Kristen Meinzer

This week's big new releases at the multiplex are "A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas in 3D," starring John Cho and Kal Pen; and "Tower Heist," starring Ben Stiller, Eddie Murphy, Alan Alda, Judd Hirsch, and Matthew Broderick. Rafer Guzman, film critic for Newsday,;and Kristen Meinzer, The Takeaway's culture producer, are co-hosts of The Takeaway’s Movie Date Podcast, and give their reviews of this week's new movies.

All month we’ve been talking about innovation — speaking to innovative people and discussing innovative ideas. Now we hear from  a woman who has designed a product for diabetics that not only solves a problem but is changing attitudes too. Jessica Floeh is the creator of Hanky Pancreas, a line of insulin pump accessories — scarves, neck pieces and other decorative items — that make the functional medical device fashionable.

The world’s population is set to reach seven billion on Monday. And all this week, we’ve been talking about what this monumental number means for our people, resources and our planet. Should we be concerned about our booming population? Will we be able to feed a more populated World whilst protecting the environment? And how will global economies adjust?

From "Hellraiser" to "Halloween," we are in the middle of scary movie season. To some that's a horror; to us, it's a delight. Movie Date podcast hosts Kristen Meinzer and Rafer Guzman gave us some of their favorite picks, and you did too. Combine those with the favorite options from our hosts, and you've got a set of truly hair-raising titles. Post your scream-inducing flicks here, if you dare. 

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The world’s population is set to reach seven billion on Monday, October 31, 2011. The Takeaway is talking about what this monumental number means for people, resources and the planet. One of the biggest questions is who exactly the seven billionth person will be and what his or her life will be like. Suzanne Petroni is vice president for global health at the Public Health Institute, and she has some surprising predictions on who this person might be.

It brought in the big bucks, but did "Paranormal Activity 3" actually scare our intrepid movie date podcasters? Well, the review is mixed. Neither really lost any sleep about it, even though Kristen has a long history of being kept up by scary ("The Shining") and non-scary ("The Hulk") movies and TV shows. Unsurprisingly, the podcast turns into a discussion of Kristen and Rafer's favorite scary movies as well as a review of the latest blockbuster. 

It's one of the most controversial topics for this year's Republican presidential hopefuls: How should America be handling illegal immigration? Bachmann, Romney, Perry, and Cain have all weighed in on the issue. In the meantime, the Obama administration set new records last year for detaining and deporting illegal immigrants. And this year, the government plans to top their record by removing 400,000 more. A new episode of "Frontline," called "Lost in Detention," investigates what detaining and deporting involves, for individuals, law enforcement, and communities. The episode airs on PBS stations tonight.

Forget about classics — what are the odds for success when you're remaking a film that was cheesy the first time around? Well, depending on who you talk to, cheesy movies can be a good thing, especially if they involve Kevin Bacon. That's why the new version of "Footloose" will be judged with scrutiny. Kristen and Rafer discuss how it stacks up, from the soundtrack to the dance moves. 

What makes a great political movie? Suspense? A unique plot line? A surprising reveal? Or...Marisa Tomei? In this weeks' podcast, Rafer and Kristen happen to agree. On what? You'll have to listen to find out, as they discuss the latest political epic with a wide release — and Ryan Gosling's 18,000th movie this year, apparently.  

What's your number? No, not your phone number, but the number of sexual partners you've had. Awkward question right? It's also the basis and title for a new Anna Faris movie. But is "What's Your Number" a good idea for a movie? Kristen and Rafer agree on the final judgment, but if you want to know what it is, you'll have to take a listen to this week's movie date podcast. 

Scientists have found that babies can become fluent in foreign languages at an extremely fast rate; one that begins to slow down by their first birthday. What is it about the make-up of their brains as newborns that gives them this ability? Could adults train their brains to be more like the brains of babies?

It’s Friday, when we talk about new movies here on The Takeaway. This week, we're talking about "50/50," a comedy about a young guy with cancer, starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Seth Rogen, and "What's Your Number?," another comedy — this one centers on dating and relationships — with Anna Faris.

In this week's Movie Date podcast, Kristen, Rafer, join a baseball-loving guest in discussing stats movie "Moneyball," starring Brad Pitt. Can a movie about baseball statistics be remotely interesting? Does Kristen's knowledge of the game run deeper than "Bad News Bears"? Does the movie, in the final judgment, satisfy people who aren't number crunchers? To get answers to these questions, you must listen!  

This weekend, a variety of anticipated movies are hitting theaters. "Moneyball," starring Brad Pitt, is a dramatic film based on Michael Lewis's popular 2003 book of the same name. "Dolphin Tale," which stars Morgan Freeman, is a family film based on a true story about an injured bottlenose dolphin. "Abduction" is a thriller about a teenager who discovers that he was kidnapped as a young child. And "Killer Elite" is an action flick with Clive Owen and Robert De Niro.

For those who came of age in the 1990s it may be hard to believe, but Nirvana’s "Nevermind" album turns twenty years old this week. Considered groundbreaking by some and over-hyped by others, the album is still often played and discussed two decades later.

This week our Movie Date podcasters get a special treat: a visit from "Mad Men" actress Christina Hendricks. Hendricks, who is also in two fall films, including "Drive," talks about approaching the differences between acting for movies and for TV, and about the next season of "Mad Men." 

You can't say Kristen and Rafer don't go to great lengths to make their movie date fit the bill. This week's topic is epic mixed martial arts film "Warrior," and how do they discuss it? With a "Movie Date throwdown," of course! After a few weeks of surprised agreement, Rafer and Kristen are back in separate corners, ready to go to (friendly) blows at the ring of the bell. Who wins? Who loses? You have to listen to find out! 

This weekend, the virus disaster film "Contagion" was the top-grossing new movie in box offices across America. The film stars a heavy-hitting cast of well-known actors, including Matt Damon, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, and Gwyneth Paltrow. It's unsettling to watch for many people, because it's about a global pandemic of a deadly virus, which threatens to end civilization as we know it — which prompts the question: could this really happen?

The biggest release this weekend is the thriller "Contagion," which has a formidable cast of big names in Hollywood: Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Winslet, Matt Damon, Laurence Fishburn, and Jude Law. "Warrior," a mixed martial arts movie starring Nick Nolte, is also opening this weekend.

We’re kicking off a new series today called "Generation 9/11." All week long, in honor of the tenth anniversary of 9/11, we’ll be talking with and about young people who were coming of age during the September 11 attacks.

We begin our series with Dr. Nassir Ghaemi. Dr. Ghaemi is Director of the Mood Disorders Program at Tufts Medical Center and author of a new book called "A First Rate Madness: Leadership and Mental Illness."

We’ll also be hearing sound from Jillian Suarez and Erin Reeg — young people who are reporters for "Radio Rookies" on our flagship station, WNYC. "Radio Rookies" has its own series on Generation 9/11, that will be airing through this Friday.