Welcome to HNGN's biweekly top picks, where we cull the best and brightest releases in music, fashion, beauty, tech and pop culture. Come back every other week for more of-the-moment goodness. - Editing by Michael Lello.
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MUSIC
By Michael Lello
David Gilmour: Rattle That Lock (Columbia/Sony)
While David Gilmour's pronouncement that last year's "The Endless River" would be Pink Floyd's final album disappointed many fans, the guitarist and singer thankfully still has some music left in him. On "Rattle That Lock," his fourth solo affair, Gilmour as usual evokes the lush atmospherics of Floyd (check out the breathtaking instrumental "Beauty"), but he takes less circuitous routes to get there.
His novelist wife Polly Samson wrote the lyrics, and David Crosby and Graham Nash contributed stunning backing vocals to "A Boat Lies Waiting."
Lana Del Rey: Honeymoon (Interscope)
Chanteuse Lana Del Rey has managed to enchant and polarize with her unique musical stylings – who else cites both Frank Sinatra and Eminem as influences? – as well as her throwback image. Del Rey has compared her fourth album, "Honeymoon," to her first two major releases ("Born To Die" and the EP "Paradise"); hear (and see) for yourself in the video for the ethereal "High By The Beach" below.
Keith Richards: Crosseyed Heart (Republic)
Age and chemistry be damned – the indomitable Keith Richards keeps chugging along, and his recent output has been strong. "Life," his 2010 memoirs, is a remarkable autobiography, and last week he put out his first solo album in 23 years, "Crosseyed Heart." It's pure Richards, bluesy and ragged. Check out the lyric video for "Trouble" below.
Metric: Pagans In Vegas (Metric)
Canadian indie synth-rockers Metric consistently create compelling, innovative and fun music. That continues on "Pagans In Vegas," the sixth studio record from Emily Haines and company, the group's first since 2012's standout effort "Synthetica." Check out the jittery, futuristic-sounding "Cascades," below.
MOVIES
By Cal Setar
Black Mass (Warner Bros.)
James "Whitey" Bulger is one of the most infamous figures in recent American crime history. A notorious mobster who operated in South Boston in the 1970s, Bulger was contacted by FBI agents, who were seeking to form an alliance aimed at eliminating the Italian mob. A union was formed between Bulger and federal agent John Connolly that would eventually allow Bulger to consolidate power and become one of the most menacing gangsters in Boston history.
The Intern (Warner Bros.)
Robert De Niro and Anne Hathaway star in this comedy romp that centers on a 70-year-old widower who becomes an intern for his much younger boss, who is being crushed by the pressure of the fast-paced business world. Together the pair grow and learn about the important things in life.
The Green Inferno (Universal Pictures)
Avert your eyes. Director Eli Roth is back with yet another horrific film of violence and gore. A New York student and a young activist travel to South America in the hopes of saving the Amazon. When their plane crashes and they become stranded in the Peruvian jungle, things take a sinister and grotesque turn. The pair and their group are taken captive by a tribe of cannibals and one-by-one sacrificed to hungry gods.
Hotel Transylvania 2 (Sony Pictures Animation)
The Drac pack is back. Hotel owner Dracula (Adam Sandler) has finally eased up on his monsters-only guest policy, but all is not as well as it seems. He is concerned that his half-human, half-vampire grandson, Dennis, isn't showing enough – or any – signs of being a vampire. So when Mavis (Selena Gomez) goes to visit her non-monster in-laws with Johnny (Andy Samberg), Dracula enlists friends Frank (Kevin James), Murray (Keegan-Michael Key), Wayne (Steve Buscemi) and Griffin (David Spade) to help him put little Dennis through vampire training camp.
FASHION & BEAUTY
By Gina Masilotti
Urban Decay Naked Smoky Palette ($54)
Makeup junkies everywhere went crazy over Urban Decay's fourth major eye shadow palette, which is made specifically for the trendiest style of all: the smoky eye. With neutral, cool colors ranging from white to gold to silver to black, this palette is everything you need to create the perfect smoky eye. The 12 shades are arranged from most to least shimmer, with a few matte shades to complete your look.
While some major Naked fans initially complained about the palette's dryer texture, many have come to realize that the firmer press only means less excess powder flying all over the place, making for a much neater application. If you're new to the whole Naked craze, I'd stick to the Naked 1 or 2 as they are simpler tones and more natural shades, but this smoky palette is the perfect addition for the advanced makeup guru looking to spice up her smoky eye while having all the shades in one place.
