Media Recommendations

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



/Movies/

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, and has some very beautiful cinematography as well.

once upon a time in the west

The Good the Bad and the Ugly is arguably Sergio Leone's most famous western, which is a shame because it overshadows this masterpiece, which is every bit as memorable. Much more epic in scale than his other westerns, with a lot more characters and plot threads. Soundtrack is also impeccable, Ennio Morricone was on something else here man.

the grand budapest hotel

Maybe the most rewatchable movie ever. Love that Willem Dafoe gets his very own custom Prada villain jacket.

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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

Listened to this while walking around a university campus and it was a spiritual experience.

this is sinatra
- frank sinatra

Frank's pretty cool.

fox confessor brings the flood
- neko case

Sounds like a small town in the pacific northwest.

12 bit blues
- kid koala

Insane how much mileage he gets out of a relatively simple idea.

sakura
- susumu yokota

Best 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/

animal well

A surreal retro platformer, inspired by NES and C64 games. Big focus on atmosphere and engaging moment-to-moment gameplay. The save room music sounds like Laura Palmer's Theme.

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. Also the best DLC of any game I've played. Solanum is my favorite traveler.

sable

Atmospheric coming-of-age story inspired by Nausicaa and the works of Moebies. 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.

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, with some house-inspired bangers.

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