Got Some Free Time This Summer?
I've got some ways for you to fill it! (that's what she said)
Whether you want to marathon a show, watch some new movies, or pretend to be intellectual and read a book, here's some recs I've come up with:
TELEVISION
-"Community" - duh. I love it. It's a show made for people who love TV. And it's quick to marathon! There are 'heist movie' spoofs, homages to westerns and Star Wars, Dungeons & Dragons, Law & Order, all wrapped around a group of awesome people who are horrible friends. From the zombie/Halloween/Season 2 episode:
-"Pushing Daisies" - incredibly charming, sweet, funny, quirky, awesome music, beautiful colors and symmetry and whimsy and wonderful characters, and the whole series is 26 episodes (13 per season)- watch it, love it, lament its early cancellation with me :)
-"Terriers" - another cancelled too early. It's one of my favorite shows of ALL time, so good in every way- writing, acting, directing, etc. I don't even know how to describe it right. It's just GOOD. Funny. Smart. With a bunch of actors and writers who become known for other shows, but this is their best. And only 13 episodes total, so it won't take long to marathon!
-"Friday Night Lights" - I don't even like football. But I love this show. It's a bit heavier emotionally, so it might not be as easy to marathon, but a few episodes at a time is worth it. Warning: you'll probably cry, but in a good way. Every single one of these characters is layered, and complicated, and has the potential to be your favorite. It's good TV.
-"Breaking Bad" - Want some heavy-hitting drama that makes you yell at the TV during every commercial break? Yeah. This is the show.
-"Party Down" - Another easy one to marathon, ridiculous and funny. Adam Scott pre- "Parks and Rec" days, Lizzy Caplan post "Mean Girls". Lots and lots of celebrity cameos!
-"Archer" - Do you like really crazy and offensive humor? Watch it!
MOVIES
-"The Commitments" - See Glen Hansard before he was in "Once" and the Swell Season! Awesome indie movie from the 90s with the best soundtrack ever: A bunch of poor Irish friends decide to start a soul/R&B band. GREAT GREAT music.
-"Kinky Boots" - one of my favorite movies- After a random run-in with a drag queen, a man who inherited his dad's failing shoe factory decides to start making shoes for drag queens. Chiwetel Ejiofer (if you don't recognize his name, you'll probably recognize his face) is the drag queen, and fantastic.
-"Restless" - I just saw this one and didn't think I'd like it as much as I did, but it's basically a Nicholas Sparks movie if written/starring/made by talented people (no offense, Sparky, but would you have your hero talking to the ghost of a Japanese WWI pilot?)
AND HEY! Did you see The Avengers? Did you like it? Did ya did ya? Want to watch some more stuff with those people in them? Here's a Pre-Avengers Movie Rec List!
-Robert Downey, Jr. - "Zodiac" (a very long, very slow-burning, but very awesome movie with Jake Gyllenhaal) or "Charlie Bartlett" (quirky teen movie with Anton Yelchin and Kat Dennings)
-Mark Ruffalo - "You Can Count On Me" (very depressing, but one of my fave movies) or "Zodiac" (see above?)
-Chris Hemsworth - "Cabin in the Woods" (So fucking funny. And with crazy Josie from ATWT!)
-Chris Evans - "Sunshine" (from the director of Slumdog Millionaire and 28 Days Later) or "Scott Pilgrim" (just one of the cutest/coolest movies of the last few years, no big deal, and Chris has one of the best adlibs in like a decade)
-Jeremy Renner - "The Hurt Locker" (INTENSE but fantastic, Jeremy defuses bombs and shoots at people with Voldemort!) or "The Unusuals" (a quirky short-lived TV show where you can watch Jeremy arrest Billy Magnussen and insult his parentage)
-Scarlet Johansson - "The Prestige" (from the Dark Knight director, with a way better Christian Bale performance) or (for the giggles of seeing Captain America as her love interest) "The Nanny Diaries"
-and of course Joss Whedon - "Dr. Horrible's Sing-along Blog" (if you're a fan of Joss, give this a try. Cute, witty, sweet, layered, and a MUSICAL. If you liked "Once More With Feeling," watch this, it's only 45 minutes long!)
