ATAR Notes: Forum

General Discussion => General Discussion Boards => Lifestyle and Entertainment => Topic started by: PhoenixxFire on March 29, 2018, 03:55:48 pm

Title: What is something that everyone should see/read/watch?
Post by: PhoenixxFire on March 29, 2018, 03:55:48 pm
Hopefully I’ll have some free time on the holidays (haha) so I want recommendations for things to watch/read. Things like documentaries/speeches, that sort of thing (although I won’t turn down book recommendations either ;) )

So, what’s something life changing* that you’ve seen/read?

*Does not actually need to be life changing haha.
Title: Re: What is something that everyone should see/read/watch?
Post by: S200 on April 20, 2018, 10:30:59 am
Quote from: PhoenixxFire on March 29, 2018, 03:55:48 pm
...Does not actually need to be life changing ...

During my holidays, I read Crime and punishment and listened to JFK "Ich bin ein Berliner" speech...
Prolly not life changing, but was an interesting combination...
Title: Re: What is something that everyone should see/read/watch?
Post by: JTrudeau on April 20, 2018, 02:01:58 pm
Darkest Hour (2017) was such an incredible movie. It’s about Churchill in WWII, and while it’s not your average exciting action movie, the depictions of humanity and cinematography is so touching!
It’s one of the only films that rendered me completely speechless for an hour after watching it and then a crying mess for two hours after that.
Title: Re: What is something that everyone should see/read/watch?
Post by: Mada438 on April 20, 2018, 02:38:01 pm
The Art of Travel by Alain de Botton is definitely a must read for anyone who enjoys travelling and adventures!!  ;D ;D
Title: Re: What is something that everyone should see/read/watch?
Post by: EEEEEEP on April 20, 2018, 02:43:41 pm
Stephen King's THE DARK TOWER.

The way he writes is so unique and satisfying. His descriptions are amazing and it leaves you with an amazing feel.
Spoiler
(https://i.imgur.com/ZWGRQzR.png)

(avoid the film, it was trash as usual.. for an adaption)
Title: Re: What is something that everyone should see/read/watch?
Post by: Poet on April 20, 2018, 02:48:24 pm
Quote from: EEEEEEP on April 20, 2018, 02:43:41 pm
Stephen King's THE DARK TOWER.

Yessss, Stephen King novels are the bomb!

If you like Stephen King, I would also recommend The Oath by Frank Peretti (who is actually a Christian horror novelist, not sure how that works but okay).
 Brilliant read. :)
Title: Re: What is something that everyone should see/read/watch?
Post by: sweetiepi on April 20, 2018, 03:00:57 pm
The Sun and Her Flowers by Rupi Kaur.

Also Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte :)
Title: Re: What is something that everyone should see/read/watch?
Post by: Coffee on April 20, 2018, 06:51:42 pm
I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai. :)
Title: Re: What is something that everyone should see/read/watch?
Post by: elysepopplewell on April 20, 2018, 07:02:34 pm
I think The Handmaid's Tale is a must-read for society wokeness, not as an uplifting/life changing kind of way. I also really like the film The Lives of Others. Both of these texts really changed the way I grip life and liberty. The first is my favourite book of all time, and the second is my favourite film of all time. But they aren't happy books/films - they just make me appreciate liberty now. Changed my perspective a lot.
Title: Re: What is something that everyone should see/read/watch?
Post by: owidjaja on April 20, 2018, 07:19:59 pm
Quote from: elysepopplewell on April 20, 2018, 07:02:34 pm
I think The Handmaid's Tale is a must-read for society wokeness, not as an uplifting/life changing kind of way. I also really like the film The Lives of Others. Both of these texts really changed the way I grip life and liberty. The first is my favourite book of all time, and the second is my favourite film of all time. But they aren't happy books/films - they just make me appreciate liberty now. Changed my perspective a lot.
Yes! The Handmaid's Tale really gets you to reflect on the state of society, kinda like the updated version of 1984. Although, I found the ending a bit confusing :/

The TV show was also great! I found it slightly uncomfortable to watch but that was kinda the point! It wanted you to reconsider their perception of how society will end up- really confronting (perhaps it could be used as an ORT?). Plus, the video essay I watched about how framing was used to empower these female characters even though they don't have a huge role in their society made me appreciate the text even more!
Title: Re: What is something that everyone should see/read/watch?
Post by: PhoenixxFire on April 20, 2018, 08:14:36 pm
Quote from: Coffee on April 20, 2018, 06:51:42 pm
I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai. :)
I have to read this for English, so I’ll probably hate it by the time I’m done but I am looking forward to reading it.