LC Lauren Conrad Runway Collection
New York Fashion Week brought us many new clothing lines from our favorite celebrity designers, but Lauren Conrad's first official runway collection stole the show. While you may not be able to wear most of the pastel-colored pieces until spring, there are a few you could get away with in the fall. The intricate lace-and-floral detail of this line makes it her prettiest yet. It's available at Kohl's and pretty reasonably priced for a runway line, so get your hands on it while you can. If you can't wait for spring to rock this line, there are a few jackets and pants that would complete any fall look. As for bottoms, the maroon velvet cigarette pants ($45) would pair great with some booties and a sweater. As for tops, the faux-suede moto jacket ($120) will pull together any fall look perfectly.
Ugg Croft Bomber ($150)
Ugg has really stepped up its game lately, and those who haven't looked at its collections since the original fur-lined tan boot was released are seriously missing out on some great styles. Our favorite Ugg shoe of this season is the Craft Bomber. While it still has the signature fur we all know and love, the laces make it a much more chic look than Ugg's typical solid suede boots. They're even versatile! You can lace them up all the way or roll the cuff down depending on the length of your pants and what style you're going for. Pair these with some skinny jeans and an olive green fall jacket and you've got the trendy fall look down pat.
Olive Green Military Jacket
Olive green military-style jackets seem to be the biggest fall trend over the past two years, and you can now find these fall wardrobe staples just about anywhere. Their lightweight material keeps you warm enough without suffocating you and the color matches more of your wardrobe than you think. This is the type of jacket you can splurge on – see this one from Eileen Fisher one at Neiman Marcus ($349) or this bargain one from Brandy Melville ($39). From short to long, to oversized or fitted, these jackets come in all shapes and sizes and will become the one item you can't live without.
DVD/BLU-RAY/STREAMING RELEASES
By Emily Morgan
DVD/Blu-Ray
Pitch Perfect 2 (Universal Studios)
The Barden Bellas are back, "pitches." After a humiliating performance at Lincoln Center in front of the President of the United States, the ladies must regain their status as aca-superstars by taking on the global competition.
Anna Kendrick, Brittany Snow, Skyler Astin and Rebel Wilson as Fat Amy all return for the sequel along with new additions Hailee Steinfeld and Katey Sagal. Elizabeth Banks also reprised her role as the saucy commentator Gail and went behind the camera to direct.
Special features on the Blu-ray DVD include deleted/extended/alternate scenes, a gag reel and audio commentary with director Banks and producers Paul Brooks and Max Handelman. It also has bonus and extended music performances and interviews with the cast.
Love & Mercy (Lionsgate)
Paul Dano and John Cusack portray the legendary Beach Boys singer and composer, Brian Wilson, at different ages in this music biopic.
Dano plays the younger version of Wilson as he creates his influential avant-garde pop album and starts to experience the first signs of psychosis. The story continues in the 1980s when Wilson (Cusack) is living under the watch of the controversial therapist, Dr. Eugene Landy (Paul Giamatti), and meets his current wife, Melinda Ledbetter (Elizabeth Banks).
Special features on the Blu-ray DVD include audio commentary with director Bill Pohlad and co-writer Oren Moverman, deleted scenes, interviews with the cast and more.
Flash: Season 1 (Warner Home Video)
Grant Gustin reprises his role as Barry Allen in his own spinoff series from The CW show "Arrow." After being struck by lightning, Barry develops superhuman speed that can help him fight crime in Central City beyond his crime scene investigation job.
The first season featured other DC heroes and villains including Captain Cold (Wentworth Miller), Heat Wave (Dominic Purcell), Weather Wizard (Liam McIntyre) and Kendra Saunders a.k.a. Hawkgirl (Ciara Renee).
Special features on the DVD include audio commentary, deleted scenes, gag reel, a chemistry screen test between Gustin and Emily Bett Rickards, footage from DC Comics Night at San Diego Comic-Con 2014 and more.
Other Movies and TV Shows Available on Blu-Ray and DVD include:
Furious 7 (Universal Studios); Cinderella (Walt Disney Studios); Monkey Kingdom (Walt Disney Studios); The Overnight (Paramount); Heaven Knows What (Anchor Bay); Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Warner Bros. Pictures); Saint Laurent (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment); Results (Magnolia Home Entertainment); Aquarius: Season 1 (Anchor Bay); CSI: Crime Scene Investigation - The Final Season (Paramount); CSI: Cyber - Season 1 (Paramount); Empire: Season 1 (20th Century Fox); Family Guy: Season 13 (20th Century Fox); Sleepy Hollow: Season 2 (20th Century Fox); The Big Bang Theory: Season 8 (Warner Home Video); Marvel's Agent Carter: Season 1 (Walt Disney Studios); Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Season 2 (Walt Disney Studios); Black-ish: Season 1 (Walt Disney Studios); Arrow: Season 3 (Warner Home Video); Modern Family: Season 6 (20th Century Fox); The Last Man on Earth (20th Century Fox); Cristela: Season 1 (20th Century Fox); King of the Hill: Season 12 (Olive Films)
Movies and TV Streaming Online
Person of Interest
The first four seasons of the high-tech crime drama have come to Netflix for the first time.
