Mike Spring
What’s New in Home Video & Pop Culture – October 28th, 2025
Wow, it’s a big week this week! Some of these came out over the past week or two, but between waiting for review copies and missing a week with COVID, this is a big catch-up column! We’ve got blockbusters galore and much more, so I won’t waste any more of your time. Dive in!
In This Week’s Column:
- Fantastic Four: First Steps (Blu-ray + Digital)
- F1: The Movie (4K Ultra HD + Digital)
- Weapons (4K Ultra HD + Digital)
- Nobody 2 (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital)
- The Smurfs (Blu-ray + Digital)
- The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (Blu-ray + Digital_
- Eddington (Blu-ray)
- Robot Chicken: The Complete Series (DVD)
- Relay (Blu-ray)
- Nosferatu: The Vampyre (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray)
- Samurai Fury (4K Ultra HD)
- The Island (Blu-ray)
- Malpertuis (Blu-ray)
- Muted: Volume 2 (Graphic Novel)
Fantastic Four: First Steps (Blu-ray + Digital)
Official Synopsis:
Set against the backdrop of a ‘60s-inspired, retro-futuristic world, Marvel’s First Family faces a daunting challenge. Forced to balance being heroes with their family bond, they must defend Earth from a space god and his enigmatic herald.
The Movie:
Superman was the bigger summer superhero movie, but Fantastic Four: First Steps was, in my opinion, the much better summer superhero movie. I’ve already shared my thoughts on Superman in another review column a few weeks ago, so admittedly I think it’s kind of a low bar to improve on that film, but I really enjoyed Fantastic Four.
When Marvel first announced the cast, like many people, I was… underwhelmed. I’m not one of those people who screams and cries when a studio doesn’t cast exactly who I think they should; more often than not, the studio knows what they’re doing (at least in terms of casting.) But I wasn’t blown away by the casting choices here, as much as I enjoy Pedro Pascal and Vanessa Kirby. And yet, as expected, they are perfect in their roles. Are they 100% comic-book accurate? No. Do I care? Also no. Movies are a different animal than comics, and I don’t need them to be exactly the same. If I want the comic book FF, I’ll read the comic books.
Fantastic Four: First Steps does a great job of relaunching a franchise, erasing all memories of the previous films, establishing its own identity (in a retro-futuristic setting that I love), and capturing the tone of the FF perfectly. These people are superheroes through science (something our world needs desperately these days), they are a family, and they’ve never been the uber-serious stuff of other comic book franchises. This film perfectly captures all of those dynamics and I absolutely loved it.
The Bonus Features:
- Audio Commentary with director Matt Shakman and production designer Kasra Farahani
- Gag Reel
- Deleted Scenes
- Meet The First Family
- Fantastic Futurism
- From Beyond and Below
Digital Copy Included: Yes
F1: The Movie (4K Ultra HD + Digital)
Official Synopsis:
Dubbed “the greatest that never was,” Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt) was FORMULA 1’s most promising phenom of the 1990s until an accident on the track nearly ended his career. Thirty years later, he’s a nomadic racer-for-hire when he’s approached by his former teammate Ruben Cervantes (Javier Bardem), owner of a struggling FORMULA 1 team that is on the verge of collapse. Ruben convinces Sonny to come back to FORMULA 1 for one last shot at saving the team and being the best in the world. He’ll drive alongside Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris), the team’s hotshot rookie intent on setting his own pace. But as the engines roar, Sonny’s past catches up with him and he finds that in FORMULA 1, your teammate is your fiercest competition — and the road to redemption is not something you can travel alone.
The Movie:
As with many sports I don’t watch, auto racing is much more interesting to me when it comes to the big screen in a fictionalized narrative. Sitting and watching a race for three or four hours? No, thank you. Sitting and watching a movie about racing for two-and-a-half hours? Yes, please!
