Top Picks: 'The Red Turtle' on DVD and Blu-ray, the Wild Weather app, and more

Beautiful sadness

Pleasure does not accurately describe Canadian singer/songwriter Feist’s first album in six years. Pain is more like it, as a raw and beautiful sadness permeates the 11 tracks, mostly featuring only Leslie Feist’s riveting, wounded vocals and distinctive acoustic guitar playing. Ambient sounds, unexpected noisescapes – even crowdsourced choruses – weave in and out, always for maximum impact. Check out “Baby Be Simple” and “Any Party.” No one else makes music remotely like Feist. 

Fun weather

Chances are you check the weather on your phone fairly often – so why not make that a little more enjoyable? The Wild Weather app not only tells you what’s happening outside but does so with hand-drawn illustrations of hills, trees, animals, and more. The app will make your day a bit more beautiful. It’s available for $1.99 for iOS and $1.79 for Android.

Ravishing ‘red’

Studio Ghibli’s first international co-production, The Red Turtle, is now available on DVD and Blu-ray. The animated film tells the story of a shipwreck that results in the ship’s passenger arriving on an uninhabited island. Monitor film critic Peter Rainer writes that “The Red Turtle” is “a rare ‘children’s film’ that works equally well for adults.” 

Audio organizer

Looking for a better way to organize your podcasts? The Castro app includes a queue where you can sort new episodes of your favorite podcasts and an archive where you can store the episodes you want to save for later. Castro is $3.99 for iOS.  

Scorsese’s ‘Silence’

Director Martin Scorsese’s long-gestating movie Silence stars acclaimed actors Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver as Jesuit priests in 17th-century Japan who encounter Christian converts like Mokichi (Shinya Tsukamoto). Monitor film critic Peter Rainer writes that actor Issei Ogata, who portrays a man who aims to eradicate Christianity from Japan, “is a wily adversary who steals every scene he’s in.” The movie is available on DVD and Blu-ray. 

You've read 3 of 3 free articles. Subscribe to continue.
Real news can be honest, hopeful, credible, constructive.
What is the Monitor difference? Tackling the tough headlines – with humanity. Listening to sources – with respect. Seeing the story that others are missing by reporting what so often gets overlooked: the values that connect us. That’s Monitor reporting – news that changes how you see the world.
QR Code to Top Picks: 'The Red Turtle' on DVD and Blu-ray, the Wild Weather app, and more
Read this article in
https://www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/Arts/2017/0519/Top-Picks-The-Red-Turtle-on-DVD-and-Blu-ray-the-Wild-Weather-app-and-more
QR Code to Subscription page
Start your subscription today
https://www.csmonitor.com/subscribe
CSM logo

Why is Christian Science in our name?

Our name is about honesty. The Monitor is owned by The Christian Science Church, and we’ve always been transparent about that.

The Church publishes the Monitor because it sees good journalism as vital to progress in the world. Since 1908, we’ve aimed “to injure no man, but to bless all mankind,” as our founder, Mary Baker Eddy, put it.

Here, you’ll find award-winning journalism not driven by commercial influences – a news organization that takes seriously its mission to uplift the world by seeking solutions and finding reasons for credible hope.

Explore values journalism About us