Anna Karenina
Leo Tolstoys tragic story of a love that risked everything has been gloriously re-imagined by director Joe Wright and writer Tom Stoppard. Anna (Keira Knightly) is the lovely wife of one of Russias most powerful and most stoic men (Jude Law). Life ambles along pleasantly enough until Anna meets Count Vronsky (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and begins a torrid love affair that rocks Russian society. At times the action takes place on a live stage, complete with stagehands pulling ropes and sets above the actors; at times the characters look like theyre living in a sumptuous snowglobe. Special features on the Blu-ray disc include commentary with the director, one on adapting the classic novel, one on the costuming, deleted scenes, time-lapsed scenes and a making-of featurette.
Seven Psychopaths
Writer Marty (Colin Farrell) has serious writers block. His screenplay is overdue; he has a title and a vague idea about a Buddhist psychopath who doesnt believe in violence, but he needs to do a little research for the others. Thankfully there are plenty of crazies to go around: Woody Harrelson, Christopher Walken and Sam Rockwell, for starters. The blackest of comedies about killing, writing and dog-napping, written and directed by Martin McDonagh (In Bruges). Plenty of jabs at Hollywood and the writing process makes for fun viewing. There are featurettes about Farrell as Marty, the locations, one on McDonagh's appeal, deleted scenes, a gag reel on the standard disc. Oh, and a trailer starring cats in the roles. Yes, cats.
Fun Size
Fun Size opens with a poop joke, then follows up with some innuendo: this is not your kids Nickelodeon movie. Wren (Victoria Justice) scores an invite to Halloweens coolest party, but her distracted mom (Chelsea Handler) plans to hang out with her 26-year-old boyfriend. That means that Wren is saddled with the worlds most over-indulged little brother for the night (Jackson Nicholl). Albert quickly goes AWOL and gets towed, helps start a fire, and is picked up by an anime princess. The PG-13 flick is peppered with Saturday Night Live alum and Johnny Knoxville, oddly. Justice is more than up to the challenge in this candy-coated film that aspires to be a John Hughes update, about how sometimes nerds finish first. A making-of extra, gag reel and Carly Rae Jepsen music video are included on the Blu-ray, in addition to one (for better or for worse) devoted to pint-sized Nicholl.