F1: The Movie was a monster hit in theaters, thanks to Brad Pitt in the lead role, a terrific supporting cast, Joseph Kozinski (who’s become one of my favorite directors) at the helm, and – oh yeah – the incredible popularity of Formula 1 racing everywhere around the world. But you know what else helps? The fact that it’s really, really good. Aside from an outstanding cast (which also includes Javier Bardem in one of his best roles in a while, the incredible Kerry Condon, and exciting relative newcomer Damson Indris, you also have a narrative about an older racer seeking redemption, an untested rookie, political machinations within the racing world, and just a touch of romance as well. It’s got everything you need for a movie like this.
And the racing sequences are breathtaking. This is not surprising considering that Kozinski also directed TRON: Legacy, which featured some pretty astounding races in it as well. But the filmmakers make the races exciting and visceral, while also spacing them out perfectly so you get just enough racing to keep things moving at full speed, but not so much that the narrative ever disappears from the forefront. It’s an exciting film that is narratively and emotionally satisfying and I loved it.
The 4K Video/Audio:
Not surprisingly, the 4K Ultra HD transfer of F1: The Movie 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 every race from start to finish. You will feel like you’re sitting on a racetrack in a Formula 1 car at times. 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 thrilling movie experience.
The Bonus Features:
- Inside the F1: The Movie Table Read
- The Anatomy of a Crash
- Getting Up to Speed
- APXGP Innovations
- Making it to Silverstone
- Lewis Hamilton: Producer
- APXGP Sets and Locations
- Around the World
- APXGP and F1: the Movie: How It Was Filmed
- Sound of Speed
Digital Copy Included: Yes (But only on Apple TV, which is a terrible trend. Boo!)
Weapons (4K Ultra HD + Digital)
Official Synopsis:
When all but one child from the same class mysteriously vanish on the same night at exactly the same time, a community is left questioning who or what is behind their disappearance.
The Movie:
I’m not sure this is a phenomenon that happens to everyone, but every once in a while a movie comes along that I enjoy, but the longer I sit with it and think about it, the more I like it and the more my opinion of it grows.
I had the opposite reaction with Weapons. As I was watching it, I enjoyed it quite a bit. It’s intriguing and unique and keeps you engaged from start to finish. It was an enjoyable viewing experience. But the further away I got from it, and the more thought about, the more problems I have with it. To be clear, I still enjoyed Weapons, but man, it has some issues.
It’s difficult to get to into it without spoilers, so I will keep this spoiler-free, but it might be hard to fully express what some of my issues were. One I can freely talk about is the gore in the film. For the most part, Weapons is a blood-free movie, except for a couple of scenes, at which point director Zach Cregger goes way overboard. I never understand that particular choice. I 100% guarantee you that if the one or two scenes I’m talking about were done without the excessive gore, the film would have made the exact same amount of money at the box office as it did. It always just feels unnecessary, especially because it’s so sporadic. There’s also a scene in a dream sequence where something appears over a house that’s so ham-fisted and clunky that it took me right out of the movie. I also found the abrupt nature of the ending rather unsatisfying. I have some issues with the film’s antagonist, but I can’t really get into those without spoiling things.
Now, despite all those problems, I did enjoy the movie overall. The structure of the narrative is quite well done, the performances are excellent, and the film will suck you into its mystery. What I wonder, though, is will it stand up to repeat viewings? And I suspect I know the answer to that one.
The 4K Video/Audio:
Weapons comes to home video on 4K Ultra HD (as well as Blu-ray and DVD), and it is an absolutely impeccable A/V presentation in 4K. The imagery is stunning, with deep black levels, vibrantly saturated colors, and razor-sharp picture clarity. The surround soundtrack ekes every possible nuance out of the surround speakers, creating a truly dynamic atmosphere, even in scenes where not much is happening. At the very least, you always feel like you’re in the world of the film, which is a really impressive experience from the A/V perspective.
