"Seven Psychopaths" follows a Hollywood screenwriter and his oddball friends, who all end up embroiled in an outrageous kidnapping scheme gone wrong. Marty (Farrell) is a struggling writer who dreams of finishing his screenplay, and all he needs is a little focus and inspiration. Billy (Rockwell) is Marty's best friend, an unemployed actor and part time dog thief, who wants to help Marty by any means necessary. Hans (Walken) is Billy's partner in crime, a religious man with a violent past. Charlie (Harrelson) is the psycho-pathetic gangster whose beloved dog Billy and Hans have just stolen. Charlie is unpredictable, extremely violent, and wouldn't think twice about killing anyone or anything associated with the theft. Marty is going to get all the focus and inspiration he needs, just as long as he lives to tell the tale. (Gary Reber)
Special features include six featurettes: "Martin McDonagh's Seven Psychopaths" (HD 02:31)), "Crazy Locations" (HD 02:09), "Woody Harrelson Is Charlie" (HD 01:24), "Colin Farrell Is Marty" (HD 01:25), "Layers" (Hd 01:05), and "Seven Psychocats" (HD 01:31); upfront previews; and an UltraViolet digital copy.
The 1080p AVC picture is cinematic, with a filmic grain structure. The color palette is warmly hued with nicely saturated hues. Fleshtones appear natural throughout. Contrast is well balanced with deep, solid blacks and revealing shadow delineation. Resolution is revealing of fine nuanced detail, especially in close-ups of facial feature, hair, clothing, and object texture. Such sharpness and clarity enhances the filmic quality for an engaging visual experience. (Gary Reber)
The DTS-HD Master Audio™ soundtrack sounds conventional and "produced," with overall decent integration. Dialogue is often forward sounding and subject to ADR, which at times is wanting in spatial integration. Atmospherics and sound effects are supported with subtle surround envelopment, but generally this is a dialogue-focused presentation. The music score is minimalist but effectively supportive, with a subtle surround presence. Deep bass energy in the .1 LFE is limited but accentuates the sound effects. Overall, this is a satisfying sonic experience that supports the fascinating storytelling. (Gary Reber)