If you liked that, check out THIS!

Cafe Society
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I always get a kick out of seeing the movies that Netflix recommends based on other things I’ve enjoyed. Yeah, sometimes it’s crap, but often, I get to see a great movie that I’d never have heard of otherwise. So I’d like to hear your recommendations - based on things that would appeal to someone with similar tastes - of your favorite lesser-known books, movies, music, TV shows, and other entertainment.

For instance, we recently saw and really liked Four Lions, based on a Netflix tip. Not exactly obscure, but we’d missed it completely when it came out. I can’t remember what Netflix associated it with, but I’d say The Office, Dr. Strangelove, Daily Show/Colbert Report, and oh, maybe Borat? If you enjoy any of those, and especially if you enjoy all of them, I suggest you check out Four Lions*. Dark, very funny, and surprisingly moving.

As for books, if you liked The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, I highly recommend Niagara Falls All Over Again. It’s a very engaging, bittersweet portrait of a decades-long partnership, as well as fascinating history of the transition from vaudeville to motion pictures. And if you’re a fan of Dickens and Austen, Neil Gaiman, Phillip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy, and/or historical novels, I think you’d enjoy Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell. It’s a modern novel written somewhat in the style of 19th century works, with magic, history, and personal and political intrigue. Many of the reviews say it’s very slow-paced, but I whipped right through it. I couldn’t put it down.

And if you’re into folky rock along the lines of Crosby, Stills & Nash, Smog, and/or Iron & Wine, you should check out The Original Brothers and Sisters of Love. (They’re sadly now-defunct, though some of the members are now in Great Lakes Myth Society, which apparently plays similar stuff.) They mixed acoustic and electric sounds, incorporated violin and accordion, and had tight, multilayered harmonies and evocative lyrics. Great work.

So let’s hear some of your undiscovered gems!

*My hot tip: watch it with captions on if you’re from the US. I watch a lot of British shows, but there were still quite a few great jokes I would have missed if I hadn’t been reading them.

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If you liked “Four Lions” you really need to see some of Chris Morris’ other work. “The Day Today” and “Brasseye” are essential.

“The Day Today”'s war episode was a joke back then. Now it is scarily similar to how things are …

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If you like dissections of Cold War-style logic such as Dr. Strangelove, and also storytelling in which one apparently unrelated detail after another piles up to drive the narrative into a new direction, you might like the 1999 movie Deterrence.

It’s a small, almost claustrophobic drama about nuclear deterrence.

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If you like the band Wilco, especially their older material, you should check out Old 97s. In fact, I have heard them described as “Wilco for people who think Wilco is too weird.”

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Thanks for the tips, folks - I’ve added them to my list. And good call on the Old 97s - I haven’t listened to them in a while.

I’ll throw out another one: if you enjoy magic realism and Spanish-language films (Almodóvar, Like Water for Chocolate), you should check out El lado oscuro del corazón (The Dark Side of the Heart). Romance, comedy, poetry, and giant pornographic sculpture. What’s not to love?