The idea here is simple: post any movie or television series that you think others would enjoy. If you want, give a short synopsis of what the premise of the film or series is about.

If you've started watching or watched a movie or series based on one of these recommendations, tell us how you liked it, and if it lived up to your expectations.

If someone likes something that you don't, please respect their opinion. You may provide a valid criticism of the work that they recommend, but don't insult the person himself.

Anyways, I'll start:

Film Recommendation: Princess Mononoke (PG-13)

This prince dude be fightin' some boars. Some boars be fightin' back. The prince dude gets an illness from boars. This prince dude travels to get cured. The prince dude travels to town ruled by matriarchy. Prince dude gets mad and meets wolf girl. Wolf girl and prince dude do foresty things. Matriarchy attacks stuff. Prince dude and wolf girl protect stuff.

On a serious note, this film has aged like a fine red wine. Miyazaki's directing is spot-on as always. In addition, it gets its messages across while giving the audience an enjoyable film experience. Plus, the score is amazing. Give it a watch if you haven't already.

 

The Giver:
(It is on Netflix if you have it)

This is one of the more interesting movies that I have seen. Basically, it is about a society in which people are not allowed to have emotions, everything is decided for them, and they have no idea that this is any different than 'normal' life. Their whole entire life is planned out for them. For example, when they turn twelve years old, they have a job chosen for them, and they have no choice but to follow their assigned 'role' in society. The whole point of this 'plan' was to eliminate all pain and suffering, by creating a society where people had no choice in how to live their lives, and didn't have to experience emotions, pain, or suffering. It follows the story of a kid named Jonas who is chosen to receive memories from The Giver, and he struggles in this society, after getting a look at what life used to be like, when people had emotions, and free will. This is all very new to him, because up until that point, he had been living a "fake" life, but had no idea that people had ever lived any differently. The Giver is able to transfer memories of life before this new society to Jonas, in order to preserver the tradition. Whenever someone is chose to become a receiver, like Jonas was, they inherit all of the memories, and are supposed to carry on the tradition so that there is always one person who knows what life was actually supposed to be like, before this new society. The movie plays with an interesting concept, and it is definitely one of the better movies that I have seen. There are a bunch of surprises along the way, but you will have to watch the movie to find out what they are. If you have already watched it, or decided to watch it after reading this post, please let me know what you think of it.

 

Here's some TV shows:


Pawn Stars-
Its about these dudes selling cool things in a pawn shop in Las Vegas. They sell everything from crappy paintings to a 1865 polished revolver used for the civil war. You get to know more cool history related to the artifact.

Storage Wars-
These teams buy a storage unit and make money out of what is inside the unit. Some people end up earning a fortune, others just loosing money like hell. It gets interesting as you look at the relics they find

Southland-
If you're curious how police do their job in LA, then this show can give you a good idea of how the police take care of the city and give an inside look of how busy they are. Each different officer has a different situation they are in.

Mountain Monsters-

If you're care or dont care about bigfoot and other mythical creatures, then is is a decent show. there's a lot of drama in it and a lot of scary stuff. But if you're into mythical beasts like bigfoot, the Lizard Demon, Mothman, and the chupacabra then sure this can be a great show, even if you think its real or not real.

 

I'm enjoying Lucifer at the moment, even if some of the plots are quite simplistic.

Something a bit more sophisticated:
Predestination
An Australian film (woah, Australia makes films?) based on the science fiction short story "All You Zombies" by Robert A. Heinlein. It's hard to summarise this film without giving away the whole thing, but Predestination follows the life of a time travel agent, exploring the 'causal loop' aspect of time travel.
My review: Solid brainy science-fiction. The pacing is odd, but rewards for sticking it out are great. It has a couple heart-wrenching moments, but it's most formidable for its clever plot. No matter how confused you feel mid-way through the film, it does a great job of explaining the inexplicable plot at the end. After watching the film for the first time, I had to sit and think about it for a while. To be honest, I still think about the concept four years later. I'm being vague, but if you're into science fiction and clever ideas, I'd definitely recommend it: a real brain bender.
Rated MA 15+ (R, for America) for Nudity, Sex scenes, and Violence.

 

The Office (U.S)

I've been watching this on youtube as I haven't got it yet I've been laughing so much although it's a sitcom and can be a "little old" I think it's a great tv show.
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Wonderland (An australian tv show series)

It's a romantic comedy drama series based in sydney australia. it's probably hard for people to get since it's australian-based.
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Rick & Morty

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The 100 is a really good show unless you don’t like gore. First season isn’t the best, but picks up in pace really well in the second season. Drama sci-fi type thing and it’s so good. Definite recommend.

