What’s New in Home Video & Pop Culture – May 26, 2026 – Avatar: Fire and Ash, The Da Vinci Code, Ginger Snaps, Nirvanna: The Band The Show The Movie and more

It’s always an exciting week when one of the biggest blockbusters of the year debuts on home video! Add to that a few amazing catalog releases and some new-to-you goodies and it’s a pretty awesome week. Dig in!

In This Week’s Column:

• Avatar: Fire and Ash (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital)
• The Da Vinci Code (4K Ultra HD Steelbook + Blu-ray + Digital)
• Ginger Snaps (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital)
• Hi, Mom! (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray)
• Suzzanna: Empress Of Darkness (Blu-ray Box Set)
• Sonic The Hedgehog: The IDW Collection – Volume 6 (Graphic Novel)
• Nirvanna: The Band The Show The Movie (Blu-ray)

Avatar: Fire and Ash (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital)

Official Synopsis:

Return to Pandora for the third chapter of Marine turned Na’vi leader Jake Sully and his family. Reeling from one death, the Sullys set out to prevent another — aided by the Wind Traders. But on the way, they’re attacked by the Ash People, who blame Eywa for their ravaged home.

The Movie: 

In reviews of the past two Avatar films, I’ve talked about how my fandom for the franchise has evolved to the point that I now consider myself a die-hard fan. Give me all the Avatar, James Cameron; I’m here for it! That’s my stance.

That said, I do wish James Cameron realized that he is actually allowed to make an Avatar film with a running time of less than three hours. Because while there is so much to love about Avatar: Fire and Ash, I’d be lying if I said there aren’t a handful of scenes that feel like things we’ve already seen before.

Now, understand that this is a minor complaint. I still loved Avatar: Fire and Ash. But there are a couple of battle scenes that were pretty reminiscent of things we already watched in Avatar and Avatar: The Way of Water. A little bit of trimming could have reduced some of the redundancy and also maybe gotten the running time down to, say, two hours and 45 minutes.

That aside, the Avatar story continues in a powerful way, with Jake and Ney’tiri in a bad place as the story begins as a result of the events of the last movie. (No spoilers here!) The drama with Spider and Quaritch continues to develop, and a powerful new villain is introduced in the form of Varang, played by Charlie Chaplin’s granddaughter, Oona Chaplin. All of those elements work and work well, and the movie is still a blockbuster spectacle that I loved. Can’t wait for the next chapter!!

The Bonus Features: 

• Igniting the Flame: The Making of Avatar: Fire and Ash — A series of featurettes that explores the filmmakers’ journey making Avatar: Fire and Ash with exclusive behind-the-scenes footage and insights about the process from the creative talents who shaped the film:
  • Writing the Sequels
  • Pandoran Design
  • RDA Design
  • The Women of Pandora
  • Varang and the Mangkwan
  • Capturing Performance
  • Stunts
  • Editing and Virtual Camera
  • WĒTĀ FX
  • ILM
  • Score
  • The Art and Impact of 3D
  • Home in New Zealand
• Jon Landau Tribute
• RDA Orientation
• Na’vi 101: The RDA’s Official Language Orientation
• Pandora Intelligence Brief
• Marketing Materials & Music Video
• “Dream as One” Music Video
• Theatrical Trailer 1 & 2
• English Family Audio Track (with all objectionable language removed)

Digital Copy Included: Yes

The Da Vinci Code (4K Ultra HD Steelbook + Blu-ray + Digital)

Official Synopsis:

Dan Brown’s international bestseller comes alive in the film The Da Vinci Code, directed by Ron Howard with a screenplay by Akiva Goldsman. Join symbologist Robert Langdon (Academy Award® winner Tom Hanks, 1993 Best Actor, Philadelphia, and 1994 Best Actor, Forrest Gump) and cryptologist Sophie Neveu (Audrey Tautou) in their heart-racing quest to solve a bizarre murder mystery that will take them from France to England – and behind the veil of a mysterious ancient society, where they discover a secret protected since the time of Christ. With first-rate performances by Sir Ian McKellen, Alfred Molina and Jean Reno, critics are calling The Da Vinci Code “involving” and “intriguing,” “a first rate thriller.”

