Desert island media

Dadaist · Post by **Dadaist** » 29 Oct 2006, 17:59

This is like "Desert Island Discs" but for books, films, music and even computer games. Tell us not about the good ones you've seen recently, but the all-time classics you keep going back to - films you owned on video and immediately went out and got on dvd when released, books you re-read, and albums you couldn't possibly get fed up with.

What wouldn't you like to be without during your desert island sojourn?

There are no upper or lower limits - you could do a top 5 movies or just 1 each of a book, movie and album - but it'll be interesting to see what everyone's firm favourites are.

You don't have to review the film or album - rather, tell us where you were and what you were doing when it was released - that's if it does evoke any memories. Or maybe you have a guilty pleasure/feelgood movie/album - go on, spill it. If enough people fess up I'll give it up about Dire Straits. Oops.

Put a picture of the album/movie/book cover on your post - then induce it into the hall of fame!

Porty · Post by **Porty** » 29 Oct 2006, 18:47

Lovely idea and a spiffing 5000 th post. Congratulations son.

Here goes with my 1st Album although its not my all time fave. The Innocents by Erasure

The one and only time I ever queued outside a record store for a new release. It was a Monday morning April 18th 1988 my brothers 26th birthday. HMV on princes street. it was released at NOON and I bought the first copy. If I remember correctly I didn't own any of their other albums at that time. I heard " A Little Respect" on the radio and fell in love.

I stuck it in my rugby bag, it was the Edinburgh holiday and this was always when the Royal High Rugby Club sevens took place. Although by that time they had moved from piershill to the new school. I was playing for edinburgh Wanderers and we humped Heriots in the final. Retired to the oxford bar after the final. Got chips went home and about half an hour later got S*** for playing the album full volume.

About 4 weeks later I went to see them in the Playhouse, I had two tickets and could not get anyone to go with me. I knew all the word and myself and 2000 or so gays sang ourselves hoarse.

seanie · Post by **seanie** » 29 Oct 2006, 18:51

The book I've read more than any other is "Darwin's Dangerous Idea" by Daniel Dennet.

I've had to buy it twice because the first copy fell apart through use.

Poppy · Post by **Poppy** » 29 Oct 2006, 18:57

rapunzell · Post by **rapunzell** » 29 Oct 2006, 19:06

Congrats on the milestone! 5000 posts..

Great thread; will have to ponder at length to do it justice.

Jackson Priest · Post by **Jackson Priest** » 29 Oct 2006, 19:19

rapunzell wrote:Congrats on the milestone! 5000 posts..

Great thread; will have to ponder at length to do it justice.

I'm pondering too. It might take a while...

Bob Jefferson · Post by **Bob Jefferson** » 29 Oct 2006, 19:44

Congrats on the big 5k Dada. I've stickied this thread in your honour.

Music:

I think I was 13. I loved this, still love it:

seanie · Post by **seanie** » 29 Oct 2006, 20:01

Films;

A Matter of Life And Death

Tampopo

It's a Wonderful Life

Animal House

Cyrano De Bergerac

Sandra · Post by **Sandra** » 29 Oct 2006, 20:41

Easy......

It's a Wonderful Life

To Kill a Mocking-Bird - Harper Lee

Rattlesnakes Lloyd Cole and the Commotions

Bob Jefferson · Post by **Bob Jefferson** » 29 Oct 2006, 20:43

1976. I'm 17 and in Glasgow, ostensibly to visit the University with the rest of my 6th year class. We have already visited one or two pubs. One of our class-mates has been bundled into the back of a van and mugged. I stumble across a record shop that has an import copy of a ground-breaking record I have recently heard on John Peel:

Sandra · Post by **Sandra** » 29 Oct 2006, 20:47

Sandra wrote:Easy......

It's a Wonderful Life

To Kill a Mocking-Bird - Harper Lee

Rattlesnakes Lloyd Cole and the Commotions

Just re-read the post -

"It's a wonderful Life" because such a weepy-emotional-feel good film which makes you happy to be who you are.

"To Kill a Mocking-Bird" book I first read at school, and have re-read several times since - powerful, emotional book. Film is pretty good too.

