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[surefunk]

i finally finished reading "on beauty" by zadie smith.  i absolutely recommend it.  she is the best i've ever read at just removing the author from the equation, like just so good that you forget someone is telling you this story- you are just in it.  amazing dialogue, in that there are dozens of characters and each has their own voice and there is never a line where you think "that doesn't sound like howard," or "jerome would never use that word."  
a great story, but really an amazing piece of fiction writing where the craft is even more impressive than the work.

[Excecior]

Movies-
    Boondock Saints- 2 irish men think they have been called to kill mobsters,professional killers, pimps, ETC.

    Snatch- awesome movie, starts with a heist where they steal a diamond and the movie is about the resulting interactions between russian mobsters, illegal bookies, pawn shop owners, cab drivers,illegal boxers,

  Pulp Fiction- just go and watch it!! NOW!!!

[Patrick]

Starship Troopers by Heinlein. Just because it's awesome. Even the most hardassed critic cannot deny that soldiers in robot suits with mininukes are AWESOME.

[NitroNic]

One book series I recommend to many people is Steven Erikson's "Malazan Book of the Fallen" series, starting with 'Gardens of the Moon'. (Fantasy Series)

Steven Erikson, an anthropologist and archeologist, writes very believable and dynamic characters.  I love his character development, and it's VERY easy to get attached emotionally to a person.  Also with the way he writes, you might hate a character one book, but then realize later that the hated character is SUPER COOL!  There are few two dimensional characters in this series, and the "Good vs Evil" is very subjective (just as, if not more subjective than George R.R. Martin's books).  The archeology degree helps him build a vast and beautiful universe.  The cultures vary and are as different and as unusual as the ones that live on our very planet!  The world and factors are large as the imagination, and he puts in many very orginal ideas.  An absolutely fantastic read, I love it all.

And for the cons.  If I were to say this book was perfect for everyone, I'd be lying.  When you first start the book, you hit the ground running, so to say.  There's nothing to explain the world, or how it works, you just have to pick it up as you go. (I love it, makes you feel like you're a part of the world and learning about it as you go).  But it's tough for some people to pick up on how it works.  Reading the first book twice, just to get a feel for how the world works, is recommended.  That and there alot of info to know.  Just who is what (I find it easy to remember such colourful characters though), and what is where and who did what and the sort.  So, with a Big imagination and a Big memory, this book is the best thing you can get.

The plot lines, some massive, some small, are all intracately woven, all effecting the world.  Sometimes the smallest characters, who are not special at all, become the center of the web of plot and twists the whole thing into a fantastic story.  It is just so freaking HUGE that I'm sure Steven Erikson has to have post-it notes EVERYWHERE to keep track of all the plots he has going on.  Try to not let it intimidate you, I believe they are fantastic books.

To sum it up:

Steven Erikson's "Malazan Book of the Fallen"
-Good character depth
-Good world depth
-Fantastic plot
-Very large
-No introduction to the scheme of things ("hit the ground running")

I give five stars!

[Duchess Tapioca]

Belle et la Bête


-It's by Jean Cocteau. Is that enough?

-Oh well.

-  Really awesome special effects for the time it was made, it wouldn't be better with modern technology. (I.e. Disembodied arms a la Queen Cat, talking doors, roller-skate floating, moving statues, magic glove of transportation, smoke, romantic flying!)

-The beast is dressed up to look like David Bowie from Labryinth.

-Hilarious acting, terribly cheesy lines, I bruised my knee on a coffee table making fun of it.

-Avenant and his sidekick look just like Gaston and Lefou.

-You can be all intectual and analize the themes.

-Really good use of light and moods.

-Pretty horsey!

-Go see this film!



Have you seen Dark City? I bet you have. See it again. If you haven't you can see it the first time and not know what happens in the end.

There are lots of men with hats, and one really short person with a hat, and they control the world with their foreheads and dramatic orchestra music.

It is also for distopia if you like that sort of thing.

Forehead: WOOOOooooOOO.