The Movie: 

Like pretty much everyone in the United States — and like everyone in pretty much the entire world — I was obsessed with Dan Brown’s novel The Da Vinci Code in the early 2000s. Of course, once the book became a worldwide phenomenon, it was inevitable that a movie would be made, and when it was announced that the movie was going to star Tom Hanks and be directed by Ron Howard, I think everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

But a funny thing happened on the way to the silver screen: The Da Vinci Code adaptation fell flat. For the record, I don’t hate The Da Vinci Code, or even dislike it, but I certainly wish it were better. I love Dan Brown’s book, I love Tom Hanks, and I’m a pretty big Ron Howard fan, so why didn’t the film end up being better? (For my money, I actually enjoy the sequel, Angels & Demons, much more than The Da Vinci Code.) Maybe it’s just one of those books that it’s impossible to capture the magic of on the big screen. Maybe it’s too complex, too esoteric to translate to film properly. I honestly don’t know. But somewhere along the line, the movie just isn’t as breathtakingly exciting as the book is.

This week, though, we get a new 20th Anniversary Edition of The Da Vinci Code, which includes both the theatrical cut and the extended cut of the film (which runs about 20 minutes longer). It comes housed in a sharp Steelbook case and includes lots of bonus materials, so it is a nice treat for Da Vinci Code fans.

The 4K Video/Audio:

The new 4K Ultra HD upgrade is certainly impressive. The image clarity is top-notch, and colors are both brilliant and muted in the way that the filmmakers clearly intended. There’s a sense of desaturation to the movie at times that is clearly how the movie was shot, and that is captured accurately. There’s a nice depth to the imagery as well, and overall the picture quality is quite impressive. The surround soundtracks is constantly active; even though this is a move that fluctuates between action sequences and quieter moments, the satellite channels offer up constant movement and activity, all while solidly anchoring the dialogue in the center channel. It’s a nice audio experience.

The Bonus Features: 

• Audio Commentary featuring Ron Howard
• Launching a Legacy
• Select Scenes Commentary featuring Ron Howard
• First Day on the Set with Ron Howard
• A Discussion with Dan Brown
• A Portrait of Langdon
• Who is Sophie Neveu
• Unusual Suspects
• Magical Places
• Close-Up on Mona Lisa
• The Filmmaker’s Journey Part One
• The Filmmaker’s Journey Part Two
• The Codes of The Da Vinci Code
• The Music of The Da Vinci Code
• Book to Screen
• The Da Vinci Props
• The Da Vinci Sets
• Re-Creating Works of Art
• The Visual Effects World of The Da Vinci Code
• Scoring the Da Vinci Code
• Trailers

Digital Copy Included: Yes

Ginger Snaps (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital)

Official Synopsis:

The cult favorite returns, in hair-raising 4K! Ginger Snaps is the story of death-fixated teenage sisters Ginger and Brigitte, who are attacked one night by a creature drawn to Ginger’s first menstrual period. Bitten by the creature, Ginger soon exhibits sudden aggression and bizarre transformations that convince Brigitte her sister is turning into a werewolf…and that Ginger’s embrace of her liberating new condition may be terminal.

The Movie: 

When Ginger Snaps came out in 2000, it almost instantly gained a small cult following, eventually leading to two follow-up films. While it’s been several years since there have been any new entries in the franchise — which is okay — this new Lionsgate Limited Vestron Series Collector’s Edition 4K release of Ginger Snaps is a great way to revisit a truly amazing movie that’s probably one of the best werewolf films ever made.

The story follows two outcast sisters in high school, one of whom gets bitten by a werewolf and slowly starts turning into a werewolf. The film mixes black humor, unorthodox characters, and some neat twists and turns to really make the werewolf genre feel fresh. Emily Perkins and Katherine Isabelle are terrific as the two sisters, and even though the film is lower-budgeted and lacking in any truly big names, it was outperforms much bigger and more high-profile werewolf movies in terms of heart, suspense, and personality. I absolutely love this movie!