Ex-assassin John Reese (Jim Caviezel) works for programming genius Harold Finch (Michael Emerson), who has created the Machine, which can predict future suspects or victims of serious crimes. The device was originally developed to detect acts of terror.
The CBS drama also features Amy Acker and Sarah Shahi as well as "Empire" star Taraji P. Henson in early seasons.
Netflix has all four seasons available for streaming.
San Andreas
Dwayne Johnson proved he could carry a summer blockbuster in this disaster flick about a massive California earthquake. He plays Ray, a rescue pilot for the Los Angeles Fire Department
In the aftermath of the quake, Ray's estranged wife Emma (Carla Gugino) reaches out to him to help find their daughter Blake (Alexandra Daddario), who has gone missing amid the chaos in San Francisco.
iTunes has the film available for purchase.
Serendipity
John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale star in this 2001 romantic comedy about fate and timing.
Jonathan Trager (Cusack) and Sara Thomas (Kate Beckinsale) first meet shopping for gloves for their respective mates. They enjoy the evening together, but Sara insists that they test fate to see if they are really meant to be together. Several years later, engaged to other people, Jonathan enlists the help of his best friend (Jeremy Piven) to help him find the woman he can never forget.
Check out our complete list of movies available for streaming on Netflix this month and see below for more options on Amazon Prime and for purchase at iTunes.
iTunes
• Cinderella
• Monkey Kingdom
• San Andreas
• Magic Mike XXL
• Insidious: Chapter 3
• Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
• Saint Laurent
• Results
• War Pigs
• Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List
• All American High Revisited
• Some Kind of Hate
• The Anomaly
• Wildlike
• Unbranded
• A Brave Heart: The Lizzie Velasquez Story
• Absolute Magick Exposed
• Montana
• Uncle John
• What About Dick?
• Aliens and Pyramids
• Salad Days - 1980-1990: A Decade of Punk in Washington, DC
• Kwaidan
• Reality
• The Connection
• Closer to the Moon
• Eden
• My Little Pony: Friendship Magic
• Because I Was a Painter
• Power Rangers: Trickster Treat
• Caroline and the Magic Potion
• The Scapegoat
• Pups United
• Being Canadian
• Care Bears: Mystery in Care-a-Lot
• Isabella Rossellini's Green Porno Live!
• Party Girl
• American Experience: Walt Disney
• Haunting at the Rectory
• Methods of Prediction
• The Blade of Don Juan
• Quiet Riot: Well Now You're Here, There's No Way Back
• Are You Joking
• The Seven Five
• Gathering
Amazon
• A Smile Like Yours
• From Prado to Nada
• Halloween (2007)
• Serendipity
• Grimm: Season 4 (Sept. 30)
TECH
By John Nassivera
LG G4
LG is making its unlocked G4 smartphone available on eBay for AT&T and T-Mobile users. The phone provides support for 3G and 4G bands on any GSM/LTE network, and features include a 5.5-inch Quad HD screen, Snapdragon 808 processor, 3GB of RAM, microSD expansion up to 128GB and 16MP rear camera. However, there is the absence of 12 LTE support. The phone's battery, unlike those in other flagship smartphones, is removable. You can get the LG G4 at eBay right now in black, white, gold, black leather, brown leather, red leather or orange leather for $399.
Huawei Watch
The Huawei Watch has joined the smart wearable craze with circular design and a scratch-resistant body. Made of sapphire crystal and stainless steel, the watch comes with a 1.4-inch AMOLED display and works with iOS 8.2 and Android 4.3 gadgets. Users will receive notifications and alerts for calls and texts, and the device also comes with a heart rate monitor and sensors for fitness tracking while running, walking and doing other exercises. Other features include pre-installed watch faces and bands that can be easily swapped to your choosing. The Hauwei Watch is available now at online retailers, and prices vary from $350 to $800 depending on the band and steel color.
Polk Omni S6 Play-Fi
Polk has released a new speaker for its Omni Play-Fi range called the Omni S6, which aims to fill your entire living room with sound. Features include 4-inch full-range drivers and dual 0.75-inch tweeters, which are part of a system controlled by a four-channel, 100-watt amplifier. The S6's stereo pairing lets users spread out the sound in a room by linking up two of the speakers over a Wi-Fi connection. Users will also be able to control multi-room speakers from several different vendors with a single app, such as Polk, Paradigm, Anthem, Martin Logan and Definitive Technology. Consumers can get Polk's Omni S6 now at Amazon, Best Buy, Crutchfield and Polk's website for $350.