[Duchess Tapioca]

I would like you to reccomend to me movies that I might like that I have not seen. They should be on the dvd and be either thought provoking in some way, or whimsey. +2000 bonus points for whimsy. I do not think enough people are reccomending movies.

Please do not recomend anything that you think would give me nightmares too bad, because I am easily startled and taunted by terrors and I do not like watching gore. Unfortunatly I will watch ANYTHING someone reccomends as good, and I always tell myself I like horror movies! I do not like them unless the blood is very obviously chocolate syrup, the body parts are made of rubber or Anthony Hopkins stars. I WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST THAT ALL RECOMENDATIONS HAVE NIGHTMARE WARNINGS IF THEY ARE EVER SCARY? That would be nice.

I am also irrationally afraid of ghosts, try not to reccomed movies with ghosts, except for Casper.

Also try not to reccomend things from the last 5 years that are mainstream unless you really think I haven't seen them. I see a lot of movies.
Also continue to reccomend good movies for other people and your books and stuff. Especially if the library at my university has them, but the library is really creepy to me - there are flickering lights, so I do not know. Heebie jeebies and all.



Speaking of Anthony Hopkins, I think you should watch Hearts in Atlantis, it has lots of whimsy and my very favorite cars. It is one of my favorite stories ever and it always makes me smile. It is probably a lot sappy for some people's tastes though. If so, you can just watch it for the cars.

[KharBevNor]

Thought provoking? Whimsey.

I'm just gonna repeat Magnus and Reykjavik 101. Both might be a little hard to get hold of, but both are wonderful. Magnus has horseys.


Widdle Icelandic horseys.

How up are you with classic black and white monster movies? They're not scary, just awesome. If you're rushed, skip them all except for Bride of Frankenstein, which is the campest they got whilst still being serious films. Also, nowadays, Bride of Frankenstein is a 15 because it promotes smoking! Egad!

And you've seen my favourite film, Nosferatu, right?

[Duchess Tapioca]

I am actually awful proud of my black and white horror movie collection, it does include Nosferatu. That one made me laugh. Night of the living dead gave me nightmares though, okay? It is that bad.

Thanks for Maguns and and R....y...j... somthing 101. I wrote them on the library request forms for what to buy in the way of DVD's next month, other suggestions I found in the box were "Mo' Porn" and "More documentries involving fuzzy bears and ducks pleas!" That one  included a lovely fuzzy bear illustration. I also asked them for Dark Crystal, because they do not have it.

You wuv widdle horseys too!?

Okay... Recomendation... Today I reccomend Tod Browning's "Freaks." It was banned in the UK for 30 years, and some of the laws banning it in the US were never officially repealed, but the film was very well done. I think it was originally supposed to shock people, but now it's more one of those "monstrosity is on the inside" type deals, since our generation (hopefully) has been sucessfuly conditioned not to have a gut negetive reaction to people with corporeal differences. Gooble Goble! It is on dvd now.

EDIT: Also as an added bonus, you will now understand countless South Park refrences, especially Butter's Very Own Episode, and other little ones.

[Bunnyman]

Red Dawn.  Any movie that opens with Soviet Paratroopers landing on the football field of a Rural Colorado high school is fine by me.

[zmeiat_joro]

Seconded, it's a hilarious film. George Ganchev plays a Soviet soldier, speaks in something that vaguely resembles Russian, and gets shot in the ass with an arrow. More than enough reason to see it.

*he's a Bulgarian politician and twice world champion in fencing; a comedy show dug up that film a few years ago. He's definitely a cool guy, though.

[octozombie]

Belle et la Bête

YES.
Best version of that story, er... general beast vs. beauty theme (example: phantom of the opera) EVER. I agree with everything you said. Oh, and you know the guy that plays the beast? He was Cocteau's lover in real life. ZOMG I LOVE IT.
yeah, as you said, people neeeed to see it.


Oh, and I believe everyone needs to also see these movies:
Pulp Fiction [THIS IS AN ESSENTIAL]
Garden State
Thumbsucker
Ghost World
((and, because his work kicks ass, go get the dvd for Chris Cunningham's music videos [director's label]. He is amazingly awesome.))

