During this year's Blogging From A to Z April Challenge, I'm highlighting things more people should know about. For the most part, I'll be ignoring the most popular and widely known items (and sometimes my personal favorites) in order to promote the unfamiliar and underappreciated.Here we go...
FILM
The Good, the Bad, and the Weird
It's the Wild West in the Far East: A "kimchee western." Three Korean gunslingers fight over a treasure map in WWII-era Manchuria, pursued by the Japanese army, their Manchurian counterparts, and a gang of Chinese bandits. Pays homage to the classic westerns while adding its own quirky flair to the genre. Weird? Perhaps. Good? Absolutely.
TELEVISIONIt's the Wild West in the Far East: A "kimchee western." Three Korean gunslingers fight over a treasure map in WWII-era Manchuria, pursued by the Japanese army, their Manchurian counterparts, and a gang of Chinese bandits. Pays homage to the classic westerns while adding its own quirky flair to the genre. Weird? Perhaps. Good? Absolutely.
The Great American Manhunt
I can guarantee you've never seen this one; it doesn't even premiere until April 19. Each episode, three experts will try to locate a mystery person somewhere in the U.S., working only from forensic tests of that person's anatomy, clothes, and mind. A pretty intriguing premise, right? See, I'm not just hyping it because one of the experts is my cousin.
(Airs Thursdays at 9pm on the National Geographic Channel starting 4/19.)
I can guarantee you've never seen this one; it doesn't even premiere until April 19. Each episode, three experts will try to locate a mystery person somewhere in the U.S., working only from forensic tests of that person's anatomy, clothes, and mind. A pretty intriguing premise, right? See, I'm not just hyping it because one of the experts is my cousin.
(Airs Thursdays at 9pm on the National Geographic Channel starting 4/19.)
GAME
Guillotine
We’re back in the time of the French Revolution, and you've got three days to collect the most valuable heads you can. You heard me: heads. Each round, a dozen nobles are lined up before the executioner, while you and your friends vie for the best of the bunch. Use an action card to rearrange the line and claim Marie Antoinette instead of the lowly piss boy. Stick an opponent with the martyr, or even steal a head right out from under her nose. Great fun for the whole family! (No, really.)
MUSICWe’re back in the time of the French Revolution, and you've got three days to collect the most valuable heads you can. You heard me: heads. Each round, a dozen nobles are lined up before the executioner, while you and your friends vie for the best of the bunch. Use an action card to rearrange the line and claim Marie Antoinette instead of the lowly piss boy. Stick an opponent with the martyr, or even steal a head right out from under her nose. Great fun for the whole family! (No, really.)
Get Set Go
If there's one thing Get Set Go isn't, it's politically correct. Their music is so catchy and uplifting... and then you hear the lyrics. GSG’s songs are populated by hatred, murder suicide, death, and even improper sentiments regarding Lincoln and Mother Theresa. Dark lyrics combined with such joyful music (such as in their semi-hit "I Hate Everyone") make for a wry sense of humor which never fails to lighten my spirit.1
If there's one thing Get Set Go isn't, it's politically correct. Their music is so catchy and uplifting... and then you hear the lyrics. GSG’s songs are populated by hatred, murder suicide, death, and even improper sentiments regarding Lincoln and Mother Theresa. Dark lyrics combined with such joyful music (such as in their semi-hit "I Hate Everyone") make for a wry sense of humor which never fails to lighten my spirit.1
LITERATURE
Good Omens by Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
It's one week till Armageddon, people. The fourhorsemen motorcycle gangs of the apocalypse are on their way, and the forces of Good are amassing: Everything is going as planned. That is, until they realize when Good and Evil each sent an emissary to sway the Antichrist to their side when he was born twelve years ago, they got the wrong kid. The real Antichrist is out there somewhere, on his own, completely unaware of the power he's about to yield. The end of the world has never been so fun.
It's one week till Armageddon, people. The four
Well, I gotta go. That's what I've got for today. But if you have a recommendation for me, I'm game.
1 Nor does their song about how when lead singer Mike TV grows up, he wants to be a fire truck.
Okay, Nate, you do know that posting more than one item per letter is just showing off...
