1. Watch cowboy bebop. It's not a suggestion, it is necessary. Never before have cartoons kicked this much butt. And unlike most anime, each episode is awesome in and of itself. While the show has some flow to it, you absolutely don't have to watch every episode in exact order to understand what is going on. You try that with a naruto episode and you will fall asleep.

2. Watch the pirate movie. Pirates! the real kind. Not the kind that make you pay an inordinate $8 for a stupid prequel/sequel with absolutely no plot and a cop out ending. Pirates should be singing and cursing and making all sorts of innuendo. And there should always be a glaring star wars reference.

3. Watch the Emperor's New Groove. This was the last decent Disney movie. Their one last 2D hurrah before it all fell apart. Sure, defend Finding Nemo if you want and try to prove the Polar Express wasn't complete wretchedness, but you know none of these movies even come close to David Spade's comic genius. (it is important to note that this movie has been sequeled and even turned into a series. The sequel is decent, even good, if you approach it with low expectations. Keep an ear open for innuendo during the bread-baking scene. The series, on the other hand, is absolute crap. David Spade doesn't even voice the main character.)

4. Watch Freaks and Geeks. It's an amazing series, but more importantly, all of these actors went on to amazing things afterwards. Spiderman, ER, Superbad, Knocked Up (though arguably not as amazing as this golden series) all featured Freaks and Geeks actors. Oh, that this show was canceled is on of the greatest travesties of our age.

5. Watch every Michel Gondry music video ever made. You may not know him, but you have probably heard of his brilliant film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (also a wonderful movie). You will have a hard time settling for the monotonous videos on MTV. I mean, I understand that sex sells, but after a while, your brain will hunger for something a bit more ingenious. Michel Gondry can satiate that hunger.

6. Watch any one of the following cartoons: Invader Zim, Home Movies, Space Ghost Coast to Coast, Freakazoid, or animaniacs. I know you saw them when they aired, but you probably didn't realize that they weren't aimed at kids back then. Give them a second chance and I promise that you will laugh much harder now than you did before.

7. Watch Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. It is a comic book come to life. In that sense, it is a work of art. The acting fits nicely within that frame, and the CGI, though it wouldn't ordinarily be believable, is made almost lifelike with some clever lighting tricks. This movie is a work of art. And sadly, went largely unappreciated when it hit the box, which I guess is good, because I wouldn't have noticed it if everyone else had.

8. Watch Moulin Rouge. This movie is also a work of art. If you are wise you will memorize all the songs, because you will really score some points with the ladies for knowing them. And they are beautiful in and of themselves anyways. Not only is it a decent love story, the effects, the colorful (even flamboyant) clothing, and the trasitions between frenetic and enchanting camera work place this movie among the best ever made.