Quote from: elysepopplewell on April 20, 2018, 07:02:34 pm
I think The Handmaid's Tale is a must-read for society wokeness, not as an uplifting/life changing kind of way.
I haven’t read the book but I have seen the tv show (and i’m eagerly awaiting the second season). Is it worth reading the book as well? I normally much prefer reading but I struggle to finish a book when I already know the plot line.
Title: Re: What is something that everyone should see/read/watch?
Post by: beatroot on April 20, 2018, 09:33:05 pm
Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari (The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari): A German Expressionism silent film made in 1920. I just find it interesting how they were able to create this thriller film with such a low budget, no colour and no dialogue.

Billy Elliot: a beautiful coming of age film that is a must watch if you haven't seen it already!
Title: Re: What is something that everyone should see/read/watch?
Post by: owidjaja on April 20, 2018, 09:55:49 pm
Quote from: beatroot on April 20, 2018, 09:33:05 pm
Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari (The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari): A German Expressionism silent film made in 1920. I just find it interesting how they were able to create this thriller film with such a low budget, no colour and no dialogue.
Omg yes! It's impressive how they were able to make a pretty compelling story without any fancy technology. Pretty sure the film was known to have an unreliable narrator, which was what made this film revolutionary (along with the fact that their sets are amazing).
Title: Re: What is something that everyone should see/read/watch?
Post by: peterpiper on April 21, 2018, 08:53:27 am
Everyone should watch Lady Bird. Hands down.
Title: Re: What is something that everyone should see/read/watch?
Post by: sudodds on April 21, 2018, 01:48:31 pm
The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank is a must read in my opinion. I've never been affected by a book in such a way before (I was recently in Amsterdam and I got to see the Annex she lived in, was almost in tears, but I'm so glad that I went). I recently saw a stat suggesting that 41% for millennials in America think that 2 million or less Jews died during the Holocaust (it was actually triple this number, not even including the non-Jewish victims such as the Romani, Jehovah's Witnesses, Communists/Political opponent, black people, disabled, and homosexuals), and 11% have never even heard of the Holocaust before. That's pretty disgraceful in my opinion, and just more of a reason to read this book (Personally feel like it should be mandatory reading at schools). I also think Dunkirk is a must watch film - according to many (and I agree) it's the closest a film could ever get to what life as an ordinary soldier during World War II was like - a pretty important perspective to understand.

Other things that I enjoyed, that are a bit (sort of) "lighter" than the above;
- Battle Royale (book). Not too "light" aha, but its really good. If you liked the Hunger Games, it's got a very similar premise, but tbh I think Battle Royale does it better. I also really enjoyed the movie, but its in Japanese so you have to get used to subtitles!
- Wag the Dog (film). One of my all time faves (was lucky enough to study this in year 12 too!). Basic premise: The US government fakes a war with Albania in order to distract the public from the President's underage sex scandal during the election. I think at a time when the idea of "fake news" seems to be at the forefront, this is a pretty interesting film to watch.
- Game of Thrones (TV). Not only is it just incred, but purely to avoid social exclusion once the next season drops in 2019 ;)
- Any documentary made by Louis Theroux, my hero (who studied history at uni bless up <3)

Title: Re: What is something that everyone should see/read/watch?
Post by: owidjaja on April 21, 2018, 02:18:54 pm
Quote from: sudodds on April 21, 2018, 01:48:31 pm
- Battle Royale (book). Not too "light" aha, but its really good. If you liked the Hunger Games, it's got a very similar premise, but tbh I think Battle Royale does it better. I also really enjoyed the movie, but its in Japanese so you have to get used to subtitles!
Yessss I agree with Battle Royale! Amongst the people in my year group who were obsessed with Hunger Games (hated Jennifer Lawrence's performance tbh whoops) and Divergent, Battle Royale was the OG dystopian 'have-to-kill-everyone' style of books- great for those who are morbidly curious because the descriptions are on point!

Since I'm always loitering around here, I might as well recommend some movies:
- The Shape of Water- Beautiful cinematography! I love how the filters used made it look like we're looking through a tank filled with water. It's kinda sad everyone's gonna know this movie as the 'fish banging movie' but the whole point of this film is that it's supposed to be an adult fairy tale. I love the casting of Sally Hawkins as Elisa- she's not conventionally considered as attractive (not saying she's ugly- she's not usually compared to a model) because the whole point isn't to change your appearance, unlike Beauty and the Beast where the theme is people should value your personality but then the Beast turns into a hot dude so he can be paired with a pretty girl (double standards much). Instead, they want to tell the story of the untold- you have the homosexual, the African-American, the disabled. I'm so glad they won Best Picture and Best Director! This video essay makes you appreciate this film even more!