"Rattlesnakes" - first time I heard this album I thought wow - even now can still send me those first listen shivers!

Sandra · Post by **Sandra** » 29 Oct 2006, 20:49

p.s. Congratulations Dadaist

Maria · Post by **Maria** » 29 Oct 2006, 21:06

Congrats on a phenomenal 5000 posts Dadaist.

Here's my 5 fav films for starters :

The Right Stuff

The Big Easy

Arsenic and Old Lace

It's a Wonderful Life

One flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

I don't have any special memories related to the first time I saw any of these films. They are simply films I will happily watch time and time again.

Porty · Post by **Porty** » 29 Oct 2006, 21:55

My all time favourite book is Catch 22. I lost count of how many times I've read it and I never tire.

seanie · Post by **seanie** » 29 Oct 2006, 22:07

And if I was on a desert island I'd want;
Relentless
Along with my compilation of Lenny Bruce transcripts.

seanie · Post by **seanie** » 29 Oct 2006, 22:08

Porty wrote:My all time favourite book is Catch 22. I lost count of how many times I've read it and I never tire.

That'd certainly be in my top 10.

Porty · Post by **Porty** » 29 Oct 2006, 22:13

Another two entries for my hall of fame. Darkness on The Edge of Town by Bruce and Scared to Dance by The Skids.

Its 1981 and about 6 weeks after Charles and Di were married. Myself and two pals from Uni had spent a long summer working as waiters in a Diner in Los Angeles. We lived in various parts of the sprawl but finally ended up staying in a fraternity house Alpha Delta Gamma at Loyolla Marymount University in LA. The frat house was located in Inglewood which was next door to Watts and was well into the process of becoming an afro-american ghetto.

We left LA and did one of those deals were you get to drive someone's car for free. They are moving cities and hire a company to move th car. The company then get student types who want to travel to drive them. We got a Honda estate and three weeks to get from LA to Philidelphia. I didn't drive but the other two did. What an adventure it was. The only trouble and it was a small trouble was the lack of cassette tapes we had for the journey. In fact we only had one, Darkness on one side Scared to Dance on the other. We didn't get fed up.

SoupDragon · Post by **SoupDragon** » 29 Oct 2006, 23:22

So difficult. No upper limit?

Books-
But not the hippopotamus by Sandra Boynton. So many memories of reading it over and over at bedtimes. We went through 2 copies and I had to hunt for a new one for eldest's 21st pressie

Mog the forgetful cat. Again reading at bedtime. Was standing in a bookshop in spring when I saw last book in the series, where Mog dies and started to cry. Much embarrassed shuffling from the Clangers. It just seemed to symbolise the end of their childhood, sniff sniff

Isacc Asimov's Foundation series, dated now but still brill. Read it in my teens and the cover pics still evoke memories of glam rock era.

Anne Mc Caffrey any or all of the Dragon series.

Gerald Durrell 3 Singles to adventure. Made the mistake of packing this in my bag when I had 1st child. Mistake was taking something that made me laugh so much.

Almost anything by Terry Pratchett, favourites being Wyrd Sisters and Witches Abroad. I'd love to be Nanny Ogg. (Mr Soupy got thumped with a Doc Marten when he commented on that one)

Was reading Dune by Frank Herbert when I went into labour with Clanger no 3. Can recommend the Bene Gesserit litany against fear when in labour. Felt wonderfully calm when they did emergency section

Lord of the rings. Just coz.

Novastar · Post by **Novastar** » 29 Oct 2006, 23:28

Good idea

song - Enter Sandman by Metallica
Just reminds me of growing up, playing guitar and having a good time.Could listen to it all day.

album - Green Day - Dookie.
Again reminds me of school and it's a great album to put on if you've had a bad day and want to feel better.

movie - The Cider House Rules
A great film. Got Michael Caine and the bloke who played spiderman in it. Makes you think about 'home' and what your mission in life should be.

book - Hitchhikers G2TG, The Antipope, The hollow chocalate bunnies of the apocalypse
Don't read fiction much (loads of non fiction mind you) but these are probably the only 3 books I've read more than once. First everyone should read - you can pick up something new every time you read it and it's very funny. Other 2 are by Robert Rankin - have conversed on here before about him and I know he's not everyone's cup of tea but it's very dip-in-able and very funny - similar vein to THG2TG.

