Sunday, April 23, 2006

Desert Island Decisions

Imagine you're going to be stranded on a desert island (with plenty of electricty and a full entertainment center) and you get to take one of each of the following with you:
Album
Book
Film
Complete Television Series
Which ones do you take?

(Stolen shamelessly from Shakespeare's Sister.)

29 comments:

Otto Man said...

Album: Lord, is this tough .... Uh ... Radiohead, OK Computer.

Book: It's tempting to cop out with an überbook like the Bible or the Complete Works of Shakespeare. But assuming that's like wishing for more wishes, I'll say Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man.

Film: I think it has to be GoodFellas. I must stumble across that on cable once a month and, every time, I watch it right through to the end.

TV Series: On pure entertainment-per-second strengths, I'm really tempted to go with "The Simpsons." But I think I might want to see some real people. So I'll say "Homicide," since it had six strong seasons and then some weaker ones, but with great acting and some nice music to help me cheat on the stupid "one album" thing.

Isaac Carmichael said...

Album:Mmmm...I'll go with Radiohead, The Bends, just to be contrary.

Book: Probably The Three Pillars of Zen, by Phillip Kapleau, or mybe HH2G.

Film:The Big Lebowski or Raising Arizona.

TV Series: I'm thinking "Homocide", though a truly great series, would wear thin after 100 viewings...a million Sideshow Bobs could step on a million rakes for a million years and it would never get old...

Ra_wiggum said...

Album: Talvin Singh, Anokha

Book: Godel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid by Doug Hofstader. This is a book that covers philoposphy, art, AI, music. It is rich, dense and complex and would keep me entertained for a long time!

Film: Spaceballs. That scene with Dark Helmet firing his laser into Colonel Sanders crotch never gets old. In fact, this whole genre of crotch humor never gets old (Football in the groin, football in the groin!!)

TV Series: Six Feet Under. I could watch that again and again.

Ra_wiggum said...

How about the opposite, what album, book, TV series and film would you LEAST want to have with you?

Album: Anything from a past winner of American Idol

Book: No Spin Zone, Bill O'Reilly (The Bible or the Koran was a close second)

Film: Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood. I've never seen this movie but to me it epitomizes chick flicks. I would have also accepted Beaches, Fried Green Tomatos and possibly Jerry Macguire

TV series: Any David Spade sitcom.

Mr Furious said...

TV Series: I'll field this one first, because it is the only no-brainer for me. I will also take "Homicide." Best show ever on television, hands down. I can only think of ONE episode I don't like, and it is still better than any Law & Order.

The Simpsons are tempting because seasons 2 through 5 or so are great. Season 1 kinda sucks, and I gave up on the series about ten years ago. That DOES mean I would have ten years of new material to enjoy, but I know much of it will be sub-par...

Album: Incredibly tough. Earlier this week, I was listening in the car to The Posies' "Frosting on the Beater" and thinking it was a perfect album. It is.
I would probably take that.

I might once have said Little Feat "Waiting for Columbus" but I find myself skipping those tunes when they come up on the suffle lately. (On a Radiohead specific pick, I would take the bends over OK as well...)

Book: Also very tough. I'll go with James Ellroy's "American Tabloid." It's like the "Homicide" of books. (Not counting, of course, "Homicide" the book...)

Film: Probably "Pulp Fiction" It's not the best movie of all time, but probably the one I'd enjoy watching over and over the most...It brings everything to the table.

Mr Furious said...

Opposite picks (the things that would be in my own personal hell...):

Album: It could be Heino(us), but I never actually heard it, so I'll go with...any Kid Rock. He really kind of pisses me off.

Book: Thomas Harris' "Hannibal." Absolute shit.

Film: Dogma. Contained an absolute shit creature, and that's right about when I shut it off.

TV Series: The Golden Girls

Anonymous said...

Album: One of my favorite Sinatra albums, "Nice 'N' Easy." Highlights of the contents: Nice 'N' Easy, That Old Feeling, You Go To My Head, Fools Rush In, Nevertheless, Try A Little Tenderness, Embraceable You, Dream, The Nearness Of You and Someone To Watch Over Me.

Book: Kevin Phillips' latest, "American Theocracy."

Film: "Command Decision"

TV series, "Dallas."

Otto Man said...

Book: Kevin Phillips' latest, "American Theocracy."


Excellent choice. Not only would it be a good read, but it would make you thrilled to be stranded on the desert island, far far away from the coming apocalypse.

InanimateCarbonRod said...

You people disappoint me. The answer to this one is obvious.

Book: The SAS Survival Handbook or perhaps The US Army Survival Manual. Honorable Mention: Robinson Crusoe.

Film: Cast Away. Lots of good tips on survival here. The second half of the movie is pretty worthless, though. Honorable Mention: The Blue Lagoon.

TV Show: Gilligan's Island, which narrowly defeated Lost because of the latter's inevitable decline into late X-Files crapitude. Honorable Menion: MacGyver.

Otto Man said...

You forgot an album, iRod. I'm guessing Randy Newman's "Sail Away"?

Mr Furious said...

Nive pick on the Three Sides Live, Joe. I"d probably go "Seconds Out" myself, but they were both contenders for me...

Noah said...

Album: I am so torn, because there are some Metal albums I think I can't live without, but at the end of the day, I'll take the Taj Mahal: In Progress and In Motion 1965 - 1998 3-disk compilation. It's a little of every type of blues from the "Savior of American Roots Music."

Book: While I'd love to take along Charlie Papazian's "Complete Joy of Home Brewing," I doubt that coconut-and-palm-leaf beer would be terribly good. Hm...cocnut stout? Hm... ANyway, in lieu of that, I'll take The Prophet by Khalil Gibran.