The Bonus Features:
- Director Zach Cregger: Making Horror Personal
- Weaponized: The Cast of Weapons
- Weapons: Texture of Terror
Digital Copy Included: Yes
Nobody 2 (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital)
Official Synopsis:
Bob Odenkirk returns as Hutch, an overworked assassin who just needs a break, in this bare-knuckle action-thriller. After deciding to take his family to a tourist town for some fun in the sun, a minor encounter with local bullies yanks the family into the crosshairs of an unhinged, blood-thirsty crime boss (Sharon Stone), who is determined to derail his relaxation
The Movie:
2021’s Nobody was a surprise to me. Not in terms of box office (although it did gross $57 million worldwide on a $16 million budget), but just in terms of how much I enjoyed it. A film I had little real feel for or excitement for blew me away when I reviewed it on home video. And Bob Oedenkirk being a viable action hero in a John Wick-esque action film? Okay, I didn’t see that coming.
I was also surprised to see that the film earned a sequel, although I’m not complaining. Nobody 2 sees Hutch take his family on vacation, only to get sucked into the machinations of a criminal enterprise that brings some serious heat down on a guy who just wanted to take a break. I’d be lying if I said it was as good as the first film, but I’d also be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy the heck out of it. While Hutch (Odenkirk) is still the primary focus here, the rest of his family gets more involved this time around, and Sharon Stone shows up as a psychopathic criminal boss. The action sequences are still dazzling, and the film as a whole is a lot of fun. Again, it’s not perfect, but I’m not in the habit of chasing perfection. If you liked the first movie, you should definitely enjoy this one too.
The 4K Video/Audio:
Nobody 2 is available on 4K Ultra HD (as well as other formats) and the 4K format works very well for the film. The picture is crisp and clean with razor sharp clarity, and the colors have a nice balance between realism and “pop,” which means that things look vibrant without moving into looking unrealistic. The surround soundtrack is where things really shine, though. This is a movie with constant action, and you’ll feel like every punch, kick, and gunshot go whizzing past your head. The dialogue remains centered, and the driving music soundtrack is full of energy. It’s a very impressive a/v presentation from start to finish.
The Bonus Features:
- Deleted Scenes
- Nobody 2: The Fight Continues
- Nobody Does Stunts Like Us
Digital Copy Included: Yes
The Smurfs (Blu-ray + Digital)
Official Synopsis:
Smurfette (Rihanna) leads the crew on a daring rescue mission to save Papa Smurf (John Goodman) after he is mysteriously kidnapped by the evil wizards, Razamel and Gargamel. The Smurfs team up with new friends on an epic adventure that takes them into the real world, where they discover that their true destiny is to save the universe.
The Movie:
It’s been nine years since the last big screen Smurfs outing, and it seems as if maybe the brand has lost a little of its luster. Take, for example, this year’s The Smurfs full-length theatrical movie. Will kids probably enjoy it? I’m sure they will. Will the parents/aunts/uncles/older siblings taking those kids to the theater or watching it on home video enjoy it? Ehhhh… I’m not sure. I mean, it’s a perfectly fine movie, in that there’s nothing overtly wrong with it. But it’s also incredibly forgettable. I literally watched it a few days ago and I had to stop and think what the heck happened in it when I sat down to write this review.
Also, can we maybe stop casting Rihanna in things just because she’s Rihanna?? You know, way back in 2015’s animated sci-fi comedy Home, I thought she actually did a pretty good job as a voice actor. But as Smurfette? Forget the fact that she in no way, shape, or form sounds like what you would expect Smurfette to sound like, she’s just not very good in the role. Doesn’t she have enough money? Do we really need her to conquer movies, too?
Aside from that, the movie is… fine. It’s really not a bad movie, but it’s also just not that great. Young kids will get a kick out of the broad jokes and the constant action, but older kids and adults will just find it middle-of-the-road. This could have been a YouTube video rather than a major motion picture.
The Bonus Features:
- Blue in the Booth
- A Smurf Like Me
- A World They’ve Never Seen
- Composing the Blue
- In The Club With DJ Snake
Digital Copy Included: Yes
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (Blu-ray + Digital)
Official Synopsis:
The Herdmans are absolutely the worst kids in the world. They lie, steal & bully. And now they’ve hijacked the town Christmas pageant. Grace (Judy Greer) is directing the performance for the very first time, but she and her family are in over their heads, especially against a town that wants the Herdmans out. But the play’s mischievous stars might just teach the town the true meaning of Christmas.