Non-fiction book would be one I have called 'Coaching matters'. It's about the careers of the NFL's best 10 coaches and I find it informative and inspiring. Explains how they got the best out of their teams and what you can take from them.

SoupDragon · Post by **SoupDragon** » 29 Oct 2006, 23:36

my films
Lethal Weapon (phwarr)
Indiana Jones series (phwarr again)
Diva- parce je n'aime pas Beethoven
Blues Bothers- 1st saw it in The Hammy Lodge
The Goodbye Girl- aw I'm a big softie
Some like it hot- even though they wear more make up than I ever do

Oh and I'd like to take a dvd of the Clangers

Star Wars the early ones, how could I forget?

impossiblevoices · Post by **impossiblevoices** » 30 Oct 2006, 18:08

Song - "This is The One", by The Stone Roses. I once read somewhere, maybe it was a sleeve note, that this song is the sound of two people being in love with each other. Makes me cry almost every time I hear it.

Album - "The White Room" by The KLF. I know its coooler to like "Chill Out" by these chaps, but this is the album that really got me into electronic music and production. I remember being at school and thinking, "I can make sounds like that on my Amiga at home..." The whole JAMMS, TimeLords, KFoundation and the myriad other AKA's the crew have had over the years totally lends itself to geeky teenage conversations about obscure musical material. Something which I enjoy to this day. I have to listen to this album at least once a fortnight lest I start to feel bigheaded or forget where I am, going. If any of you lot reading this are Bill Drummond, PM me and we'll hook up and go make beats by the sea...

Film - "Ferris Buellers Day Off". I first saw this movie in my pals house when we were about 10/11/12. I have since owned 2 video copies and now have 2 copies of it on DVD. (Real DVDs too, not hooky internet ones, which means I really like it...!) This movie is a masterpiece. For those of you who have not seen it, the whole film is about a boy who skives off school for the day. However, there is so much more to it than that, including a masterclass on how to fake illness to your parents! The movie has so many quotable lines - lines that could very well become codes you could live your life around. A fantastic movie.

"I asked for a car and got a computer, hows that for being born under a bad sign...?"

Dadaist · Post by **Dadaist** » 30 Oct 2006, 19:57

IF YE WANT TAE KNOW
THE THINGS WE SEE
THEN STEP INSIDE OOR SKINS

Black Mamba · Post by **Black Mamba** » 30 Oct 2006, 20:02

Jaws. I've always loved this movie. Mind you on a desert Island it would be a bit scarey!!!
<a href="http://photobucket.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n271 ... 9/jaws.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting"></a>

Anything with the delectable Johnny Depp in it.

<a href="http://photobucket.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n271 ... row270.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting"></a>
and the tw Bourne movies
<a href="http://photobucket.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n271 ... ourne4.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting"></a>

Black Mamba · Post by **Black Mamba** » 30 Oct 2006, 20:04

Oops sorry the Jaws piccie is so big.

Pal of Porty · Post by **Pal of Porty** » 30 Oct 2006, 22:41

FILMS:
It's a Wonderful Life - It works every time.
Pulp Fiction - Fantastic dialogue so true to life and brilliantly pieced together.
The Quiet Man - True Irish charm.
To Kill a Mocking Bird - Superb adaptation of a briliant book. Gregory Peck at his best.

BOOKS:
Danny the Champion of the World by Roald Dahl - Read this to all three kids over the years and loved by all - a great family story.
1984 by George Orwell - Really thought provoking book and many of its terms are still in use today as part of common language.
Crime Fiction - On a desert island I would have to take an Ian Rankin, Agatha Christie type book.

bearcub · Post by **bearcub** » 31 Oct 2006, 14:10

Films, had a think over it and my criteria is I watch them EVERY time they're on.....

