Oh boy, oh boy. This is among the busiest weeks I’ve ever written about — there are more than 20 new releases arriving in a wide variety of genres… So if you can’t make it out to the movies this week, be sure to give one of these titles a try!

Big New Releases!

All the Way - While technically an HBO made-for-cable movie, this recent effort features an all-star cast and garnered critical raves that make it worthy of a mention here. Based on an award-winning play, this is a biopic about US President Lyndon B. Johnson and his early days in the White House after the Kennedy assassination. It has been called a powerful and well-acted drama with some interesting historical...

Rating: «« out of 4 stars

Running Time: 132 min.

Director Derek Cianfrance has become known for his heavy and searing dramas revolving around family, as witnessed in films like Blue Valentine and The Place Beyond the Pines. His latest is called The Light Between Oceans, and it certainly shares similarities with previous films; while there isn’t a big cast, it looks like an epic and features oodles of torment among the inner lives of its characters.

Based on novel by M.L. Stedman, this period piece is set in Australia following the end of the First World War. Veteran Tom Sherbourne (Michael Fassbender) takes on a position as lighthouse keeper on an island. Despite his intentions...

Welcome back to another look at highlights coming your way on Blu-ray and DVD. There are a couple of big hits arriving, as well as some intriguing older films. So if you can’t make it out to the movies this week, be sure to give one of these titles a try!

Big New Releases!

Citizen Soldier - This documentary follows the National Guard’s 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team stationed in Afghanistan. Cameras are mounted on helmets and move with them as they perform a tour of duty. Reception from the press was decent for the doc. Several believed it provided an interesting, first-person perspective from the front lines, although others felt a little uncomfortable about the film...

Rating: «« out of 4 stars

Running Time: 105 min.

If you watched any boxing in the ’70s and early ’80s, you’ll certainly be familiar with Roberto Durán. The Panamanian was an incredible pugilist who courted controversy and provoked strong reactions over his career. The new film Hands of Stone depicts his life story, from his youth in the slums to success (and more troubles) in the ring. However, unlike the real figure, this biopic feels generic and soft. The telling of this tale could have used a lot more fire and passion.

The story is narrated by famed American trainer Ray Arcel (Robert De Niro), who recounts meeting Roberto Durán (Edgár Ramírez), seeing his potential and...