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Recommendations!
SilentJ:
So, I guess I'll take a crack at this whole reccomendations thing.
Recently, I saw Little Miss Sunshine in theaters, and I don't really recall a point where the laughing stopped, outside of the points where it was meant to. Steve Carrell solidifies my adoration of his work with this film and The 40-Year Old Virgin, which I reccomend for the same reason. Also in the non-stop-laughs-only-kinda-not category is the absolutely hysterical Clerks II, which just might be Kevin Smith's greatest work to date. They're all classics, don't get me wrong, but this one had me in the aisle on several occasions.
Going back a little ways, I would also like to point out The Sting. My dad introduced me to this one, it's one of his favorites. The story of some grafters during Prohibition, the men are trying to put a Sting on the gangster who had their old partner killed. This movie replicates the Prohibition era so well, I thought it was actually made in like the '40s or '50s. Somehow, I ignored the color, and it came off that way. It's just so well done.
And finally, into the world of books, I turn you all to the young adult spectacles that are Youth in Revolt and it's follow-up, Revolting Youth, both by C.D. Payne. Payne creates such a cult icon in 14-year-old Nick Twisp that even some adults could relate their childhoods to. I particularly enjoyed this one. I especially like that, even though Payne graduated college 20-some years before he wrote this one, he still comes off as writing from the brain of a 14-year-old. The books are presented in the format of journal entries of said Mr. Twisp, and even though it's hard to do to me, this book kept me laughing the whole time I read it.
So, there you are. End rant, end reccomendation. Time for me to wrap this up before class ends xD
Swisside:
Books:
All the classics from all old cultures (Homer, Ovid, Sei Shonagon etc.) just because with this alone one can probably spend ten years of excellent reading :-)
For the girls and guys with a fortified sexuality :-):
Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights --> this is like a Jane Austen novel fornicating with a Edgar Allan Poe story, really worth the read
Something German:
Patrick Süsskind, The Perfume (das Parfüm) --> one of the only modern German novels I could wholeheartedly recommend
Shakespeare:
The Taming of the Shrew --> very controversial play, especially in our times, but see for yourselves
From Japan:
Haruki Murakami (I know, he was mentioned already, but not), Hardboiled Wonderland --> this is the Donnie Darko of literature, very strange!
From Switzerland:
Friedrich Dürrenmatt, the Promise (das Versprechen) --> it is a detective story and probably one of the first books dealing with child abuse
From France:
Pierre Choderlos de Laclos, Les Liaisons dangereuses --> if you liked Cruel Intentions, you should read the original
From the automaton author:
Stephen King, Dark Tower series (he finally finished it, this will become a very important work of literature in the future when all the King-snubbing critics in High Schools and University are on the Pet Sematary), Hearts in Atlantis (if you like Murakami, you are going to love this. It captures the spirit of the 60' in a astonishing way)
TV-Series:
The Gargoyles --> one of the last decent (am I kidding? fecking ingenious) animated series drawing from Shakespeare, folklore and every other possible source and puts it together in something very deep and excellent
Stargate SG1 and Atlantis --> taking ScienceFiction on a completely new level. I recommend watching episodes 100 and 200!
Star Trek Deep Space Nine --> this is my absolute favourite Star Trek series. Great actors, superb story-arc, baldest captain ever!
The League of Gentlemen --> if you like the Monthy Pythons, this will be the thing for you! It's the 90' equivalent to the Pythons
Movies:
Donnie Darko --> boy was I happy that I didn't watch that movie on drugs. It can really mess with your mind
The Big Lebowski --> Coen-brotherly genius, the addition of dude to my vocabulary and kampflesbian artists flying through the air, what else need there be? Well, maybe Autobahn...
The Graduate --> I watched that like half a year ago for the first time. Watching the Graduate will open to you a whole dimension of allusions in other movies. And seeing Michael Douglas in the old school scuba diver suit is just precious
Almost Famous --> apart from Kate Hudson being hot, I love the movie for the cool 70's groove. I am the Golden God!
Hope that was helpful, cheers
Meimei:
--- Quote from: Swisside ---guys with a fortified sexuality :-)
--- End quote ---
Oh, man, what a turn of phrase! /salute!
Meanwhile, classics are good - they're usually classics for a reason.
Ghibl (pronounced Ji-bli :)) is your man/studio/animation thingy - go back to My Neighbor Totoro and Kiki's Delivery Service for whimsy (the more recent and mainstream Spirited Away too), and Grave of the Fireflys for thought-provoking (despite being animated, this is a *very serious* movie. You have been warned). Read Ursula le Guin's Wizard of Earthsea series in preparation for their new one. (Hell - read everything you can - that lady's a genius - The Dispossessed rocked hard).
Anything by Neal Stephenson is going to be stimulating science or science-fiction. Diamond age is the best ass-whooping delivered by a girl anywhere (come-on, who doesn't want their own martial-arts army!?), along with snow-crash for pure, distilled, Sci-fi joy. Alternatively, Cyptonomicon is a kinda semi-fictional semi-historical treatment of Cpytographys importance in WWII, but told in an interesting novel format, and Zodiac is more of the present-day sciency stories.
Dostoyevsky can cram more depressed fucked-upedness into each of his several books than you'd believe. I have particularly good memories of The Idiot and Crime and Punishment from my angstier days.
Here's a neat one:
Allow me to recommend "1001 Movies to see Before you die". A book of movie recommendations :) I am yet to see a movie from that list and not be moved.
you can see the list at http://www.listology.com/content_show.cfm/content_id.20751 , but in keeping in line with this threads rules, the book form comes with info on why each movie is listed.
Swisside:
--- Quote ---Ghibl (pronounced Ji-bli Smile) is your man/studio/animation thingy - go back to My Neighbor Totoro and Kiki's Delivery Service for whimsy (the more recent and mainstream Spirited Away too), and Grave of the Fireflys for thought-provoking (despite being animated, this is a *very serious* movie. You have been warned).
--- End quote ---
Actually, those were all main stream movies in Japan :-) . You forgot to mention:
Kaze no tani no Naushika (Nausikaä, Valley of the Winds) --> people who liked Dune will also like this one. Unfortunately, it is only part of the story. The whole thing can be read as a Manga
Tenkû no shiro Rapyuta (Raputa, Castle in the Sky) --> Even though the animation of this one seems somewhat simple to nowadays audience's eyes, it is a nice movie
Mononoke Hime (Princess Mononoke) --> This movie kicks ass! If you want some Samurai-splatter action and really are into fantasy, then you should watch this!!!
Meimei:
--- Quote from: Swisside ---
--- Quote ---
Kaze no tani no Naushika (Nausikaä, Valley of the Winds) --> people who liked Dune will also like this one. Unfortunately, it is only part of the story. The whole thing can be read as a Manga
--- End quote ---
Yeah, Nausicaa One of my favourites - did you hear about the lunatics actually building one of those flying wings?
Since this is still the recommendation thread:
Check out the original *book* of The Neverending Story. The first movie sucked so bad I stopped watching them, but the book is more interesting, more fantastic, and has a lot more humanity in it. The book starts really starts when Bastian crosses over, and starts making wishes to rebuild the place, but every wish costs him memories, until he is facing the consequences of his wishes with very little idea who he really is...
Also the Invader Zim cartoon series if you haven't. You'll love it or hate it. A lot.
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