 

I've seen it, but it really doesn't hold a candle up to the book. Though I must admit, Jeff Bridges did quite an amazing job as the Giver. It's unfortunate that the director chose to omit some of the best moments featured in Lowry's writing. For example, there's a moment in which Giver tells Jonas "Did you know I can no longer see color". It's honestly a great read, but it really ties together the longing feelings you have about the plot (you may as well read the other three books as well, though Son isn't as great as the other ones, it's nonetheless still worth your time).

That being said, I really shouldn't be posting without giving some film advice.

Film Recommendation: 12 Angry Men (G)

So there's a trial going on, and it's about a young person accused of murder. With a jury of twelve men, they are to unanimously decide on his verdict, either guilty, resulting in a death sentence for the boy, or innocent for a straight acquittal. They all walk into a meeting room on a sweltering summer day to decide on the boy's fate. The prosecutors seem to have provided a decent amount of evidence as all but one of the men believe the boy is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. The heated atmosphere slowly takes a toll on the twelve sweating men as they try to discuss their ideas, digging into each of their personalities, diverse pasts, and their beliefs.

Okay, so this film is in black and white, but bear with me here. There's a reason why this is considered one of the greatest films of all time. All of the direction, cinematography, and acting is just superb. Honestly, some of the best one-take shots are also in this movie. Loret's directing also brings out the atmosphere of this film. Even though I first experienced it at the beginning of spring, the room I was in felt humid and hot. It's not every day that a film can make you feel that way, especially when it's limited to a monotone palette.
The script feels real in a way that it's believable; there are people who are really tough-headed and close-minded, making them hard to let go of their ideas, reflecting the diverse setting of the world we live in. Still, it also manages to convey the ideas of stereotypes, logical reasoning and divides between humans.
This is a really dialogue-heavy film, and I understand that some people may not like that, but maybe this can be a gateway to some of the classics. I really can't stress enough how much you're missing out if you haven't seen this yet.

 

Well, may as well do another one of these as an AP study break.

Film Series Recommendation: March Comes in Like a Lion (PG-13)

How should I put this? As a preface, I'd like to mention that this series serves a very niche audience. Some will be into, while others will not, and that's totally fine. A combination of slow pacing, unfamiliar topics (in this case, a sort of Japanese chess called Shogi) and just the fact that it's "Japanese animation" will likely point people in the other direction, but I'll tell you this: those who are into it absolutely love the show.

You have this protagonist... Rei Kiriyama, a rather complex character filling the role of multiple archetypes. By trade, he's a professional Shogi player, in fact, he's one of five people in Shogi history to ever make it to the professional level by middle/secondary school, so naturally, he's constantly under a lot of pressure due to this achievement. Orphaned at a young age, a friend of Rei's father takes him in, nurturing him as well as his Shogi skills. Still, his involvement with his family puts him at unease, especially with his newfound fame. Desperately finding a way to repay the deeds that he's had since his childhood, he leaves the family and embarks on a journey while fully supporting himself with Shogi. He's sort of an awkward character unless a Shogi board is put in front of him. One day, he meets up with a family... consisting of three sisters and their guardian of a grandfather. Every time that Rei meets them, he's greeted with a warm atmosphere, and yet, he still manages to find himself staying at home and slumping over his Shogi board more often than not. Watching from the point of view of Rei, March Comes in Like a Lion highlights the friends he makes, the goals he sets, and the struggles of him and his peers. It's honestly a great watch if you haven't seen it already.

So let's get into an analysis. This is probably one of my favorite shows of all time. The shots and compositions are just amazing and beautiful, yet also diverse. A general pastel or very unsaturated palette is used to depict the characters' world, but the best part is that when things get serious, a much darker palette can be used while still feeling fluid and a part of the show as a whole. The show also familiarizes the viewers with the concept of what life is like for Rei at the same time it familiarizes Rei's only lifeline: Shogi, giving the viewer something to find more relatable to themselves. Moreover, there's an enormous cast of characters in which you feel like none of them are ever forgotten. Even the villains in this series are developed really well, in a way that you begin to sympathize with them. It's also interesting to see everyone's dynamic nature, as character development in this series has a real impact, watching people age as the story continues is another thing many shows fail to do without time skips, and how time impacts the world around them. Overall, March Comes in Like a Lion is an emotional rollercoaster if you're in for one, switching abruptly between heartwarming moments and experiences with depression and struggles.

 

I love the office xD