[KharBevNor]

This isn't a film, but by goodness, pick up a copy of a TV series called 'Ultraviolet', and do it now. It's AWESOME. Kinda like every vampire story set in modern times, except it actually takes place in the real world (The vampires run FUTURES SCAMS for fucks sake!), it has good writing, lots of science (but no real science-fiction) and some really ace moral ambiguity. Although it's coming more on our side by where I am now (just finished episode four of six) for at least the first three episodes (and especially after the conclusion of three) you really aren't sure if the vampires or the exterminators are the more evil. After episode four though, the exterminators come out in a slightly better light.

It's just the damn subtlety of it. Four episodes into a vampire series and I haven't seen a fucking fang yet.

[Vlishgnath]

This isn't a film, but by goodness, pick up a copy of a TV series called 'Ultraviolet', and do it now.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0370032/

Same thing?

[KharBevNor]

Nope.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0169501/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultraviolet_%28TV_miniseries%29

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/alabaster/A590843

http://dvdtimes.co.uk/content.php?contentid=5021

http://www.beyondhollywood.com/reviews/ultraviolet.htm

'tis AWESOME.

[Verergoca]

Well, the book that is my favorite, was one recommended by my girlfriend.

The Magus, by John Fowles.

It is the best book I have ever read! Deals with loads of psychology and stuff. Im not going to say more, not to give away the ending, however, the end is rather shocking....

[Duchess Tapioca]

Anyways, the library has not listened to all of my requests yet, but to the person who wrote "More documentries about fuzzy bears" They ordered "Grizzy Man" and to "Mo' porn." They ordered "Kinsey."

Todays reccomendations are:

Mimic
If you want to see 6 foot bug people eat regular people and also see sewer explosions, then you can see Mimic. There aren't really that many other merits. There's a boy who likes shoes. I guess you can contemplate the morality of genetics study and introducing non native species in to the delecate subway ecosystem. See it anyways.

Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome
This one should not need explination. See it for Byron, it was dedicated to Byron. Also, the cast includes: Mel Gibson with a mullet, Tina Turner in chain mail, and a monkey. What more do you want? Camels? It is your lucky day, there are camels too.

[Running For Home]

Generation X by Douglas Coupland
- Required reading for the disaffected, disenfranchised, and disillusioned.  Coupland's biting wit, and tragic storytelling is enough to make you question which is better; Sell out, or burn out?

The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
- DO NOT SEE THE FILM.  See a PROFESSIONAL theatre company do it, complete with period costumes, sets, and all the other details.  It's a wonderful bit of late Victorian fluff.  Wilde is the archtype for male wits, and has yet to be outclassed.

Emma by Jane Austen
- Jane Austen is at the same time, one of the most underappreciated, and overrated authors in the western canon.  She manages this trick by getting every fourteen year old girl in the world to read Pride and Prejudice when the new film adaptation comes out.  They lovingly fawn over her work, without actually understanding her command of language.  Not that this is a bad thing however.  Better Jane Austen than Babysitter's Club.  In any event, Emma is regarded as one of her most perfect works, and is worthy of the time necessary to read and comprehend it.

Addendum: If, as a male, you find yourself insecure, and afraid of being branded a nancy for reading Austen; bear in mind, that after a few drinks, being able to discuss Austen at length, can be a real panty-peeler.

[Luke C]

As Ive mentioned in other threads:

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini.

Simply fantastic book, full of emotion and soul. Moved me so much when I read it.

[Ravenbomb]

Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah by Richard Bach. Don't be put off by the fact that Bach wrote the horrible Johnathan Livingston Seagull as well, this book is amazing. Like I said in the "books that changed your life" thread, most of the time (like 90%) I keep this book with me. Great, great book.

[KibBen]

The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingslover. So amazing. It's one of those books that at times makes you laugh out loud, and at others makes you feel like the word is all crap, and then makes you feel like the world is great anyway. I loved it so much.

[tetsuotheironboy]

Just had to endorse the guy who recommended the mighty boosh aswell as the person who reccommended peep show. They're the two best new british comedies since the golden era of spaced/black books

top peep show quotes...