BOOKS
-The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides
-Blueprints of the Afterlife by Ryan Boudinot
-Saga by Brian K. Vaughan
-The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt
Whether you want to marathon a show, watch some new movies, or pretend to be intellectual and read a book, here's some recs I've come up with:
TELEVISION
-"Community" - duh. I love it. It's a show made for people who love TV. And it's quick to marathon! There are 'heist movie' spoofs, homages to westerns and Star Wars, Dungeons & Dragons, Law & Order, all wrapped around a group of awesome people who are horrible friends. From the zombie/Halloween/Season 2 episode:
Click to view-"Pushing Daisies" - incredibly charming, sweet, funny, quirky, awesome music, beautiful colors and symmetry and whimsy and wonderful characters, and the whole series is 26 episodes (13 per season)- watch it, love it, lament its early cancellation with me :)
-"Terriers" - another cancelled too early. It's one of my favorite shows of ALL time, so good in every way- writing, acting, directing, etc. I don't even know how to describe it right. It's just GOOD. Funny. Smart. With a bunch of actors and writers who become known for other shows, but this is their best. And only 13 episodes total, so it won't take long to marathon!
-"Friday Night Lights" - I don't even like football. But I love this show. It's a bit heavier emotionally, so it might not be as easy to marathon, but a few episodes at a time is worth it. Warning: you'll probably cry, but in a good way. Every single one of these characters is layered, and complicated, and has the potential to be your favorite. It's good TV.
-"Breaking Bad" - Want some heavy-hitting drama that makes you yell at the TV during every commercial break? Yeah. This is the show.
-"Party Down" - Another easy one to marathon, ridiculous and funny. Adam Scott pre- "Parks and Rec" days, Lizzy Caplan post "Mean Girls". Lots and lots of celebrity cameos!
-"Archer" - Do you like really crazy and offensive humor? Watch it!
MOVIES
-"The Commitments" - See Glen Hansard before he was in "Once" and the Swell Season! Awesome indie movie from the 90s with the best soundtrack ever: A bunch of poor Irish friends decide to start a soul/R&B band. GREAT GREAT music.
-"Kinky Boots" - one of my favorite movies- After a random run-in with a drag queen, a man who inherited his dad's failing shoe factory decides to start making shoes for drag queens. Chiwetel Ejiofer (if you don't recognize his name, you'll probably recognize his face) is the drag queen, and fantastic.
-"Restless" - I just saw this one and didn't think I'd like it as much as I did, but it's basically a Nicholas Sparks movie if written/starring/made by talented people (no offense, Sparky, but would you have your hero talking to the ghost of a Japanese WWI pilot?)
AND HEY! Did you see The Avengers? Did you like it? Did ya did ya? Want to watch some more stuff with those people in them? Here's a Pre-Avengers Movie Rec List!
-Robert Downey, Jr. - "Zodiac" (a very long, very slow-burning, but very awesome movie with Jake Gyllenhaal) or "Charlie Bartlett" (quirky teen movie with Anton Yelchin and Kat Dennings)
-Mark Ruffalo - "You Can Count On Me" (very depressing, but one of my fave movies) or "Zodiac" (see above?)
-Chris Hemsworth - "Cabin in the Woods" (So fucking funny. And with crazy Josie from ATWT!)
-Chris Evans - "Sunshine" (from the director of Slumdog Millionaire and 28 Days Later) or "Scott Pilgrim" (just one of the cutest/coolest movies of the last few years, no big deal, and Chris has one of the best adlibs in like a decade)
-Jeremy Renner - "The Hurt Locker" (INTENSE but fantastic, Jeremy defuses bombs and shoots at people with Voldemort!) or "The Unusuals" (a quirky short-lived TV show where you can watch Jeremy arrest Billy Magnussen and insult his parentage)
-Scarlet Johansson - "The Prestige" (from the Dark Knight director, with a way better Christian Bale performance) or (for the giggles of seeing Captain America as her love interest) "The Nanny Diaries"
-and of course Joss Whedon - "Dr. Horrible's Sing-along Blog" (if you're a fan of Joss, give this a try. Cute, witty, sweet, layered, and a MUSICAL. If you liked "Once More With Feeling," watch this, it's only 45 minutes long!)
BOOKS
-The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides
-Blueprints of the Afterlife by Ryan Boudinot
-Saga by Brian K. Vaughan
-The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt