I think everyone here should watch...
Gravity Falls. Animated television series, 2012 to 2016. It's got clever writing, good jokes, and heart. It's got characters that work well with modern metaphors, and it's very meme-able.
Monty Python and the Holy Grail, 1975
I have met people who liked this movie a little bit and I've met people who liked it a lot. The only person I've met who didn't like it was a very snobby theater teacher. If you liked it a lot, you should watch Monty Python's extensive body of work. If you only liked this movie a little bit, you probably would not like Monty Python's other work though maybe look up the parrot sketch. This and the parrot sketch are their best work.
Also, Monty Python and the Holy Grail gets used for memes all the time, including by people who never saw the movie. Shouldn't you understand the history of what you are using?
Megamind. I don't agree with
Schraffrillas on everything, but I agree it is a subversive masterpiece.
Batman the Animated Series, 1990s. I believe this is the best action animated series for kids ever made.
Avengers Endgame, if only for the memes. It may become part of the cultural landscape in the future if Disney doesn't mess up so bad it retroactively makes their past good movies bad.
The Princess Bride, it's a romantic comedy that guys like to watch. It's an amazingly quotable cult classic.
Idiocracy, it's am amazingly quotable cult classic
and it is seemingly predictive of the real future.
The Following are part of the basic cultural heritage of the West in my opinion
The original Star Wars trilogy
The prequel Star Wars trilogy
Wizard of Oz
The Matrix (not the sequels, I don't hate the sequels but they aren't half as good as the first)
Shrek 1 and 2
Harry Potters 1-7. Read the books or watch the movie, don't have to do both.
Everyone should read
1984
Everyone should read the short story Harrison Bergeron. You can read it free and legal
right here.
These Things are important to me
Hot Fuzz (2007), it's my favorite move. One of the few things I can watch over and over again without getting bored of it.
Kung Fu Panda 1, 2, and 3. I have a close friend who takes them very seriously, but the animation is amazing and it mixes serious and humorous aspects of storytelling in perfect balance.
Gargoyles (1994) This was my favorite show growing up, but I don't know it's a truly a timeless classic for all time.
Reboot (1994 to 2001) This show you can watch in its entirety for free legally (I think) on Youtube. Full episodes are very easy to find. Some of the computer references are dated. I'm not sure if first-time viewers would like it today. It does have an unfair advantage for me. In 1995 when I saw this for the first time, I was 11. When Season 3 made it Cartoon Network, I was 15-16. Not season 3 was a lot darker and more serious than season 1 and 2, so the show grew up with me.
Young Justice (2010-2021) This is an animated series co-created by the creator of Batman the Animated Series and Gargoyles. It's like my two favorite 1990s show had a baby and Young Justice is a perfect synthesis combining the story styles I like from both all wrapped up with very competent 21st century animation.
Ducktales (2017) This is the only remake of something I liked as a kid that I think was done very well. I daresay it took a good thing and made it better. I'm not sure everything in the 1987 Duck Tales aged well, both in story and animation.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians, the movies were TERRIBLE but I liked the books a lot. I'm not sure if it's better than the Harry Potter series, but it has far fewer plot holes and more compelling romantic side plots and these are two major flaws that mar my enjoyment of Harry Potter.
Dr. Horrible's Singalong Blog: It's got a good story and really catchy music. Yes, Whedon is a dick, but I try to separate the art from the artist.
Batman City of Scars is the best amateur media I've ever see. Unfortunately, these creators are one-hit wonders. I gave the production team many chances but all their work after this sucks like a vacuum.
Willow, (1988), criminally underrated fantasy movie for all ages
Beetlejuice (1988), cult classic, though I'm not sure if it's timeless.
Incredibles (2004), in my opinion it is Pixar's best movie. I don't hate
Incredibles 2 (2018), I just think it's okay and compared to something great, "okay" is crap. But in my opinion any movie after 2010 that is "okay" is exceeding expectations.
Shining (1980) and Doctor Sleep (2019). I didn't think it was possible to make a sequel
forty years after the original and have it be good. That blows my mind.
I should probably get around to watching...
Avatar the Last Airbender
Attack on Titan
I hear good things about these shows.
Shameless Self Promotion
I am working on building my own fantasy universe. I have world builders disease so I have lots of setting and very little story. I do have one novellette. It's 4300 words. Unstable Ground, I understand that is not a novel or a short story, but I would really like some feedback from somebody who hasn't followed my Scarterra thread or played my RPG.
More Scarterran fiction is on the way...eventually
I'm sure I'll want to add more things to my list of beloved media later but this is what I have off the top of my head.
