I am participating in the Get Rec’d: A Movie/TV/Book List Challenge and this is the first week’s entry. I have decided to be bold and list a response for all three categories; a movie, a television show, and a book.
Week 1: Gun To My Head: Pick A Favorite
Movie: The Godfather (1972)
If I have a gun to my head, The Godfather, would be the one holding the gun. This is not an easy choice. It often fluctuates between a couple of movies. It is one of those movies that you notice something new with each screening.
The first time I watched The Godfather, I wasn’t impressed but I was in high school at the time. When I started college, we viewed it in several classes for different reasons. We would pay attention to one specific aspect (lighting, character development, etc.) or discuss the movie as a whole. My love grew with every viewing.
When The Godfather comes on, I have to watch with my full and undivided attention. The studio re-released it in theaters on the 25th anniversary with a fully restored film print. The theater was both full and completely silent. You could hear the projector and people eating popcorn whenever the movie had a quiet moment. Someone started to whisper and everyone shushed them quickly. The most respectful watching of a movie I have ever encountered (with good reason!).
Television: Twilight Zone (1959-1964)
There is an ungodly amount of good television shows out there. This was not an easy decision at all. When running through all the choices, I kept coming back to the original Twilight Zone.
I have been watching Twilight Zone for as long as I can remember. My brain has been permanently damaged/altered. I am distrustful of both mannequins and dolls with life-like eyes (with good reason!). There have been a few attempts to revive the series and some have been decent, but the original is by far the best.
The description of the series on IMDB says all you need to know, “Ordinary people find themselves in extraordinarily astounding situations, which they each try to solve in a remarkable manner.” It is hard not to go watch an episode right now.
Book: World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks (2006)
I have read World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War more times than any of the others and in every format. I have read the physical book, the eBook, listened to the abridged audiobook and listened to the unabridged audiobook multiple times.
World War Z is fictional first-hand accounts of the zombie war. The author has interviewed key people from all aspects of the war from its beginnings, its successes, and its failures. While some people hold high positions, others were mere foot soldiers.
Brooks researched how various countries and governments handled world wars and outbreaks. He then wrote his best estimation up of what he thought would happen if an infectious zombie outbreak happened. I spent the whole book agreeing. This is what it would be like from the people trying to make money off fake cures, to celebrities turning it into a reality show to North Korea’s response. *Shudders* The section on North Korea still gives me chills thinking about it.
The audiobook features an all-star cast including Alan Alda, Carl & Rob Reiner, Nathan Fillion, Henry Rollins, Denise Crosby, Mark Hammill, and many more. They originally released it abridged, but when they announced the movie, they went back and recorded the other stories.
Coming Up Next
Next week will be “Favorite Introduction of a Main Character.”
What is your favorite? Let us know in the comments.
