Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with books and movies

Protagonists named 'Scarlett'

beniamino — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:30:59 -0800

I am looking for all kinds of fiction, especially for children, featuring a protagonist named Scarlett or Scarlet. Children's stories, novels, poems, movies, songs etc etc are all of interest. Thanks! No need to mention 'Gone with the wind'.

My new thinking technique is unstoppable!

infinitewindow — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:21:01 -0800

Recuperating from a head injury. How can I entertain myself with brain damage as a motif? Lots of stress going on right now in life, and to make matters worse I hit my head last night pretty bad. Right now I'm in the hospital under observation, and I have internet access to keep me entertained. When I get home for a day or two of bed rest, I will have no direct Internet access. I will have access to a PS3 with the Playstation Store.

Can you suggest interesting and not-stressful things to watch, read or listen to that

a. don't cost money
b. don't involve direct PC-type computer use
c. involve head or brain injuries in some way?

I have been promised a trip to the local public library, so books, audio or otherwise, are good ideas. You can check out my personal library from the LibraryThing link in my profile if you want to be a hella good AskMe citizen. Blindsight would be a great answer because the protagonist had part of his brain taken out in childhood (and because it's a kickass novel). This essay would be a bad answer because it would totally stress me out even more.

Snobs R Us

Grlnxtdr — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 09:13:45 -0800

I love little Stewie from Family Guy. Niles and Frasier Crane also make me giggle like mad. There's just something about the pretentious way that they have. I can't even begin to explain it. Can you give me some other examples of people in books, movies, internet and television that are so deliciously snarky, in that affected character kind of way?

Help a 13 y/o get to know the Amercian soldier.

keith0718 — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 12:30:34 -0800

What resources (films, books, websites) can I share with my 13 y/o daughter who has expressed a recent keen admiration and care for the American soldier from the Vietnam War era to the present? I recently took my 13 y/o daughter to see The Hurt Locker, after which she expressed a deeply felt admiration for the American soldier. I told her that not everyone feels the same way; and that, especially after the Vietnam War, soldiers were subject to quite a bit of disrespect when they returned home. She was really interested in his phenomenon and I would like to direct her to some resources (films, books, websites) that help her explore it and empathize with the existential experiences of the American soldier both on the battlefield and at home.

Let's say I'm a Russian student in my mid-twenties.

klue — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 03:58:36 -0800

Let's say I'm a Russian student in my mid-twenties. What Russian music am I likely to carry around on my mp3-player? Which Russian movies am I likely to have seen and discussed over the last few years, and which Russian books am I likely to have enjoyed?

I'm sure Russians are as exposed to foreign culture as anyone else, but that's not what I'm looking for here. Apologies in advance for my general ignorance.

I can hez organizeyshun?

GrooveStix — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 08:36:51 -0800

Help me find a website/software for making lists about interests like music, movies, books, etc. I make lists about things that I am interested in, kinda like to-check-out lists for movies, music, books, etc but at the moment I am quite disorganized about it. For movies I use imdb, for music I bookmark whole bunch of artist pages from allmusic.com, for books I use amazon's wishlist, and for games I keep a simple text file with the list within. As you can see, this is quite annoying to keep track of, and I'd like to use a centralized location that will work with most if not all interests. It could be a software, or it could be a website, I really don't care. I've tried listal.com and that seems like an answer to what I need, but the site is too clunky and a facebook/myspace wannabe, and I really don't need all those features.

Do you know what could I use?

Ultimate

Willie0248 — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:57:51 -0800

StoryFilter: Main character discovers he/she belongs to a special or secret group. They meet other people within this group who show them the ropes and open a new world to them. Harry Potter, Interview with the Vampire, Wanted, the original Star Wars trilogy... All of these books and movies are good examples of the meme, but they're all kinda dopey pop fiction. Great fun, some of my favorites, but are there some books (or even good movies) that are a little deeper on the subject? I really like this kind of story, and I would love to sink my teeth a little deeper into one. I bet there's even a name it; character becomes a something and then is educated in the ways of somethings.

Any good suggestions, Hive Mind?

I want to see more bad people

reenum — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 06:48:37 -0800

Please suggest movies, TV shows and books that feature unrepentant, amoral characters I was a big fan of Seinfeld when it was on, and now love It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia and Eastbound & Down.

