as individual issues. Then, there’s a much more modern offering with a story set in the latest TMNT animated universe Rise of the TMNT that is filled with mutant creatures and also features April O’Neil. Finally, in an issue of TMNT Amazing Adventures, which tells stories in the original animated series style biut is created in modern day by. IDW creators, we get to witness Michelangelo creating his own comic book!
Creators in the book include Dave Garcia, Matthew Manning, Barry Grossman, Caleb Goellner, Chad Thomas, and Noah Van Sciver.
The Specs:
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Format: Softcover
Page Count: 96 pages
Cover Price: $8.99
The Wrap Up:
All of the stories in the book are a lot of fun, especially for younger readers, and each of the stories is stand-alone but also — if not quite origin stories — at least stories that don’t require a lot of foreknowledge of the TMNT. It’s a great pick-up for just nine bucks and your kids will thank you!
Marley (DVD)
The Movie:
While director Kevin MacDonald might be better known for his films like The Last King of Scotland, he’s no stranger to music documentaries, having previously made ones about Whitney Houston and Mick Jagger. But his most well-known one might be Marley, which of course focuses on the most legendary reggae musician of all time, Bob Marley.
The movie was originally released back in 2012, but now it’s been re-released as a two-disc Special Edition — although weirdly only on DVD and not Blu-ray, even though it was available on Blu-ray back in 2012. This time around, it includes a bonus disc with over two-hours of unreleased interviews with Marley relatives and loved ones including Rita Marley, Diane Jobson, Cindy Breakspear, Aunt Amy and Pearl Livingston.
As for the film itself, this documentary/biography gives us a pretty revealing look at the life, music, and legend of Bob Marley. MacDonald has access to unseen home video footage, live performances, photos galore, and he also interviews the people who were around Marley the most, giving us a pretty unfettered look into his life. It’s a powerful film that fans will both appreciate and enjoy, even if it’s sad that Marley tragically died so young.
The Bonus Features:
- 120 Minutes of never before seen interviews
- Audio Commentary with director Kevin McDonald and Ziggy Marley
- Around the World
- Extended Interview with Bunny Waller
- Children’s Memories: Additional Memories with Ziggy, Stephen, and Cedella Marley
- Listening to ‘I’m Loose’
- Trailer
- Photo Gallery
Digital Copy Included: No
The Wrap-Up:
While I’m baffled by the lack of a Blu-ray release for this special edition, the fact remains that this is a terrific documentary for both fans and non-fans alike and it’s worth tracking down for sure.
