Welcome to HNGN's weekly top picks, where we recommend the best and brightest releases in music, fashion, beauty, tech, and pop culture. Come back each week for more of-the-moment goodness.
MUSIC
The Art Of McCartney (Kobalt)
A tribute to Paul McCartney's career, with and without The Beatles, "The Art Of McCartney" boasts a star-studded cast of superstars including Billy Joel, Willie Nelson, Brian Wilson, Bob Dylan, Def Leppard, Alice Cooper and Smokey Robinson. The two-CD release clocks in at a whopping 36 tracks. Have a look at Alice Cooper's rendition of "Eleanor Rigby" in the video below.
TV On The Radio: Seeds (Harvest)
"Seeds" marks danceable indie rockers TV On The Radio's fifth studio album – and the band's first since bassist Gerard Smith's 2011 death after a battle with cancer. Dark and layered, "Seeds" boasts a depth, both sonically and emotionally, that usually only comes with experience. "Could You," with its chiming, Byrds-like 12-string guitar riff, is an early favorite of ours.
Wilco: Alpha Mike Foxtrot/ What's Your 20? (dBpm Records)
Twenty years ago, Wilco formed from the ashes of Uncle Tupelo. Now Wilco is celebrating its two-decade milestone with a pair of new archival releases: "Alpha Mike Foxtrot," a four-CD set of rare and previously released songs, and "What's Your 20," a 38-song, two-disc "greatest hits" package.
You can listen to "Blasting Fonda," written by Wilco singer Jeff Tweedy for the 1996 film "Feeling Minnesota" and now featured on "Alpha Mike Foxtrot," below.
Thompson: Family (Fantasy Records)
Before their high-profile, bitter split, Richard Thompson of Fairport Convention and his wife Linda Thompson were the first couple of British folk music. About 30 years since their separation, their son Teddy Thompson – an accomplished performer in his own right who has been releasing albums since 2000 – has recorded an album with both of his parents and other musically inclined family members. He has appropriately titled the album "Family."
You can listen to samples from "Family" here: https://soundcloud.com/thompson-family
MOVIES
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part I (Lionsgate)
With District 12 destroyed, Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) discovers District 13 and a brewing rebellion. Urged by President Coin to be the face of the rebellion, Katniss becomes the "Mockingjay" in the first part of the last Hunger Games installment.
Watch the trailer HERE.
The Sleepwalker (Sundance Selects)
This psychological thriller follows Kaia and Andrew, a young couple renovating Kaia's family home. Their peaceful lives are interrupted by the arrival of Kaia's sister, Christine, and her fiancé, Ira.
Watch the trailer below:
The Theory of Everything (Focus Features)
Before Stephen Hawking became the world's preeminent theoretical physicist, he was a graduate student in the 1960s working on his Ph.D. This film follows the relationship between Hawking (Eddie Redmayne) and his first wife, Jane, and the complications that ensue as he develops his singularity theory while simultaneously dealing with the onset of his crippling ALS disease.
Watch the trailer HERE.
GADGETS & GIFTS
Rub Away Bar (Amco)
This Rub Away Bar is perfect for getting the toughest smells – even onion and garlic – off your hands. The bar is used to wash your hands under cool water, just like a regular bar of soap. Since the Rub Away Bar is made of stainless steel it's portable – you'll never be without soap again!
Apocalypse Survival Kit (Gerber)
Are you prepared for the apocalypse? If you don't have all of the essential survival tools, you need to check out GerberGear's apocalypse survival kit (unless, you know, you want to be the first one to die). The kit comes with everything you'll need to make a go at it – including a Gator Machete, Camp Axe II and Gator Machete Pro. The kit will set you back $349.
Mighty Mug (Powered by Smartgrip)
Few things are more frustrating than spilling your mug of coffee on a pile of important papers. This (pretty genius) mug solves the problem - making it impossible to tip over, but easy to pick up. The mighty mug features a smart grip bottom that keeps it upright on a table even if you bump into it.
Check out a video for the Mighty Mug in action here.
Infant Optics DXR-5 2.4 GHz Digital Video Baby Monitor with Night Vision (Infant Optics)
This baby monitor is a dream come true for moms or dads who are obsessed with capturing every precious moment while their baby is sleeping. The monitor comes with a 2.4TFT screen, allowing you to watch your baby sleep. The device is also equipped with night vision so images come through clearly when the lights are off.