Loaded with extra features, this new 4K ultra HD Collector’s Edition (available exclusively at LionsgateLimited.com) is a terrific way to experience this film for the first time or to revisit it.

The 4K Video/Audio:

This is one of those movies where it’s a little harder to see the improvements made in the 4K transfer without a direct comparison to a previous home video version. The movie is not only a low budget film that’s 25 years old, but it’s made intentionally kind of muddy and desaturated. Colors are awash in reds and browns and while image clarity is good, it’s not that razor’s edge clarity we’re used to from the format. The surround soundtrack has a lot more to work with, and there are some spectacular audio sequences involving the werewolf attacks that really make you feel like you’re in the middle of it.

The Bonus Features: 

• Lionsgate Limited Extra: The Pact: Ginger Snaps Forever
• Audio Commentary with Director John Fawcett
• Audio Commentary with Writer Karen Walton
• “Ginger Snaps: Blood, Teeth, and Fur” Featurette
• “Growing Pains: Puberty in Horror Films” Featurette
• “Making of” Featurette
• Cast Auditions and Rehearsals
• Creation of the Beast
• Being John Fawcett
• Production Design Artwork
• Deleted Scenes
• TV Spots
• Theatrical Trailers

Digital Copy Included: Yes

Hi, Mom! (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray)

Official Synopsis:

Aspiring adult film-maker Jon Rubin (Robert De Niro, Taxi Driver) returns from a tour of Vietnam and, armed with his film camera, attempts to find meaning and inspiration in his life from the burgeoning counter-culture of New York in 1970. Rubin graduates from covertly filming his neighbors, to joining a militant Black experimental theater group, before flirting with full-scale domestic terrorism, in this hilariously madcap satire that has still retained its outrageous power to shock fifty years after initially stunning unsuspecting American audiences.

The Movie: 

Before Robert De Niro was Robert De Niro, and before Brian De Palma was Brian De Palma, they were film school buddies who made independent movies together. In the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, De Palma and De Niro shot three movies together, which have been previously collected in a long out-of-print box set. Now, Radiance Entertainment has brought us at least one of those movies as a standalone release, and as a huge Brian De Palma fan (and that De Niro guy is all right, too) I am thrilled.

The movie itself is a fascinating product of its time, touching on themes of racism, adult filmmaking, counterculture, and voyeurism, all building up to an ending that is unexpected to say the least. Honestly, it’s a challenging film to write about in 2026, because while many of the themes are as relevant as ever, the guerrilla filmmaking approach and the pastiche of styles that come together feel vaguely alien in the era of overly-polished, hyper-edited popcorn cinema.

Not surprisingly, De Niro’s performance is terrific, and you can see glimpses of the creativity in filmmaking that De Palma would make a hallmark of his career. The film isn’t a masterpiece by any means; it’s weird and uneven and sometimes disjointed, but it’s also surprising and stylish and unique. Hi, Mom is definitely worth tracking down for enthusiasts of De Niro’s or De Palma’s. The mono soundtrack is pretty much what you’d expect from a mono soundtrack, but from a fidelity standpoint, there’s nothing to complain about.

The 4K Video/Audio:

I’d never seen the movie before this, and so I can’t compare it to any previous home video release, but it’s clear from watching the trailer that even though this is a 50-year-old movie that was shot on a low budget, the 4K upgrade has improved the picture quality a lot. The imagery is crisp and clear for the most part; it’s not razor sharp but it’s still an improvement over standard definition. Colors are solid and the print is largely free of damage or dirt and debris.

