By Bob Bloom The following titles are being released on Tuesday, March 5, unless otherwise noted: Creed II (Blu-ray + DVD + digital) Details: 2018, Warner Home Video Rated: PG-13, sports action violence, language, sensuality The lowdown: One of the pleasures of “Creed II,” as well as its predecessor, is how they pay tribute to the “Rocky” franchise yet stand on their own dramatically and thematically. “Creed II” finds Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) winning world title and getting his life to a place where contentment reigns. That changes when he is challenged by an opponent with ties to his family’s past. The interesting aspect of “Creed II” is how the story by Sascha Penn and Cheo Hodari Coker, with a screenplay by Joel Taylor and Sylvester Stallone, circles back to the past while also moving this new franchise forward. Adonis and his trainer-father-figure, Rocky Balboa (Stallone), must confront their pasts, in the form of boxer Viktor Drago (Florian Munteanu) and his father, Ivan (Dolph Lundgren), the man who killed Adonis’ father, Apollo Creed, and was beaten in the ring by Rocky. The story is one of fathers and sons and revenge and redemption. Critics were impressed with the effort, giving the movie an 84 percent fresh rating at Rottentomatoes.com. Technical aspects: Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 2:40:1 (16x9 enhanced) widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, English 5.1 descriptive audio and French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles; DVD: 2.40:1 (16x9 enhanced) widescreen picture; English, French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital and English 5.1 descriptive audio; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles. Don’t miss: Bonus offerings include a featurette on the dynamics of sons who follow their fathers into the ring, a look at the women of “Creed II,” a behind-the-scenes look at creating the boxing sequences and the casting of Munteanu, deleted scenes and a featurette on the “Rocky” legacy.
Burning (Blu-ray + DVD) Details: 2018, Well Go USA Rated: Not rated, violence, language, nudity, sexual content The lowdown: This is a dark, disturbing, psychological feature that examines a troubled young man, Jongsu (Ah-in Yoo), who runs into Haemi (Jong-seo Jun), a spirited young woman from his neighborhood, who offers Jongsu some romantic possibilities. She asks him to watch her cat while she goes on a trip to Africa. She returns with a new friend, Ben (Steven Yeun), whom she met in Africa. Jongsu learns that Ben has a mysterious hobby, which creates confusion and obsession and ultimately leads to a fateful encounter. The movie is a cryptic, slow-moving look at jealousy and its consequences, enhanced by its three main performers. It's a movie that, at 148 minutes, requires patience and that will beget several debates and discussions when it fades out. A vast majority of critics found the movie compelling, giving it a 94 percent fresh rating at Rottentomatoes.com. Technical aspects: Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 2.39:1 (16x9 enhanced) widescreen picture; Korean 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles; DVD: 2.39:1 (16x9 enhanced); Korean 5.1 Dolby digital; English subtitles. Don’t miss: A featurette about the three main protagonists is the major bonus component.
Death in Venice: Special Edition (Blu-ray) Release date: Feb. 19 Details: 1971, The Criterion Collection Rated: Not rated The lowdown: Director Luchino Visconti’s cinematic adaptation of the Thomas Mann novella is a meditation on the nature of art, the fascination with beauty and the certainty of death. Dirk Bogarde stars as composer Gustav von Achenbach, who is reeling from a disastrous concert. Achenbach travels to Venice to recover. There, he is struck by the beauty of a young man, Tadzio (Bjorn Andrésen). His fascination with Tadzio slowly becomes an obsession, even as rumors of a plague spread through the city. Mann’s story is one of homosexual desire and bodily decay that is set against the music of Gustav Mahler. The movie is one of the most literate adaptations to reach movie screens. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.35:1 widescreen picture; English LPCM monaural; English SDH subtitles. Don’t miss: Extras include a 2008 documentary about Visconti, a 1970 short film by Visconti to cast the role of Tadzio, a featurette with cinema scholar Stefano Albertini, a 2006 interview with costume designer Piero Tosi, excerpts from a 1980 program about the music in Visconti’s movies, a 1971 interview with Visconti, “Visconti’s Venice,” a short, 1970 behind-the-scenes documentary and an essay about the movie.
Kalifornia: Collector’s Edition (Blu-ray) Details: 1993, Shout! Factory Rated: R, graphic violence, sexual content, language The lowdown: This Shout Select feature centers on writer Brian Kessler (David Duchovny) and his girlfriend, Carrie Laughlin (Michelle Forbes), who set off on a cross-country trip to research a book about serial killers. The two advertise for fellow travelers and hook up with Early Grayce (Brad Pitt) and his girlfriend, Adele (Juliette Lewis). As they travel together, the disparate couples try to reach some common ground. Brian and Carrie later discover — to their horror — that they needn’t search very far to find answers to the questions they have been asking about heartless killers. “Kalifornia” is one of those movies that show how quickly supposedly civilized people can devolve into the kind of savages they want to study. The Blu-ray features a new theatrical cut of the film, which received a 65 percent fresh rating at Rottentomatoes.com. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.35:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles. Don’t miss: The major supplemental offering is an interview with director Dominic Sena.
Phantom Lady (Blu-ray) Details: 1944, Arrow Academy Rated: Not rated The lowdown: Alan Curtis, Franchot Tone and Ella Raines star in this noir-like thriller about a man accused and convicted of killing his wife and the loyal secretary who sets out to prove his innocence. The movie is a Hitchcockian-like effort, directed by Robert Siodmak, that fails to take advantage of its full potential. The identity of the real killer is rather easy to discern. Curtis makes a bland hero, while Tone, as his best friend — who makes his initial appearance late in the film — is rather creepy. Raines, a fine actress who did not get many opportunities in movies, is the real star of the picture. Others in the cast include Thomas Gomez as a police detective and Elisha Cook Jr. as a crazed drummer. The movie’s digital transfer is adequate; a few nicks and specks can be detected. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.33:1 full-screen picture; English 2.0 LPCM monaural; English SDH subtitles. Don’t miss: Extras include a documentary about the film noir style of moviemaking and a “Lux Radio Theater” adaptation of the movie.