The Movie:
This will probably sound a little bit like I’m an idiot, but I never really realized that The Best Christmas Pageant Ever was a religious book. I mean, obviously it’s about Christmas, but when I read it and re-read it as a kid (it was one of my favorites) I was always just focused on the comedy and the sentiment of it, and never really picked up on the religious overtones.
So imagine my surprise when I sat down to watch The Best Christmas Pageant Ever movie – excitedly, I might add – only to discover that is effectively a faith-based film. Now, there’s nothing wrong with that, it’s just not what I was expecting, and as someone who falls… let’s say, outside of the audience for faith-based films, it was a little jarring.
That said, the film is perfectly enjoyable. The story of a small town Christmas pageant and the havoc wreaked on it by a group of the “worst kids in town” is still fun, and Judy Greer and Pete Holmes as the parents who are trying to old it all together are both great. The film is sure to become an annual staple in many households in years to come. But for me, personally, I wish it had gone a more generic Christmas route along the lines of movies like Elf or The Polar Express rather than leaning quite so hard on the Jesus narrative. Obviously, the target audience would disagree with me, but the larger gen-pop audience might include some people who agree.
The Bonus Features:
- Herding the Kids
- Director’s Diary
- All About the Pageantry
- Legacy of the Christmas Pageant
- Bloopers and Improv Lines
Digital Copy Included: Yes
Eddington (Blu-ray)
Official Synopsis:
In May of 2020, a standoff between a small-town sheriff (Joaquin Phoenix) and mayor (Pedro Pascal) sparks a powder keg as neighbor is pitted against neighbor in Eddington, New Mexico. A provocative, era-defining thriller from Ari Aster that unpacks the forces that led us to where we are today, featuring a powerhouse ensemble.
The Movie:
Ari Aster has given us three movies before Eddington: Hereditary, Midsommar, and Beau is Afraid. All of which I have absolutely hated. I know that people love these movies (or at least think they do), but I think Ari Aster is one of the progenitors of one of the worst trends in filmmaking, this idea of “elevated horror” that has just resulted in a slew of godawful films that critics rave about and people think they’re supposed to like. So, needless to say, I was less than excites to watch Eddington, Aster’s latest experiment on saying a whole lot of nothing about something.
This one stars Joaquin Phoenix and Pedro Pascal as residents of a small town on the opposite sides of the mask-wearing debate during the COVID outbreak of 2020. (Which already seems like a movie we don’t need, I might add.) As things escalate, other hot-button issues like Black Lives Matter and George Floyd’s death enter the proceedings, and while people will give Aster way too much credit and say he’s trying to make us think about things, I honestly believe he’s just sitting back and laughing at us. This movie isn’t trying to tell us anything, it’s just designed to get people arguing over it, and I think that’s Aster’s entire point.
If I have to say something good about the film, it’s that the performances are uniformly good, but I wish that so many of these actors that I like wouldn’t just say yes to Aster without looking at his scripts a little more critically.
The Bonus Features:
- Made in Eddington featurette
- Six collectible postcards
Digital Copy Included: No
Robot Chicken: The Complete Series (DVD)
Official Synopsis:
Celebrating 20 years of the rapid-fire “channel flips” that propelled viewers through Robot Chicken’s twisted takes on pop culture. The quarter-hour show brings action figures and toys to life in three-dimensional worlds through the old-school magic of “stop-motion” animation.
The Show:
Robot Chicken does what it does like nobody else. I mean, sure, nobody else is really using stop-motion of action figures to make parody cartoons, but even if they were, I doubt anyone would ever do it as well as the Robot Chicken folks did.
For eleven seasons, Robot Chicken turned their toy cameras towards pop culture, taking on everything from Star Wars to The Walking Dead to Star Trek to Marvel and DC Comics and everything in between. The humor was always spot on, a mix of clever send-ups of popular moments from popular properties and characters, as well as just some base lowest common denominator humor that always managed to be quite funny. I’ve watched every season of the show, plus all the Star Wars and Walking Dead and various other specials, and I find it to be one of the funniest things around.
