Media Recommendations

Some things I enjoy. Go check them out if they look cool. Or don't.



/Movies/

perfect blue

A masterclass by Satoshi Kon on parasocial relationships, fame, and identity. Who are you? Are you real? How do you know? Uses creative animation techniques to portray Mima's slipping grasp on reality as she changes careers, becomes an actress, and loses sense of herself.

sunset boulevard

Dreamlike dark comedy about an aspiring screenwriter who gets mixed up with a narcissistic actress who won't let go of the past. A very sharp and witty commentary on Hollywood.

blue velvet

One of my favorite Lynch movies and one of my favorite movies of the 80's in general. So brilliantly depicts the darkness underneath the suburban american dream. Haunting.

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/Books/

the westing game
ellen raskin

Compact and charming little mystery novel with a very unique writing style. Besides just being a very good mystery novel it's also a character study focusing on the tenants of an apartment building and how they deal with each other and the mystery shenanigans. A very fun read.

dune messiah
- frank herbert

Yes you need to read Dune to understand its sequel, but if you have read Dune (and if you haven't, you should), then Messiah is a great continuation that serves as an antithesis of sorts to the original. A lot of the subtler themes or subtext from the first book are pushed into the spotlight to hammer home Paul's identity and challenge the audience.

the man who was thursday
- g. k. chesterton

A novel about an police investigation gone wrong that is so ridicoulous in its concept and execution that it could easily disguise itself as an elaborate joke. Stuffed full of paradoxes, irony, rug-pulls and double-entendres. Also has a really great pace, the plot has the speed of a rollercoaster.

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/Music/

a beautiful place out in the country
- boards of canada

Not really sure how to describe boards of canada's music other than it reminds me of ghosts, nature, memories and childhood. All of their work is great, but this is a great little introduction ep if you want to get into them.

odelay
- beck

90's slacker rock/alternative so cheesy and self aware it winds around to being cool again. Covers a wide range of moods and textures, doesn't wear out it's welcome.

fox confessor brings the flood
- neko case

Sounds like a small town in the pacific northwest. Lyrical and melancholy.

sakura
- susumu yokota

Great late-night chill out album. Tobiume is incredible.

night moves
- bob seger and the silver bullet band

Loved this album, then got it on cassette and loved it twice as much.

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/Games/

outer wilds

Easily my favorite piece of Science Fiction, perfectly mixing abstract sci-fi concepts with some more human and emotional themes that hit hard. Everybody and their dog recommends this game, but I think your enjoyment will largely depend on whether a player-directed, open ended puzzle game sounds interesting to you. The sort of game where it certainly doesn't click with everybody but tends to click hard with a select few. Solanum is my favorite traveler.

sable

Atmospheric coming-of-age story inspired by Nausicaa and the works of Moebius. The highlight is definitely the art direction, with stenciled outlines and bold colors that change hue depending on the time of day. Japanese Breakfast composed the soundtrack, which is well worth listening to even if you have no intention of playing the game.

wipeout 3

Late 90's arcade racer with a high skill ceiling and great controls. Lulls you into a trance with it's electronic score while propelling you down raceways at several hundred kilometers per hour. Has incredible presentation, and also one of the most technically advanced games on the PS1. This is up there with Metal Gear Solid and Vagrant Story as some of the best looking games on the platform. Runs at a stable 30fps too.

tunic

The best "video-gamey" video game I've ever played and a love letter to old-school Zelda. The puzzles required for the true ending are absolutely insane and make use of the established mechanics in a brilliant way. The music is also a refreshing genre change for this kind of game, leaning towards house music with flourishes of instrumental piano.

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