HBO’s ‘Watchmen’ shakes up classic comic

HBO’s “Watchmen” was one of the best-reviewed TV series of 2019. And because show creator and runner Damon Lindelof decided to walk away after the first season, the show begins and ends here.

The HBO series used the 1980s comic book of the same name as a base but then charted its own course. With a strong focus on racial animosity in America, the series opened with a graphic depiction of the real-life 1921 Tulsa, Oklahoma, race massacre, where a white mob attacked black residents and businesses. The show also included the supernatural creations from the comic for an interesting mix.

“It’s a gumbo of genres,” series star Regina King told the Los Angeles Times. “And everyone loves gumbo.”

Also new on DVD

■ “1BR”: Horror movie where a woman finds her “perfect” apartment is maybe not so perfect.

■ “Debt Collectors”: Martial arts expert finds work as a debt collector for the mob.

■ “Harley Quinn: The Complete First Season”: DC antihero in her own animated series.

■ “Robert The Bruce”: Angus Macfadyen stars as the Scottish king in this sequel to Oscar-winner “Braveheart.”

■ “Witches in the Woods”:

Students’ snowboarding trip goes wrong — very, very wrong.

New on digital HD

■ “And Then We Danced”:

Two men in love in the conservative society of the former Soviet republic of Georgia.

■ “The Blackout: Invasion Earth”: Russian sci-fi movie about Earth’s last hope.

■ “A Clear Shot”: Based on real hostage situation at an electronics store.

■ “Feral”: A homeless woman living below New York City survives on her own terms. — TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE