Similar to phonetics expert Professor Higgins’ struggles to save a dirty, guttural-sounding Cockney girl by improving her language and appearance, other experts have tried to save and transform a Lady, too. In 1964, My Fair Lady won eight Oscars, including ones for best film, director, cinematography, sound, music, and for Cecil Beaton’s costumes and set designs. But, 50 years later, does the Lady still look and sound good enough to pass as a dazzling duchess?
Growing up is tough enough for any eleven-year-old, but when Riley finds out that her family is moving, her idyllic life is turned upside down. She must now contend with a new house, a new school, and a host of new feelings. Fortunately, the five main emotions that share control of her mind—Joy, Sadness, Disgust, Fear, and Anger—are at the ready. But when partners Joy and Sadness find themselves cut off from headquarters, confused little Riley’s situation quickly goes from bad to worse.
Once again, writer/director Pete Docter has crafted a tale that entertains the youngest viewers while also challenging even the smartest adults in the room. The underlying psychology is brilliantly laid out, allowing
us to explore the relationship between emotions, memories, and personality. Dialogue is deliciously witty (star Amy Poehler is comedy gold in any medium),
and in revealing the delicate balance between happiness and sorrow, the story achieves its greatest poignancy.
At last week’s ISE show in Amsterdam, Stewart Filmscreen broke out the hilarious trailer of the upcoming Secret Life of Pets to demonstrate a new acoustically transparent screen material on a 16-foot-wide VistaScope Jumbo setup. Word has it that the highlight was a heart-pounding drum solo by rock legend Ginger Baker that topped 110 dB.
With Spring just around the corner, we’re starting to see press releases announcing portable audio products, especially outdoor Bluetooth speakers, like Monster’s new Rockin’ models.
How do you improve upon perfection? That is the central question at the very core of the 1+ collection—emphasis very much on the plus—the latest must-have Deluxe Edition to emerge from The Beatles’ empiric vaults. Fifty Beatles classics—all of The Fab Four’s 27 #1 hits, plus 23 additional cuts that include alternate versions of some of those aforementioned moptop chart-toppers—are presented here on two Blu-ray Discs in filmed form, all accompanied by stunning 5.1 mixes done by Giles Martin with Sam Okell at Abbey Road Studios. (The CD is a stereo remaster of the original 1 disc released in 2000, which has sold 31 million copies internationally to date.)
Klipsch Reference R6 Headphone
A reference headphone without the reference price is one way to look at the R6, an on-ear design that weighs just over a third of a pound and costs less than a hundred bucks. Its generous 1.5-inch custom-tuned drivers are ensconced in swiveling ear cups to ensure a good fit, and they’re voiced to emulate the sound of Klipsch’s Reference Series speakers. A pretty tall order. Travel Buddy: The headphone folds flat, making it an excellent travel companion, and it has an adjustable leather headband and padded memory foam cushions for noise isolation and comfort. A carrying case is included. Price: $79 ($99 for the R6i, which adds an iPhone-compatible in-line remote and microphone)
The original ColecoVision console (left) and the forthcoming Coleco Chameleon.
If you lived through (and survived) the decade of hair bands (aka the Eighties), you probably remember videogame stalwarts Atari, Nintendo, and Coleco and may have spent countless hours playing now-classic games like Donkey Kong and Pac-Man.
If you’ve ever wished you could drive the track at Daytona you might want to strap on a Samsung Gear VR headset and tune into the Daytona 500 on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.
Q I’m on a vinyl kick. I recently purchased an Audio-Technica LP120 USB turntable and am converting a few of my old LPs. I have it connected to a Sony AVR and am listening through my Klipsch Reference RB-5II bookshelf speakers. Now I’m thinking about searching for
a vintage amp or receiver. I’ve read good things about the Marantz 1060 integrated amp (circa 1975), which is rated at 30 watts per channel. I also hear good things about some of the old Pioneer gear. I want to crank old classic rock, and I know the RB-5IIs can handle it. Any
suggestions on what I should set my sights on? — Lew Collins/Via e-mail