TASCAM DR-22WL Linear PCM Recorder
By TASCAM
We are excited about the wireless feature of TASCOM's new handheld recorder. TheThe TASCAM DR-22WL Linear PCM Recorder offers professional-level quality and uses WiFi for transport control, file transfer and audio streams to your smartphone or PC. This recorder is a must-have for experienced audio technicians and beginners.
FASHION & BEAUTY
Mom Jeans
Skinny jeans are so passé. The current rage is all about "mom jeans" – yup – the loose-fitting, laid-back pants that were once the puncline of many a fashion focussed joke. But now they've finally broken through! Cuff an Urban Outfitters or H&M pair on warm days and wear with Oxfords or flats. You'll be looking sharp and feeling free and comfortable.
Photo credit: Flickr Commons
Knee-high Stockings
Knee-high stockings are no longer just for Catholic schoolgirls. Wear them with dresses or loose skirts, paired with a cardigan and circle scarf for a flirty fall look. They can be worn with boots that are just slightly shorter than knee-high, or with ankle boots and canvas shoes. Make sure to get a pair that won't fall down when you walk – like styles from Mod Cloth. Any way you wear them, you'll be sure to turn heads. One more benefit: they keep your legs warm during fall and early spring.
The Jennifer Lawrence Cut
Chin-length haircuts are usually considered the in-between - not quite a pixie, and not long enough to tie back in a ponytail without it looking far too small. Jennifer Lawrence famously went short, and dazzled with a fresh take on this style at The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 premiere in Los Angeles. In fact, she's found a way to make chin-length hair versatile: The bottom layers are tied off in a ponytail at the nape, and a teased crown gives the appearance of longer locks. Two free-flowing, wavy strands line her face and pull together the look that'll make you do a double-take. Do we sound like Caesar Flickerman right now?
Tom Ford Lips And Boys Lipstick
Tom Ford created the Lips And Boys collection using his family members, close friends and collaborators as inspiration. Names of the shades include Stavros, Francesco, Henry and James. Each purchase comes in a small clutch and will hit shelves in Tom Ford stores on Dec. 26, just in time for post-Christmas sales.
TECH
LS-218 Electric Motorcycle
Lightning Motorcycles' LS-218 electric bike is the fastest electric superbike on the road – and you can buy it for an affordable price: $38,000. The bike can reach speeds up to 218 mph and comes with a range of 90 to 100 miles. The LS-218 is also the first electric motorcycle to win the Pikes Peak car and motorcycle race in Colorado, finishing last year's race in 10 minutes flat.
BSXinsight Sensor
BSX Athletics has developed a sensor designed to let athletes know when to take it easy or go harder during activities. The device, which is worn on the calf, uses light to lactic acid build up in the body and then reports the findings. The BSXinsight was successful in meeting goals for a Kickstarter campaign, and the first round of units will be shipped in December. The sensor is available now for pre-order and comes in three models: Cycling, Running and Multisport.
Goat Simulator MMA Expansion
Game developer Coffee Stain Studios is releasing a massive multiplayer online (MMO) expansion Thursday, Nov. 20, for its Goat Simulator video game, which lets players use a goat to cause complete chaos. The expansion offers five new MMO classes that let players assume the role of warrior, hunter, rogue magician and comes with a microwave that enables players to destroy property as a goat-microwave hybrid. You read that right: "a goat-microwave hybrid" Goat MMO Simulator will be released through Stream, though Coffee Stain has yet to announce whether the update will be available for mobile devices.
DVD/BLU-RAY RELEASES
22 Jump Street (Sony)
Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill return as undercover cops Jenko and Schmidt in the "21 Jump Street" sequel. The boys graduate from high school to college posers to catch a campus drug dealer.
Special features on the Blu-Ray/DVD include deleted and extended scenes, audio commentary with directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller, Hill and Tatum and 10 other featurettes.
If I Stay (MGM)
Chloë Grace Moretz stars in the adaptation of Gayle Forman's novel about a girl who falls into a coma after a car accident that leaves her entire family dead. She must decide whether to wake up and live a life much different from the one she knew.
Special features on the Blu-Ray/DVD include deleted and extended scenes, audio commentary with director R.J. Cutler and Moretz, interviews with the cast, and a making-of-the-movie featurette.
Sin City: A Dame To Kill For (Warner Home Video)
Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller reteam to adapt the latter's graphic novels for the big screen. The film includes characters from the comics and Miller also added some new characters.
Rodriguez uses a visual style that makes the actors appear as if they've walked straight out of the comic pages. The all-star cast includes Josh Brolin, Rosario Dawson, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Jessica Alba and Bruce Willis.