This week, we get — for the first time ever — the entirety of Robot Chicken collected into one Complete Series set. As far as I can tell, this is literally every single minute of Robot Chicken content collected in one chunky box set. Sadly, it’s only available on DVD and not Blu-ray, which is a huge oversight in my opinion, but it’s still an incredible box set from start to finish. Robot Chicken’s brand of twisted humor is right up my alley, so I can’t recommend it highly enough.
The Bonus Features:
The original DVD releases of Robot Chicken were loaded with extra features, at least for the first seven seasons, and they’re all ported over to this box set. There are way too many to list individually here, but here’s what you can expect from many of the discs in this collection:
- Deleted Scenes
- Deleted Animatics
- Photo Galleries
- Animation Meetings
- Commentaries with executive producers/co-creators/writers/actors Seth Green, Matthew Senreich, Tom Root, Douglas Goldstein and other cast and crew
- Behind the Scenes
- Wire Comparisons
- Animatic to Episode Comparisons
- Alternate Audio Takes
- Promos
- The Undercurrent Chronicles: Robot Chicken: The Career
- The Making of a Sketch
- Christmas Special
- Deleted Audio
- Video Blogs
- Chicken Nuggets – Episodes presented with access to sketch by sketch video commentary.
- San Diego Comic-Con ’08 Panel
- Day in the Life
- San Diego Comic-Con ’09 Panel
- Featurettes
- Making of Season 6
- Cut Sketches
- And much more!!
Digital Copy Included: No
Relay (Blu-ray)
Official Synopsis:
In Relay, Riz Ahmed plays a world class “fixer” who specializes in brokering lucrative payoffs between corrupt corporations and the individuals who threaten their ruin. He keeps his identity a secret through meticulous planning and always follows an exacting set of rules. But when a message arrives one day from a potential client (Lily James), needing his protection just to stay alive, the rules quickly start to change.
The Movie:
There’s a metaphor to be found between the fact that in the film Relay, clients use a relay system (originally designed for people with disabilities) to reach main character Ash and the fact that the movie itself feels like it’s been filtered out of a slightly better movie, but I’m not a good enough writer to come up with it.
Relay is an enjoyable film, and I liked it. I actually liked it a lot. But it feels – at times – oddly restrained, or just like it doesn’t quite live up to its full potential. It feels like there’s an even better version of the movie waiting to break out, only it never does. Does that mean I didn’t like it? Of course not. But do I wish it could have given us that extra 10% or so and become a true spectacle? I absolutely do.
Riz Ahmed, Lily James, and Sam Worthington are all actors I enjoy immensely, and they bring a lot to the film. But it’s director David McKenzie who feels like he’s holding the film back at times, keeping us from fully engaging with the characters or allowing them to win us over fully. Rather, it’s like he keeps us at an arm’s length from them, and I wish he let us in a little more. Then Relay woud have been really memorable. As it is – even though I’m still not sure if it’s a drama, a thriller, or an action movie — it’s still worth watching.
The Bonus Features:
There are no bonus features on the disc.
Digital Copy Included: No
Nosferatu: The Vampyre (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray)
Official Synopsis:
It is 1850 in the beautiful, perfectly-kept town of Wismar. Jonathan Harker is about to leave on a long journey over the Carpathian Mountains to finalize real estate arrangements with a wealthy nobleman. His wife, Lucy, begs him not to go and is troubled by a strong premonition of danger. Despite her warnings, Jonathan arrives four weeks later at a large, gloomy castle. Out of the mist appears a pale, wraith-like figure with a shaven head and deep-sunken eyes who identifies himself as Count Dracula. The events that transpire slowly convince Harker that he is in the presence of a vampyre. What he doesn’t know is the magnitude of danger he, his wife and his town are about to experience.
The Movie:
There are so many things to like about Werner Herzog’s Nosferatu The Vampyr that it can be easy to overlook sometimes the fact that I wish it were a better film.
