Entertainment

July 2009 - Posts

  • RED Hearts: Entertainment: Speakers of the House

    By Jordyn Turney, 19, reporting from Alpine, California, on small, small speakers with big, big sound.
    IHome mini speakers

    I'm not exactly a connoisseur of sound and speakers. I'm not even sure if speaker connoisseurs exist. But here's what I do know: I like to listen to my music on loud when I'm cooking, cleaning, or home alone. And sometimes I want my sister to be able to hear what's on my iPod without having to share the flimsy little ear buds. Also, I like to carry my music with me, not have it banished to my bedroom as if it's in time out.

    So iHome's rechargeable mini speakers (tiny, cute, and deceptively powerful) are basically the best things ever for me. I was dubious at first, because there's not much worse than hoping to blast some Alan Jackson and finding out you've got more static than twang.

    But these things are amazing. They charge via USB port, connect to the headphone jack of whatever music player you're using, and PRODUCE SOUND. There's enough volume that I can have the speakers in my room upstairs and the music is clearly audible downstairs. Of course, since they're so small, I could also just hook them up downstairs. But that's missing the point of their power entirely.

    The speakers (red, black, or silver) can be bought on Amazon for about $45 and are definitely more than what you expect them to be—so much more that my dad wanted to steal mine as soon as he heard them. — Jordyn Turney

    Get the full set of RED Hearts posts-in Fashion, Beauty, Entertainment, and News.

  • RED Hearts: Entertainment: Summer Reads with Suspense

    ByZulay Regalado, 20, reporting from Miami, and Jessica Goodman, 19, reporting from Los Angeles, on gripping new books that solve various mysteries—of murder and high school hallways.
    Moon

    Whatever the so-called reality TV shows and movies set in high school hallways present, the truth is that the dramas most teenage girls go through consist of the occasional backstab or heartbreak.

    The Diamonds, by Ted Michael, does an excellent job of covering these small-scale (but big-pain) everyday issues. It's a gem of a coming of age story when so many books about high school students just seem so naïve and shallow.

    One of the themes in the book that really stuck with me was trust. The characters learn, through every conversation and every event, who's really on their side. Marni Valentine, for example, used to be a part of Bennington High School's coolest crowd, known, of course, as the Diamonds. Then she got involved with her best friend Clarissa's boyfriend, Anderson—and went from most popular to most loathed in a matter of seconds.

    But pieces of the puzzle slowly come together, and Marni's ex-best friend was never innocent. Without giving away too much of the story, it's a lesson that teaches you to watch your back, keep your eyes on the prize, and be careful of who you choose to confide in.

    I think any girl in high school should pick up this book, and I also recommend it for college freshmen and sophomores like myself—because it reminds you how far you've come since the days when only popularity was a priority. —Jessica Goodman

    ******

    As a child, I lived for the thrill of the unknown in a book—sitting under the covers with my hurricane flashlight, eyes glued to the text. Now I still crave the books that can keep me up and guessing. And Catherine Cooney's If the Witness Lied did its job.

    There's a dark family (and dark modern media) story at its heart: The Fountain siblings are orphans, and speculation swirls around the circumstances of their parents' deaths. The private tragedy has brought much unwanted public attention upon the family, causing the siblings to part ways to deal with their individual pain.

    Unfortunately for them, their Aunt Cheryl believes the way to get through the grief is to share it with the world: She's in talks with a television producer to film a reality docudrama on the family.

    The siblings reunite to try and stop Aunt Cheryl from exploiting them—and portraying their baby brother as a killer. They also make some interesting realizations along the way that change their perception of the truth as they've known it. So, in addition to brewing some really enjoyable suspense and a slightly deranged aunt, this book is about overcoming issues within ourselves and coming together for a better purpose. And what better purpose is there than protecting those you love?

    It's an ideal read, and though I've traded in my flashlight for a standard lamp, the electric air of mystery remains. — Zulay Regalado

  • RED Hearts: Entertainment: Mooning over MOON

    By Amy Goldwasser, RED's editor, reporting from New York City on an excellent new-but-old-school sci-fi film
    Moon

    I usually leave these RED Hearts to the book's authors. But it's summer, work is slow, and I'm over the, um, moon about this one and can't resist spreading the word on earth.

    Moon is an amazing new sci-fi film that could just as well be an old sci-fi film—and I mean that in the best way. In the tradition of the space greats, like Silent Running, Outland, and the original Alien, Moon relies on human psychological drama over surround-sound explosions for its thrills; cool miniature modeling over computer-generated animation for its lunar craft; and the chilling evil of a not-too-distant corporation over gooey aliens as its baddies.

    I don't want to give any of the plot away here, and it's easily done. So I'm just going to tell you it's about identity and what it means to be human—and that it's not boring for a moment, even though you're looking at only one actor on the dark side of the moon the whole time, however great Sam Rockwell is. (Kevin Spacey is technically his co-star, but he's unseen as the voice behind a robot named Gerty.)

    I went to a screening where the director, Duncan Jones, did a Q+A afterwards. He's young and smart and thoughtful—plus, cute and British and David Bowie's son, though he won't tell you that—and relying on word of mouth to help spread the word about his low-budget (that's $5 million in studio terms) masterpiece.

    So, please: go see it when it opens near you, tell your friends, and let's hope that this is the future of sci-fi. —Amy Goldwasser