The common thread running through these shows is a character or group of characters who are often selfish at best, amoral at worst and unrepentant about it. Also, the characters don't seem to have an epiphany that makes them "good", like the case with many movies and books. For example, I loved the movie Roger Dodger until the ending.

I want more of this. I'd love suggestions on TV shows (except Weeds), movies, and nonfiction books or biographies. I've read about such characters in fiction, so don't need recs on those sorts of books.

Thanks!

What made-up names does your child use for favorite media?

Mo Nickels — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 18:51:00 -0800

What made-up names does your very young child call favorite movies, books, games, or television shows? I'd like to compile a list of some of the names that toddlers or other very young children have made up for their favorite entertainment: books, movies, television, games, whatever. I am interested in seeing if there are patterns there of sufficient interest to write about.

For example, my 26-month-old son calls Elmo in Grouchland "Elmo Blanket." Elmo Visits the Firehouse is "Elmo Firefighter." (Firefighter is his name for a fire truck, not for the people who fight fires.) The Muppets were, for a long time, The Puppets. All the Lion King movies are "Baby Lions." Richard Scary's Cars and Trucks and Things That Go is "Goldbug Book." The Wizard of Oz is "Dorothy Dog" (since Elmo has a goldfish named "Dorothy" my son feels the need to say that he's talking about the Dorothy who has a dog). The video game Pacman on my phone is known as "Ducks" (they're yellow and they quack, right?).

Seeking air tight caper flicks or thrillers

IndigoJones — Mon, 25 May 2009 08:33:22 -0800

Seeking first rate caper flicks or thrillers. (Books also acceptable) AIR TIGHT PLOT ESSENTIAL! Stylish is nice, but I hate, hate, a cheat. Cheats include long cons requiring highly unlikely coincidence (I’m talking to you, David Mamet), or incriminating documents that no thought to burn years earlier (Little Dorrit, of all things, seems to have started this). Or the vital search warrant that no judge on earth would grant. Crap like that. I want the hinges to be silent, the joinery to be tight, the gears to mesh precisely, the ending to be truly surprising and solution to be satisfying and capable of withstanding close scrutiny.

How to discover new books, movies or other media you're prone to like?

kissan — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 14:40:44 -0800

Are there similar sites such as last.fm and the likes for other media types? I'm thinking sites which can recommend e.g. books and movies based on what I've recently read or watched. I'd prefer non-commercial sites, thus eliminating amazon.com and sites which recommend other titles based on what other users also bought together with a selected book/movie. Thanks.

Rogues living by their wits in corrupt societies.

gonzo_ID — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 06:07:08 -0800

I am looking for recommendations for TV series, movies and books of picaresque tales. Y'know... cheeky underdog rogue sticking it to The Man. I've been watching Lovejoy again and was wondering if this is a typical example of the genre, or what the range of the genre actually is.

Please give me some examples as starting points so I can begin my exploration. Thanx.

I want to be smart so I can write clever Askme Headlines

Bageena — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 13:45:34 -0800

What are some easy, relatively quick ways to learn to write better, think clearer, and express myself better? There are a thousand reasons that I'd like to learn more about everything, not that anyone should need a reason to want that. Basically, when I'm writing on Mefi or on my blog, I keep finding myself grasping for words to express myself and coming up short. I know my grammer stinks as well. I want books, movies, and other means and mediums by which I can raise my intelligence quota a little. I'm interested in not just learning to write better, but learning to think clearer, argue my beliefs and values better, and feel more enlightened all-around. Extra points for pointing the way to free and/or 'fun' (ie: Nintendo DS games) paths to enlightenment.

I Loves Me Some Culture Clash

HeyAllie — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 15:11:10 -0800

Looking for recent thoughtful, interesting, funny, quirky movies or books (2006 and beyond, preferably) that showcase characters from different cultures, different ages, different classes, who are brought together through unusual circumstances. In the last few weeks, I've seen Gran Torino twice and The Visitor and enjoyed them immensely. Both movies brought together characters of vastly different cultures, ages, and classes who have to fight stereotypes and racism, etc.

Also love books / movies that throw people into foreign environments (i.e. In Bruges, Genghis Blues, The Band's Visit are also recent movies I've seen and enjoyed).

What other books or movies can you recommend?

like water for solitude in the labyrinth of spirits

streetdreams — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 09:57:36 -0800

Recommend me some great examples of magical realism, please! Books, movies, whatever.