The Bonus Features: 

• Audio commentary by writer Travis Woods (2026)
• Interview with critic Ellen E. Jones (2026)
• Dionysus in ‘69 – an experimental theater production of Euripides’ ‘The Bacchae’, filmed by Brian de Palma (1970, 85 mins)
• Archival interview with co-writer Charles Hirsch (2018)
• Trailer
• Optional English SDH subtitle track
• Reversible sleeve featuring artwork based on original posters
• Limited edition booklet featuring new writing by Matt Zoller Seitz

Digital Copy Included: No

Suzzanna: Empress Of Darkness (Blu-ray Box Set)

Official Synopsis:

6 films on 3 discs! Featuring the North American disc premieres of 4 Suzzanna horror classics, plus her final feature film and the award-winning documentary Suzanna: The Queen of Black Magic. She’s known as “an icon” (Hi-Def Digest), “a cult legend” (Gizmodo) and “an inspiration for modern scream queens” (The Final Girls). Nearly two decades after her passing, she remains “Indonesia’s Ultimate Queen of Horror” (Screen Anarchy). In this 3 disc/6 film collection, discover Suzzanna for the very first time…or as you’ve never experienced her before:

In Pact With the Forces of Darkness, Suzzanna stars as a woman who returns from the dead for violent revenge, complete with knockoff Freddy Krueger glove. Suzzanna portrays a regal reptile empress and her mortal twin sister in the wild White Crocodile Queen. Madam Satu Suro and Kliwon Friday Night both star Suzzanna in her most famous role as the grisly ghost of feminist vengeance, Sundelbolong. And in the “fascinating” (Cinapse) Severin Films documentary Suzanna: The Queen of Black Magic, director David Gregory peels back every startling layer of her controversial life, death and legacy. The 4 Soraya Productions have been scanned in 2K from their original camera negatives in English-friendly versions for the first time ever in America, with over 3 hours of Special Features that include revealing interviews, expert analysis and Suzzanna’s final film, Ghost Ambulance.

The Movies: 

I’m going to guess that most Western audience members are unfamiliar with Suzzanna. The Indonesian Queen of Horror. I was too, and I like to think I’m pretty well-versed in cinematic history. This new box set from Severin Films, one of the finest purveyors of cult and classic cinema, gives us a taste of the career of the Indonesian icon, and also gives us the context to appreciate her.

So let me work a little backwards here. The highlight of the box set is Suzanna: The Queen of Black Magic, a new documentary feature film about Suzzanna that is absolutely outstanding. It explores the legend’s career and the Indonesian horror genre as a whole, and it is really in-depth and fascinating. If for nothing else, this box set is worth it for this film alone.

But the set gives you five other movies as well. Four of them are from a five-year span of her career — from 1986 to 1991 — with one curiosity thrown in. Pact with the Forces of Darkness (a Nightmare on Elm Street homage) and White Crocodile Queen (kind of what it sounds like) are the two standout movies of the set, both the most enjoyable and the most coherent/effective. Then you also get two solidly decent (if weird) horror films in the forms of Madam Satu Suro and Kliwon Friday Night. Finally, Ghost Ambulance finishes out the set. This is Suzzanna’s final film role, released in 2008, about 15 years or so after she had largely retired from acting. It’s not a stand-out film, but it’s interesting to see Suzzanna in one final role in her old age.

As you would expect from Severin, the box set also comes with several bonus features, and it’s all wrapped up in a sweet-looking box, making Suzzanna: Empress Of Darkness a must have for fans of the beautiful actress, foreign cinema, horror movies,  or cult cinema.

The Bonus Features: 

• Hantu Retribution: Female Ghosts Of The Malay Archipelago – Interview With Filmmaker Katrina Irawati Graham And Dr. Rosalind Galt, Author Of Alluring Monsters: The Pontianak And Cinemas Of Decolonization
• Suzanna: The Queen of Black Magic Conversation With Director/Co-Producer David Gregory And Co-Producer Ekky Imanjaya
• David Gregory Introduction To Suzanna: The Queen of Black Magic At Jakarta Film Week Screening, October 2024
• Suzanna: The Queen of Black Magic Trailer
• The Making Of Ghost Ambulance
• ShowBiz On Location Interviews With Cast And Crew Of Ghost Ambulance
• Ghost Ambulance Interview With Actors Suzzanna And Clift Sangra
• Ghost Ambulance Promo Clips
• Ghost Ambulance Trailer

Digital Copy Included: No

Sonic The Hedgehog: The IDW Collection – Volume 6 (Graphic Novel)

Official Synopsis:

Oversize hardcover editions of IDW’s celebrated Sonic the Hedgehog comics, including the ongoing series, annuals, and miniseries, all presented in recommended reading order! Race into these stories from across Sonic’s world, from frightful foes to old ghosts to mismatched pairs! Speaking of mismatched pairs, who is Surge, beyond Sonic’s evil counterpart? These two speedsters just can’t seem to stop fighting, all of which comes to a head in Central City!

