Fourtrees Resurrected Media Club

[Grey]

Alternatively titled: the thread where you tell everyone about things you have liked, and why they should go out and find said great things.

Alternatively alternatively titled: reading and viewing recommendations, the thread.

So here's a nice place where we can all write about the great films/artworks/books/games/other media we have experienced, in the hope that someone else might also like it too. I don't suggest discussing anything too deeply on this thread, though - spoilers and all that. Wouldn't want to ruin it.

I'm actually surprised this wasn't started sooner. Oh well, it's here now. Better late.

I have a lot of things to suggest, but I think I'll try for one at a time. Starting off with:

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, by Alexander McCall Smith.

Being honest, I haven't read the books themselves yet. I have them, and I have wanted to, but time slips away from me when I'm not looking. I think I will find time tomorrow, though, because they look excellent.

If you can't find the books, I strongly advise watching the television series by the same name. It is charming and brilliant, and I get the feeling it might fall into your various interest categories, as it tackles a lot of fascinating themes ranging from feminism, clinical depression, philosophy and ethics, and so much more.

It is set in Botswana, with the main character being Mma Precious Ramotswe (who is really cool, by the way. She's clever and strong-willed and feminine and flawed and compassionate and what I consider to be a really amazing female character.) She starts a detective agency, and the stories follow the various cases she attempts to solve.

The supporting cast are pretty great as well, humorous and realistic and different, and in a wonderful change from most television that's around, utterly un-white-washed. I'm glad to see that people of colour dominate the entirety of the series (but pretty disappointed that there is only the one series).

And, of course, there are the mysteries around which the plots are based, which range from strangely charming cases if dubious daddies to things that are almost unutterably horrible. The series raises questions of morality that, I think, would make most other crime shows very nervous. Mma Precious Ramotswe's methods are unorthodox in many ways compared to things like Sherlock Holmes, but I am really very all right with that.

So yes. If you have the time and inclination, I suggest giving the pilot a test if you can find it. Or the books, if reading is what you'd prefer. I'm told the writing is very enjoyable and I'll verify or dispute that tomorrow afternoon, perhaps.

Anything to suggest?

[cloudbat]

Ah, my mom watched that show a few years ago and she said it was really good. I must watch it at some point.

I don't watch much TV, so I shall provide some book recommendations.

Ender's Game - Like science fiction? Like reading about some of the most badass kids in the history of literature? Like actual realistic space battles and military training. Read this book. It is amazing in so many ways.

Watership Down A favorite of Grey's, mine, and some other people's it is a fascinating story with rich mythology and language. It doesn't whitewash the savagery or mindset of animals but still makes them relatable and engaging characters. The characters are rabbits, by the way. And they are not necessarily cute.

Dragon Slippers A relatively unknown dragon book I feel doesn't get enough praise. It defies many common stereotypes and the dragons themselves are very unique, distinct, and best of all not all of them collect treasure! One collects shoes, and that is significant to the story. Yes, seriously. It is amazing and has two other books in its series: Dragon Flight and Dragon Spear.

The Bartimaeus Trilogy The Amulet of Samarkand is the first in this series and I love it so, so much. The government is corrupt, the characters are hilarious, and the little footnotes make the story that much richer and enjoyable. The main character is sarcastic, witty and shape-changing and the political intrigue is extremely well-written.

I have many, many books I like but I'll leave you with those.

[mistytail]

Oh man. Here we go.

The Devil's Carnival - A short, less-than-an-hour long musical produced by the minds behind Repo! The Genetic Opera, The Devil's Carnival is about three souls who find themselves in hell for their sins: Miss Merrywood, a kleptomaniac, John, a grieving father who committed suicide, and too-trusting Tamara. It is extremely low-budget (the creators joke that they just took all the money in their pockets out, put it on a table, and said, "Let's make a movie with this"), but there are a lot of pretty well-known actors and singers in it. Opera star Paul Sorvino plays God, Terrance Zdunich plays Lucifer, Alexa Vega plays Wick, Sean Patrick Flannery plays John, Emilie Autumn plays the Painted Doll, Nivek Ogre plays the Twin, Shawn Crahan (Clown from Slipknot) plays the Tamer, Ivan Moody from Five Finger Death Punch plays the Hobo Clown, Bill Moseley plays The Magician, and many more. The music is excellent and the length of the film makes it pretty accessible to even the most casual viewer. It is episode 1 in a series, and episode 2 is coming out sometime this year. I await it with bated breath.

