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Alec Baldwin recommended Hunger (2009) in Movies (curated)

 
Hunger (2009)
Hunger (2009)
2009 | International, Drama, Documentary
7.5 (2 Ratings)
Movie Favorite

"The story of Bobby Sands and the hunger strike he died from while imprisoned by the British government at the Maze prison in Northern Ireland in 1981 is not for the faint of heart. Michael Fassbender, as Sands, takes your heart nearly to the grave with him in a miraculously dedicated and brave performance. The politics of the strike, orchestrated to protest the unwillingness of Margaret Thatcher to recognize the IRA inmates as political prisoners, is a quiet backbeat to the action and is never demagogic. But like with all great films containing shattering performances, your feelings for the cause of the IRA at the hands of the British government circa 1981 cannot help but be brought into sharper focus. McQueen won the BAFTA Award for most promising new filmmaker for this film."

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Bicycle Thieves (1948)
Bicycle Thieves (1948)
1948 | Drama
8.0 (3 Ratings)
Movie Favorite

"For my mentor Roy Andersson, De Sica was someone who was looking at individuals within a social structure. His films were looking at societal problems in a very political way, with a very realistic style of shooting, but at the same time, they were very self-aware about their set-ups. I love the scene when the father and son go to a restaurant to spend the last of their money to eat something, and at another table is a different family, with a young boy who is looking at the son. I’ll never forget the way they look at each other and the look of the other boy, who is used to being in fancy restaurants eating pasta. It’s so touching and such a humanistic way of looking at things."

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Return to Cookie Mountain by TV On The Radio
Return to Cookie Mountain by TV On The Radio
2006 | Rock
(0 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"I think it's one of my favourite records of the last 20 years. I hadn't really listened to them that much and we were going to work with Dave Sitek. While on our way to NY to record with him in 2008, I thought, "I should probably give them a proper listen". It slowly unveiled its power - it's very dense and like nothing else I've ever really heard. I think it's very unique in the way it was made and it feels like it's a distillation of those characters at that time in NY. The lyrics are incredible, I like that it's political - it's not blatant, there's no sloganeering, but it is politically charged. There's no lead track: the way that it's sequenced is off-kilter but in its way makes sense. It's just great."

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Liz Phair recommended Dune in Books (curated)

 
Dune
Dune
Frank Herbert | 1965 | Science Fiction/Fantasy
8.7 (23 Ratings)
Book Favorite

"I read Dune because my son recommended it. He thought I would enjoy the dynastic element. I was looking for help with my novel, searching for a story that showed how to build a simple narrative within larger, socio-political themes. I didn’t find the simple narrative, but Dune left an indelible impression on me as a staggering work of science fiction. Herbert’s detailed and engrossing descriptions of life on planet Arrakis were so convincing, they left an actual stink on my palette. The spice mining water reclamation suits, for instance, are visions I could live without. As far as world-building goes, Dune is on my top-ten list of best examples. Plus, every time I think about it, I feel pride and warmth for my son"

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