[Newbiez]

Movies?

Shawshank Redemption.

 

[Feanor]

Films:

Pi
Dr. Strangelove
Fight Club

**Baraka is really a must see, and you should also check out the ~quatsi films.**

-are three that come to my mind first.

Books:

Kundera books
The Selfish Gene - Richard Dawkins
Master and Margaret - Bulgakov
On the Road - Kerouac (funny, I only read this once or twice, and I remember I loved it then, but I cant for the life of me read it again)


because this years reading consisted mainly of books like: "A general theory of equilibrium selection in games", these are the only ones that come to my mind

There are two authors that write seemingly innocent, funny books, but pack lots of things away in them: Douglas Adams and Terry Prachett.

 

[gloco]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Newbiez Movies? Shawshank Redemption.

A lot of people always say its a rip-ff of "Escape from Alcatraz."

I personally don't care as i think Shawshank is an excellent movie and far better than Escape...

 

[saint.panda]

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Actual Do you actually think that Hitler just wanted to screw up the world? I have trouble believing that someone could do something so significant without thinking that they were doing something right.

Since this is becoming outside matter, I'd just like to add the following quote by Holderlin:
"What has always made the state a hell on earth has been precisely that man tried to make it his heaven"
(A quote also found at the beginning of the 2nd chapter in "The Road to Serfdom" dealing with utopias in a very intuitive and logical fashion but also by taking the economical aspects into consideration.)

As for movies, I find almost all of Kubrick's movies be meaningful, with the strong exception of "Eyes Wide Shut". Coppolo also made meaningful movies such as Apocalypse Now. Recently, I've really liked Amores Perros and 21 Grams (same director), City of God, Requiem for a Dream (about drugs), Lost in Translation or The Downfall (German movie on Hitler's last days, very good).

As for music, it's really hard to say for classical and jazz music without lyrics how to describe something as meaningful. And the pop music I listen to is hardly meaningful.

 

[The Actual]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Riordan our problem here is probably the different connotations of "well-meant". the rabidly antisemitic, dillusional hate-monger hitler considered the annihilation of jews (and many other peoples and people beside) as a very good intention - but i'm sure that is not what the original poster or you had in mind. every religious fanatic and every psycho-killer is absolutely sure that what he wants and sets out to do is right - but nobody outside would call that "well-meant".

OK, I just wanted to make sure that you realized "ill-intentioned" people frequently think they are heroes.

Sorry for bringing this thread too off topic.

For books I would recommend:

The Way It Is, William Stafford
The Fortress of Solitude, JONATHAN LETHEM

 

[lollercheese]

Quote:

Originally Posted by viator122 Some people think LOTR is allegory. The books were written in the 1950s, so to some people the ring represents nuclear power, maybe the Hobbits, Rohirrim, etc represent the free world while Mordor represents the USSR, etc.

Although that has been said, Tolkein always denied any allegorical ties in lotr.

 

[Cyclone]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gloco A lot of people always say its a rip-ff of "Escape from Alcatraz." I personally don't care as i think Shawshank is an excellent movie and far better than Escape...

Really, people claim its a rip off of that movie? Thats really rediculous IMO, the whole plot of Shawshank surrounded Andy, not his escape like in Escape from Alcatraz. One is a designated prison escape movie and the other is a drama that takes place in a prison. Its like the difference between "Full Metal Jacket" and "Saving Private Ryan"

 

[Riordan]

i have a heart-felt movie recommendation for anyone looking for "meaning":
mean creek.
there's meaning there for days and nights to think about, and characters that are so real and believable it hurts. rob reiner's/stephen king's "stand by me" is somewhat similar, but this is deeper, darker, less dreamy.

 

[pbalcer]

In no particular order (except the first 3 entries in MUSIC):

MUSIC:
Sade (all albums; pure delight)
The Sisters Of Mercy "First And Last And Always", "Floodland", "Vision Thing"
Vivaldi "Four Seasons"
Clan Of Xymox "Medusa"
Dire Straits "Brothers In Arms"
Pink Floyd "Wish You Were Here"
Beethowen 9 symphonies
Mozart "Requiem"
Bach "Brandenburg Concertos"
Handel "Messiah"
Dave Brubeck "Live From The USA and UK"
John Coltrane "The Gentle Side"
Modern Jazz Quartet "Dedicated To Connie"

MOVIES:
Shawshank Redemption
Forrest Gump
Gladiator
Shindler's List
7 Samurai
Hotel Rwanda
Godfather
Ray

Sorry, I re-read the original post and decided to shorten my list...

 

[Newbiez]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cyclone Really, people claim its a rip off of that movie? Thats really rediculous IMO, the whole plot of Shawshank surrounded Andy, not his escape like in Escape from Alcatraz. One is a designated prison escape movie and the other is a drama that takes place in a prison. Its like the difference between "Full Metal Jacket" and "Saving Private Ryan"

I guess the difference was that the entire drama wasn't focused on Andy's escape from the prison or how he did it, but the fact that the sense of hope and humanism he bought into other people's life.

I once somehow believed that the last scene was nothing more than an imaginary thought that Red has about what the perfect ending would be like.

 

[Squeek]

In no particular order...

Songs-
What a Wonderful World - Louis Armstrong
Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay - Otis Redding
Tears in Heaven - Eric Clapton

Movies-
The Red Violin
Grave of the Fireflies
Schindlers List
Bridge on the River Kwai
Requiem for a Dream

Books-(I've read hundreds, but seem to be at a loss...)
Lone Wolf and Cub (manga series TOP NOTCH!)-Kazuo Koike&Goseki Kojima
Chuck Palahniuk's collected work
The Great Gatsby (still the most beautiful book I've read) - F. Scott Fitzgerald

 

[Vosper]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rodentmacbeastie BOOKS: THE CELESTINE PROPHECY

You're kidding right? You put The Celestine Prophecy with 1984 and Brave New World? I'll apologise in advance for offending you, but that book is pure, unadulterated bull****. Excuse my language - but I have always felt that New Age tripe such as The Celestine Prophecy is the kind of stuff that hinders the development of the whole human race by encouraging people to believe in things for which there is no proof or weight of evidence. Whatsoever.

 

[tradja]

Great thread!

Music:
Spearhead
I'll second (or third, or whatever) Roger Water's The Wall Live in Berlin

Movies:
Matrix
Animatrix - lots to think about, alternately heavy and amazing
Dark City - largely unknown and underrated
Fight Club
Pi, indeed! Terrific soundtrack too, highly recommended even if you "don't like" the genre, but OOP now?
I found "I Love Huckabees" to be fun and interesting, but a little too smug in how "Deep" and "philosophical" it wanted to be.
...and ya gotta include Blade Runner

Books: (I'm also interested in dystopias):
Fahrenheit 451
Aldous Huxley, Island
Daniel Quinn, Ishmael
Looks like some gateway books here

Recently recommeded to me is Simulacra and Simulation.

 

[Cyclone]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vosper You're kidding right? You put The Celestine Prophecy with 1984 and Brave New World? I'll apologise in advance for offending you, but that book is pure, unadulterated bull****. Excuse my language - but I have always felt that New Age tripe such as The Celestine Prophecy is the kind of stuff that hinders the development of the whole human race by encouraging people to believe in things for which there is no proof or weight of evidence. Whatsoever.

Book pwned.