GO!: New to Home Theaters
It has been nine years since audiences last caught up with “The Italian Stallion” Rocky Balboa, who came out of retirement for one last fight against Mason “The Line” Dixon.
In 2015, audiences saw Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) take on a new role as mentor and trainer to his former friend/rival, the late Apollo Creed’s son, Adonis Johnson (Michael B. Jordan), in “Creed.”
Pulling on the heartstrings by watching this underdog take on more deadly opponents than his father, must have struck a chord with audiences as the film has grossed over $109 million as of Feb. 19.
The film, just made available on DVD and Blu-Ray, garnered Stallone a Golden Globe in January for his role as Balboa in “Creed.”
In an article on the ABC News website, “After winning a Golden Globe in January for once again playing the ‘Italian Stallion’ in ‘Creed’ he emotionally said, “I want to thank my imaginary friend Rocky Balboa for being the best friend I ever had.”
According to Entertainment Weekly, Stallone was not the only “Creed” actor to receive accolades for his role in the film.
Jordan was awarded both Entertainer of the Year and Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture at the NAACP Image Awards on Feb. 5.
The film was released on DVD and Blu-ray this week.
Other new releases
n “Room” starring Brie Larson, Jacob Tremblay and Sean Bridgers and directed by Lenny Abrahamson, is a drama that tells the story of a mother and son that are confined to a room with no access to the outside world.
The real adventure starts when they escape to the real world.
The film is rated R for language.
n “The Night Before” starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen and Jillian Bell and directed by Jonathan Levine in a comedy about three long time friends who spend the evening in New York City looking for a legendary Christmas party.
The film is rated R for drug use and language throughout, some strong sexual content and graphic nudity.
n “The Danish Girl” starring Eddie Redmayne, Alicia Vikander and Amber Heard and directed by Tom Hooper in a film inspired by the real life artists Lili Elbe and Gerda Wegener.
The film tells the story of Lili’s transgender journey.
The film is rated R for some sexuality and full nudity.
TV shows released this week for home viewing include:
n “The Fall” (seasons 1 and 2) starring Gillian Anderson, Jamie Dornan and John Lynch directed by Allan Cubitt in a series that shares the lives of a killer who stalks his victims and a detective brought in to catch him.
n “WWE Royal Rumble” 2016 featuring the stars of WWE including Roman Reigns, Ruseve, Titus O’Neil and more. This yearly event is directed by Kevin Dunn.
n “Arrow” (The complete first season) starring Stephen Amell, Katie Cassidy and David Ramsey. The series follows the many adventures of a billionaire playboy who hunts down corrupt individuals.