Here’s what I mean: in terms of cinematography, make-up, acting, and overall feel, Herzog’s Nosferatu is outstanding. However, the film also moves at a glacial pace and is largely more about atmosphere and visuals than it is about a compelling narrative. I do recognize that said narrative is adapted directly from Bram Stoker’s original novel, but the way Herzog adapts it still leaves it feeling like it is about 40 minutes of story wrapped up in a two-hour film.
The good news is that while you’re waiting for something interesting to happen, there’s plenty to hold you over. Klaus Kinski is magnetic as the white-faced and – frankly — terrifying vampire, while Bruno Ganz and Isabelle Adjani hold there own as Jonathan Harker and Mina, respectively. The film’s scenery is beautiful; when Harker crosses over the Carpathian mountains to get to Dracula’s castle, he’s literally walking over real mountains. Visually the film is fantastic. I just wish it was a little more engaging from a character and story standpoint.
The 4K Video/Audio:
The 4K Ultra HD presentation of Nosferatu the Vampyr offers up a nice audiovisual upgrade over previous home video versions. Image clarity is nice and sharp for the most part; there is some softer imagery here and there but that’s clearly in the source material and not the transfer. The print is free of any blemishes or artifacts, and that’s what you would hope for with an archival film like this. The color saturation is solid, with some moments where some real vibrancy shines through, and the film has a nice flexibility where the tone shifts from warm when in more human locales and ice cold in scenes with the vampire at the focus. The surround soundtrack nicely bolsters music and dialogue, both of which sound great, while the satellite speakers occasionally add a little atmosphere to the proceedings. A very strong effort overall.
The Bonus Features:
- German and English Versions of the Film
- Two Audio Commentaries with Werner Herzog (One in English, One in German, Moderated By Laurens Straub With English Subtitles)
- Vintage Featurette—The Making of Nosferatu
- Theatrical Trailers
- Still Gallery
Digital Copy Included: No
Samurai Fury (4K Ultra HD)
Official Synopsis:
As famine and plague ravage 15th century Japan, the laconic shogun watches and does nothing to help his countrymen. Rebellious wanderer Hasuda Hyoe has seen enough and plots to depose the shogun and save Japan from self-imposed devastation. Starring Ôizumi Yô (I Am A Hero) as the heroic Hyoe, SAMURAI FURY pits this hero against his one-time friend Honekawa Doken, the iconic Shin’ichi Tsutsumi (Why Don’t You Play in Hell?) in an epic fight for survival.
The Movie:
Sometimes I wish I could just write a review as somebody else. Take, for example, my reaction to Samurai Fury. This is a period action/drama from Japan that is a really well-made film. Anybody who likes period action films would probably rave about it. Me? I’ve seen enough period Asian action movies to last a lifetime. It’s never been a genre that I’ve loved, and the fact that Samurai Fury not only falls squarely into that category but is also over two hours long are both strikes against it. For ME. There are probably other reviewers out there who are like, “This movie is brilliant! I wish it was longer!!”
That said, Samurai Fury is a solid film and it is definitely well-made. The action sequences are outstanding and the lead performance by Yo Oizumi is quite good. The cinematography really accentuates the action, and from a technical standpoint, the film is exceptional. I just found the story a little overly complex at times and hard to get fully wrapped up in. If you’re looking for some well-made samurai action, however, this movie will surely fit the bill.
The 4K Video/Audio:
As you would hope for a big, bold period action epic, Samurai Fury shines in the technical department on 4K Ultra HD. Blacks are deep and solid and image clarity is sharp, while colors are vibrant and fit the feel of the movie well. The surround soundtrack also bolsters the presentation, with a generous spreading out of surround effects through each satellite speaker. Music is full and powerful, and the low end bass channel gives a nice underlying oomph. It’s a very strong A/V presentation overall.
The Bonus Features:
- Trailers
Digital Copy Included: No
The Island (Blu-ray)
Official Synopsis:
The Island is Hong Kong’s answer to the likes of Deliverance, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, The Hills Have Eyes and Motel Hell. Perhaps the most accomplished genre picture directed by British-Chinese filmmaker Po-Chih Leong (Hong Kong 1941), The Island is Hong Kong’s answer to the likes of Deliverance, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, The Hills Have Eyes and Motel Hell – a film that transports the visceral survival horror so popular in the 1970s and 1980s from the backwoods of America to a remote island in East Asia.
