Saturday, September 19, 2009

The Right Stuff and other non-fiction...

Great book by Tom Wolfe that was also turned into a more than decent film.
His documentary books are all enjoyable, but I have so far only read one of his novels.

On the subject of non-fiction you should read some of the great Doctor's works - Hunter S. Thompson - the man who put the we into weird. Plenty of drug references, but the Great White Shark Hunt and the Fear and Loathing books are cult classics for a reason.

As the man said, "When the going get weird, the weird turn pro."

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Team America World Police et al

Marvelous (very) foul mouthed satire - if like me you were a child of the Thunderbirds generation(s) growing up with Gerry Anderson's puppet (and subsequently live action) shows this is even more piquant. Enjoy - but do not watch with your mother or grandma...

For more foul not suitable for children big kids shows try South Park - The Movie, or indeed the South Park TV series.

While we are on the subject try Family Guy. I love the Star Wars episode.

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Great Crime Authors

Agatha Christie - hugely enjoyable of course, but beyond her realm

Michael Innes - not to be confused with Hammond - wrote some wonderful donnish crime books.
His sequence of (Sir) John Appleby books are especially good.

Simon Brett - your Mum and I like his Mrs Pargetter novels, and I enjoy his Charles Parris and Fethering novels.

I chanced across Joseph Hansen's Dave Brandstetter mysteries several years ago - proof that great detectives can be gay.

We are so glad that you already love Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett.

Sci Fi Films

The original Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi

Dark Star - less well known these days but a great little cult film

Forbidden Planet - one of the best from the 1950's

Android - a film I keep hoping to catch again on TV - (with Klaus Kinski)

The Sting

If you like Hustle and the Real Hustle check out The Sting

And while we are on Redford and Newman - Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is also a modern classic movie.

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Cartoons

If - by Steve Bell
Boonedocks
Doonesbury
Ctrl Alt Del*
Garfield
Dilbert
Nemi

Comedy Shows

Family Guy*
The Young Ones
Monty Python

South Park **


The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin

TV Shows - Drama

Hill Street Blues
Homicide - Life on the Street
Dexter *
A Very Peculiar Practice

The Prisoner
Deadwood**
The Wire**

Being Human

Newer Films - Comedies

Team America World Police**

A Fish Called Wanda
Airplane
Life of Brian

Classic Films

Casablanca
It Happened One Night
His Girl Friday/The Front Page
Arsenic and Old Lace
Bringing Up Baby

Ealing Comedies
Passport To Pimlico
The Man In the White Suit
Whiskey Galore
The Lady Killers
The Lavender Hill Mob
The Titfield Thunderbolt

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Muscials ...

Singing In The Rain
Cabaret*
The Rocky Horror Picture Show*

and you already know The Sound of Music!

Check out My Fair Lady as well ...

The Blues Brothers

Watching it now it's still so good - and such giants of music

Cab Calloway
James Brown
Aretha Franklin
John Lee Hooker

not to mention the blues musicians (even if some of them can't act!)
as well as Dan Akroyd and John Belushi ... and guests from John Candy and Carrie Fisher and even Twiggy.

Psst - how much for the little girl...

You will know these quotes

It's 106 miles to Chicago...
Space is big, really big...
Do you get wafers with it?
No, it's pronounced "Fronkensteen."

The Blues is Nothing - the Blues is Everything

Music is cool - rock is cool jazz, soul and classical, is coold, even tacky pop music can be cool, the blues is icey.

Too many great bands and artists to list here.

Monday, June 1, 2009

More GREAT Movies - classics

Dr. Strangelove, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb

Dogma* (Rude!)

A Matter of Life and Death (and other Powell and Pressburger films)

Ice Cold in Alex
Bridge on the River Kwai

People whose work you should check out

Actors
Alec Guiness
Clark Gable
Katharine Hepburn (Mollie is named after her...)
Cary Grant


Comics -
Chris Rock
Robin Williams
Steve Martin - esp his early work

TV
The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin
Rising Damp
Monty Python's Flying Circus
The Goodies

Films
This is Spinal Tap
Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid
Blazing Saddles
Young Frankenstein
Life of Brian
The Producers
Hairspray

Producers
Terry Gilliam
Mel Brooks

Worth Watching - Cop Shows

Hill Street Blues - dated now but warm, engaging and funny while covering some hard storylines that transcended individual episodes. Great cast as well, and the show is a child of the talendted Stephen Bochco - who cut his teeth on the also excellent Columbo (even older!).

He's written at least one novel set in LA and involving showbiz writers - (great fun!)

Harder Edged Cop Shows - from the 90's Homicide: Life on the Street- and in the 00's try The Wire (I have seen series 1and 2 and it's great stuff)

Family Guy

Heh heh heh!

Rather adult in places - but very funny! Worth Watching!

Thank you Seth MacFarlane

Firesign Threatre

You love the ******* humour of Douglas Adams and Bleak Expectations - (******** - words like zany, left field are just not enough)

The Firesign Theatre are a little more ... what?

Crazy...
Experimental...
Drug influenced (in places)

Check out Mark Thomas's radio introduction/celebration or classic albums like Waiting for the Electrician (or Someone Like Him) - that was my introduction (thank you N ewt!!)

(Don't forget the elevator boy ...)

Robert Heinlein

Especially the Moon is a Harsh Mistress

I love the story, and the concepts of a computer that "wakes up". The development of the revolution and the various involvements of the characters drew me into their backgrounds.

Wonderful quotes:
Bog Is a computer one of your creatures
Then he did die
We can throw rocks


Some may find it right wing - I always thought it was rather anarchistic - I think if you want to
label the politics it is closest to libertarian socialism.

Various of his other works are also cult classics - Stranger in a Strange Land etc

Mamas and the Papas

Such beautiful singing and great songs - try as well as California Dreaming with the stereo set to ful left or right to hear the male and female parts separately.

I also love Monday Monday and Creeque Alley.

Monday Monday always seemed to me to represent someone who lost a loved one in some way on a Monday - but I saw John Phillips interviewed saying he never knew what it was about.

Creeque Alley makes me cry - god knows why!