Stuck On An Island With The Yank!

So I'm stuck on an island? And I can bring five CDs?

This is going to be difficult, but I have it narrowed down to these five:

1. "The Hazards Of Love" by The Decemberists. It's a glorious rock opera about inter-species romance and an evil rake, complete with a chorus of dead kids. It also just plain kicks ass.

2. "The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust" by David Bowie. I'm pretty sure the meaning of life is hidden somewhere in this album.

3. "Music For Men" by Gossip. Because at some point, I'm going to want to dance on this island. I would bring Lady Gaga but I would probably get sick of her. It's difficult to get sick of Gossip.

4. "Who Killed Amanda Palmer" by Amanda Palmer. This one is just good for my sanity.

5. "Absolution" by Muse. It was hard to pick which Muse album I should take, but I settled on this one. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE all of that "uniiiiited states of euraaaaaSIA" crap, but I think I'm going to need to rock out to tracks like "Stockholm Syndrome" and "Hysteria" while stuck on the island.

As for movies, I would bring these five DVDs:

1. Little Miss Sunshine. My go-to feel-good film. Really, I always grin when I watch it.

2. The Producers. The original one with Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder. I've always thought this is probably one of the funniest films ever made.

3. Slumdog Millionaire. One of my favorite films. Also one of the few films that can get a range of emotional responses out of me - I laugh, I cry, I hang on the edge of my seat in suspense, I cover my eyes because I can't bear to watch the part where they blind that kid, etc. Great for breaking up the monotony of an island.

4. Donnie Darko. Again, a personal favorite of mine. And I know I'm capable of watching it repeatedly. If I was trapped on an island with it, I'd probably watch it until I thoroughly understood the whole thing. It would be wonderful.

5. The Darjeeling Limited. Come on, you knew I'd have to sneak some Wes Anderson onto this list. And this one has both Jason Schwartzman and Adrian Brody (a.k.a: my husbands). Perfect.

Oh no! I forgot to bring a Tim Burton film! Maybe Allison will be stuck on the island next door and I can borrow "Edward Scissorhands" from time to time.

As for books...

I would bring books 3-7 of the Harry Potter series. I figure the first two aren't necessary because I read them a lot growing up and it's just a lot of exposition. Truth is, I've never properly finished the last Harry Potter book, so being stuck on an island with it would be perfect.
I probably don't need to bring all of them, BUT I'M GOING TO. Don't judge me. Or judge me. Whatever. You're just jealous you didn't think of it first.

I'm nerdier than people give me credit for. :P

Anyway, that's all I've got. Peace.

Desert Island Disks

This was taken at a TITANIC party. I thought the theme was almost apt.

I'd like to begin by saying being stranded on a desert island would be among my worst nightmares. Even if it was a picturesque Swiss-Family-Robinson island. All that sun and sand would drive me mental. So my collection of music, films and books would be something of a lifeline.


First up, the tunage:


I'd definitely take Morcheeba's 'Big Calm'. It would calm my nerves and the song 'The Sea' would be particularly apt. I'd also bring with me Metallica's Black album, Amy Winehouse's 'Back to Black', Damien Rice's 'O' and Paloma Faith's 'Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful?' I believe these 5 albums, between them, would chill me out, perk me up, help me vent my frustrations and - for those times when you just need to sulk - wallow in self pity.


Films would also help pass the time, of course. I'd bring Moulin Rouge because - I'm so clever - if I shut my eyes or merely turned away from the screen, it would work as a 6th ALBUM. Genius. After I'd depressed myself with Damien Rice, I'd watch Sister Act to cheer me up. O. M. G. Another film that has songs in the soundtrack and - therefore - a 7th album! Next up - The Commitments (8th Album! OK, I'll stop now), and Schindler's List, to remind me that the society from which I find myself isolated is capable of being pretty shit and therefore less worth missing. Finally, I think I'd need to bring some Tim Burton, as Allison did. Just in case we've landed on the same island, I'll bring The Nightmare Before Christmas, so that we don't double up. That will also mean we have something festive for the holiday season, if we're there that long.


And lastly, books. Oh, books. I would bring War and Peace, for I think that would be great for passing a HUGE amount of time. I think I'm being too practical here, concentrating too much on the desert island and not on what's actually my favourite, but hey ho. G R R Martin's Game of Thrones would probably sate my embarrassing thirst for fantasy literature for a short while, and Les Liaisons Dangereuses would bring a little bit of intrigue and drama into my otherwise long, repetitive days in the sun. I'd also bring London Belongs to Me by Norman Collins, just to remind me of what it's like to be a Londoner. And finally, and I'm not sure this will be allowed, my anthology of Shakespeare. Not only would this fill LOADS of time, but it would cure me of one of my most troubling traits; a very poor knowledge of Bard. Then, if I did ever get off the island, I could return to Blighty with my head held high, throwing about witty one liners and deep reflections of my time lost at sea.

My Island in the Sun

Lauren suggested that we do desert island albums this week, but I upped the ante and said we should also include books and movies.

The desert island works like this: Everyone lists their top 5 _____ that you'd want with you if you were trapped on a deserted island. The purpose is to identify which albums, books, movies etc mean the most to you.

Here's mine:

Top 5 Albums

1) Out of Time by R.E.M. - This was the first R.E.M. album I ever heard and the reason I fell in love with this band.

2. Californication by Red Hot Chili Peppers - With the return of John Frusciante (who's since departed again) came new life to this band. I liked them before, but this album was the first of a new era for the band.

3. 1967-1970 (Blue Album) by The Beatles - I couldn't pick an album so I went with a best of. This version is of their later songs. I love the early 60s stuff, but I like this one more.

4. The Reminder by Feist - I'd pick her new album Metals, but it seems too new for this type of list. I just need some Feist on the island with me.

5. Weezer (Blue Album) by Weezer - The best Weezer album by far.

Top 5 Movies

1. A League of Their Own - One of my favourite childhood movies. I wanted to be Dottie Henson.

2. Reality Bites - I relate to this movie on so many levels. 

3. Empire Records - I love the 90s, this movie is the epitome of the 90s experience.

4. Peter Pan (Disney) - I love all things Peter Pan - but it all started because of this movie.

5. Edward Scissorhands - One of the best Tim Burton movies ever. It's a whimsical, creepy fairy tale.

Top 5 Books

1. Jpod by Douglas Coupland - This book is a must-read for the Google generation.

2. A Heartbreaking Works of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers - This book introduced me to a whole different style of writing. It's non-fiction written so creatively and so movingly that I re-read sections because they were so brilliant. 

3. Sex, Drugs and Cocopuffs by Chuck Klosterman - Clever, quirky, funny. I'm on a deserted island - I need a laugh.

4. When You Are Engulfed by Flames by David Sedaris - I need more laughs.

5. Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens - This one is for anyone who was ever a fan of the TV show LOST.