At the height of summer, teacher Mr Cheung (John Sham) takes a small group of his students on an excursion to explore a rural island that he assumes is uninhabited. But upon arrival, Cheung and his class discover that they are not alone – the island is, in fact, home to three deranged brothers and their equally deranged mother. And when one of Cheung’s students refuses a marriage proposal from the youngest – and perhaps most disturbed – member of this deeply strange family, both the teacher and the young people in his care soon come to wish that they had stayed at home. Following in the footsteps of its Western predecessors, The Island plays out a pointed class conflict as it pits its educated urbanites against the violent members of an isolated rural community – but never loses the unique qualities of a Hong Kong horror movie. The Masters of Cinema series is proud to present the film on Blu-ray for the first time anywhere outside of Asia.
The Movie:
Sometimes you just know a movie isn’t going to be for you before you even pop it into the player. Much as I loved the cover art for The Island, I was soon dispelled of any notion that this might just be a suspense thriller. When the official synopsis compares a movie to films such as The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and The Hills Have Eyes, that’s a pretty big red flag for me.
Released in 1985 during the height of slasher-mania, The Island isn’t interested in restraint or subtlety; it’s interested in shock value. And in that, it succeeds quite nicely; the film takes a little time setting an uneasy tone before it unleashes hell, and from that point on it’s the kind of fare that isn’t for weaker compositions. I get that the film is a product of its time and was trying to make its mark in an already crowded genre, but it’s the kind of movie that just leaves me with a bad tase in my mouth. Big time horror hounds and gore lovers who have never seen it before will probably think of it as the second coming of lost horror movies, though.
The Bonus Features:
- New audio commentary with East Asian cinema expert Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival)
- New audio commentary with genre cinema experts Mike Leeder and Arne Venema
- Surviving the Shoot – interview with director Po-Chih Leong from 2023 courtesy of Frédéric Ambroisine
- Trailer
- Limited edition collector’s booklet featuring an interview with Po-Chih Leong and revised introduction notes on The Island by film writer, producer and film festival executive Roger Garcia
Digital Copy Included: No
Malpertuis (Blu-ray)
Official Synopsis:
Jan wakes up in Malpertuis, a mansion presided over by his dying uncle Cassavius who intends to leave his fortune to anyone who remains there forever. Jan (Mathieu Carrière, Police Python 357), a sailor newly arrived onshore, is unsure about returning to land but makes the journey to visit his childhood home only to find it no longer there. He goes to Bar Venus and joins his friends but an altercation leaves him knocked out cold. He wakes up in Malpertuis, a gothic mansion presided over by his uncle, Cassavius (Orson Welles). All the inhabitants of Malpertuis are waiting for Cassavius to die and the opportunity to inherit his vast fortune. But Cassavius wishes anyone who inherits to stay there forever. Jan investigates as those who leave meet with mysterious deaths. Harry Kümel’s (Daughters of Darkness) phantasmagoria is a Matryoshka doll of fantastic ideas, realised with stunning photography by Gerry Fisher (The Exorcist III) and scored by Georges Delerue (Contempt). Newly restored and overseen by Kümel, it is released on Blu-ray for the first time in the world.
The Movie:
Huh. Sooo… let me get this straight. There was a film that came out in 1971 starring an aged Orson Welles and it was made in… [checks notes] Dutch? And somehow I’ve never heard of it? And now it’s being released as a special edition Blu-ray? And all of this is supposedly true? Okaaay…
Despite my skepticism, all of the above really happened. Malpertuis is a Dutch horror movie from 1971 that stars very few recognizable actors, and then also Orson Welles, one of the most famous people ever. It was directed by Harry Kümel after the success of his vampire film Daughters of Darkness, and while you have to give him credit for not trying to simply repeat what he had had success with before, Malpertuis is a little bit too dreamy and ethereal for my tastes. The film has a narrative, but there are a lot of scenes that are dreamlike or hallucinatory, and it calls a lot of what you think is happening into question.