Mark Corrigan: Yeah, so, er, Jeremy tells me you two watched a porno together. You know, I'd be into...
Toni: No, that was "The English Patient".

Jeremy Osborne: [masturbating while looking at a "Fantasy Figure Modeller" magazine]
[thinks]
Jeremy Osborne: I'm a dirty hobbit and she's a sexy elf so she might be... "Oh! You dirty hobbit. Take off my bodkin and my jerkin." "Oh, yeah... pixie ears. But that sword." What if she was a hobbit slayer? I'd just use my enchanted amulet. "Yeah. Yield to me, hobbit-slayer. You will touch my magic cock."

Mark Corrigan: [thinks] If he hangs himself over this I can stick an orange in his mouth and call it a fatal wanking accident.

Mark Corrigan: I've made a psycho call to the woman I love, kicked a dog to death, and I'm about to pepper spray an acquaintance... I mean, what's happened to me?

Super Hans: Tell you what, that crack is really more-ish.



Can't think of any better way to promote it than quoting some of the script.

[Johnny C]

If on a winter's night a traveler, by Italo Calvino.

<3 <3 <3

I love that book. It's incredibly beautiful.

And I'm not sure if anyone recommended it yet - if so, this is a second - but Lolita by Vladimir Nabakov is not only a compelling story, but basically Nabakov's love letter to the English language. If you like the syllables written on this forum, you'll love to see what Nabakov does with 'em.

EDIT.

Movie: Akira Kurosawa's Yojimbo
A brilliant story by the classic screenwriter/director. The way that Sanjuro behaves is brilliant, and just makes for a really good story. Also, there's some kickass fights.

Is that the one where the one guy has a gun? And there's an old guy, and two warring gangs, and is Sanjuro the drifter caught in the middle?

[redbeardjim]

I would recommend Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman because it is, quite possibly, the funniest book I have ever read. I was laughing out loud by the time I got to "APOCALYPTIC HORSEPERSONS" in the "Dramatis Personae" section at the beginning and rarely stopped after that.

Angels, demons, the Antichrist and his small lopeared Hellhound, Witchfinders, prophecies, DEATH, and the end of the world. And a small English village where everything is really kind of neat, and stays that way.

Funny stuff.

[strawberrybumfluff]

Before Night Falls by Reinaldo Arenas:

It is, without doubt, my favourite book of all time. For those of you who aren't familiar with Reinaldo Arenas (I can't say that I'm overly familiar with him either), he was a homosexual Cuban poet and writer during Castro's early reign. Being both homosexual and a "counter-revolutionary" poet, he wasn't exactly on Castro's Christmas list. Before Night Falls is his memoirs, written toward the end of his battle with AIDS. I can't really say much more without regurgitating the whole thing, but I promise you, there's something in it for everyone. If you haven't heard of Arenas, or know nothing about the situation in Cuba, don't let that put you off. I only bought the book because I didn't understand the film, but was intruiged by the subject matter, and I knew nothing about Cuba. If you've seen the film, and completely understood it, I will say this; though the film is great, it is not an accurate portrayal of how Arenas accounted his life in his memoirs, so I'd give it a bash if I were you.

If you've read it already, or if you are going to read it, feel free to PM me. I'm really interested as to what other people think of it. Because of the subject matter and content of it, I couldn't really have a serious conversation about it with any of my peers, so save me from repression!!

Yes... *cough*

[Alegis]

a year or two ago I got introduced to a marvellous movie from Akira Kurosawa, and owe around ~10 dvds of his movies right now.

Shichinin no samurai (seven samurai)
Amazing, my favorite film. It may seem to be a slow movie as its +3h but not a second in the movie feels 'stretched' or boring. The characters and movement from some is funny but fits it. The story is that a vilage of farmers is about to become plundered by bandits, and they seek the help of samurai in the city to aid em in battle. The hungry samurai prepare the villagers for battle ...

Ikiru
Ikiru is about an old bureaucrat that at the end of his life rethins his job. He cares about the citizens and, while he is ill, oversees the development of a playground to replace a muddy lake. It's a touching story about what to do with your life, great acting.

