Idioteque's proper top tens

[idioteque]

In the spirit of 'revealing self' by doing some proper top ten's, here goes. as ever, it depends on mood, memory etc. so it isn't set in stone; and none are in any order.

Books

1 Joan Didion; The Book of Common Prayer.

2 Milan Kundra; Book of Laughter

3 Henry Burkowski; Factotum

4 Jay McInnerney; Brightness Falls

5 F Scott Fitzgerald; The Great Gatsby

6 Graham Greene; Keep The Aspidistra Flying

7 Nick Cave; And The Ass Saw The Angel

8 Seth Morgan; Homeboy

9 Martin Amis; Success

10 Iain Banks; The Crow Road


Songs (as opposed to albums or singles)

1 Blackbird; The Beatles

2 Closer; Nine Inch Nails

3 Confusion; New Order

4 Pearly Dew Drop Drops; Cocteau Twins

5 The Ship Song; Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

6 Cranked up Really High; Slaughter and The Dogs

7 You Only Get What You Give; New Radicals

8 Straight Outa Compton; NWA

9 Brown Eyed Handsome Man; Buddy Holly

10 You Trip Me Up; The Jesus And Mary Chain

Films

1 Seven

2 Les Trois Coleurs; Bleu

3 Blue Velvet

4 Point Break

5 Stigmata

6 Stockport County Highlights 96-7

7 Oliver

8 Twin Peaks (entire series now on 2 DVD's)

9 Leaving Las Vegas

10 The Shawshank Redemption

[Wavid]

6 Graham Greene; Keep The Aspidistra Flying

Pedantry alert!

It's George Orwell who wrote Keep The Aspidistra Flying mate. One of my favourite books too, I must say.

Did anyone see the film that was made a few years ago, adapted from this book? I never saw it, but it might have been the thought of Richard E Grant as Gordon that put me off...

[idioteque]

Gawd, slight confusion there then!!! :oops: Was working out whether to plump for one or t'other; seems I got round it by inventing a hybrid :?

[John Self]

In polarity-responder mode I have to say I liked the film of Keep the Aspidistra Flying but the book less so. The film was played essentially a comedy and the book I thought more or less perfectly matched the (quite good, if I say so myself) pun I used for the heading of my Amazon review of it: Down and Out and Pious in London. So ner.

[amner]

5. Stigmata

:?

Are you sure about that?!?
.

[idioteque]

We all need some 'bubble gum' in with the good stuff; I'm just surprised you picked on Stigmata rather than hauling me over the coals for liking The Great Gatsby (often written of as genteel middle class american tosh)! :wink:

[amner]

No, no, Gats is fine in my, er, book, and can stand tall simply by having that great line about the chap who had gone along to the party and somehow stayed there since (or whatever it is, I'm sure you can remember it better).

But Stigmata ... Hmmm. Standard video pap, I thought. Not to diss your other choices. Anyone who can fit Pearly Dew Drop Drops and Straight Outa Compton into the same short song selection needs to be congratulated.
.

[idioteque]

In defence, we watched the vid and enjoyed it (remembering scenes of Rome and the Vatican may have helped) then it was on sale for about 3.99gbp so I bought it. Seen it a couple of times since (lost vid).

Good soundtrack, story knocks along at a good pace, classic baddie plus henchmen, classic good guy rescuing the girl, bit of intigue. Classic bubble gum.