Broaden my horizons, open my eyes.
November 15, 2006 10:01 AM Subscribe
What movies, books and music can you just not live without? Help me discover all the wonderful things that I've been missing.
Christmas is coming, so this seems the perfect time to build an Amazon wishlist to provide to my friends and family. However, I'm not interested in putting together a list of things I already know I like.
I'm not looking for more things that match my interests, but instead I want broaden my horizons and see what pieces of art/media others have found impossible to forget. I know that there is a world of things out there I have never even heard of, to my own detriment. Open my eyes MeFites...
Christmas is coming, so this seems the perfect time to build an Amazon wishlist to provide to my friends and family. However, I'm not interested in putting together a list of things I already know I like.
I'm not looking for more things that match my interests, but instead I want broaden my horizons and see what pieces of art/media others have found impossible to forget. I know that there is a world of things out there I have never even heard of, to my own detriment. Open my eyes MeFites...
This post was deleted for the following reason: chatfilter
Response by poster: Saucy, I specifically mentioned that I am not looking for a list of things that I already like. That defeats the purpose of trying to broaden my horizons...
Also deleted... Why?
posted by WinnipegDragon at 10:07 AM on November 15, 2006
Also deleted... Why?
posted by WinnipegDragon at 10:07 AM on November 15, 2006
Today's just not your day, is it.
posted by Saucy Intruder at 10:11 AM on November 15, 2006
posted by Saucy Intruder at 10:11 AM on November 15, 2006
Yeah, please give us some starting point. It would at least help to know what level of obscurity you are looking for. I could recommend some great music/movies/books, but I don't know if they'll be broadening your horizons unless we know approximately where your horizons currently are. Maybe give us your current top 10 in each genre to give us an idea?
posted by SBMike at 10:15 AM on November 15, 2006
posted by SBMike at 10:15 AM on November 15, 2006
Could be deleted as chatfilter. It's definitely very chatty. We'll see how it turns out though.
To answer the question, I think you should check out Os Mutantes and the many other tropicalistas from Brazil.
posted by gauchodaspampas at 10:18 AM on November 15, 2006
To answer the question, I think you should check out Os Mutantes and the many other tropicalistas from Brazil.
posted by gauchodaspampas at 10:18 AM on November 15, 2006
Life just wouldn't be the same without Gogol Bordello.
posted by spicynuts at 10:19 AM on November 15, 2006
posted by spicynuts at 10:19 AM on November 15, 2006
Well, here goes...
Movies - True Romance, Mirrormask
Books - Life of Pi (I'm sure you and everyone else on the planet has already read this, but just in case...), Mind Wide Open: The Neuroscience of Everyday Life (again, sorry if you've read it but I just read it and it was so interesting)
Music - Pennywise - Unknown Road (punk); Pendulum - Hold Your Colour (drum and bass)
I have way more music recs than anything else, but I'm trying to hold back a little haha.
posted by infinityjinx at 10:25 AM on November 15, 2006
Movies - True Romance, Mirrormask
Books - Life of Pi (I'm sure you and everyone else on the planet has already read this, but just in case...), Mind Wide Open: The Neuroscience of Everyday Life (again, sorry if you've read it but I just read it and it was so interesting)
Music - Pennywise - Unknown Road (punk); Pendulum - Hold Your Colour (drum and bass)
I have way more music recs than anything else, but I'm trying to hold back a little haha.
posted by infinityjinx at 10:25 AM on November 15, 2006
Well, here goes...
Movies - True Romance, Mirrormask
Books - Life of Pi (I'm sure you and everyone else on the planet has already read this, but just in case...), Mind Wide Open: The Neuroscience of Everyday Life (again, sorry if you've read it but I just read it and it was so interesting)
Music - Pennywise - Unknown Road (punk); Pendulum - Hold Your Colour (drum and bass)
I have way more music recs than anything else, but I'm trying to hold back a little haha.
posted by infinityjinx at 10:25 AM on November 15, 2006
Movies - True Romance, Mirrormask
Books - Life of Pi (I'm sure you and everyone else on the planet has already read this, but just in case...), Mind Wide Open: The Neuroscience of Everyday Life (again, sorry if you've read it but I just read it and it was so interesting)
Music - Pennywise - Unknown Road (punk); Pendulum - Hold Your Colour (drum and bass)
I have way more music recs than anything else, but I'm trying to hold back a little haha.
posted by infinityjinx at 10:25 AM on November 15, 2006
Alrighty then
Islandia by A.T. Wright
Darconville's Cat by Alexander Theroux
A Houseboat on the Styx by J. K. Bangs
Miss America by Mary Margaret O'Hara
Careful by Guy Madden
4 ways of Saying 5 by The Hafler Trio
Glenn Branca's Symphony Number 3
The Fourth Tower of Inverness by Meatball Fulton
Fors Clavigera by John Ruskin
My Life and Loves by Frank O'Hara
His Share of Glory by C.M. Kornbluth
Sapphire & Steel
There's a dozen to get you started.
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 10:29 AM on November 15, 2006
Islandia by A.T. Wright
Darconville's Cat by Alexander Theroux
A Houseboat on the Styx by J. K. Bangs
Miss America by Mary Margaret O'Hara
Careful by Guy Madden
4 ways of Saying 5 by The Hafler Trio
Glenn Branca's Symphony Number 3
The Fourth Tower of Inverness by Meatball Fulton
Fors Clavigera by John Ruskin
My Life and Loves by Frank O'Hara
His Share of Glory by C.M. Kornbluth
Sapphire & Steel
There's a dozen to get you started.
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 10:29 AM on November 15, 2006
Since you're already looking at Amazon, you might try pulling up books/movies/music you already like, then checking out the related books/user lists that are always linked on the product page. Wander around on those for a while, drift from list to list; it shouldn't take you wildly far from your existing tastes, but it will expose you to some new things.
posted by sarahsynonymous at 10:29 AM on November 15, 2006
posted by sarahsynonymous at 10:29 AM on November 15, 2006
Shit, My Life and Loves by Frank Harris
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 10:30 AM on November 15, 2006
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 10:30 AM on November 15, 2006
How about some things that I "discovered" personally in the past few years that are now "favorites" and "essentials". There goes my daily ration of quotation marks, btw.
Lone Wolf and Cub movies and the manga.
The Coyote Kings of the Space-Age Bachelor Pad by Minister Faust. Previously pimped by myself on AskMe.
English translation of the Battle Royale novel by Koushun Takami. Check out the movie or the manga as well!
Some music:
Caribou (formerly known as Manitoba)
Moses Mayes. (from Winnipeg!)
BTW, as a fellow Winnipegger, if you are with me on the Japanese stuff, check out IrBen on Pembina for all of your japanese mainstream / action / horror / anime needs. Also, Pocky.
Also, gift certificates can be great! Have you tried Siam Thai Cuisine on St. Anne's Rd?
Again, this is all stuff that has found a place in my heart over the past few years. Apologies if any of this is obvious.
posted by utsutsu at 10:37 AM on November 15, 2006
Lone Wolf and Cub movies and the manga.
The Coyote Kings of the Space-Age Bachelor Pad by Minister Faust. Previously pimped by myself on AskMe.
English translation of the Battle Royale novel by Koushun Takami. Check out the movie or the manga as well!
Some music:
Caribou (formerly known as Manitoba)
Moses Mayes. (from Winnipeg!)
BTW, as a fellow Winnipegger, if you are with me on the Japanese stuff, check out IrBen on Pembina for all of your japanese mainstream / action / horror / anime needs. Also, Pocky.
Also, gift certificates can be great! Have you tried Siam Thai Cuisine on St. Anne's Rd?
Again, this is all stuff that has found a place in my heart over the past few years. Apologies if any of this is obvious.
posted by utsutsu at 10:37 AM on November 15, 2006
Response by poster: Okay, most enjoyable examples of the genres I've read/watched/listened to recently (not top ten all time, that would be way too difficult):
Books:
Blindness - Jose Saramago
Gravity's Rainbow (and companion) - Thomas Pynchon
A Perfect Hell - John Nadler
Music:
Thunder, Lightning, Strike - The Go! Team
Modern Times - Bob Dylan
Spirit of Radio - Rush (Relistening, and reloving this one)
Movies:
Deliver us from Evil
Wolf Creek
Donnie Darko
posted by WinnipegDragon at 10:37 AM on November 15, 2006
Books:
Blindness - Jose Saramago
Gravity's Rainbow (and companion) - Thomas Pynchon
A Perfect Hell - John Nadler
Music:
Thunder, Lightning, Strike - The Go! Team
Modern Times - Bob Dylan
Spirit of Radio - Rush (Relistening, and reloving this one)
Movies:
Deliver us from Evil
Wolf Creek
Donnie Darko
posted by WinnipegDragon at 10:37 AM on November 15, 2006
This question reminded me of a new feature on Librarything.com for books:
UnSuggest
Type in a book you like and it will give you book recommendations of books that are the least similiar. It will broaden your horizons at least!
posted by meta87 at 10:41 AM on November 15, 2006
UnSuggest
Type in a book you like and it will give you book recommendations of books that are the least similiar. It will broaden your horizons at least!
posted by meta87 at 10:41 AM on November 15, 2006
Film - Annie Hall, The Wild Bunch, Buster Keaton, Werner Herzog. Funny, heartbreaking, and often quite romantic in the good way.
Books - George Orwell, Mordecai Richler, James Ellroy, Kurt Vonnegut, Larry Brown, Alan Moore, Harvey Pekar, Garth Ennis' Preacher and Hellblazer . Mostly grouchy white guys writing with a touches of humor, anger, and humanity.
Music - Bob Dylan (Esp. Rolling Thunder '70s Dylan), Wilco, Uncle Tupelo, The Handsome Family, The National, Will Oldham.
Most of these artists are well-represented on the web, with a little googling you'd probably be able to find something specific by them that'll pique your interest.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 10:46 AM on November 15, 2006
Books - George Orwell, Mordecai Richler, James Ellroy, Kurt Vonnegut, Larry Brown, Alan Moore, Harvey Pekar, Garth Ennis' Preacher and Hellblazer . Mostly grouchy white guys writing with a touches of humor, anger, and humanity.
