Going to hell for laughing
“It’s all about the greater good”
It’s your typical buddy cop film, but what sets it apart is the fact that it makes you laugh, instead of making you want to gouge your eyeballs out using two stalactites. Hot Fuzz is love letter to action films and it’s got everything that you would want from a comedic piece. Memorable set pieces, quotable lines, great characters and that jolly british dark humour. What I loved the most about it is how the plot gets more and more ridiculous as the film progressing, culminating in a ending so silly, that you can’t help but smile.
"It's a fairytale f*cking town, isn't it."
At a first glance In Bruges is just a funny film about two hitmen and at second glance it still is that, only difference being the themes. Resentment, punishment and redemption are some of them, which are tackle through the usage of jokes or genuinely touching pieces of conversation. Morality and religion are also a big issue being at stake during the film. Albeit the humour is dry to say the least, it’s a British humour after all, the film is surprisingly heartfelt and beautiful at moments. Is as if the characters used humour to cope with their problems. A disguise where they can hide. However, no matter how serious or deep the movie is, at the end of the day, it still is a comedy and In Bruges is one where every single joke hits, where you find a quote in every single alcove and where the characters aren’t just japes machines. Meaning, that they don’t exist just to make a funny remark.
“That rug really tied the room together.”
A movie with seemingly no plot, only existing for the sole purpose of showing The Dude’s life and relationships. It’s a trip filled to the brim with excellent performances channelled through out of the world characters such as Walter, Donny, Jesus, the nihilists and many more that help create a surreal atmosphere all throughout the film. All of the jokes hit the bullseye. There are endless quotes and funny moments, thanks to the sharp script, making the movie very memorable. So memorable that it’s got a festival. The Big Lebowski is the quintessential ‘bro’ movie, quotable and seemingly meaningless, but at the end of the day, that’s just, like, my opinion, man.
Top 10 BROoks
Do you even read bro?
This is a book that oozes with imagination in every single place, especially in its plot. It’s about two guys, David Wong and John, who is the guy that dies. After taking a drug called ‘soy sauce’ they start to see crazy things. Those crazy things aren’t imaginary, they are actually beings from a different universe that must be defeated to save the world. I know... The bro vibes are through the roof. However, the insane plot is not what makes this book amazing, it’s actually the characters and their development. Their relationships are so real and so well rounded that you feel that you’ve known them since forever. It’s a great story about finding who you are in the world and killing gory monsters. It’s got everything. Amy is a darling, I love her.
A vivid and lugubrious picture of 20th century Brooklyn street life. It’s a very rough read, not because is bad in any way, is just that you start to be fond of the characters and they keep making mistake after mistake and it... hurts, like a toothache. Beautiful lives just, being wasted. Vices are a big theme and are portrayed as downwards spirals. Beautiful lives being wasted. The book is divided in various short stories, each being an incredible and meticulous look of the psyche of a person who lives in those conditions. The best story is Tralala, which is about a girl who lives too fast and gets to a point where the brakes stop working, and she’s closing to a wall. Brothers, it will break your heart and the psychologist you’ll need afterwards is too expensive, so please beware. You’re getting into a bottomless pit.
The granddad of books about people skills, the advice found in How to Win Friends and Influence People is still sound and applicable 80 years later. Carnegie writes about skills like making bros feel valued and appreciated, ensuring you don’t come across as manipulative (which happens unintentionally more than we think!), and essentially, “winning” people to your viewpoints and ideas. While it can sound a little disingenuous in its description, these are truly skills that bros could use every day, and this book is a great resource for boning up your social game.
The Great Gatsby by John F. Fitzgerald. Is a classic book set in the roaring ’20s, and written in the middle of that same era. It is narrated by a secondary character Nick Carraway who talks about his experience in fictitious neighborhoods of new york, The east egg and the west egg, where the extremely rich and glamorous life takes place. Gatsby is a hopeless romantic who would give maybe too much for the world of love, but you know who us bros are. The book itself is filled with excitement. You don't become a classic by being a bad book, so its recommended for anyone, especially those who have a special place for the past and romance in their heart
Travel in a balloon over the whole african continent is something that if you think about, would definitely be difficult, in 1863 even more. This book was the first Verne published with Hetzel (Editorial) and the first of the series of adventure books, Voyages Extraordinaires. The adventures of Doctor Fergusson and his two fellow english mates will take the reader (Yes bro, you can read old adventure literature and still be cool) through a series of obstacles: crazy tribus that want to eat a poor missionary, a desperate search for a solution as they run out of water in the middle of the Sahara or the attack of a group of condors that try to bite their balloon. With numerous geographical data and following the real expeditions that Barth, Burton and Speke did in the past in the search of the sources of the Nile, Jules creates and incredibly exact description of expeditions in the past centuries. All in all, this book marks the style Jules would follow in all his work. Have a try, you’ll like it. : )
From his birth as son from syrian immigrants and his adoption with the condition of making him pursue a professional degree in university when he grew older, the description of the life of one of the most influential personalities of all the time will make you want to follow your passions and to achieve a ridiculous perfection when working on anything, or at least to buy something from his company, Apple. It’s a great book to inspire young bro’s that really want to give a meaning to their desires as young dreamers or to regain inspiration when it's a bit hidden.
The Old Man and The Sea
Santiago is an old, experienced fisherman who hasn’t brought in a catch for months. On the 85th day of this dry spell, he heads far out into the Gulf of Mexico where he hooks a giant marlin. Unable to pull the fish into his skiff, he holds onto the line for three days before killing it with a harpoon. After lashing the fish to his boat, Santiago heads home with his hard-won prize. But along the way, sharks reduce the fish to bones, and the old man returns to port as he left–empty-handed. What a story. Simple but nevertheless very powerful. The life lessons out of this book: A man is not made for defeat. A man does not depend on luck. A man does not boast. A man bears pain and hardship without complaint. A man finds inspiration from others A man goes down swinging–no matter his age. A man’s legacy comes from maintaining his integrity.
The metamorphosis deals with a young working class man who works and lives a sub-human life to the level that he is literally reduced to a sort of bug like creature. The book deals with the theme of dehumanization and fear of prejudice, from his family who is disgusted by him and his new form. Which is actually a result of him working to pay their debts. Bros, this book is touching in a really peculiar manner, and you should definitely read it if you want to think about life in a different point of view. And remember, you are human, don't fall victim to the system.