The Prisoner (Blu-ray) Details: 1955, Arrow Academy Rated: Not rated The lowdown: Alec Guinness and Jack Hawkins star in this political drama, directed by Peter Glenville, set in a post-World War II Eastern Europe communist country. Guinness plays a strong-willed, outspoken cardinal who is arrested as an enemy of the state. Hawkins is his interrogator. It’s the verbal sparring between the two stars that propels the picture. The characters are identified by their positions, as the interrogator continually tries to psychologically break down the cardinal. As the movie progresses, you learn the two have a prior relationship from working together in “the resistance.” The movie is not shown very often, so this is a good chance to see the sparring between two first-rate performers. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English LPCM monaural; English SDH subtitles. Don’t miss: Bonus offerings include an appreciation of the film by Neil Sinyard and selected scene commentaries.
“Sister Street Fighter Collection” Details: 1974, Arrow Video Rated: Not rated, action violence The lowdown: This Japanese martial arts franchise is built around a female protagonist, Li Koryu (Etsuko Shihomi), who in the first film in the series, “Sister Street Fighter,” travels to Yokohama to investigate the disappearance of her brother, an undercover police officer. She discovers a smuggling ring run by a drug lord whose minions include a deadly martial arts expert by a group of female Thai kickboxers, known as The Amazon Seven. Also appearing is Sonny Chiba as a fellow karate master who helps Koryu. The sequel, “Sister Street Fighter: Hanging by a Thread,” was released three months later. In it, Koryu investigates another smuggling ring, this one involving diamonds and the prostitutes who carry them where the sun doesn’t shine. Once again, Koryu prevails. The third movie, “Return of the Sister Street Fighter,” finds Koryu again in Yokohama searching for a woman who was the mistress of another crime boss. She must pit her skills against a maniacal fighter working for the bad guys. These are solid Japanese B-movies loaded with martial arts action and over-the-top villains and henchmen. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, widescreen picture; Japanese LPCM monaural; English SDH and English subtitles. Don’t miss: Extras include interviews with Chiba and “Sister Street Fighter’s” director and screenwriter and a booklet with writings about the movies.
The Clovehitch Killer (Blu-ray) Details: 2018, IFC Midnight-Scream Factory Rated: Not rated The lowdown: A thriller centering on Tyler Burnside (Charlie Plummer), a teenager who lives in a quiet Kentucky town. He is a Boy Scout and a volunteer at his local church. Tyler admires his father, an upstanding community leader played by Dylan McDermott. The only blemish on this ideal location is a series of brutal murders that rocked the community more than a decade earlier. The killer, known as Clovehitch, was never caught. When Tyler discovers a cache of disturbing images in his father’s possession, he begins to suspect that the man he has placed on a pedestal may be the serial killer who terrorized the town. First-time director Duncan Skiles creates an atmosphere of tension, even though the movie’s premise cannot be sustained until the end. Critics favorably reviewed the movie, giving it a 74 percent fresh rating at Rottentomatoes.com. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.78:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH and Spanish subtitles. Don’t miss: A making of featurette is the main extra.
Liz and the Blue Bird (Blu-ray + DVD) Details: 2018, Shout! Factory=Elven Arts Anime Studio Rated: Not rated The lowdown: This animated feature tells of two high school students and best friends, Mizore Yoriozuka and Nozomi Kasaki, who are members of their high school concert band. Mizore plays the oboe and Nozomi plays the flute. They perform exceptionally well together, but with graduation nearing, their friendship faces challenges under various pressures, including going to college. As seniors, they have chosen as their last composition, “Liz and the Blue Bird,” but their duet lacks the stellar harmony of earlier collaborations. Interspersed with the girls’ story, is the fantasy tale of Liz. That story is drawn like a storybook, contrasting with the realism of the school setting. This is a poignant and sweet coming-of-age story that anime fans will enjoy. Technical aspects: Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; Japanese and English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles; DVD: 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen picture; Japanese and English 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH subtitles.
Other titles being released on Tuesday, unless otherwise indicated: Devil’s Path (DVD + VOD) (Breaking Glass Pictures) Do It Yourself (DVD + VOD) (Artsploitation Films) The House (DVD + digital) (Artsploitation Films) The Vanishing (Blu-ray + DVD + digital) (Lionsgate Home Entertainment) When Calls the Heart: The Greatest Blessing (Shout! Factory)
FOR KIDS Nick Jr: Meet the Baby Animals (Nickelodeon-Paramount Home Entertainment) Top Wing: Eggcellent Missions (Nickelodeon-Paramount Home Entertainment)
DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, STREAMING or VOD Aquaman (Warner Home Video) Between the Trees (Uncork’d Entertainment) The Cannibal Club (Uncork’d Entertainment) Henry IX: The Lost King (Acorn TV, March 11) Manhunt (Acorn TV, March 11) Murdoch Mysteries: Series 12, Episode 13 (Acorn TV, March 11)
Coming next week: Green Book Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
I am a founding member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association. I review movies, Blu-rays and DVDs for ReelBob (ReelBob.com), The Film Yap and other print and online publications. I can be reached by email at bobbloomjc@gmail.com. You also can follow me on Twitter @ReelBobBloom and on Facebook. My movie reviews also can be found at Rottentomatoes: www.rottentomatoes.com.