Christian and Angelica realized very early on that they both love a good story. When they were living on opposite sides of the country, the couple would mail each other books, watch movies together online and discuss them afterwards, sometimes for hours. Over the course of their relationship they’ve been delighted to learn that their shared tastes run towards the transgressive, the macabre, and the bizarre. They’ve included a list of books and movies that are especially important to them. Watch or read one, none, or all of them. Either way, Christian and Angelica hope that this list gives you another perspective on the story they’re writing together.

Mount Analogue by Rene Daumal

This was the first book Angelica lent to Christian. It is an unfinished novel about a group of explorers looking for a mountain on a hidden island inaccessible to the outside world. Daumal died in the middle of writing it and the book literally ends in the middle of a sentence. Equal parts bizarre, hilarious, and infuriating, Christian was dumbfounded both by the book, and by the incredible woman who recommended it to him.

The Shining by Stephen King

This was the first book that Christian lent to Angelica. Anyone who knows him will find this deeply unsurprising. One of King’s two masterpieces, it tells the story of a struggling writer who accepts a job as the winter caretaker of a secluded hotel that may or may not be haunted. What could possible go wrong? Balls to the wall scary, Angelica devoured it in a matter of days and immediately asked Christian for another book.

“Skinder’s Veil” by Kelly Link from the collection White Cat, Black Dog

Christian and Angelica had only been talking to each other for a month by the Christmas of 2023. For the first present he would ever get her, Christian recorded himself reading this short story and sent it to Angelica. When she opened up the email from him and saw an attached mp3 file, Angelica’s stomach dropped because she was worried he had written a song for her. She was relieved and delightfully surprised by this cozy fairy tale about a cabin sitting job in an enchanted forest.

Basket Case by Frank Henenlotter

Early on in their relationship, Angelica and Christian stumbled on this 1982 cult classic horror comedy. The ultra low budget movie follows a young man who moves to New York City with a basket under his arm that emits shakes and emits strange noises. Anyone who peaks inside the basket or crosses the young man tends to meet a grizzly end. Christian and Angelica loved it so much, they watched the second and thirds films more or less back to back. Whenever one of their pets is acting like a freak, they’ll often be referred to as Belial. Watch the movie to know what that means…

Akira by Katsuhiro Otomo

Essential viewing, this dystopian cyberpunk epic follows a motorcycle gang caught up in a military conspiracy involving telekinetic experiments and bizarre body horror. Angelica and Christian have watched tons of anime together. Their shared love of science fiction and cartoons means they’ve hit all of the classics from Cowboy Bebop to Neon Genesis Evangelion, but Angelica is the reason Akira made the list. Anytime the title is mentioned, she’ll yell “Akiraaaaaaa!” and it makes Christian smile every time. Watch the movie to understand…

Stop Making Sense by Jonathan Demme

The best concert film of all time, hands down. The band and Demme make simple, but bold visual decisions that never distract from the music. The band also benefits from the addition of several backup musicians who fill out the sound and allow the already iconic songs to reach their full potential. Despite being a huge Talking Heads fan, Angelica had never gotten around to seeing the movie. For the first time they celebrated Angelica’s birthday together, Christian got a copy for them to watch. Angelica enjoyed it enough to ask him if he’d wear David Byrne’s big suit for the wedding. Watch the movie to understand…