Film: Predator. "Strap this on your sorry ass, Blaine."

TV Series: I will get yelled at by some of you, but Monty Pythons Flying Circus.

TravisG said...

Setting aside practical items such as The Desert Island Cookbook or Build Your Own Seagoing Vessel in Three 20-Minute Lessons, here's my picks:

Album: hmmmm...Il'll have to come back to this one

Book: The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract. I can get engrossed in that any time.

Film: Boogie Nights. It's one of the few movies that I own.

TV series: Seinfeld

Album: This one's tough. Maybe Television, Marquee Moon? (If I had to choose Radiohead, I'd go for Kid A, without a doubt.)

Thrillhous said...

I was in the Peace Corps back when my colon still worked normal (thank you very much, tropical parasites!), so I kinda sorta had this experience.

I found that what I most wanted was stuff that made me think of home. Since I was in a tropical hot spot, I really liked wintery stuff, like a Cmas album or Ethan Frome. It was also a great chance to read "classics" that I would never read by choice. How the hell anyone else reads Henry James I'll never know.

Oh, and porn. I wasn't in a position to pursue romance with the locals (even they had standards), so I was on my own, if you know what I mean. Man did I desperately need some good ol' American porn, and I don't mean the Rush Limbaugh human pyramid of depravity porn.

Album: Ray Coniff and the Ray Coniff Singer's Christmas Album.

Book: porn. preferrably a multi-volume set.

Movie: porn, but I don't know any names.

TV series: Rockford Files (don't ask)

Mr Furious said...

TV series: Rockford Files (don't ask)

It's porn-like soundtrack?

Mr Furious said...

All things considered, the practicality of the Army Field book and porn video probably carries the day...

That just leaves the music and tv to personal choice for me. I'll stick with the Posies and Homicide...

Anonymous said...

"Man did I desperately I desperately need some good ol' American porn, and I don't mean the Rush Limbaugh human pyramid of depravity porn."

Bravo, thrillhous, that last is an excellent line. Nearly fell off my chair laughing.

Anonymous said...

Album: Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs

Book: Illuminatus Trilogy

Film: This is a tough one, but I'm gonna go with Andy Warhol's Trash.

TV Series: La Femme Nikita

alex supertramp said...

album: Bob Marley's Exodus

Book: our band could be your life

film: apocalypse now

TV series: ouch, MASH, Saved by the Bell, or the Simpsons

and otto: what gives man HREF="http://fuelfriends.blogspot.com/

Otto Man said...

I don't own these bad album covers, Alex. They belong to the ages.

Mrs_Thrillhous said...

Album Les Miserables (London Cast Recording)

Book I could read Dune 50 more times. But considering all its talk of desert and water, maybe I'd take The Once and Future King instead.

Film Something spacy or icy...or how about a lush costume drama? Phantom of the Opera

TV Series Married...With Children, since I'd need some comedy.

Thrillhous said...

Note to self: if ever trapped on desert island with Mrs. T, drown self. Take Rockford Files DVDs with you, as wife doesn't deserve them.

Otto Man said...

TV Series Married...With Children, since I'd need some comedy.

Am I the only one confused by this sentence?

Mr Furious said...

TV Series Married...With Children, since I'd need some comedy.

Am I the only one confused by this sentence?


Nope. Married...With Children was already typed in as my hell selection, when I realized looking at Cristina Applegate could be a redeeeming quality. Then I remembered The Golden Girls.

But seriously, even though The Golden Girls is worse, Married...With Children is my immediate Pavlovian response when I think of horrible television...

The Doc said...

Married With Children? Really? I can't even get through one episode of that show without cringing. But, to each their own, I suppose. My Desert Island Selections are:

Album: No doubt in my mind, Kind of Blue by Miles Davis. I will never, ever get tired of that album.

Book: I sound like I come from High Fidelity, but it's true: Cash by Johnny Cash.

Film: Raiders of the Lost Ark. Action! Adventure! Comedy! Drama! Romance! Snakes! Could be one of the most perfect films ever made.

T.V. Series: My initial knee-jerk reaction was Futurama, but after a little reflection, if I had to live on a deserted island, I'd need Bob Ross to keep me sane and calm, so I'll go with The Joy of Painting.

Otto Man said...

I'd need Bob Ross to keep me sane and calm, so I'll go with The Joy of Painting.

I think hearing Bob Ross talk about his happy little trees over and over again would make me got batshit crazy.

ORF said...

Ok, I have a hard time talking about favorites in any of these categories, but here goes:

Album: I was already thinking this week what an utterly perfect album OK Computer is, so I'll still with that.

Book: I just re-read Lolita and dammit it's good.

Film: Amelie (Contrived, I know, but I fricking love Paris).

TV Series: I was gonna go with Arrested Development, but then gave it another second's thought and decided on Six Feet Under. More seasons.

grandpaboy said...

Album: Fair Warning - Van Halen. It's this or Dylan, and I'd want to remember what a guitar solo sounds like.

Book: A Prayer for Owen Meany - cuz I'm a sappy motherfucker.

Film: Mitchell (preferrably the MST-enhanced version), to remind me that being cut off from humanity is not entirely a bad thing.

TV Series: Scrubs - highbrow, lowbrow, and would suffice as porn if it came to that. The Todd has got it goin' on!

Otto Man said...

Film: Mitchell (preferrably the MST-enhanced version), to remind me that being cut off from humanity is not entirely a bad thing.

Excellent choice. And definitely the MST3K version. "Arteries clogging .... Mitchell! Blood pressure rising .... Mitchell!"