Music - Bob Dylan (Esp. Rolling Thunder '70s Dylan), Wilco, Uncle Tupelo, The Handsome Family, The National, Will Oldham.
Most of these artists are well-represented on the web, with a little googling you'd probably be able to find something specific by them that'll pique your interest.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 10:46 AM on November 15, 2006
Why not? Here are some things I like, and maybe you will too.
Film - Tampopo, Amélie
Authors - David Sedaris, Christopher Brookmyre, Alexander McCall Smith
Music - ccc (not to be found on Amazon!)
posted by srah at 11:15 AM on November 15, 2006
Film - Tampopo, Amélie
Authors - David Sedaris, Christopher Brookmyre, Alexander McCall Smith
Music - ccc (not to be found on Amazon!)
posted by srah at 11:15 AM on November 15, 2006
Film - Baraka
If you have not already, please, please watch this film!!
Book - The Kite Runner
Music - The music of Fela Kuti
Just off the top of my head.
posted by sneakyalien at 11:45 AM on November 15, 2006
If you have not already, please, please watch this film!!
Book - The Kite Runner
Music - The music of Fela Kuti
Just off the top of my head.
posted by sneakyalien at 11:45 AM on November 15, 2006
OK, this list is a bit skewed towards things I've read/watched/listened to somewhat recently, but here goes:
Movies
Cure (Japan)
The Last Picture Show
Manhattan
Brief Encounter
M
The Devil's Backbone (Spain)
Blue Velvet
The Man Who Knew Too Much
My Neighbor Totorro
Kronos
Mean Streets
Everything you Ever Wanted to Know about Sex but Were Afraid to Ask
American Movie
Books
My Uncle Oswald by Roald Dahl
If On a Winters Night a Traveller by Italo Calvino
the Otherland series by Tad Williams
The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
Persepolis by Marjane Strapani (graphic novel)
Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace
A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole
The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera
White Noise by Don DeLillo
The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
Hyperion by Dan Simmons
Exodus by Leon Uris
Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri
Season of Migration to the North by Tayeb Salih
A Quiet Life by Kenzaburo Oe
Music
Galaxie 500
The Jesus and Mary Chain
Manitoba
The New Pornographers
Deltron 3030
Asobi Seksu
Hello Nurse
Locksley
K-OS
Trans Am
John Zorn
The Divine Comedy
Guided by Voices
Cornershop
Django Rheinhardt
Mogwai
Polaris
Stan Getz
Ted Leo & the Pharmacists
The Raincoats
posted by SBMike at 12:49 PM on November 15, 2006
Movies
Cure (Japan)
The Last Picture Show
Manhattan
Brief Encounter
M
The Devil's Backbone (Spain)
Blue Velvet
The Man Who Knew Too Much
My Neighbor Totorro
Kronos
Mean Streets
Everything you Ever Wanted to Know about Sex but Were Afraid to Ask
American Movie
Books
My Uncle Oswald by Roald Dahl
If On a Winters Night a Traveller by Italo Calvino
the Otherland series by Tad Williams
The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
Persepolis by Marjane Strapani (graphic novel)
Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace
A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole
The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera
White Noise by Don DeLillo
The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
Hyperion by Dan Simmons
Exodus by Leon Uris
Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri
Season of Migration to the North by Tayeb Salih
A Quiet Life by Kenzaburo Oe
Music
Galaxie 500
The Jesus and Mary Chain
Manitoba
The New Pornographers
Deltron 3030
Asobi Seksu
Hello Nurse
Locksley
K-OS
Trans Am
John Zorn
The Divine Comedy
Guided by Voices
Cornershop
Django Rheinhardt
Mogwai
Polaris
Stan Getz
Ted Leo & the Pharmacists
The Raincoats
posted by SBMike at 12:49 PM on November 15, 2006
film- Oldboy directed by Chan-wook Park
book- Grendel by John Gardner
music- Gimme Fiction by Spoon
television- Sports Night created by Aaron Sorkin
posted by haveanicesummer at 12:57 PM on November 15, 2006
book- Grendel by John Gardner
music- Gimme Fiction by Spoon
television- Sports Night created by Aaron Sorkin
posted by haveanicesummer at 12:57 PM on November 15, 2006
How about some non-fiction? Here are three that were definitely unforgettable and I'm sure at least one will broaden anyone's horizons.
The Creature from Jekyll Island - about banking and the Federal Reserve.
Nutrition and Physical Degeneration - presents research into the deleterious effects of a modern Western diet on traditional, primitive tribes.
Godel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid - a surprising look at computers, artificial intelligence, and the connections between art, music, and mathematics.
posted by Durin's Bane at 1:06 PM on November 15, 2006
The Creature from Jekyll Island - about banking and the Federal Reserve.
Nutrition and Physical Degeneration - presents research into the deleterious effects of a modern Western diet on traditional, primitive tribes.
Godel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid - a surprising look at computers, artificial intelligence, and the connections between art, music, and mathematics.
posted by Durin's Bane at 1:06 PM on November 15, 2006
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Saucy Intruder at 10:04 AM on November 15, 2006