- Call Me By Your Name- Another Oscar nominee! Slightly different to The Shape of Water since it's a bit more light-hearted but it can be a bit heavy, especially the ending :'( A lot of people want gay representation in films and I think this film does it justice. Going to see Love, Simon with my friends but I'm really reluctant to see it. All the critics are raving about Love, Simon and gay representation but my main problem is that Love, Simon is now gonna me known as 'that gay movie' because of the way it's been marketed. Even in the trailer, Simon literally says 'I have a secret- I'm gay.' (paraphrased) The thing  I love about Call Me By Your Name is that the trailer implies it will be a story about two guys falling in love but that's not what's driving the plot. Plus, the director doesn't want this film to be called 'that gay movie'- he wants us to understand the struggles of these two guys and he does it extremely well with his long, close up shots and sometimes it feels like you shouldn't be watching the movie because it's so personal to the characters. Check out this video essay if anyone is interested!

Heads up- there is nudity in these films if anyone is gonna see it.
Title: Re: What is something that everyone should see/read/watch?
Post by: appleandbee on April 21, 2018, 03:26:18 pm
To be honest, great TV series has been great for changing my perspective in different ways. When you see the same characters over many episodes, they start to grow on you and develop empathy for characters that are remotely similar to you. I also find the creative process of developing a TV show interesting and inspiring. My personal favourites are Stranger Things, Suits, Sense8, Black Mirror (no deep character work since it's an anthology, but the sci-fi themes are very good), Gossip Girl, Master of None, 13 Reasons Why (depressing and many people are against watching it, but I think it's a good show to watch once), Crazy Ex Girlfriend and How to Get Away with Murder. Those are the shows that keeps me wanting to know what is next. I'm also planning on watching House of Cards and The Handmaid's Tale. TV series may not be the best recommendation if you are doing VCE though  :P

In terms of films, I love Lady Bird, Call Me By Your Name, Birdman, A Separation, Moonlight, Shape of Water and Royal Tenenbaums and The Grand Budapest Hotel (I really like how Wes Anderson shows a quirky side of humanity with his characterisation and development of unlikely friendships).

For books, I really enjoyed Exit West and The Reluctant Fundamentalist, both by Mohsin Hamid and The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga. Both very accessible and relevant in today's political climate in regards to India and the US today. Also The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao (Junot Diaz), Conversations with Friends (Sally Rooney) and Sour Heart (Jenny Zhang) discusses many coming-of-age and gender issues in an engaging literary fiction manner. Frankenstein (it's an accessible modern classic) and well as anything by Dostoevsky if you like classics. If you are after non-fiction, I would recommend Poor Economics:  A Radical Rethinking of the Way to Fight Global Poverty (Duflo and Banerjee), as it is very well-researched yet accessible to people with no Economics background. Also The Brain That Changes Itself and The Brain's Way of Healing by Norman Doidge, both books cover various themes in Neuroplasticity through using a patient's story.
Title: Re: What is something that everyone should see/read/watch?
Post by: K888 on April 21, 2018, 07:12:26 pm
When Breath Becomes Air is a must read IMO :)

Also, I think everyone should watch Spotlight.
Title: Re: What is something that everyone should see/read/watch?
Post by: peterpiper on April 21, 2018, 10:40:01 pm
Quote from: owidjaja on April 21, 2018, 02:18:54 pm
Going to see Love, Simon with my friends but I'm really reluctant to see it. All the critics are raving about Love, Simon and gay representation but my main problem is that Love, Simon is now gonna me known as 'that gay movie' because of the way it's been marketed. Even in the trailer, Simon literally says 'I have a secret- I'm gay.' (paraphrased)

This was very much my impression of it as well. I went to see it and it wasn't bad. I think there were moments where I felt it was executed in a better way than I would have anticipated from my first impressions from the trailer. However, overall, it probably wasn't the greatest movie I've watched in its own terms, and there were substantial reasons behind this, which involve specifically the character-work (this becomes more evident in the climax and resolution/ending). The movie sacrificed nuanced portraits of characters for a more plot-driven movie - and I think this could be taken in either direction. It made itself more accessible, easily enjoyable for a wider audience. But as a consequence, it loses its potential to explore other more complex experiences ie. It feels a little superficial in the way it deals with the LGBT theme. This isn't to say that love, Simon wasn't enjoyable. I think I laughed quite a bit and felt whatever responses some scenes were engineered to evoke/provoke. But I just think it's a shame that what I find to be the most important element in any movie/story is lacking in this movie. In all fairness, people have responded positively to this movie and in the end that's really what movies are for. So the fact that it has been able to do this, is indeed worthy of your time!
Title: Re: What is something that everyone should see/read/watch?
Post by: EEEEEEP on April 21, 2018, 10:45:27 pm
I HIGHLY recommend this book! It's a beautiful book about a  Chinese-American physician  who describes her experience living with her parents and dealing with their expectations.

it will bring you to tears :P. It truly is an amazing tale.

(https://i.imgur.com/P3yDiDw.png)