In no particular order:

Where Eagles Dare - watched it for the first time when I was into Commando comics and their ilk (about 10-12 yrs old, or was it last year

), and have never missed a screening on TV since. Cable car bit has to be my fave scene.

American History X - Love this film, the first scene is one of the most gruesome, shocking openings to a film I can remember - and I was hooked as soon as I saw it. Edward Norton is a great actor, probably the best actor to come out of Hollywood in the last 10-20 years.

Blade Runner - definitely not the redundant Harrison voice-over edition. As I think I've mentioned before, the scene where Rutger Hauer's character dies is one of my all-time favourites.

Braveheart/Independence Day - both v corny, and lots wrong with the films....but they get in just for the fact they have scenes which made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. The "Freedom!" scene, and the (extremely sad I know) President's "Independence Day" speech. Don't want to like that bit, but it does make the hairs tingle.

Just realised I've used another criteria - memorable scenes.

Sure there are others which I'll suddenly go "oh, how did I miss that out!", but these were the ones that "came to me" while I was lying in bed last night unable to get to sleep.

gilo · Post by **gilo** » 31 Oct 2006, 23:18

I can get the image to my avatar but not to this thread. So please keep an eye on that to check that albums that have been most inportant to me.

Film: There is one film that I've seen over and over again and each time it grips me as though I'm watching it for the first time. I simply never tire of it. It has everything; action, adventure, romance, comedy, special affects anything you could wish for in a film. Toy Story 2.

Then of course there is Dirty Dancing, hot, steamy and very sexy, just like me.

SoupDragon · Post by **SoupDragon** » 02 Nov 2006, 18:12

A few of the things I'd pack to take to the desert island.

Finally sorted the music, some we had on vinly, then c.d, now on mp3

Gordon Giltrap- Fear of the dark ; Visionary
Silly Wizard- Wild and Beautiful
REM- Out of time; The best of
Joni Mitchell- Dreamland got a lot of her stuff but like the way her voice has matured on this cd
Muse- Blackholes and rvelations
Snow Patrol-Eyes Open
Madness- anything by them really, so bouncy
Hitch hikers guide to the galaxy- the cdx of the radio broadcasts
and some Blondie, Dire Straits , Genesis, Yes, Pink Floyd, Communards/Jimmy Sommerville, Clannad, ....

Post by **wangi** » 02 Nov 2006, 23:45

CD: Manu Chao... Really could do with it now, had a last minute change of plane yesterday afternoon and left the test site 50 mile outside Houston and made it up to Dallas...

... Minus my iPod and SLR camera! Doh, will be without them for at least a week (assuming all goes well).

Manu Chao, great "bingo bango" music, especially great while flying watching the clouds roll by.

Dadaist · Post by **Dadaist** » 03 Nov 2006, 00:40

wangi - you seem to be taking up residency there - how many months have you been stateside this year?

soup - exemplary display, right down to the chocolate!

Maria · Post by **Maria** » 03 Nov 2006, 09:16

gilo wrote:I can get the image to my avatar but not to this thread.

Gilo, have a look at our 'How to..' forum and then get yourself a free photobucket account.

Sandra · Post by **Sandra** » 03 Nov 2006, 13:52

Yummy, I love Green & Blacks

My favourite is the dark chocolate with cherries but the white comes near second

Just a shame Cadbury's now own it.

Pal of Porty · Post by **Pal of Porty** » 03 Nov 2006, 14:01

Soup Dragon - Silly Wizard - yet another example of PHS producing the goods.

SoupDragon · Post by **SoupDragon** » 03 Nov 2006, 23:42

Sandra wrote:Yummy, I love Green & Blacks My favourite is the dark chocolate with cherries but the white comes near second

Just a shame Cadbury's now own it.

Didn't know Caburys had taken over . I'm trying to limit my chocolate intake at present so go for the good stuff, maya gold my fave then the dark choc and cherries.

SoupDragon · Post by **SoupDragon** » 03 Nov 2006, 23:44

Pal of Porty wrote:Soup Dragon - Silly Wizard - yet another example of PHS producing the goods.

Yes, I used to think the accordion was the natural enemy of music but Phil Cunningham just seems to make it work so well.