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What’s New in Home Video & Pop Culture – September 29, 2026 – Evil Dead Burn, Dead Poets Society, Mrs. Doubtfire, Star Trek, Fence, & More!

Mike Spring

By Mike Spring

 on 

What’s New in Home Video & Pop Culture – September 29, 2026

It’s officially Fall, which means… well, we get movies and graphic novels this week, the same as we always do. I just didn’t have anything else particularly unique to write about in this intro! Read on to see what’s new.

In This Week’s Column:

Evil Dead Burn (4K Ultra HD + Digital)

Official Synopsis:

After the loss of her husband, a woman seeks solace with her in-laws. As one by one they transform into deadites, she comes to discover that the vows she took in life – survive even in death.

The Movie: 

Sigh.

Remember when Evil Dead movies were fun? I mean, I know I’m old school, but I’m pretty sure the reason they became so popular in the first place is because they blended horror with campy, over-the-top fun and humor. But since the 2013 relaunch of the franchise, it’s been blood, gore, and trauma, with little to nothing else. 

Evil Dead Burn is more of the same, only with a near-two-hour running time to really wear you down and exhaust you. Don’t worry, if blood and guts isn’t enough for you, the film also features cruelty aplenty and a nasty mean streak, coupled with some awful cinematography that makes the movie look almost monochromatic. And the debilitating family trauma trope is becoming really overplayed. The bleakness is just unrelenting. Can we get back to co-eds and high school students getting killed simply because they were partying in the wrong place?

There are a few well-staged set pieces, most notably one that takes place in a car, but it’s hard to find any enjoyment in a movie so dark and bleak and unpleasant and un-fun as Evil Dead Burn. There’s no shortage of movies with demon zombies, so I wish this new franchise had just branded themselves as something different and just left the Evil Dead franchise alone. 

The 4K Video/Audio:

The Evil Dead Burn 4K presentation is hampered by the fact that the filmmakers made the choice to desaturate and over-darken everything. This is a trend I’ve seen a lot of in recent horror movies and I absolutely  hate it. But to that end, the transfer captures the intended look of the film just fine, even if that look is pretty ugly. The surround soundtrack, on the other hand, excels. This is a movie with a lot of creepy ambience as well as action-packed horror set pieces, and it handles them both with equal aplomb. You’ll find yourself looking over your shoulder constantly because the satellite channels are so effective. That’s one bright spot on this release. 

The Bonus Features: 

Digital Copy Included: Yes

Dead Poets Society (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital)

Official Synopsis:

When charismatic English professor John Keating arrives at a strict prep school, his unconventional teaching methods breathe new life into a curriculum steeped in tradition. But Keating soon finds he has drawn the wrath of a disapproving faculty when an unexpected tragedy strikes the school.

The Movie: 

Believe it or not, there was a time when audiences weren’t sure if Robin Williams was a good actor or not. Sure, everyone knew he was a brilliant comedian, but could he carry a movie that was more than just a comedy? That had yet to be seen. 

But then came the one-two punch of 1987’s Good Morning Vietnam and 1989’s Dead Poets Society, and suddenly the world could see that Williams was a truly talented actor in any genre. Dead Poets Society especially spotlighted Williams’ dramatic talents. While the film has no shortage of humor, his performance as a rebellious and passionate teacher at a stuffy private school not only wowed audiences, it earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Actor. (He lost to Daniel Day-Lewis for My Left Foot.)

But despite its lack of award wins, Dead Poets Society is nothing short of a masterpiece. Not only did it introduce the phrase Carpe Diem/Sieze the Day to the general non-Latin-speaking public at large, but it was a moving film with heart and a message about discovering yourself. Williams is absolutely incredible in it, and it remains one of my favorite movies to this day. It’s not one I watch super often, and I do that on purpose, because every time I watch it again it’s like seeing it for the first time, which is a magical experience. This week, we finally get Dead Poets Society on 4K Ultra HD, and while it doesn’t offer any new supplemental features, it’s great to have the film in the premium format. 

The 4K Video/Audio:

The audiovisual upgrade for Dead Poets Society is definitely noticeable, even if it doesn’t exactly look like a brand-new production. Imagery is super clear with strong black levels, while colors are bright and the overall picture quality is impressive. The surround soundtrack won’t win any awards, but it does create a nice, active atmosphere throughout the film while dialogue remains clear and present and music is layered, so it does its job overall.

The Bonus Features: 

Digital Copy Included: Yes

Mrs. Doubtfire (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital)

Official Synopsis:

The eccentric dad of three children dresses as a British nanny so he can care for his children at the home of their mother in this touching comedy.

The Movie: 

One Robin Williams movie is never enough, so Sony has brought us TWO Robin Williams 4K Ultra HD debut releases this week, with Mrs. Doubtfire rounding out the pair. 

