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National Lampoon's Animal House (1978)
National Lampoon's Animal House (1978)
1978 | Comedy

"I gotta get a really good comedy in there, and I don’t know if there’s ever been a better comedy — for my funny bones — than Animal House. All the laughs they crammed into that movie — I don’t know that it’s been beat. All the different characters; the way you basically, again, you like the anti-heroes — you like the guys who were in college and they were the slackers and all that. Just so many laughs in that movie. For me, if I’m flipping through the channels and I see Animal House on, I could sit down and watch that movie at any time, any day."

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Eduardo Sanchez recommended Notting Hill (1999) in Movies (curated)

 
Notting Hill (1999)
Notting Hill (1999)
1999 | Comedy, Romance
6.5 (6 Ratings)
Movie Favorite

"One movie that’s always kind of a runner up, and I never really mention it because it’s so different than my other favorite films, is Notting Hill. It’s kind of a weird film to put in the group. But it’s such a perfect romantic-comedy and such a perfect vehicle. It’s like a fantasy, every man’s fantasy of meeting a beautiful movie star and being absorbed into her world and somehow making it work out. I love Julia Roberts, but that movie really made me fall in love with her, and Hugh Grant, he was such a likable guy in that movie. The supporting roles are so strong. And just the story of, just the world that… you know, I live on the very edges of this world, but just the world that Hollywood, that these people live in. It was just kind of a really interesting story. It wasn’t just a basic romantic-comedy; it had a lot of things going for it. But that’s definitely one of my favorite films. That’s one of those films that I watch every couple years. I just pop it in."

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Donkey Skin (Peau d'âne) (1971)
Donkey Skin (Peau d'âne) (1971)
1971 | International, Musical, Sci-Fi
(0 Ratings)
Movie Favorite

"I would say Peau d’âne, by Jacques Demy, a French musical with Catherine Deneuve, because I fell in love with Catherine Deneuve. I was so impressed. I think that, because I watched her being a princess in that movie, that I wanted to be an actress. She was so amazing, and I love Jacques Demy movies. It’s like a real beautiful fairy tale and, I just watch that movie again and again."

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The Great Gatsby (2013)
The Great Gatsby (2013)
2013 | Drama, Romance
Completely unlikeable
I remember watching this at the cinema when it was first released and really hating, however I felt the same about Moulin Rouge on the first watch and ended up loving it, so after 7 years I've finally decided to give this another try.

Sadly on the second watch, I could barely find anything to like about this film at all. The soundtrack and how dashing Leonardo DiCaprio looks are probably the only saving graces. The plot isn't too bad, it's just poorly executed and doesn't make a massive sense because of the inconsistent and confused characters. All of the characters are completely unlikeable and Daisy especially, what is going on with her voice? And then there's Tobey Maguire's narration of meaningful writing, that is so deadpan that the words become totally meaningless.

I also don't like the look of this film. The vibrancy is pushed too far that it looks overly garish and the reliance on CGI is overwhelming. It seems that there's barely a scene that isn't CGI or green screened and it gives the film an overall cheap shoddy feel, as the CGI is ridiculously noticeable and over the top. Being this CGI heavy works for films like Alita, Avatar as they're futuristic or unrealistic storylines, but for something like Gatsby which is mainly a drama, it just doesn't work. And Baz Luhrmann seems to be throwing all of his tropes that worked so well in Moulin Rouge into this and they just don't fit at all.

I really wanted to like this but I just couldn't get past how shockingly dull and bad it is.
  
Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) by Wu-Tang Clan
Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) by Wu-Tang Clan
1993 | Rock
7.0 (3 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"This reshaped music and the way I wanted to approach it. You wouldn't think it because it had been out 10 years when I got into it in 2003. I was working in this warehouse and this guy used to bring loads of hip hop in and stick it on. And after a while it's like, this is really good, you know. They didn't even rap on some tracks, it's just shouting. And all the martial arts stuff. The chaos of it and the intermissions of, ""Some blokes got shot round the corner, I'm not joking!"" It's really funny. I found I really connected to it because at the time I had no money. I was a bit of a shit-kicker. You got the impression that these were people at the end of their tether. Not in a good position. Just chaotic. It didn't adhere to this idea of hip hop, hippety hop. It made no sense as well, especially people like Ol' Dirty Bastard, I was just like, ""What the fuck are you on about?"" That really influenced me. I realised you could marry words that don't make sense. They gave across this humanist thing, they weren't just intimidating, or playing up to this image. I found that quite endearing. I like the dusty drum beat, the production is great."

