Take a dash of sideburn maintenance, a pinch of sleep help, a smidge of Steven Soderbergh and a splash of H2O, and you've got a recipe for this week's OnMilwaukee recommendations.
New Active Top water bottles by Sigg – I really dig my new extra-tall Sigg water bottle. It's red and festive, encourages me to drink more water (always a good thing for many reasons) and has a new top/straw system that makes drinking even easier than with my former water bottle. Good flow is important when consuming H2O ... and for living life. Get a Sigg here. – Molly Snyder
Wahl 9818 lithium ion trimmer – I haven't grown a mustache this month, but I do still have sideburns that require constant attention, and I admit that because I previously only had a full-size hair clipper with a power cord, I didn't keep up with them the way I should. But that's changed – surely, you've noticed – now that I have this slim, rechargeable lithium ion clipper. I have been using it daily for a couple weeks now, and I've charged it exactly once. And since it has a four-hour run time on a single charge, it's not showing signs of slowing down yet.
It's got attachments that make it an ear, nose and brow trimmer, a detail shaver, a detail trimmer and eight guide combs for haircuts too (and also has a charger and a carrying case). Though it lists at $70, you can find it for much less online. It's about the most useful personal care item I've picked up in a long time. – Bobby Tanzilo
JuveRest Pillow – Do you ever notice when you wake up that you have sleep creases on your face from your pillow? They slowly fade throughout the day, but deep down, you know that over time if you sleep on your side or stomach you are creating wrinkles. I found the JuveRest pillow online and was excited to give it a try. The pillow was designed by a plastic surgeon to help minimize wrinkles caused by facial compression from your pillow during sleep. The pillow, which has a very unique shape, supports both back and side sleepers. I've been using the pillow for the last two months. It took a while to get used to because I have a tendency to roll on my stomach, but it's a great way to force good sleep habits. The best part is I wake up with no creases. – Caroline McDonald
"Side Effects" – I wasn't able to write about the medicine-related murder mystery "Side Effects" back when it came out in February. I always assumed, though, that I liked it enough that I'd be able to reference it when the end of the year rolled around, and it became time to make my best movies of 2013 list. Well, it's getting to be that time of year, and as it turns out, 2013 has been an incredible year for movies. So good, in fact, that there's a chance "Side Effects" might not be able to hold its spot in the top 10. That being the case, I'd better get my recommendation out there now.
The less you know about the mystery at the heart of "Side Effects," the better. But in short, the movie follows a doctor (Jude Law) whose connection to a mentally frazzled young woman (Rooney Mara of "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo") and her husband (Channing Tatum) leads to some very serious complications for everybody involved.
What unfolds is a fascinating little Hitchcockian mystery – mixed with a dash of one of the master's wrong man thrillers – that continually pulls surprises out of its bag. As soon as you think you know where Scott Z. Burns' script is going, it zigs when you expect it to zag. It's a movie about mind games that plays a few mind games of its own. Hollywood rarely makes mysteries this smart and sneakily seductive.
"Side Effects" didn't make much of an impact back when it came out earlier in the year ("Identity Thief" ruled theaters back in February, and I don't think you know how sad that statement just made me). However, it's now up on Netflix Instant, and I would certainly give it a look if you're hoping to catch up with some of the year's best. Plus, it's reportedly director Steven Soderbergh's last feature film, but I'll believe that when I see it. Or don't see it in this case, I guess. – Matt Mueller