Following a clash with Dr. Starline, an evolved Surge is free and wreaking destruction on all technology in her path—and only Sonic can stop her. The two must battle it out, but who will win? And will forces from the past come back to haunt them? In another story of ghosts of the past, Sonic and Tails crash on the deserted Scrapnik Island and must battle their way past tech hardwired to destroy them. However, some of these robots are different…and more personal. Dive into the fights, mayhem, and silliness of the Sonic the Hedgehog comic line!

Collects issues #51–56 from volume 14 (Overpowered) of the Sonic the Hedgehog series, the 2022 Annual, Sonic the Hedgehog 2022 Free Comic Book Day, and the Scrapnik Island four-issue miniseries.

The Book: 

I am a casual Sonic the Hedgehog fan, and I mean that as praise, not criticism. I played the games on my Sega back in the 1990s and 2000s, and I’ve seen and enjoyed all of the live-action movies. But I don’t wear Sonic T-shirts or collect the Funko Pops or anything like that. That said, I don’t collect the Sonic the Hedgehog coin books on a monthly basis, but I do always have fun when I get to read them in the collected editions.

And no one does collected editions like IDW, which gives us Sonic The Hedgehog: The IDW Collection – Volume 6. Each of these hardcover collections comprises all of the IDW comics to date, presented in chronological reading order, which really soothes the completist in my soul. This volume only collects five issues of the main series, #s 51-56, but then it also give you the four-issue Scrapnik Island miniseries, which features Mecha Sonic and takes on a sort of horror/sci-fi vibe (but still in a family-friendly way.) Topping it off is the Sonic 2022 Annual and the 2022 Free Comic Book Day issue. You also get covers and artwork, and the book is slightly larger than standard comic book trim, which makes it feel hefty, especially since it comes in at almost exactly 300 pages.

Sonic fans, this entire collection of graphic novels is worth having, so you can literally read every Sonic comic ever published by IDW, and this newest volume is no exception!

The Specs: 

• Publisher: IDW Publishing
• Format: Hardcover
• Page Count: 296 pages
• Cover Price: $59.99

Nirvanna The Band The Show The Movie (Blu-ray)

Official Synopsis:

After a series of misadventures, lifelong friends Matt and Jay continue their quest to book a gig at legendary venue, the Rivoli. This time, something goes horribly wrong and they accidentally travel back in time to the year 2008.

The Movie: 

There is so much background you have to know to understand where Nirvana the Band The Show The Movie is coming from, but luckily you can watch the movie without any of that. Effectively, best friends Matt Johnson and Jay McCarrol had a show called Nirvana the Band: The Show, which featured the pair playing fictionalized versions of themselves trying to get their sort-of band a gig at a legendary Toronto venue called the Rivoli. But they often film with unsuspecting members of the public, who think what’s happening is real, and they blur the lines between fiction, reality, and mockumentary.

Now, after a web series from 2007-2009 and a TV show from 2017-2019, we get Nirvana The Band The Show The Movie, a feature film which sees the duo travel back in time to 2008 in an effort to get their Rivoli gig. I don’t know quite how to explain the movie, but it’s by turns fascinating, funny, and occasionally so offbeat that you don’t know what to think. Personally, I liked it a lot more than I expected to, and now I want to go back and watch the show. (There is the first episode included as a bonus feature, which just whet my appetite more.)

So just to be clear, this movie has NOTHING to do with Nirvana, the seminal grunge band from the ‘90s. It does have to do with chaos and parody and a unique sense of humor, and it’s a lot of fun.

The Bonus Features: 

• Audio Commentaries:
• Deleted Scene
• Alternate Opening
• Post-Credit Scene
• Home Movies
• Figured it Out Featurette
• Animatics
• Nirvana the Band, the Show – Episode 101

Digital Copy Included: No