Short Circuits: 'Dallas Buyers Club' on video; meditation app; Kevlar phone case

As Texas electrician Ron Woodroof in "Dallas Buyers Club," Matthew McConaughey delivers an award-winning ­performance, characterized not just by an astonishing physical transformation but also by a wellspring of deep compassion and fearlessness.

The film could have gone wrong in myriad ways, most of them having to do with overkill or pompous self-seriousness. But director Jean-Marc Vallée, working with a lean, lively script by Craig Borten and Melisa Wallack, neatly avoids excess, letting Woodroof's terrific yarn stand on its own and getting out of the way of his extraordinary actors, who channel the story without condescension or manipulative cheats.

The DVD and Blu-ray (Universal, $30-$35) include a look inside the film and deleted scenes.

Washington Post

Colin Covert says: This is the performance of ­McConaughey's newly resurgent career. There's not another actor working today who could play this bigoted, admirable S.O.B. so well.

Also out Tuesday

Movies: "About Time, " "Baggage Claim," "Escape Plan," "Free Birds."

Blu-ray: "Death Wish," "Inn of the Sixth Happiness," "Jules and Jim," "Million Dollar Baby" (special edition), "Napoleon Dynamite" (special edition), "Night of the Demons," ­"Witchboard."

Find some peace of mind with Headspace (free for Apple and Android devices).

The app offers meditation relevant to your needs. It contains techniques to help you sleep better, focus more and get relief from a busy mind. You'll be led by a meditation master and have access to 10 guided meditations. Free meditations are offered on sleep, stress, eating, walking, public transport and mindfulness.

You can download meditations for offline use, so that you'll be able to listen any time. And once you expand your mind space and are hungry for more, nine additional programs are available for purchase.

Track your daily progress on the app, set reminders to practice and use the meditation timer to stay on task.

The Evutec Karbon SP series ($40, available in multiple patterns and colors; www.evutec.com) is a sharp-looking and shockproof phone case built with a slim, 2-millimeter layered body in a black and gray weave, scratch-resistant pattern. It's built with DuPont Kevlar fibers, which are promoted to be five times stronger than steel at the same weight. If anyone wants to challenge that statement, go for it.