“Lovecraft Country: The Complete First Season”: Adapted from the 2016 novel of the same name by Matt Ruff, the hit HBO series created by Misha Green follows Korean War vet Atticus “Tic” Freeman (Jonathan Majors) and photographer Letitia “Leti” Lewis (Jurnee Smollett) as the pair team up with the former’s uncle, George (Courtney B. Vance), while facing the horrors of a Jim Crow-era U.S. road trip for the Black travelers in search of Atticus’ father. The hit HBO series was nominated for two SAG Awards, including Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series, and a Golden Globe nod for Best Television Series (Drama).
The series blends horror elements and stories by influential fiction writer H.P. Lovecraft, and the racism Lovecraft and other writers brought to the genre.
“The blunt catharsis in ‘Lovecraft Country’ comes through derring-do and ultraviolent fantasy. The novel and the HBO series both derive their punch from car-crashing the real 1950s into an alternate-universe, many tentacled variation on recent history,” wrote Chicago Tribune critic Michael Phillips in his review. “Lovecraft’s racism is widely documented. Green, as producer and screenwriter, working with a versatile team of fellow writers, slyly subverts Lovecraft’s terror of The Other, in the form of Black America.”
Also new on DVD
• “A Call to Spy”: Winston Churchill orders the UK’s spy agency to train women as the Nazis attempt to gain control of France.
• “Archenemy”: A teen (Skylan Brooks) believes a man (Joe Manganiello) who says he’s a superhero from another universe but has lost his powers.
• “Bordertown Season 2”: Kari Sorjonen (Ville Virtanen) crosses the border to investigate a double murder. In Finnish and Russian.
• “Fear of Rain”: A girl living with schizophrenia (Madison Iseman) must determine what’s real as she suspects a neighbor has kidnapped a child.
• “Harley Quinn: The Complete Second Season”: As the animated series kicks off its second season, Harley (voiced by Kaley Cuoco) struggles to retain control of New Gotham.
• “Horizon Line”: Exes (Alexander Dreymon and Allison Williams) on a flight to a destination wedding fight to survive after their pilot dies of a heart attack.
• “Random Acts of Violence”: Comic book writers discover a disturbing link between their work and real-life events. Stars Jesse Williams, Jordana Brewster and Jay Baruchel.
• “The Swordsman”: Three swordsmen at various stages of their lives meet. Stars Jang Hyuk, Man-sik Jeong and Angelina Danilova. In Korean.
• “The Very Excellent Mr. Dundee”: Disgraced comedian (Paul Hogan) attempts to redeem himself before being knighted.
Digital HD
• “Monster Hunter”: Based on the video game of the same name, a lieutenant (Milla Jovovich) and her team fight to survive after being transported to a fantastical world.
• “Rock Camp”: Documentary follows camp goers who pay to play with their rock musician idols.
