Rather than slogging through a lake of reviews to find something you’re just going to put down after 30 minutes, Cult of Mac has once again waded through the iTunes store to compile a list of the best new movies, albums and books to come out this week.
Enjoy!
Books
Duty
by Robert M. Gates
Love him or hate him, there’s no denying Robert M. Gates has been one of the biggest figures in American national security over the past few decades. Not only did he serve as Secretary of Defense under both Bush and Obama, but he also worked under six presidents during his time in the CIA and the National Security Council and transformed the Pentagon during turbulent times. In his autobiography Gates dishes on his campaign for power and the cut throat politics in Washington. Some have called it a fascinating bridge-burning memoir, while others haven’t been as kind. Either way, Duty is bound to be a compelling read as one of the most talked about books of the new year.
iTunes – $11.99
Lone Survivor
by Marcus Lutrell
Lone Survivor isn’t new – in fact it’s seven years old – but I just saw the movie adaptation by Mark Wahlberg this weekend was absolutely blown away by the real-life account of the four U.S. Navy SEALs and their mission to capture and kill a notorious al-Qaida leader. I’ve never wanted to join the military, but Marky Mark’s depiction of the intense training, struggles, and brotherhood got me so proud and grateful to be an American. Predictably, everyone I know who read the book said it’s so much better than the film, but the movie launched a grenade of patriotism right into my soul, so it’s going to be hard for the book to top it.
iTunes – $5.99
Andrew’s Brain
by E.L. Doctorow
If you’d rather take a pass on these patriotic book suggestions, check out E.L. Doctorow’s new book Andrew’s Brain. Not only does the book explore Andrew’s life story of love and tragedy, but as he confuses details of his past to an unknown interlocutor the reader is treated to questions about what we really know about truth, memory, personality and fate, thanks to Doctorow’s probing lyrical prose.
iTunes – $12.99
Albums
Sharon Jones & The DAP-Kings – Give the People What They Want
My only challenge for you this week is to play this album and try not to get out your seat and dance. You won’t be able to. It’s too soulful. Too fun.
iTunes – $11.99
Black Sabbath – Paranoid
Ozzy’s solo stuff has been available on iTunes for ages, but for some reason Black Sabbath’s first eight studio albums – the good stuff – only landed on the online store this week. There’s also three compilation albums if you just want a sampling of Ozzy and Tony’s majesty.
Ozzy commented that it was “about [expletive deleted] time” that the albums were released digitally, while guitarist Tony Iommi said it had “been a long time trying to explain to fans why the music wasn’t available.” Whatever the delay, we’re just happy to finally have them in the store. Start with Paranoid and work your way down.
iTunes – $9.99
Bastille – All This Bad Blood
Bad Blood was a huge success for Bastille in 2013, so the bad has decided to re-release the album with a bunch of new songs, rarities and cover versions. If you missed out on discovering Bastille last year there’s no better way to dive into their spirited sound than the new All This Bad Blood album which only three bucks more than the original but packs a whopping 25 tracks.
iTunes – $12.99
Movies
The Other Shore
Drop me out in the open ocean and I might make it half a mile before I sink to the bottom. Diana Nyad on the other hand is a beast. Forget that she’s 64 and hasn’t swam competitively in over 30 years. She’s obsessed with pushing her body to the limit and in the new documentary The Other Shore, Nyad goes for her ultimate goal of swimming from the coast of Cuba to Florida, 103 miles, non-stop. And she doesn’t use a shark cage.
iTunes – $7.99
The Crash Reel
The Winter Olympic games start in just three weeks, so what better way to get ready for all the action of the games than by reliving the behind-the-scenes action between the two best snowboarders in the world leading up the the Vancouver games?
The Crash Reel follows the rivalry between half-pipe snowboarding legends Shaun White and Kevin Pierce in the winter of 2010. It’s packed with incredible arial stunts from the Flying Tomato, but things take a serious turn when a serious crash leaves Kevin Pierce hospitalized, turning the film into much more than just an exhibition of 1080s and frontside rodeos.
iTunes – $12.99
A.C.O.D.
It’s movie award season, which means we’re all supposed to focus on those incredible – but sometimes totally depressing – dramatic performances in the serious, artsy movies.
Try mixing up the pace of your Oscar-nominated-movie-binge with a solid comedy. Adult Children of Divorce didn’t get any Oscar nods but it’s also not up from a Razzie either and offers a great cast, including Adam Scott, Amy Poehler, and Richard Jenkins.
iTunes – $14.99
