Dr. Strangelove Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb

I am a diehard Stanley Kubrick lover. He's the greatest director who ever lived. He's the MJ of the camera, a savant, a genius.

This is the best movie I've ever seen. It's perfect. It's as funny as it is dramatic, delivering the perfect message on nuclear war. The general incompetence and bravado of those in charge of the fate of the world is put on full display in an act of comedic genius. Everything in this movie is a satire, a commentary on the state of America at the time. I have never, in my life, seen such a perfect satirization that still manages to keep you so hooked on the plot, you forget it's even satire.

The best part is, this film actually revealed flaws in the chain of command regarding the release of nuclear warheads in the United States, and prompted a change in the chain of command. The absolute power and gravitas of film is on full display here. Everything a movie can be, it is, and every way a movie can have a real world impact, it did.

The Low End Theory

A Tribe Called Quest is consistently lauded by old hip hop heads and consistently ignored by the younger generations, while artists like Tupac and Biggie are lauded as the best of the era. And they are, but Q-Tip and Phife Dawg deserve to be right there with them.

This album is the sort of album where you can put on any song and instantly be put in a good mood. You can take a walk, sit in bed, ride in the car, do your laundry, whatever you do day to day, this album will make it better. It's poetic, rhythmic, insightful, and undervalued. Rest in peace, Phife Dawg.

Bob's Burgers

Yeah, Bob's Burgers. Other shows are funny simply by their punchlines or their antics, but Bob's Burgers invites you into the world of the Belcher family. Watch one episode, it's fine. Two, it's getting better. By the time you're a season deep, you're twenty deep, and you're part of the Belcher family.

It has a magic I've never seen in TV before that creates its entertainment value out of the comfort of its familiarity and its rampant unpredictability. You are not just observing the world of the Belchers, you're invited in. You know their families inside jokes. You understand the mind of the characters. You feel sympathetic towards each and every one, even Jimmy Pesto.

In the clip I provided, it doesn't just feel like you're watching Gene dress up as Bob, it feels like you're part of a family's inside joke. And there's something extremely magical, and comforting in that.

Skyrim

I will admit, Witcher 3almost broke me, but Skyrim remains the greatest video game ever made. Never mind the hoard of disappointment that's followed from Bethesda games (what the hell was going on with Prey? You gave me a grand total of five bullets, and about 90,000 monsters and a giant space snake to kill. How am I supposed to do that).

Nothing will ever beat Skyrim. You get sucked into the world of Tamriel, you feel the urgency of the quests, you desire to be the best, to uncover ever nook and cranny of this massively magnificent world.

Now, where is Elder Scrolls 6? Hm? I didn't put it in italics, because it doesn't exist yet. You get your italics when I get a game. And your Roman numerals.

Some More Stuff

Here's some stuff that missed the cut for a full feature, but I'll still be furious if you don't watch/listen/play:

Albums:

• Whack World by Tierra Whack
• JEFFREY by Young Thug
• This Desert Life by Counting Crows
• American Beauty by The Grateful Dead
• All Eyez on Me by Tupac
• Trap Lord by A$AP Ferg
• all of A$AP Rocky's albums
• Mr. Wonderful by Action Bronson
• everything Tyler the Creator has ever done ever
• Last Winter by Bas
• Revolver by the Beatles
• The Plugs I Met by Benny the Butcher
• Fire of Unknown Origin by Blue Oyster Cult
• Tell Me I'm Pretty by Cage the Elephant
• Kauai by Childish Gambino
• everything Earl Sweatshirt has ever done
• London Calling by The Clash
• XXX by Danny Brown
• Denzel Curry, just period
• My Aim is True by Elvis Costello
• From Under the Cork Tree by Fall Out Boy
• Blonde by Frank Ocean
• Every word Ms. Lauryn Hill has ever uttered
• Ego Death by The Internet
• The Black Album by Jay Z
• Electric Ladyland by Jimi Hendrix
• Telefone by Noname
• Love Story by Yelawolf

TV Shows:

• Disenchantment
• South Park
• The Mandalorian
• Ugly Delicious
• Little Women: Atlanta, the absolute peak of reality television
• Fuck, That's Delicious
• Futurama
• Daria
• NPR Tiny Desks
• Loiter Squad

Movies:

• Every Star Wars movie
• Django Unchained
• Lord of the Rings
• Austin Powers
• Groundhog Day
• Step Brothers
• Inglorious Basterds
• The Spongebob Movie
• American Psycho
• Goodfellas
• Taxi Driver
• Birdman or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance
• Moana
• Interstellar
• The Waitress
• Animal House
• Caddyshack
• Akira
• Parasite

Video Games

• GTA V
• Skyrim
• Witcher 3
• every Assassin's Creed game
• Metro Exodus
• What Remains of Edith Finch
• Mario games, just mario games
• Wii Sports
• Ocarina of Time
• Breath of the Wild
• LA Noir
• Olija
• Hades
• Hollow Knight
• Lego Star Wars, the greatest game ever made, sorry Skyrim
• All the Far Cry games, especially Primal

Well, that's it. It's been an honor to share my love of entertainment with all of you, and I hope we get to run it back next year.