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AW
Akata Witch (Akata Witch, #1)
6
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Okay, don't get me wrong. I can see what people see in this series. I don't know what I thought I'd expect considering I generally don't like fantasy, and I definitely don't like Harry Potter. It's just not my jam. In many ways, Akata Witch is very HP, just in Nigeria. In other ways, it's so steeped in African mythology, it's a true breath of fresh air from the normally very European folklore that fantasy so often draws from. It's definitely a book I'd recommend.
  
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Judy Greer recommended The Big Lebowski (1998) in Movies (curated)

 
The Big Lebowski (1998)
The Big Lebowski (1998)
1998 | Comedy

"I would say The Big Lebowski, because I’ve always felt like John Goodman should have gotten an Oscar for his performance in that movie. He’s perfect and brilliant. And it’s so weird and so funny, and takes all these turns. And we got to meet Phillip Seymour Hoffman and be like, “Brandt? Who the f— is that guy? He’s hilarious.” So, thanks for that, Coen brothers. It’s so weird. It’s so hard to make a movie with such extreme characters and keep it tonally so grounded. I don’t feel like it’s ever over the top, but all the performances are over the top, but it’s just so perfectly directed. Plus it makes me laugh, always, even though I’ve seen it so many times. God, really, I just love it. I think there’s something in it for everyone."

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TD
The Dirty Book Club
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Oh my goddess I loved everything about this book!!!!!!!!!!!! I won this in a goodreads giveaway and I am so happy - I saw the title and immediately knew that I needed to read this book and odds are that I would love it.

It was very character based though I wish it was more alternating POV between the 4 instead of just MJ driven though in the end it makes sense as to why that was the case so no points off for that aspect but I wish I could have got into the other characters heads too not just one.

Being a 32 year old recently married individual - this book was quite entertaining and wowza .. an eye opener for those married a long time/having issues - I just literally reading this book and just squealing out loud or going oh my god!!!! my husband sitting next to me looking at me like I'm crazy, yes, yes I am. I really wish it didn't end and this is a definite re-read for me. I'll be recommending it for everyone - I'm going to lend it to my mom too because, well, I just think she'll like it ha!
  
Public Image: First Issue by Public Image Ltd
Public Image: First Issue by Public Image Ltd
1978 | Punk
7.5 (2 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"I prefer Metal Box, but this is a wonderful album and it just shows you where Lydon was culturally at that point in time. And he was obviously a bright fella. In interviews he was always talking about bands like Hawkwind and Can, so you always knew he was going to come from the left field, but the album didn't sound like anything else. I mean, Wobble's bass, Donut [Jim Walker]'s drumming, Keith Levene's guitar. I saw them play and Keith Levene had that metal guitar and he broke string after string during every song, Wobble was just sat down, and the whole thing just captured the bedlam but it just wasn't delivering what people were expecting. If you listen to 'Religion', it is just so cutting and stark and amazing; he channelled all of the anger that he had in a way that he couldn't with the Pistols because he wasn't being manipulated. He was cynical by this point because of the way he'd been treated and all the bullshit, and it all came out on this album. It was a game changer, this album."

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Death of a Ladies' Man by Leonard Cohen
Death of a Ladies' Man by Leonard Cohen
1977 | Pop
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"I think this song is fun and sort of ridiculous, it's bombastic and big. There's so much reverb on ‘True Love Leaves No Traces’, it's crazy. He’s on the record cover with the women and he called it Death of a Ladies' Man! It's so beautiful and it's very well written, but it's kind of through this filter that you can't help but just kind of laugh loud. “There’s that song called ‘Memories’ where he sings “Your naked body...” and it’s just ridiculous; it's playful and fun in a way that only Leonard Cohen really knew how to be. If you listen to some of his interviews he's such a poetic man and he knows exactly how to say whatever he wants to say. Sometimes he chooses to say funny things and that record is kind of like that to me. “When you discover albums like this, you're like, 'There's actually really great songs in here, the production is insane, but what he's saying is really cool.' He was in his fifties at that point; he was drinking tea"

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