"Lincoln" and "Magical Mystery Tour"

In theaters: For the love of Lincoln

It's fitting that Steven Spielberg's historical epic "Lincoln" (Touchstone/DreamWorks/20th Century Fox) should be arriving in theaters as it does following the ugly and divisive 2012 presidential election. In fact, the timing couldn't be better as several Southern states are pursuing possible steps to secede from the United States following Barack Obama's re-election. In other words, the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Beginning in January 1865, four years into the Civil War and shortly after the re-election of Abraham Lincoln (a physically transformed Daniel Day-Lewis) to a second term as President, the movie, with a screenplay by gay writer Tony Kushner, examines the last four months of Lincoln's life. What a difficult four-month period it was.

Still not completely recovered from the death of one of their sons the previous year, Lincoln and wife Mary (a riveting Sally Field), do what they can to keep their relationship and family life from unraveling. The presence of young son Tad (Gulliver McGrath) and eldest boy Robert (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), home from Harvard (while he considers enlisting as a soldier) function as a kind of glue.

As bad as things might be at home in the White House, it's nothing compared to the state of the country. The mounting death toll, the other ravages of an endless war with no compromise in sight, the shady political backroom dealing and posturing and, of course, the question of abolishing slavery and the passage of the 13th amendment, all combine to create taut drama, intrigue, and unexpected moments of humor and surprise.

History comes alive, although in muted hues, in Spielberg's more than capable hands. "Lincoln" is the kind of movie that history buffs and fans of great cinema alike can experience with equal exhilaration. The massive supporting cast, including Tommy Lee Jones as Thaddeus Stevens, David Strathairn as William Seward and Gloria Reuben as (Mary Todd Lincoln's seamstress and intimate) Elizabeth Keckley, to name a few, all contribute in essential ways to give "Lincoln" its stature and power.

At home: Hello, goodbye

"The trip of a lifetime," The Beatles' 1967 TV movie Magical Mystery Tour (Apple), now bowing on DVD, takes the camp and silliness of their previous feature films to a vivid new level. Directed by all four Beatles, with Bernard Knowles, Magical Mystery Tour plays out like a series of scenes woven together as an excuse to have a goofy, good time and hear Beatles' songs (including "Fool On The Hill," "I Am The Walrus" and "Your Mother Should Know").

Richard B. Starkey (aka Ringo Starr) and his Aunt Jessica (Jessie Robins) never give their bickering a rest, even after they board the Magical Mystery Tour bus. Run by courier Jolly Jimmy (Derek Royle), hostess Wendy (Mandy Weet) and driver Alf, the bus leaves the town, headed for the countryside. Among the other bus passengers are the other Beatles (Paul McCartney, John Lennon and George Harrison), a starlet (Maggie Wright), a child (Nicola Hale) and the "quite harmless" Mr. Bloodvessel (poet Ivor Cutler).

The tour features "enjoyment within the limits of British decency," such as games (Blind Man's Bluff, Tug of War, wrestling, races, a jolly good sing-along ) and the gents' visit to a strip club (where the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band performs "Death Cab For Cutie"). There is magic at work, as "four or five" magicians (played by The Beatles) whip things up in their lab. There is also love, as Mr. Bloodvessel falls for Aunt Jessica. Period touches of psychedelia and surrealism abound, including Aunt Jessy's food dream, as well as select musical numbers.

Magical Mystery Tour is certainly no Help! or A Hard Day's Night, but it's not a bad way to spend an hour with The Beatles. DVD special features include commentary by McCartney, a "making of" featurette, and much more.

Subtitled, "The very loud ending of LCD Soundsystem," the concert doc Shut Up and Play The Hits (Oscilloscope) begins with the quote, "if it's a funeral, let's have the best funeral ever." Talk about going out with a bang, Dylan Southern and Will Lovelace's doc wants to be the EDM equivalent of Martin Scorcese's The Last Waltz and Jonathan Demme's Stop Making Sense, and it almost succeeds (especially in the performance footage).

Framing the story of how LCD Soundsystem's James Murphy walked away from fame at the peak of his career with concert footage, Shut Up and Play the Hits is a surprisingly touching and emotional experience. Murphy, a straight man with a genuine appreciation for classic disco/dance music and giant mirror balls, chose (and sold out) Madison Square Garden for the farewell show.

Pre- and post-show footage, backstage and onstage, indicates that Murphy (a man with a French Bulldog named Petunia) is a hugger and kisser. It's perfectly understandable as he is saying hello and goodbye to a multitude of people in his personal and professional life, "before they disappear."

In a (perhaps too) revelatory interview with journalist/writer Chuck Klosterman, Murphy describes the history and function of "the band," which he describes as a "cover band." Made up of mostly former members of punk bands, Murphy and company wanted to play dance clubs and places where people were having fun. He also touches on aging, influences, successes and failures, "the desire to be understood," considering his life and putting it into context, his ambition "to leave a mark, to leave a stain" and more. When all of its elements come together, Shut Up and Play the Hits is a portrait of a man who will never lose his edge.

The three-DVD special edition includes the doc on the first disc and the full-length three plus hours LCD Soundsystem farewell concert at MSG on the second and third discs. DVD extra features include the featurette Catching Up With Keith (Wood, Murphy's former manager), outtakes, the extended interview and more.