Viki and I are frequently asked for recommendations on TV shows, podcasts, movies, anime and whatever else you can pass the time with. And we love giving them out. I have created watch-lists of my dearest sci-fi series, profiles of talented celebrities that I think everyone should know and I enjoy talking about the MCU/DCEU for hours.
To give you a little peek into the things we are currently obsessed with, we have decided to write down what are at the moment our favorite stories, people and new finds (all neatly wrapped up in a nifty little listicle).
Movie:
Mysterious Skin
It’s unfortunate, but the only movie I have seen lately was Death Note and we all know how I feel about that one. SO. I had to go a little further back and recall a piece that I have seen in July and that was Mysterious Skin. Now, this film is not for the faint of heart and if you are triggered by child abuse and rape, please refrain from watching it!
I immensely enjoyed the performances, especially that of Joseph Gordon-Levitt whom we usually know form interviews to be sweet, energetic and charismatic. The role of Neil McCormick, on the other hand, showed the actor’s enormous talent as he becomes the embodiment of detachment and dissociation. Judging from the trailer, one might think that this movie is about alien conspiracy theories, so you can imagine my shock after the first 10 minutes.
Just so you know, the makers of this film took great care to not emotionally scar any of the child actors and used props in the majority of ‘sexual’ moments in order to keep the boys safe.
I enjoyed the acting and the characters immensely and the story was highly intelligent and completely heart-breaking. Watch it (if you can)!
TV series:
Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll
Recently stumbled across this 2015 gem. The series revolves around a narcissistic has-been rock star who tries to help his quick-witted, street-smart daughter, played by the fabulous Elizabeth Gillies, rise to fame. While this show does have some stereotypical characters and a plot that we have seen before, it is laugh-out-loud hilarious! Everyone has a penchant for adorable weirdness paired with gigantic egos which is a combination that makes for some of the funniest fast-paced banter I have heard in a while. And the soundtrack is nothing short of what you should be able expect from a show about music. Unfortunately cut after only 2 seasons, I still wish that more people would know about this series.
Preacher & Let’s Eat
This month I have been obsessed with two shows: Preacher and Let’s Eat. These choices couldn’t be more different, which probably shows you how well-balanced my taste in TV shows is. (sarcasm) AMC’s Preacher is based on the comics created by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon, developed and produced by Sam Catlin, Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen, and stars Dominic Cooper (Jesse Custer), Ruth Nega (Tulip O’Hare) and Joseph Gilgun (Cassidy). The show features some of the funniest, grittiest, weirdest gore-fest-heavy episodes I have ever seen on television. In a world where a preacher goes out with his lover and vampire friend to find God, who has vanished, and Hitler is the only comrade a mistakenly placed teenager has in hell, everything is possible. On the other end of the spectrum lies the South Korean production Let’s Eat. The plot is simple: four (dashingly beautiful) single people have a passion for food and, through that shared love, form relationships. Imagine a cooking show meets soap opera meets murder mystery meets the muppets. It stars Lee Soo-kyung, Yoon Doo-joon, Shim Hyung-tak and Yoon So-hee and is a must for crazy people like me.
Anime/Cartoon:
Voltron: Legendary Defender
Fan art of this show was splatter all across my social media and I have been wanting to see it for a while. Season 3 aired on Netflix just this year, so I decided to marathon the whole show. It took me four and a half days of bingeing – not record time but still pretty good – and I absolutely adore it. Every character (with the exception of Hunk and Coran) is rather well developed and makes you root for them as a team as well as on their own. The best character, in my opinion, is Space Dad Shiro, the leader, most experienced team member and black paladin (don’t even fight me on that). What makes the show even better, in addition to lovable characters, the amazing art style, great voice acting and a compelling plot, is how diverse it is. Which, apparently, the shows creators want to take a step further in the near future by adding an LGBT+ element. I’m here for it.
Season 4 will be up on Netflix in only a month (Oct. 13th). In the meantime enjoy this all-around perfect screenshot:
Book:
Endgame – The Calling
One book that I really enjoyed this summer was the first part of the Endgame series by James Frey. I hit a bit of a drought literature-wise when I read the absolute pile of garbage that was Lauren Kate’s Waterfall, so this book really did rescue me. The story revolves around 12 teenagers/young adults who battle it out over who gets to survive the apocalypse. Frey is a master at writing thrilling action sequences and complex character developments, which this book has in abundance. It was my second time reading it and I can honestly say that you will enjoy it even if you decide to not partake in the multi-media puzzle/riddle/scavenger hunt that lets you become one of the chosen fighters. Endgame is one of the most underrated fiction series out there, so I’m glad I found the gold-clad tome in my bookstore back in 2015 (I read it in German, so it took a while to come out).
Music artist:
Miracle Musical & The Pig Pink
I am listening to 2 songs exclusively right now, one of them is ‘normal’, the other is somewhat ‘unusual’: “Dream Sweet in Sea Major” by Joe Hawley, Allison Hanna, Bora Karaca on the album “Hawaii: Part II” from Miracle Musical, produced by ミラクルミュージカル. This one is strange and beautiful at the same time with soft electronic beats meeting swing and pop and a sweet singing voice dancing over it. The second one is “Hit the Ground (Superman)” by The Big Pink from their album “Future This”. Anyone who likes The Pixies and Superman, go listen to it.
Visual artist:
Oliver Hibert
If I ever decide to get a tattoo, I’d want one of Oliver Hibert’s creations stamped into my skin. This talented – and pretty wicked, not gonna lie – artist is god’s gift to Instagram. Bright colors and stylized imagery of naked ladies, eyeballs and skulls adorn his page and they are so wonderfully twisted that you can’t look away. If you enjoy psychedelic space-unrealness (cause that’s the best way I can describe his style) go check out his website!! He just released a line of tarot cards, if that is something that tickles your fancy.
Stephen Byrne
I am a sucker for fan art and awesome drawings of superheroes. Stephen Byrne does both and never misses pop culture news or hot topics. He is currently the artist responsible for DC’s The Ray and has created some awesome covers too. Stephen frequently posts drawings, short panels, animations, and hilarious comics on his facebook page: The Artwork of Stepehn Byrne. When it comes to style, his is diverse and ranges from highly detailed to Chibi-like caricatures. My dream is to meet him someday and to all of you I say: CHECK HIM OUT!
Game:
PopcornTrivia & Movie Trivia Schmoedown
A little game that I have been obsessively playing – and regrettably losing repeatedly – is the app PopcornTrivia. This game tests your movie knowledge in unexpected ways and is entertaining as hell. You can either challenge your own brain in a single-player session or challenge someone from the other movie buffs on the platform (this is where I lost quite often). What’s also fun is the customization of your avatar and the wheel of fortune that can get you bonus points for the next round. The collection of movies is a mixture of old and new and the questions range from simple multiple choice to picture puzzles and recognizing scores. What led me to the desire to test my knowledge, as well as build it up, is the incredible Movie Trivia Schmoedown created by Christian Harloff and Mark Ellis. The tournament has been on fire this year and I cannot recommend it enough! Go watch it!! Also join the awesome fan communities and the Collider crew at Schmoeville!, Schmoes Know and Movie Trivia Schmoedown.
by Leonie & Viki
Scapegrace Heroine 