Ultimately, it’s not the kind of movie that I’m going to fall in love with, personally. If you are a fan of the film, the fact that you get the director’s cut at 116 minutes instead of the long-available theatrical cut at 100 minutes is definitely a bonus. This is a terrific package from Radiance, so it’s everything a fan could want; I just might not be one of those fans.
The Bonus Features:
- Audio commentary by Harry Kümel and assistant director Françoise Levie (2005)
- New interview with Harry Kümel (2025)
- New interview with author and gothic horror expert Jonathan Rigby (2025)
- Malpertuis Archive – an archival documentary on the making of the film featuring Kümel, actor Mathieu Carrière and director of photography Gerry Fisher among others (2005)
- Orson Welles Uncut – a featurette on the casting of Welles, including rare outtakes of the actor (2005)
- Susan Hampshire: one actress, three parts – an archival interview with the actress, including screen tests and contributions from cast and crew (2005)
- Archival interview with Michel Bouquet and Harry Kümel from Belgian television (1971)
- Jean Ray, John Flanders 1887 – 1964 – an archival interview with the source novelist and co-writer of Malpertuis (2005)
- Malpertuis Revisited – Harry Kümel revisits locations from the film (2005, 4 mins)
- Malpertuis: The Cannes cut – the rejected version of the film which premiered in Cannes(100 mins, SD)
- The Warden of the Tomb – Kümel’s early film based on Franz Kafka’s play (1965, 37 mins)
- Trailer
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Time Tomorrow
- Limited edition 80-page perfect bound booklet featuring new writing by Lucas Balbo, Maria J. Pérez Cuervo, David Flint, Willow Catelyn Maclay, Jonathan Owen
Digital Copy Included: No
Muted: Volume 2 (Graphic Novel)
Official Synopsis:
After unlocking unique magical powers, a young witch must balance familial expectations, personal demons, and new relationships in this stunning second volume of the hit webtoon Muted, featuring exclusive bonus content.
One week into her month-long respite from her controlling Aunt Athalie, Camille receives an unsettling call blindsiding her with news of her arranged marriage. But when she stands up for herself and her freedom, she creates a rift with her beloved cousin Avaline and gains an uncontrollable new ability triggered by overwhelming emotions. Luckily, Camille has Dendro, the plant demon she summoned, to help her come to terms with her past trauma and fully embrace the beauty of her magic. But when Camille suspects that Avaline may be in danger under Aunt Athalie’s influence, she finds herself in a difficult position. With a plan to save Avaline, Camille and the increasingly charming Nyra embark on a mission to face the unpredictable dangers and painful secrets that await in New Orleans.
Muted is a lush, magical coming-of-age story, with joyful streaks of found family and polyamorous sapphic romance. Complete with an exclusive bonus chapter, this second volume includes episodes 28-50 of the hit Webtoon.
The Book:
In my review of Muted, Volume 1, I said, “I had slightly mixed feelings about Muted, all of which have to do with me and not with the quality of the content. The book is well-written, easy to read, and features beautiful artwork by Mundt. Honestly, the main issue for me is that I just can’t get into witch fiction. Whether it’s graphic novels or movies or TV shows, I generally just find the world/genre of witches… well, largely not that interesting. So I really enjoyed the character beats in Muted, but all the magic stuff and the parts of the story about the magic rituals and such just didn’t do all that much for me. That said, readers in the target demographic (and beyond) who don’t feel that way should really enjoy this book.”
I wish I could say that my feelings had changed drastically between Volume 1 and 2, but they haven’t. I will say that I think I enjoyed this volume more than the first, largely because the characters and the basis of the story were already established, so we didn’t have to spend much time getting to the action. In that respect, the book is an improvement. However, I still struggled to engage with the characters or the plotline, as the world of witches and related magic just don’t get me excited. Muted: Volume 2 a well-written book with beautiful artwork, I’m just not the target audience for it.
The Specs:
- Publisher: Ten Speed Graphic
- Format: Softcover or Hardcover
- Page Count: 304 pages
- Cover Price: $22.99 (softcover) or $29.99 (hardcover)