How do I clear my media backlog?

b.an.dekker — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 07:21:48 -0800

I'm drowning in a sea of media I have no time to consume - someone please throw me a lifeline On my to-consume media list I currently have The Wire series 5, Lunar Park by Bret Easton Ellis, Siren: Blood Curse for PS3, Playback by Raymond Chandler, Flight of the Conchords series 1 and countless movies. And the list is growing all the time.

Regular long-haul flights are helping me make a dent in the movies backlog, but how do I tackle the rest, short of holing up in a monastery or container ship for a few months with my media library?

Any guidance on how you deal with this luxury problem gratefully received.

Books and Movies Documenting Complex Organizations?

alb — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 10:11:46 -0800

I like to learn about how complex organizations and projects are run behind-the-scenes -- to see how decisions get made, how responsibilities are divided, what tools and technologies are used, how knowledge is documented and new workers trained. Recommend books, articles, films that do a good job documenting / explaining how a complex organization functions. For example: Large construction projects, professional sports teams, offices of government -- these organizations employ a lot of people with specialized expertise, they have to process and synthesize a great deal of information, and they must constantly make decisions while considering logistics, cost, personnel, etc. I want to read (or see) how they do it.

I'm a little hard pressed to cite complete examples of what I'm looking for (this kinda of stuff seems to show up as background bits within articles and books) -- but from my childhood, maybe the David Macaulay books like Cathedral and Pyramid that show in detail how large architectural projects are executed; or the Tracy Kidder books Soul of A New Machine and House; or the PBS documentary Carrier, if it were less character-driven. I've found that a lot of work like this focuses on individuals and narrative (to generate and sustain interest and create a 'plot'), but I'm less interested in the view of an organization through the lens of an individual within.

Subtle kink in popular culture?

Anonymous — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 15:31:26 -0800

Books and movies with BDSM overtones? I'm trying to find books and movies that are not, strictly speaking, erotica, but which have hints of dominant/submissive relationships between characters.

Things like Secretary and The Story of O definitely qualify, but I'm looking for films/books where the theme is far subtler. Two examples that I can think of are Lust, Caution and (to a lesser extent) Gone With The Wind.

Thanks!

Books about Down Under

Jimbob — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 04:42:42 -0800

Can anyone reccomend good books, or documentaries, about Australia (history, culture, politics) written by people from outside Australia? I'm interested in how we look from an international perspective - not from people who've spent a significant part of their lives here, or ex-pats, but people who are really writing from the outside, or who have only visited for a short time and grabbed a glance at the place.

Academic or humorous, either would be good. I've read Chatwin's "Songlines", enjoyed Bill Bryson's efforts, and even Billy Connolly's touring TV show was pretty good. What else is there that people can reccomend?

Need Books/Movies for Kids Going to Rome

bjennings — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 15:55:33 -0800

I'm looking for recommendations for books, movies and even music that might be relevant for a group of middle school (7th & 8th grade, ages 12-14) kids who are going to Rome over spring break. I'm a teacher, and I'm leading a group of 20 middle school kids as well as three other faculty members. I'd like to be able to recommend novels, movies and music for them.

They've all read Caroline Lawrence's "The Roman Mysteries" series. I'm very familiar with the range of children's and young adult historical fiction, especially that set in ancient times. I'd love to have any recommendations for novels set in modern Italy. Some of the students have read Dan Brown's "Angels and Demons", but teen and young adult books would be great, too.

I suggested "Roman Holiday"; all of the parents said "Oooh, I love that movie", and all of the kids were bored out of their skull. Fluff like the Mary Kate and Ashley "When In Rome" and "The Lizzie McGuire Movie" is right up their alley.

I figure music is a long-shot, but maybe there are some recommendations there as well. Thanks!

Portrayals of friendship and social circles in books, movies, or essays

salvia — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 21:01:55 -0800

Can you recommend books, movies, or essays with good portrayals of friendships or people's social circles? I'd like to read or watch things with realistic, complex examinations of friendships and people's social circles.

I've been thinking through my idea of friendship (is it too fairytale? is it too detached?), and about how to maintain friendships amidst life's complications (people moving, starting families, getting busy), and about how to make new friends. I've also been struggling with one friendship that is difficult for me right now.

I realized it would help to see how other people saw friendship and their social circle. Can you recommend things to read or watch? Books, short stories, movies, or nonfiction essays are all great.