Mrs. Doubtfire, which famously saw Williams under heavy prosthetic make-up as he disguises himself as a nanny in order to be closer to his kids, was a massive hit when it was released in 1993. Oddly enough, it’s never been my favorite Robin Willaims outing, but I also realized I haven’t seen it in at least 20 years, so I was excited to sit down and watch it again. 

And what do you know? I get it now. While it’s still not my favorite of all of Williams’ roles, I enjoyed the movie much more than I remember doing when it came out. Maybe it has to do with the fact that I’m a parent now (and have been for a long time!) but I wasn’t when I saw the movie for the first time. Or maybe I’m just less cynical than I used to be. Either way, while I still don’t consider Mrs. Doubtfire a work of cinematic genius, I am able to watch it and see it for being a fun, over-the-top comedy with an ooey-gooey heart at the center of it, and sometimes we all need a little bit of that. And William’s performance is gloriously mad, and I love it!

The 4K Video/Audio:

Mrs. Doubtfire is over 30 years old, so it’s not like the 4K transfer makes it suddenly look brand new, but you’ll find little to complain about overall. The transfer brings nicely sharp image clarity, and you do get bright colors and good contrasts. Like I said, it’s not jumping off the screen at you, but the picture quality does look very good overall. The surround soundtrack offers up some good use of the surrounds when the action kicks in, but it’s not as nuanced or immersive as you might get from a brand new, action-packed blockbuster. Still, with clear dialogue and balanced music, there’s nothing to complain about, either. 

The Bonus Features: 

Digital Copy Included: Yes

Bad Counselors (DVD)

Official Synopsis:

Hungover, handcuffed, and two weeks from facing expulsion, two party-hard frat bros must serve 120 hours of community service. Their answer to prayer? Faking it as Christian camp counselors. Their problem? They wouldn’t know a hymn from a hot dog.

The Movie: 

Over the years, I’ve reviewed dozens of faith-based movies, and as someone who’s not religious in any way, I always try to review them on their own merits and ignore the religious aspects of them. Of course, that’s hard to do, and the heavy-handedness of the preaching in the genre can often kill a faith-based movie for me. It doesn’t help that pretty much every one I’ve ever reviewed is a hard drama or romance film; they’re never any fun. 

So color me flabbergasted at Bad Counselors, a genuinely funny faith-based comedy. The movie focuses on two frat bros who get busted for bad behavior. In an effort to avoid expulsion they accept community service, and what could be easier than volunteering as camp counselors at a Christian camp? Or at least, it would be easy if they had the first clue about religion, which they don’t. 

So what follows is an imposters-trying-to-maintain-their-ruse comedy, but wrapped up in a story that – of course – eventually sees them learning about themselves and their faith. I will say the “hitting you over the head with religion” aspect of Bad Counselors is fairly low compared to many other faith-based movies I’ve watched; the message is there, but it’s just not so in your face. And the film is funny; it pokes fun at the church – which is a breath of fresh air – but it does so in a way that’s laughing with religion and not at it. As someone who’s outside religion, I found some of the humor pretty uproarious. 

Bad Counselors is a lot of fun, and at least for me personally, it might be the best faith-based movie I’ve ever seen. 

The Bonus Features: 

There are no bonus features on the disc

Digital Copy Included: No

Star Trek: Lower Decks, Vol. 3: Second Second Contact (Graphic Novel)

Official Synopsis:

A whole planet’s population is missing—and it’s up to Captain Freeman, Tendi, Boimler, Mariner, Rutherford, and crew to recover them while fending off the alien invaders who wish them deader than dead.

It’s time for a long-overdue second contact with the species with whom the U.S.S. Cerritos made its first first contact: the Laapeerians. But when the crew arrives on Laapeeria bearing gifts, Freeman and company are shocked to discover the entire planet has been abandoned! While all the dwellings and infrastructure remain, there isn’t a soul to be found… Where have all the Laapeerians gone? And do the Laapoonians on the planet next door know anything about it?

Collects Star Trek: Lower Decks issues #13–18. 

The Book: 

I’ve been a Star Trek fan for as long as I can remember, and one of the things I’ve always loved about Trek at its best is how humorous it can be. So when Paramount announced a comedic animated series set in the Next Generation universe, let’s just say I was pretty excited. Over the course of five seasons, Lower Decks masterfully and humorously gave us a look at the lives of four “lower decks” officers on the USS Cerritos, a pretty low-ranking ship in Starfleet. We fell in love with uptight Ensign Boimler, rebellious Ensign Mariner, geeky cyborg Ensign Rutherford, and overly enthusiastic Ensign Tendi, who of course found themselves in all sorts of trouble week in and week out. 

