New on DVD this week:
American Hustle
The true story of the Abscam affair featured outstanding performances and epic hairdos from Christian Bale and Amy Adams, as a couple who progress from small-time grift to political intrigue; Bradley Cooper, as the man intent on bringing them down; and Jennifer Lawrence as the resident loose cannon. The film fairly buzzes with electric performances and all the glitz of the era. A lengthy making-of extra contains interviews with director/screenwriter David O. Russell, the actors, and producers, as well as extended and deleted scenes.
The Hunger Games Catching Fire
In this second installment of the best-selling novels, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence again) barely has to time to breathe before she is whisked away to another Hunger Games, this time featuring an all-star cast of past champions. With President Snow (Donald Sutherland) intent on quelling rebellion in the districts, Katniss’s chances of coming out unscathed are slim indeed. Great action and tension, superlative spectacle and improved acting elevate this sequel above the original. Commentary with director Francis Lawrence and producer Nina Jacobson and deleted scenes are included on the standard disc.
Free Birds
Owen Wilson, Woody Harrelson, Amy Poehler and Colm Meaney lend their voice talents to the story of a presidentially pardoned bird living the good life, until he is recruited to go back in time and delete turkeys from the Thanksgiving menu. Special features include a mini live-action short about Pilgrims eating pizza; two animation extras; the anatomy of a scene; a chat with composer Dominic Lewis; trailers.
Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
Idris Elba stars in this chronicle of the late leader’s life, from his rural childhood to his election as leader of South Africa, with the decades of incarceration in between. It’s not a blemish-free account, nor is the film able to go into as much detail as we’d like. Anchoring all is Elba, in a quietly powerful performance. Many extras on the Blu-ray disc, including feature commentary with director Justin Chadwick and Mandela tributes from journalists, activists and entertainers. There are separate featurettes devoted to production design, costumes, effects and the music of the film (including U2’s Oscar-nominated “Ordinary Love”). An extra on little-known facts about Mandela is accompanied by more interviews from actors and crew.
Frozen
This year’s Best Animated Feature winner at the Oscars was Disney’s Frozen, based on Hans Christian Andersen’s The Snow Queen. Elsa and Anna (Idina Menzel and Kristen Bell) are sisters kept apart by a terrible curse: Anna enlists the help of friendly mountain man Kristoff and his reindeer sidekick to help rescue her sister, now banished, and save the kingdom from a lifetime of eternal winter. Graphics, voicework and songs — including the uber-catchy “Let It Go” — make this a great film to add to your family collection. Special features: several lengthy bonus featurettes on the journey to getting Frozen made and the shoot itself, music videos, and a Mickey Mouse short.
Homefront
In Homefront Jason Statham does what he does best: he cracks skulls with panache. First, as an undercover DEA agent wanted by a motorcycle drug ring, then as a man in hiding trying to keep his daughter safe from local thugs (Kate Bosworth, James Franco, Winona Ryder) who have discovered his past and are keen to cash in. The screenplay by Sylvester Stallone is nothing groundbreaking, but supporting performances keep things interesting. Two teaser trailers and several deleted scenes on the Blu-ray’s special features.
Out of the Furnace
Masterfully shot and gritty almost beyond watching, from the very first scene. Russell (Christian Bale) gets out of prison and it isn’t too long before he has to rescue his Iraq-war tormented brother (Casey Affleck), who has gotten in way over his head with the wrong guys. Rodney goes missing after an illegal fight for notoriously violent backwoods criminal Harlan DeGroat (Woody Harrelson) and it’s up to Russell to find out what happened to him when the law can’t. Great supporting cast includes Sam Shepard, Zoe Saldana, Forest Whitaker and Willem Dafoe. There’s a making-of feature on the Blu-ray, an extra on the brutal fight scenes in the film, and one wherein the players chat about what inspires them as actors.