[Hat]

I would recommend Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman because it is, quite possibly, the funniest book I have ever read. I was laughing out loud by the time I got to "APOCALYPTIC HORSEPERSONS" in the "Dramatis Personae" section at the beginning and rarely stopped after that.

I mean seriously. Even if you have never read Terry Pratchett before, this is pretty much the perfect place to jump on, otherwise there will be all these gothic nerds getting there before you. THEY WILL KNOW ABOUT THE BEAUTY OF RELIGIOUS METAPHOR BEFORE YOU WILL, THAT IS PRETTY UNACCEPTABLE, HUH!?!?

ALSO, THEY WILL KNOW ABOUT DEATHS OBESSION WITH PUB-HOUSE TRIVIA, DESPITE THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, DEATH IS KIND OF, DEAD, YOU KNOW.

[moderately brie]

And I'm not sure if anyone recommended it yet - if so, this is a second - but Lolita by Vladimir Nabakov is not only a compelling story, but basically Nabakov's love letter to the English language. If you like the syllables written on this forum, you'll love to see what Nabakov does with 'em.

Amen!  Lolita was inspiring.  Well, not enough to go off with my step father, but...yeah.

[Ghostwriter]

The His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman.

Definitely my favorite books of all time.  This is the kind of stuff that stays with you forever once you've read it.  It's an incredibly epic trilogy, yet also very intelligently written and well-paced.  The characters and settings are unforgettable.  The story absolutely spoke to me on a level like no other book or movie or anything ever has before.  Read them for enjoyment, read them for a life-changing experience.

[Slick]

Brick. Just saw this movie this past weekend, and it was amazing.
I saw it described as 'a 1930's detective movie set in a high-school', and though I don't quite like that description, it fits.
Dark, well shot, excellent scenes, great dialog (I love their dialect), and an entrancing plot.
Follows a guy trying to figure out the story behind his ex-girlfriends murder, with all the twisted paths that entails. Though it's set in a high school, the key characters act in an eerily, believably adult manner. It really comes together and leaves you thinking. Each character has a depth and a history of their own, and the entire thing is well thought out and well written.

Just really good.

[DeadPanDan]

The White Countess
Proof
(highbrow stuff)

[Valrus]

Motherfucking Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace. What an amazing book.

I also second the His Dark Materials trilogy.

[Bunnyman]

Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome
This one should not need explination. See it for Byron, it was dedicated to Byron. Also, the cast includes: Mel Gibson with a mullet, Tina Turner in chain mail, and a monkey. What more do you want? Camels? It is your lucky day, there are camels too.

Just saw it.  I can vouch for its awesomeness up until around 47 minutes, at which point it turns into a post-nuke (I guess it's no longer world-wide-riot as the cause of the apocalypse?) version of Hook.  Let it be known: Tina Turner makes a terrible Dustin Hoffman.  And with such an awesome setup as two guys bouncing around on bungees trying to kill each other with hanging spears, why did they forget about it after one fight?


everyone must see Bonnie and Clyde.  There's a reason it's considered an American classic.  And, considering one of the leads is impotent, remarkably sexy.

[ruyi]

(yay for serenity and la belle et la bete!)

osama

beautifully made movie. lots of images that will haunt you for days after.

basically it centers around this young girl in an afghanistan under the taliban's control. her family has no men in the household, and the women are not allowed to leave the household unescorted. they are forced to disguise the young osama as a boy, shaving her head and dressing her in boy's clothes, in order to allow her to find work.

i liked how this was simultaneously emotionally powerful, having an important message pertaining to the real world, and it was also had very beautiful/artistic images.

the cranes are flying

an old russian b&w classic.

in some way's it's pretty typical; a tale of a love story between a man and a woman, but then the man has to leave as a soldier.

the execution is great though. i would recommend that you see this with your lady or your man, except it's also kind of tragic, so it may not be a good hang-out-at-home-and-cuddle type movie. but personally i think this is so much better than all the romance movies out there today.

kurt vonnegut

any books by him are amazing. once you read him, all other novels will seem boring in comparison.

