Welcome to another edition of highlights arriving on Blu-ray and DVD. There are fewer discs coming your way, but there is a major release arriving that is sure to appeal to the masses. So, if you can’t make it out to the movies this week or need to stay indoors, be sure to give at least one of these titles a try!

 



BIG NEW RELEASES!



HONK FOR JESUS. SAVE YOUR SOUL.:  This satirical comedy deals with a husband-and-wife team who run a Southern Baptist megachurch. When a scandal shuts down their house of worship and the congregation disappears, the pair scheme to find new ways to draw in followers. They use outrageous methods to try and draw in new members in an attempt...

Rating: «««

out of ««««

Running Time: 130 minutes

This film from United Artists and Orion Pictures opens nationally on Oct. 28.

While many biopics can feel, well, a little formulaic and predictable, a few real-life stories are so powerful and unusual that one can’t help but take notice. “Till” not only details the atrocious and appalling lynching of a black teenager, but also shows the very unexpected events that followed. In some respects this movie does feel like a glossy Hollywood production, but the lead performance is so compelling and the narrative unconventional enough that the end result is gripping.

In 1955, the Civil Rights Movement was gaining traction in...

It’s that time of year again when trick or treaters appear and even adults don elaborate costumes to attend parties. There’s no shortage of seasonal films to watch either, and so it seems like a perfect opportunity to write about some of my personal picks. Not all of these are set exactly on Halloween, but they’re still spooky all the same.



Obviously, many households are filled with adults and children looking to have some fun together. My first pick would be the 1949 Disney animated short “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” which was put on a double bill under the banner “The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad” during its original release. Based on the...

Rating: 3 out of 4

Running Time: 134 minutes

This feature from 20th Century Studios opened in theaters on Oct. 7.

Filmmaker David O. Russell (“I Heart Huckabees,” “Silver Linings Playbook,” “American Hustle,” “Joy”) has a reputation for creating memorable, if occasionally shaggy films featuring eccentric protagonists and large ensemble casts. After spending seven years away from the director’s chair, he has returned with “Amsterdam,” a star-studded period comedy/mystery/thriller.

But those terms don’t quite sum this movie up. Like other titles from Russell, the movie is its own strange amalgam with its own unique tone. The characters are odd and the story...