Top Picks: 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey' on DVD and Blu-ray, an opportunity to save a turkey, and more
Native American Month
In honor of Native American Heritage Month in November, offers two films. The first, Indian Relay, about the rarely seen horse competition that brings tribes together to race their steeds, airs Nov. 18. Young Lakota, about a young native American working for women鈥檚 rights, airs Nov. 25. They are part of the 鈥淚ndependent Lens鈥� series.
Verdi in Hollywood
It鈥檚 hard to imagine a better combo of big-time musical names and places than Verdi, Gustavo Dudamel, and The Hollywood Bowl. They come together on this new DVD release of Dudamel conducting the Los Angeles Philharmonic performing Verdi鈥檚 Requiem. The Los Angeles Master Chorale brings this massive work to life in a triumphant evening in the world鈥檚 largest natural amphitheater. You can experience this musical extravaganza honoring the 200th anniversary of Verdi鈥檚 birth with the DVD and Blu-ray release from .
Linger in Middle Earth
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Extended Edition 鈥� available on DVD, Blu-ray, and Blu-ray 3-D 鈥� brings viewers back to the hobbit holes and goblin mines of Middle Earth for a longer stay. This version offers 13 minutes of new scenes and nine hours of bonus features, including a deep dive into the elaborate props and digital wizardry that brought J.R.R. Tolkien鈥檚 world to life.
Grace for turkeys
If you would like to honor a Thanksgiving turkey with something other than your appetite, the nation鈥檚 largest farm animal protection group, , has a fowl for you. Over 25 years, the annual Adopt a Turkey Project has rescued more than 1,000 birds and given them a New York or California retreat home for life. Follow the lead of 鈥淔ree Birds鈥� spokesturkeys Reggie and Jake (voiced by Owen Wilson and Woody Harrelson) this holiday season.
So that a nation might live
Picture America鈥檚 most iconic president in his stovepipe hat, tap-tap-tapping the telegraph from his high-tech command center 鈥� the War Department Telegraph Office 鈥� to quarterback the Civil War. That鈥檚 the image you鈥檒l get from 鈥檚 Lincoln@Gettysburg on the 150th anniversary of his historic speech. In 1863, Lincoln was mastering what the network calls the Internet of his day to collect battle movements of the enemy and direct his own generals 鈥� to the decided chagrin of some. Narrated by David Strathairn, it airs Nov. 19 at 9 p.m.
JFK conspiracy theories
Marking the 50th anniversary of John F. Kennedy鈥檚 assassination, Oliver Stone鈥檚 controversial JFK comes out in a newly expanded Blu-ray version. For fans who appreciate Stone鈥檚 willingness to propose new perspectives on familiar history, the 50 Year Commemorative Ultimate Collector鈥檚 Edition offers the director鈥檚 cut with 17 additional minutes of footage, as well as three compelling short documentaries on DVD (鈥淛FK: To the Brink,鈥� the new 鈥淛FK Remembered: 50 Years Later,鈥� and 鈥淛ohn F. Kennedy: Years of Lightning, Day of Drums鈥�) and the feature film 鈥淧T 109,鈥� about Kennedy鈥檚 days as a torpedo boat captain.