IDW Comics has been publishing a Star Trek: Lower Decks comic book for the past few years, and I have to say, it’s pretty successful from a creative point of view. The humor and tone of Lower Decks is so pitch perfect, it’s hard to believe they managed to get it right on TV, much less in a printed format. Translating the show’s unique vibe to a comic book had to be a daunting task, but writer Tim Sheridan and artist Vernon Smith do a great job of adapting the style and tone of the show to comic book form while telling all-new stories. 

Sure, it doesn’t quite stick the landing quite as good as the show does, but for something that could be horribly unfunny without much effort, the book works more often than not. This new trade paperback, the third volume in the series, collects issues 13 through 18 of the series, and I would say if you’re a fan of the show, you should definitely check the books out. 

The Specs: 

Kodi: A Place to Call Home (Graphic Novel)

Official Synopsis:

Stunning watercolor artwork, a headstrong young girl, and a huge bear with a gentle heart — all return for an emotional new adventure in this stunning sequel!

After being reunited, Katya and Kodi are settling into their fast-paced new life together in the city. But as Katya starts to fall behind in school and Kodi struggles to find his place in this noisy new world, everything is put at risk by a greedy zookeeper who aims to break them up for good. Now, Katya and her unusual family must venture back into the wild, face their fears, and learn to trust new friends, as they fight to find a place to belong.

In Kodi 2, painter/cartoonist Jared Cullum returns to his award-winning graphic novel series for an incredible new adventure, full of gorgeous outdoor vistas, amazing animals, lovable and hateable new characters, roaring rivers, thrilling dangers, and tender moments. 

The Book: 

Maybe it’s because I didn’t read the first Kodi graphic novel, but there were some things that I had to work out in order to enjoy Kodi: A Place to Call Home, the new graphic novel from writer/artist Jared Cullum. 

The story focuses on Katya, a young girl, and her best friend, Kodi, who’s a huge bear. Now, this isn’t a cartoon world where the bear talks and wears clothes and stuff; nope, he’s just a regular bear. And not only does he not eat Katya (or anyone else), but people don’t seem to think it’s all that weird that there’s a big ol’ bear just walking around in the city. 

Once I could get past all of that, it’s pretty easy to see why younger readers enjoy Cullum’s work so much. Kodi: A Place to Call Home features absolutely gorgeous watercolor artwork, fun characters, touching moments, romance (between supporting characters, not Katya and Kodi!), humor, and action, all in the span of 175 pages. The world of Kodi might have taken some deciphering for me, but the quality of the book is no mystery. It’s visually dazzling and has a fun story to boot, so what more can you ask for?

The Specs: 

Fence: Book One (Graphic Novel)

Official Synopsis:

Queer sports romance meets elite private school stakes in the first of three young adult graphic novels from the hit series!

Scrappy fencer Nicholas Cox has big dreams of following in the footsteps of the father he’s never known, but when he’s accepted into the elite Kings Row private school, he’s thrust into a world of cutthroat competition. Facing down privileged rivals, grueling tryouts, and the seemingly unbeatable Seiji Katayama, Nicholas discovers that it will take more than determination to prove himself worthy of a place on the team.

Experience drama, romance, and tension in the breakout GLAAD-nominated comics written by New York Times–bestselling author of Dark Prince, C.S. Pacat, and brought to life by fan-favorite artist Johanna the Mad! Collected for the first time in three beautifully packaged graphic novels! Collects Fence #1-12. 

The Book: 

I knew pretty much nothing about Fence before I sat down to review this new graphic novel (other than that the U.S Fencing Team apparently loves it, according to my marketing materials), but I am extremely glad it came across my desk, because it’s outstanding. 

Collecting the first 12 issues of Fence, this whopping 336-page trade paperback first volume focuses on two competitive prep school fencers who pretty much hate each other. So, of course, they end up becoming roommates who are competing for the same spot on the school fencing team. Oh yeah, and they may also have a little more than just a love/hate relationship, if you know what I mean. 

Now, that’s not exactly a story we’ve never seen before, but that doesn’t really matter. We all know sports movies have the same formula, and so do romance movies. When you have a sports romance movie, I mean, you can generally figure out where things are going to go. And while Fence may not buck that trend entirely, it does manage some real surprises and twists in the narrative to keep it feeling fresh and exciting. Heck, even in the first issue there was a surprise that I didn’t see coming which sets up the drama for the rest of the book. 

Where Fence really shines, however, is the writing. C.S. Pacat not only creates realistic and nuanced characters, but she also infuses the book with a lot of humor. Add to that Johanna the Mad’s evocative artwork, which lands somewhere between a manga style and more traditional American comics, and it takes no time at all to get sucked into the story. Frankly, I can’t wait for the next volume in this three-book series because I need to know what’s going to happen next!

The Specs: 

What’s New in Home Video & Pop Culture – September 29, 2026 – Evil Dead Burn, Dead Poets Society, Mrs. Doubtfire, Star Trek, Fence, & More!
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