ReplyDelete:D (and increases your susceptibility to burn-out!)
I'm not showing off; I'm being generous... and efficient. I have so much I want to share, and I don't feel like taking five years to do it. (Also, what do you mean, "increases"? My susceptibility is already at 100%. I'm running on fumes here.)
DeleteI love smashed genres. I do. If I have a fatal flaw, an Achilles heel, mine is seeing westerns packed into anything. (Think Tarantino's "Sukiyaki Western Django." Just thinking about it makes my heart flutter.)
ReplyDeleteIf the film you posted is On-Demand on Dish, I'll be thanking you later when I get absolutely no homework completed for the remainder of the day.
Hell, I can't blame you. I wasn't planning on doing homework today, anyway. *sigh*
Kudos, blog pal. Kudos, again.
I know what you mean. I've always been rather partial to certain space western. I hope, for your sake (and for procrastination's sake), you did find the film.
DeleteAnd hey, thanks for all the kudos! (I'm trying to collect the whole set.)
great book - Good Omens - I almost named my dog "dog" just in case.
ReplyDeleteA to Zer!
prose-spective.blogspot.com
Well, no matter what you actually name the dog, "dog" is a fine nickname.
DeleteOn an semi-related note, I did have one friend who named her fish Fish, and another who called his cats Cat 1 and Cat 2 for a year. (They then became Chester and Meathead.)
Awesome, another Gaiman fan. I wrote about him for G today too. Good Omens was AMAZING. Great post and happy A-Z blogging.
ReplyDeleteGood Omens was my first introduction to both Gaiman and Pratchett, and it remains my favorite for each author. Gaiman's dark nature and Pratchett's satire and utter craziness make for a fantastic combo. It's a shame they haven't joined forces again since.
DeleteThe film and the book might get a look-see from me. The NatGeo show will be a must see...I love that kind of stuff. Thanks Nate for turning us on to it!
ReplyDeleteBoth Good's are certainly worth a look, but I love that the show grabbed your interest. I'm glad I could bring it to your attention.
DeleteThe Great American Manhunt sounds cool, looking forward to it.
ReplyDeleteAs am I, Tim. Now all I need to do is learn how to siphon off the NatGeo station from our neighbors between now and the 19th.
DeleteLove the these, creative photos, and unique information. I have definitely learned about a slew of things I never knew existed!
ReplyDeleteThat's all I'm trying to do here: inform the masses about some worthwhile stuff. That, and make some creative letters. Glad to know I succeeded on both counts. Thanks!
Deletegood omens was and is absolutely hilarious.
ReplyDeleteAgreed. I need to go back and read it again just for fun. If only my to-read list wasn't already booked for the next decade or so...
DeleteMusic for "G"
ReplyDeleteThe Gaslight Anthem
The Getaway People
Glen Philips
Gomez
Gotye
Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
Great Big Sea
Movies for "G"
Grosse Point Blank
Ghost World
Get Shorty
Garden State - bar none, one of my absolute favorite movies
GalaxyQuest
Grumpy Old Men - Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau and Ann Margaret. What more could you want? Kevin Pollack? ok, you got it
Books For "G"
the Gone Away World - by Nick Harkaway - some crazy post-apocalyptic fiction in the vein of Vonnegut or Joseph Heller. Really enjoyed this book.
The Getaway People came in a close second for this list. And I second every one of your movie choices, except possibly Get Shorty. (I enjoyed the film initially, but then I read a related Elmore Leonard book, and my dislike of his style has since corrupted my thoughts on anything he's written.)
DeleteI wrote about The Guild for "G" which I recommend if you've ever found yourself in an online friendship with someone you later saw a photo of and wondered if you should report them to Datelines: To Catch a Predator.
ReplyDeleteI'm mostly kidding. Also, Good Omens is incredible. I love the commentary by the authors on how they wrote the book in the age where file sharing meant mailing floppy discs to each other.
I've seen a couple episodes of The Guild, and thought it fun. I'll have to go back and watch more when I get the chance.
DeleteAnd it may be considered old-school now, but I bet if I was getting floppy disks mailed from Gaiman and Pratchett, my novel would turn out so much better.