he's incredibly easy to understand and his books are fun. at the same time, they do make you think and they do cover deep issues. this guy is a genius.

if you'd like, you can start with breakfast of champions. it includes felt tip drawings on about every other page. includes drawings of an anus (two drawings, actually), panties, cows and beef...it's just a ridiculously awesome book.

carl rogers

...so i posted a thread on him but i suppose most of you may not have heard of him before. no matter, i have only first heard of him this year d: anyways he was one of the key figures of the humanist force in psychology. he made a lot of revolutions in therapy. i'm going to try to sum up the gist of his ideas -

YOU know best about yourself and what direction your life should go.
therapists (who are really just people) don't evaluate your behavior or tell you what you are doing is "wrong", or prescribe for you a new way you "ought" to behave...instead, they facilitate your own personal development so that you may be enabled to be the one who starts trusting your own feelings and making the right decisions and ultimately, fulfilling your potential.

left out some, but eh. anyways like vonnegut he's incredibly easy to read, and i think his ideas are incredibly important. his most famous work imo is "on becoming a person" (excerpt here) and i think every person should read it. seriously. it's a bit long-ish though, so if you want to get a feel for his ideas (as well as read on what may be a more interesting topic for you) you could get started with "on becoming partners: marriage and its alternatives". it's an easy, enjoyable, fun read. basically he just interviews ordinary people in relationships. some of the information is a bit dated - like his chapters on communes and predictions for the year...2000 i think - but nevertheless still fascinating. i learned so much from this book.

farewell my concubine

chinese film centering around a boy raised in the discipline of chinese opera. he was trained specifically in a female role, and he grows up a homosexual. love triangle involved. this is kind of a creepy movie, but also very tragic. like the other movies i recommended, this film is cool 'cause it gives you a nice little slice of the time period and culture and whatnot. also contains a really nice performance by the late leslie chung. and the incredibly hot gong li. (sorry. i have unconventional tastes, yes. i'm the kind of person who finds nancy kwan to be incredibly hot back in the day.)

s'bout all i can think of! anyone seen/read these before?

[Kaytea]

Has to be Poseidon, if you're bored.  It is the ripoff of Titanic that it looks, and they blatantly didn't research, or they would have known that waves out at sea ain't that shape, but it's still an ace movie, even with the annoying gratituous (sp?) leg/panties shots.

[IntermittentEvil]

hmm...
Movies:
Four Rooms - A Tarantino-connected film about four different stories in four different hotel rooms, all connected somehow, and with a bellboy playing various roles for each room.  It is funny and outrageous, very Tarantino, but the homages and the characters are what make the film.

Onibaba - Still don't know much about this historically, but it was an incredible film and one of the few to really disturb me at the end.  Lots of extremes of human behavior push toward their clash in the finale.

Invitation to a Suicide - I shouldn't push a movie that I haven't seen, but I will because I've seen the trailer and heard the music.  Also, it's one of the most brilliant plots I've ever seen in a movie.  Boy gets in trouble with the mob.  Boy's father is threatened if he doesn't pay mobster.  Boy raises money by selling tickets to his own suicide.  The whole neighborhood supports this venture.  I will buy this as soon as it hits DVD. http://www.invitationtoasuicide.com/

Pi - A twisted film with a message that doesn't show up often enough, from the director of Requiem for a Dream.  Also, I'm a nerd and I like the numerology and mathematics involved in the plot.

Books:
Jules Verne's books I've only recently come back to, but they are great adventure books (the first adventure books, arguably) and a lot of fun to read; don't let detailed sections bog you down though, which was my problem the first time through.

Umberto Eco - Foucault's Pendulum - You could write an encyclopedia of the occult just trying to follow all of his references.  Seriously.  Because that's basically what the book is about anyway.  But once I got past worrying over details, the plot and the imagery and all of his ideas and such really grabbed me, and they still haven't let go.

the Legend of Gilgamesh - (trans. Stephen Mitchell) - My favorite "epic poem" (technically not, for you classics majors), a recent reinterpretation of the poem takes the literal translation and turns it into the closest the English language could get to reproducing the feel of such a yarn in its original form, making actual translations feel clunky and uninspired (heh).

One last book- I read an essay by a fellow named Michel Houellebecq on his early experiences with H.P. Lovecraft (who I also recommend), and it is one oddly intriguing piece of work.  This one you'll just have to read to see what I mean, even if you haven't read Lovecraft.  If nothing else, it provides a study of an oft-ignored iconoclast through analysis of his work.

[kadie]

Books:

Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer
This book has it all - humor, romance, sadness, beauty. Quite possibly the most beautiful book I've ever read. Foer writes with such amazing voice...just a great read overall.


Haunted by Chuck Palahniuk
This is a pretty intense book, and Palahniuk is a pretty intense writer. This book shows an interesting view on human nature, but just a warning: do not read if squirmish.

Movies:

Vertigo
Probably one of the best movies I've seen ever. It's got an interesting plot, and great performances by the actors. It's a movie that's hard to get over.

Amelie
My favorite movie. A really beautiful, funny, interesting movie about a girl who tries to help others...plus it's got amazing cinematography.

[Atrocity Exhibition]

while it is by no means one of my favorites, i'm going to have to reccomend Rambo: First Blood.

don't get ahead of me, please. I'm going somewhere with this.

I bought it the other day in a two for one deal with American History X, because one of my friends had been making several references to the movie, and I was going to see him anyway.  When we began watching it, I was slightly surprised by the fact that it was more tactical action bullshit than "HURRR RAMBO SHOOT HURR", which was what I was expecting.  The basic plot, not to spoil too much, is that John Rambo is an ex-vietnam POW, who is picked up for vagrancy in a small town, and begins to have flashbacks as the officers try to lock him up. blah blah blah, cops die, etc.  however, in the last scene, he is speaking with his ex-commander, who is trying to talk him out of his pointless one man war, and he actually brings forth some insight into the pain of the post-vietnam veterans, who felt useless and out of place when returning to modern society, only to be alienated and spat upon.  When he was delivering his speech, I kid you not, I almost cried.

I almost cried during RAMBO.

anyway, I was suprised by the slight depth which it showed; although Taxi Driver tackled the same societal issue, and in a much better way.

[elcapitan]

The Magus, by John Fowles.

It is the best book I have ever read! Deals with loads of psychology and stuff. Im not going to say more, not to give away the ending, however, the end is rather shocking....

Good book, all in all. I got a little sick of the psychobabble, but the sheer fun of the games that Conchis plays with the protagonist make it worthwhile. The ending didn't really work, I thought - it wasn't bad per se, it just felt like Fowles was trying to stuff everything back into Pandora's box. If nothing else, it feels authentically like it was written when it was - and that's not a bad thing at all!

My recommendation for today:

The Kraken Wakes, by John Wyndham. Although he's most well known for the classic The Day of the Triffids, Wyndham wrote a whole bunch of excellent sci-fi (including The Midwich Cuckoos, which is also great). This is one of the slightly-lesser-known novels, and the plot can be summed up simply: aliens attack earth, starting from the deepest parts of the oceans and working upwards. Well, it's a bit more subtle than that, but still... If you enjoy British sci-fi in general, you owe it to yourself to read this.

[KharBevNor]

I always really liked The Chrysalids, for Wyndham. Though of course, Day of the Triffids has a place in my heart because it's partly set on the Isle of Wight.

For those who've already slugged through the awesome Focaults Pendulum, pick up a copy of Illuminatus! by Robert Shea and Robert Wilson.

Like now, seriously, it will actually blow your mind.

[Music_Monkey&Me]

Last couple of movies I've seen: Hidden, OLDBOY, Lady Vengence  and Machinist

Hidden was fantastic; a thriller that I'm still trying to figure out. Very well put together and very french. Gives your brain a work out.

OLDBOY. . . you just need it. Dark and stylish and then wham! Great plot. After that get Lady Vengence, basically OLDBOY redux but a completely different animal, also very very bleak and the first movie I've had to tlook away from in a long long long time.

Finally, Machinist; another sort of lo-fi movie. Easier on the brain but not by much. Christian Bale goes all out for his role.

hope I've been helpful. . . and I'm off.weeeeee!