Repo! The Genetic Opera - I put this after TDC because you will probably only like Repo! if you have a thing for cult films, whereas TDC is more accessible. Repo! is set in a dystopian future where pollution became so great that everyone's organs started to fail. However, out of the smog came a savior: GeneCo. GeneCo were willing to create new organs from scratch and make special payment plans with people so they could get the organs they need. However, later on organ repossession became legal, meaning that if you do not pay back what you owe from the surgery within 90 days, a genetic repo man will come find you and take back the organs. Without anesthesia. Meaning you die. They can kill you and it's totally legal. No one is sure what Congress was smoking when this was made legal, but shrooms are suspected. To keep everyone as doped up as Congress was, GeneCo also creates a new and cheap drug harvested from the bodies of the dead: Zydrate. Zydrate comes in a little glass vial, and the little glass vial goes into the gun like a battery, and the Zydrate gun goes somewhere against your anatomy, and when the gun goes off, it sparks and you're ready for surgery.

Nathan Wallace, a doctor by day and one of GeneCo's repo men by night, has a young and sickly daughter, Shilo, the last remainder of his late wife Marni. Shilo is so sick that she cannot go outside, but being a typical seventeen year old girl, she longs for the freedom of the outside world. Rotti Largo, the head of GeneCo, has three children, all of whom are incompetent fools. Rotti is sick and dying, and he must choose a new heir to GeneCo. He finds Shilo on a brazen adventure into the unknown and ropes her into a scheme with more odd twists and turns than a Hogwarts staircase.

A good amount of the cast from TDC came from Repo!, namely Paul Sorvino, who plays Rotti, Alexa Vega, who plays Shilo, Bill Moesley, who plays Luigi Largo, Nivek Ogre, who plays Pavi Largo, and Terrance Zdunich, who plays the mysterious Graverobber. Also featured are Anthony Stewart Head as Nathan, Sarah Brightman as Blind Mag, and Paris Hilton as Amber Sweet. (She is actually quite good in this since her character is essentially herself. Also you get to watch her face fall off. It's totally cool.) Also, Joan Jett has a cameo. Tell me you don't want to see Joan Jett have a cameo in a movie like this.

[I'm sure I have more stuff but I can't think of any right now.]

[pyro]

Swing Republic: Ever heard of electro swing? Now you have.
Tiger Rag
Any Old Thing
The Honeydripper

Alice Francis:
Shoot Him Down
St. James Ballroom

Backwater Gospel:
Here. If you haven't seen this little short before, then you need to. It's just...really great and it's one of my favorite things and just xzfkjfskjhneksth.

Fishtank Ensemble:
Samurai over Serbia

Castle Waiting: Truly exceptional comic series by Linda Medley. Believe me when I say it's worth the read. Pure quality. There's two compilation volumes out right now. Get them. Get them and read them and be happy and love this.

True Grit: The new remake. If you haven't seen it, freaking see it.

The Man With No Name:
For a Few Dollars.
For a Few Dollars More.
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.

They're all on youtube. Watch them. Just do it. They're westerns. I just...like westerns okay? especially spaghetti westerns

It Happened One Night: It's a film. With Clark Gable in it.
...I really like Clark Gable.
Anywho, it's nice and witty and I really liked it. The character Clark plays in it was the inspiration for Bugs Bunny.

Gone With the Wind: Alright, seriously. If you seriously haven't read this. I'm just. Read it. It's Gone With the Wind.
Read it.