More New Releases : Movies

The wickedly wacky “Beetlejuice” (Warner, $89.95, PG), which stars Michael Keaton as the most unusual pest exterminator you’ll ever see, arrives at video stores this week--though its heaviest rental traffic, along with that of other ghoulish comedies and horror flicks, may come next (Halloween) weekend.

“Bright Lights, Big City” (MGM/UA, $89.95, R) disappointed fans of the book but the James Bridges-directed film, starring Michael J. Fox (as a yuppie who’s sucked into the darker side of New York City) and Dianne Wiest, still pulled about $16 million at the box office.

Other films new to video this weekend, all from RCA/Columbia: “Little Nikita” ($89.95, PG) stars Sidney Poitier and River Phoenix in a suspense thriller; “Two Moon Junction” ($89.95, R) is a steamy drama with Sherilyn Fenn and Richard (“I’m not Mike”) Tyson; “Judgment in Berlin” ($89.95, PG) concerns a couple who hijacked a plane to escape East Berlin and stars Martin Sheen, Sean Penn and Sam Wanamaker.

Release schedule changes: “White Mischief” should finally be in video stores by this weekend, according to Nelson Entertainment. New Star’s planned release of “Blood Feast” and several other films by gore specialist Herschell Gordon Lewis fell through; the company is hoping to announce a new release date in the future.

The wait may soon be over, Super-VHS owners: The first major motion picture to be released on S-VHS is due in mid-November, when J2 Communications releases “On Golden Pond” in the format for a projected price of $59.95.

Other Videos

Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk. Six more volumes of Three Stooges comedies, containing three episodes each, come out this week (RCA/Columbia, $14.95 each).

Amid all the John F. Kennedy tapes being released this and next month (in conjunction with the 25th anniversary of his assassination; one company is also releasing a documentary about Lyndon Johnson on Nov. 22), Republicans get not-quite-equal time with “The Reagan Years: In Pursuit of the American Dream” (MGM/UA; $29.95, 75 min.).