Doug Recommends

Bobseamonster recommended this 1 year, 9 months ago

I'm a huge fan of China Mieville, and his most recent book is one of his best. Imagine a scenario in which humans encounter an utterly alien species for the first time in a far away galaxy, and must discover how to communicate with them. That's the basic premise of Embassytown. Tells the story of Avice, a living simile in the Ariekei language living in a colony on a distant alien world.

Bobseamonster recommended this 1 year, 9 months ago

I was lucky enough to spend my last month here on holiday. There is an unbelievable amount of cool stuff packed into such a small island. Stunning beaches, diving, mountain trekking, ancient cities, safaris, etc...Sri Lanka really has got a bit of everything. Personal recommendation is Galle on southwestern tip--maybe the most beautiful city I've ever visited.

Bobseamonster recommended this 1 year, 9 months ago

Brilliantly told story about a man with amnesia who is in a race against time (and a shark composed entirely of language of memories)to discover who he is, what happened to him, and why he is prey for a terrifying virtual predator. Mind-bending and surprisingly deep novel that is an absolute must read for anyone interested in language and its implications. One of the best books I've read in years.

Bobseamonster recommended this 1 year, 10 months ago

Man, I did not know what I was getting myself into with this one. Watching this is something like sustaining a slow motion punch to the gut for 2 hours. Extremely raw and so sad it's almost unbearable. Carried by very strong performances, you won't soon forget this tale of grief in small town Miryang, which translates to the name of the film "Secret Sunshine". In Korean, so you may need subtitles

Bobseamonster recommended this 1 year, 10 months ago

This is an interesting and thought-provoking novel which is based on a simple premise--what if you could start over again at age 18, knowing everything you do now? What different decisions would you make? The main character in this fascinating novel has the chance to do just that...over, and over, and over again...I devoured this book in just a couple of days. Very addictive read.

Bobseamonster recommended this 1 year, 10 months ago

This has to be the most fun I've had with a PC game in a long time. Basically you've got 3 characters (knight, thief, and wizard) who are bound together by a mystical crystal.You need to switch between personas and use their individual abilities to solve physics-based puzzles. Beautiful graphics evoke otherworldly realms and gameplay is insanely addictive.

Bobseamonster recommended this 1 year, 10 months ago

Just fucking absolutely gorgeous music to drift away to from Deftones. Chino's on a different planet for this one. I love the subtle and eerie guitar riff--almost sounds like it's being played underwater.

Bobseamonster recommended this 1 year, 10 months ago

One of the best movies I've ever seen. I can't even remember the last time a film held my attention like this one--completely absorbing, compelling, and fascinating from start to finish. Can't say for certain that I understood much of what happened, but hell, that's not the point anyways is it? For those who enjoy large doses of surrealism, noir, and a bit of madness with their nonlinearity.

Bobseamonster recommended this 1 year, 10 months ago

If not the most terrifying survival horror game ever created, this is damn close. But what sets it apart from the pack are the beautifully done visuals and audio, completely immersing you in the Brennenburg Castle and making you feel everything on a visceral level. You've got to be extremely brave to heed the advice of the game to play this at night with headphones on.

Bobseamonster recommended this 1 year, 10 months ago

Essential viewing for anyone with even a slight interest in modern-day China. This documentary tells the story of a family of migrant workers and their struggles to make enough money to send home to support their family, and depicts in stunning detail the difficulty of competing against millions of other migrant workers for train tickets home once per year at Chinese New Year.

Bobseamonster recommended this 1 year, 10 months ago

A beautiful and moving film about an elderly South Korean woman's battle with Alzhemier's and desire to learn to write poetry amidst dark currents sweeping through her life. Tasked with raising an extremely troubled teenage boy as his disturbing actions begin to catch up with him, Jeong-hie Jun finds inner strength to navigate the turbulent waters of her life through a local poetry class.

Bobseamonster recommended this 1 year, 10 months ago

An extremely thoughtful, well researched and very necessary article on the President's utter lack of action on holding responsible the corporate moneyed interests who caused the financial crisis and why it might cost him the election, even to a right wing stooge who would make things even worse than they already are. A growing chorus of voices are demanding answers on why nothing has been done.

Bobseamonster recommended this 1 year, 10 months ago

They don't make them much more terrifying and horrific than this. Tells the story of two sisters with the same degenerative eye disease making them go blind slowly. When one of the sisters discovers the other has committed suicide, she doesn't believe it and investigates for herself. Horror ramped up drastically by main character not being able to see. Genuinely unnerving and disturbing.

Bobseamonster recommended this 1 year, 10 months ago

If you can manage to get your hands on this hilarious whacked-out, flat out insane survival horror game do so immediately. For ps3, you'll need to get an import (audio English, text Japanese). For X360, this game goes by the name "Deadly Premonition". Weird doesn't come close to describing this one. Outdated graphics but utterly absorbing story and open-world exploration- like Twin Peaks on acid.

Bobseamonster recommended this 1 year, 10 months ago

If "brutally sad" and "melancholy" aren't words that put you off, watch this immediately. Directed by an American, but feels more British, not only in terms of the cast, but also the overall tone. Darker than 99.9% of American films dare to be. Hauntingly beautiful "sci-fi lite" film set in an alternate reality in which some people are raised for the sole purpose of being future organ donors.

Bobseamonster recommended this 1 year, 10 months ago

This is one of the coolest games I've ever played on any system. Hard to describe, but at its core, an action/adventure game in which you truly feel completely immersed in the story and the choices you make matter. Numerous quick time events happen in which you have to be razor sharp and undistracted. Created by Quantic Dream, this is in some ways the precursor to Heavy Rain.

Bobseamonster recommended this 1 year, 10 months ago

Still relatively unknown in the West, this massive sunken pyramid/temple-like structure off the coast of Yonaguni Island, Japan could completely rewrite history books on human civilization. Thought by some experts to be at least 10,000 years old to have been found in its current underwater position. May necessitate a complete re-imagining of human history and ancient capabilities.

Bobseamonster recommended this 1 year, 10 months ago

This fun little piece of tech could completely change human understanding of the universe. Built by scientists at Fermilab to test whether or not our entire reality is simply a hologram being projected from a 2 dimensional surface at the edge of the universe. Aims to find a false 3rd dimension of time within our reality by magnifying space-time and searching for interference with lasers beams.

Bobseamonster recommended this 1 year, 10 months ago

Brilliantly conceived and well executed film noir with a twist--set in high school! Doesn't sound like it should work, but is riveting from start to finish. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is excellent in this movie about a high school loner who investigates the murder of his ex-girlfriend and must work his way up the social food chain to uncover whodunnit.

Bobseamonster recommended this 1 year, 10 months ago

If you've never tried these fruits, my guess is that it's because you either haven't heard of them, have never seen them, or both. That's a shame because they are absolutely amazing. Tastes like a mix between a strawberry and a blackberry with just the right sweet/sour ratio. Con: they're only in season June and July. You may be able to find them in big cities in the U.S. under the name Yumberry.