Go berserk with Brad Pitt and this week’s other top picks

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Cult of Mac's weekly picks.
Cult of Mac's weekly picks.

So you don’t have to slog through a lake of reviews and tips to find something you’re just going to put down after 10 minutes, Cult of Mac has waded through the web to compile our weekly list of the coolest new bits in movies, music, gadgets and anything else that should be on your radar.

This week we’ve been treated to a media blitz by Brad Pitt that’s produced one of the week’s funniest videos, an epic World War II tank movie, and a hilarious break-dancing competition. We’ve also found a nonfiction book with enough violence and betrayal to rival Game of Thrones, and a gorgeous iPhone 6 case that will replace your wallet much better than Apple Pay.

Take a look:

Photo: Emoji Masks
Photo: Emoji Masks

Gear Watch: Halloween is less than a week away, and if you’re like me and haven’t thought up a costume yet, consider going to the party shit-faced with this $5 emoji poop mask. They also have a full cast of smiley faces for $15.

Apple Pay is supposed to replace your wallet, but for those not ready to give up their credit cards, you could keep them close to your iPhone 6 with this gorgeous leather wallet iPhone case from Mujjo. Olloclip revealed its new iPhone 6 lenses this week, and if you haven’t played Banner Saga on iOS yet you’re missing out.

Music: Jessie Ware’s solid R&B album, Tough Love, is out this week, along with Logic’s LP, Under Pressure. The rapper’s debut album puts him on the radar as a rising star with a flow somewhere between Kendrick and J. Cole, while Neil Diamond is still rocking for the old souls with his new disc, Melody Road.

Michael Keaton is BatBirdMan.
Michael Keaton is BatBirdman.

Movies: Birdman is the movie you should not miss in October. If a theater near you doesn’t have the dark comedy starring Zach Galifianakis and Michael Keaton yet, check out Brad Pitt’s WWII tank epic, Fury, or you could stay home and catch Listen Up Philip – starring Jason Schwartzman and Elisabeth Moth from Mad Men. Its’s uncomfortably hilarious and now available to rent on iTunes.

Books: Game of Thrones is in between seasons, but fans looking for something similar should pick up Dan Jones’ new book The Wars of the Roses. It’s a historical and dramatic recounting of the dynastic conflicts between the York and Lancaster clans that inspired Martin’s Westeros, and doles out just as much violence, betrayal, and madness as The Song of Ice and Fire series.

Weekend Reading: How do you know what a black hole looks like? Black holes play a critical role in the plot of Christopher Nolan’s upcoming space epic, Interstellar, but to make sure his sci-fi movie looked accurate, Nolan enlisted famed astrophysicist Kip Thorne to create the most accurate simulation ever of what a black hole would look like. Wired has the fascinating story on how Nolan’s obsession to have accurate science on screen led to an unexpected scientific discovery.

Black hole simulations based on the math of famed astrophysicist Kip Thorne.
Black hole simulations based on the math of famed astrophysicist Kip Thorne.

Walter Isaacscon has new book out on tech’s top innovators, including the improbable story of how Wikipedia became the defacto encyclopedia, an exert of which was published on The Daily. The U.S. Auto industry is facing a huge crisis: 30 million defective air bags that can possibly rupture and blast metal shards. On a brighter note – did you know you can clone your dog for only $100,000?

Viral Video of the Week:

Brad Pitt has been killing it on his Fury media blitz. His Between Two Ferns skit (above) was funnier than Obama’s, and he destroyed Jimmy Fallon in a break-dancing competition, but would he whimper like baby Benjamin Button if someone pulled this horrific prank on him?

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