Special features on the Blu-Ray/DVD include audio commentary with Rodriguez and Miller, cast and character profiles, and an all-green screen version of the film.
The Wind Rises (Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment)
The prolific Japanese animation director Hayao Miyazaki received his third Oscar nomination for his last film before retiring in September 2013. The animated feature also collected nominations from the Academy Awards, Golden Globes and many of the film festivals.
The critically acclaimed film is a fictional biopic about Jiro Horikoshi who designed planes for the Japanese Empire in World War II.
Special features on the Blu-Ray/DVD include a making-of featurette, the original Japanese trailer and TV commercials and a storyboard presentation of the movie.
Other Movies and TV Shows Available on Blu-Ray and DVD include:
• Into The Storm (Warner Home Video)
• As The Light Goes Out (Well Go USA)
• Automata (Millennium)
• Housebound (Xirator)
• Reclaim (Lionsgate)
• King Of The Hill: Season 7 & 8 (Olive Film DVD)
Movies and TV Streaming Online
Sabotage
Arnold Schwarzenegger leads an elite group of DEA agents who attempt to pocket cash found during their raid on a cartel warehouse. When team members start dying, the agents fear the cartel may be looking for revenge.
The film also stars Sam Worthington, Olivia Williams, Terrence Howard, Joe Manganiello, Harold Perrineau, Martin Donovan, Max Martini, Josh Holloway and Mireille Enos.
Netflix has the film available for streaming.
Lillyhammer: Season 3
The original Netflix series about a former New York mobster hiding out in Lillehammer, Norway, launches its third season on Nov. 21. Steven Van Zandt of "The Sopranos" fame stars as former mob boss Frank Tagliano, who now goes by Giovanni "Johnny" Henriksen, a Norwegian-American immigrant, after he testified against his former associates.
The upcoming season will feature guest appearances by Bruce Springsteen (Van Zandt plays in The Boss's E Street Band) and fellow "Sopranos" alum Tony Sirico. Van Zandt also directs the third season finale.
Netflix has all three seasons available for streaming on Nov. 21.
Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Season 1
Marvel expanded its cinematic universe to the small screen by reviving dead S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Phil Coulson to lead a team of investigators dealing with strange and unusual cases. The ABC series made a complete connection with its movie counterparts in "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" when Hydra unveiled its dormant operation and destabilized the S.H.I.E.L.D. agency.
Clark Gregg reprises his role as Agent Coulson and co-stars with Ming-Na Wen, Brett Dalton, Chloe Bennet, Iain De Caestecker and Elizabeth Henstridge. MCU characters Nick Fury, Maria Hill and Lady Sif also make guest appearances throughout the first season.
Netflix has the first season available for streaming on Nov. 20.
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Human survivors of a devastating virus go up against genetically enhanced apes in this sequel to the 2011 film "Rise of the Planet of the Apes." The ape leader Caesar must protect his species while trying to keep peace between the two factions.
Andy Serkis, who plays Caesar, could become the first actor to use motion-capture technology in his performance and be nominated for an Oscar. The film also stars Gary Oldman and Keri Russell.
iTunes has the film available for purchase on Nov. 25.
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.
Amazon Prime
• Gortimer Gibbons (available Nov. 14)
iTunes
• Reach Me (available Nov. 21)
• The Mule (available Nov. 21)
• Pulp (available Nov. 21)
• Richard Pryor Icon (available Nov. 23)
• Metallica: Some Kind of Monster (available Nov. 23)
• Ninja Turtles (available Nov. 25)
• What If (available Nov. 25)
• Calvary (available Nov. 25)
• Tyler Perry's A Madea Christmas (available Nov. 25)
• Revenge Of The Green Dragons (available Nov. 25)
• When The Game Stands Tall (available Nov. 25)
• Dive Olly Dive And The Pirate Treasure (available Nov. 25)
• Dolphin Tale 2 (available Nov. 25)
WEBSITE OF THE WEEK
Sendamessage.to
The simple Australia-based website allows you to send a message, complete with a hand gesture, to a friend – or an enemy.
(Reporting by Michael Lello, Jordan Webb, Amanda Bernocco, Ashley Helms, John Nassivera and Emily Morgan. Editing by Michael Lello. Want to be considered for Coveted? Send your product information, with photos, to m.bullerdick@hngn.com or send product samples to Michael Q. Bullerdick HNGN/33 Universal, 33 Whitehall Street - 7th Floor, New York, NY 10004.)