To spark ideas, here are a few questions I'm interested in -- What does it mean to be friends? What are people's close friendships like? How do people stay friends over the years through ups and downs? What if one person moves away or friends grow apart? What about groups of friends, what are those like? How do other people look at their full circle of both acquaintances and friends? What is it like to be new in town and trying to build a new social network?

Stories about healthy, "normal" marriages?

callmejay — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 00:29:41 -0800

Stories about healthy, "normal" marriages? I'm interested in reading, watching, or hearing stories about healthy, relatively "normal" marriages. Understandably, fiction and nonfiction often focus on unusual and/or unhealthy relationships. By (I'm not criticizing open/poly marriages or quirky people or whomever, but that's just not what I'm interested in.)

I remember being struck by the movie The Matador (otherwise unremarkable) which had a middle aged, long-married couple that was depicted as regularly having very satisfying, plain-old vanilla sex. That must happen all the time in real life, but in books and movies it's often about affairs or fights or kinks or what have you.

There are sitcoms like The Cosby Show and Mad About You which sort of fit the bill, but I know the hive mind can come up with more and better examples.

Recommend a book for Mom that lists old movies

username68 — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 17:18:19 -0800

For a Friend: Recommend a book that will list all the movies my mother would have seen back in the 50s, 60s, and 70s if she'd had the time. My friend writes:

My mother's often said that, due to dating, socializing, working, attending school, getting married, having kids, and not having cable until 2004, she missed an awful lot of movies that she would liked to have seen. When we got a VCR in the eighties, she saw some of them: I
remember that we rented a lot of Hitchcock, for example. But to this day, whenever a TV show is running down a list of great movies or a newscaster is giving the obituary for a famous actor from a bygone era, she invariably checks off more than half the titles with "I never got to see that" or "that was during the time when I just didn't get to go to the movies." Of course I've volunteered to requisition some of those old movies through Netflix, but it's tough for her to generate a list of specific titles. She always says "There were so many," and "there were so many years where I didn't even know what was out."

For Christmas, I'd like to give her a book that would list all of the movies from her era so that she can
(a) recall the ones she's seen,
(b) identify the ones she hasn't and (c) read little about all of them.

My Amazon searches have not filled me with hope and confidence. I'd really like to get some recommendations from you guys.

[Oh, and I ask for a book rather than internet resources because my mother just won't spend that much time in front of a computer. However if you have internet based resources (or maybe just some IMDB or Netflix search tricks) you'd like to recomend, please do; I might be able to use them myself or print out selected pages to supplement the book.]

Ideally, this book will:

1. List most or all of the popular and critically well recieved
mainstream American movies released between 1950 and 1980. The book should provide a pretty accurate idea of what people were watching and talking about during those time periods. It shouldn't restrict itself to only Academy Award winners or some sort of "Best Of" list.

2. Focus on the whos, whats, whens, and wheres rather than on critical evaluation. My mother wants to know that Famous Actress slept with her co-star in Movie XYZ or that said movie made 10 million at the box office in 1970. She doesn't care whether Roger Ebert liked the movie or not.

3. Not try to list everything that played in theaters. Mom won't be interested in the grade B, exploitation, cult, or Japanese monster movies. Mom won't sift through a list of 7000
titles . Obviously there'll be some chaff, but if there's too much, the book will sit and collect dust.

4. Include enough pictures, background and gossip magazine type info, story synopses, etc. to jog her memory, especially when it comes to titles she may not have thought about in decades.

5. Be fun to peruse.

When she opens the gift, I'll let her know you guys helped. Thanks.

WHACK!

Pants! — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 19:39:32 -0800

Are there any good examples of books or movies where the protagonist dies unexpectedly? (assume spoilers) S/he gets hit by a bus, dies of the flu, gets trampled by a horse right near the end of the book. The plot takes a sudden, uncomfortable, twist, and then ends suddenly, leaving the reader with.a sense of unease, as though the story shouldn't really ended that way.

Down On Love.

sweetkid — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 16:47:50 -0800

What are some good recommendations for recent fiction/film with NO romantic entanglements? I have been single for a LONG time. I can't stand wandering the streets, watching every ho-hum guy with every ho-hum girl, seeing the magazines with all the latest couples, and constantly seeing couples unite in fiction and film. I just want to read a good story in which, perhaps, the guy could care less whether or not he gets the girl. Maybe he doesn't even want the girl.

What are some good recommendations for fiction or film in which there is absolutely no love story?

Limitations: Within the last 30 years would be preferable. Also, not a lot of violence, sadness, or children's stories.