[Jyan]

Movie

Abres Les Ojos (Open Your Eyes)

After an accident, a man who was formally known for his beautiful looks and elegant lifestyle finds every turned upside down after he is horribly disfigured. He later finds himself in jail for a crime he never remembered comitting, and it haunted by strange dreams. Things become stranger and stranger, as people begin disappearing and he loses track of what is dream and what is reality. The American film Vanilla Sky was based upon it, so if you've seen that, do yourself a favor and see it how it was supposed to be done.

Series

Freaks and Geeks

Kind of self explanatory. A series that was too shortlived, even though it was pure brilliance. Revolves around a group of geeks and a group of freaks as they experience the angst or high school life. Stars Spiderman's James Franco and 40-Year-Old Virgin's Seth Rogen in some of their earliest work.

Book

Some Things Are Better Left Unplugged

This is a strange little book. A very, very strange little book. A man comes into a strange world and really strange stuff happens. Giant albino penguins, battling pocket watches, etc. It is really difficult to describe this book. For people who want to step into the world of Bizarro fiction but don't want to dig through all the violence, sex and grossness, this is the book to go with. It carries the strangess of the bizarro fiction without all the gratuitous elements.

[Hairy Joe Bob]

I have just seen, twice in one week, the film Dead Man's Shoes directed by Shane Meadows.

It really is a stunning film, one of the best I have ever seen. Beautiful and touching yet dark and horrific. It's set in a bleak Derbyshite wasteland where a gang of drug dealers run their village. They are big fish in a small pond and their lives are destroyed when an old acquaintance, played by Paddy Considine, returns from the army intent on revenge for what they did to his brother 8 years previously.

Truly a masterpiece, it has elements of the western, of a slasher flick, of a supernatural horror, and of a Shakespearian tragedy. Paddy Considine is a chilling and powerful force throughout, giving off waves of pure unadulterated menace and cold anger as a man who is pushed into performing horrific acts by brotherly love. The rest of the cast is made up mostly of local actors found through workshops and local auditions but they manage to give such a sense of realism that you may dream about them and their bleak lives in this wasteland for many weeks to come.

The soundtrack is amazing - it includes Aphex Twin, Smog, Calexico, Cul de Sac and M.Ward and adds tremendous atmosphere and emotional resonance to a film already brimming with both.

Really, I cannot recommend this film highly enough. It is a disturbing and moving experience but one well worth having.

[dizzy]

Master and Margarita,(written by mikhail bulgakov) one of the best modern novels ever written.
in the master and the margarita, the devil comes to contemporary moscow and causes havoc in the communist state.
Kokoro By Soseki Natsume, marvellous even a translated version is great
about the life and reclusiveness of one man, if i was to say anything else i would ruin it for you.

[Will]

I highly recommend the book Plainsong by Kent Haruf.  It's just this very simple narrative that takes several diferent characters from a fictional small town in the midwest and weaves their storylines together over and over again.  It's not anything heavy handed, but it does have some subtle social commentary to it...it's pretty uplifting, but not in the kind of cheap-feel-good fluff way that a lot of stories can be.  I'm impressed with how delicately the author treated each character in the story...

sorry, I'm starting to sound pretentious so I'll shut up now.  If anyone reads this book, let me know how you liked it!

[gingersnaps]

He Died with a Felafel in His Hand.

Holy shit.

Not only are felafels nutriciously delicious, but the style of the movie (and book) was just what I was looking for. The story deals with the convoluted lives of a group of renters in sunny Australia. From the likes of a psycho-bitch bulimic drama queen, to a heroin addict and a borderline depressed writer. The characters in their small vignettes are intensely gripping and I recomend that you check out this quirky, and humourous romp.

and of course a quote to end this rant!  

Danny: "Why is 3 o'clock in the morning always the hour of choice to put on Nick Cave, get depressed and kill yourself? What's wrong with the middle of the day when everyone's awake and ready to call an ambulance?"

[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]

guys with a fortified sexuality

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]

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).

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]

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

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.