Best of 2011

2011 was a hell of a year. There is the personal side- met Ben Gibbard and Andrew McMahon, college, survived, but that is not why we’re here- and there is the entertainment side. Started a podcast. THAT is why we are here. 
I hate top ten lists. They are tedious and hard to make. They are just a tad bit obnoxious, just like this one, but sure, they’re fun. For the most part. 
I cannot make a straight up top ten list to save my life. No way. I will have to settle with an assorted list of my favorite television, films, music, books etc. It was a good year, but at the end of every year I’m always happy to see it go and then to keep writing the previous year on papers and then having to correct yourself. I always look forward to that.

(There is no general best to worst or worst to best order in this; it is just whatever order I write them in as I think of them. I am the worst, I know.
FAVORITE FILMS OF 2011-

Crazy, Stupid, Love

I worked at a movie theatre over the summer and for a straight month I watched the trailer for this about 30 times each day I worked. I had “Seriously!? Its like you’re photo shopped!” drilled into my head before I saw it. I tell people how much I love this movie and a lot of them seem surprised; I guess it does have a kind of typical romantic comedy air about it, but it is so much more. I enjoyed this movie so much and it gets better the more I watch it. A fantastic cast, a sweet and funny script, a plot twist you will never see coming all make it wonderful. The song “Blood” by The Middle East plays over the final scene, and it is just so beautiful and heartfelt that it really gets to me. Something about divorce and naked pictures and people reevaluating their lives.  It may be a bit unlikely, but I think this is the movie I purely enjoyed the most out of 2011. I don’t want to ruin it, but one line in the final scene- “How so?”- Fills you up with joy and exasperation. The characters have little traits that pulled at my heartstrings and I thought the entire thing was so sweet and touching. Shucks, I’m getting emotional. And Ryan Gosling is the fucking man, but you know that by now. It might be a strange choice at first glance but I promise, this movie has so much to offer. Its about getting to understand your sexuality and your romantic life, understanding the people you know better, and getting to know yourself. 

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

This is no surprise in the slightest. Spenser and I are both David Fincher devotees (I mean have you fucking seen Zodiac? Like have you seen that shit? It is better than I am.) And the source material is fantastic. The movie goes all out and improves on the source material, provides a fantastic detective story that tickles my All The President’s Men journalism thriller fancy, and offers fascinating characters and situations. Lisbeth Salander, on the page and the screen as played by Rooney Mara, is certainly one of the best characters I’ve gotten to know in my lifetime. She’s incredible. Daniel Craig is great as Blomkvist, the pacing is tight and exciting- this is just excellent stuff. No surprise- Fincher, Zailain, Stieg Larsson- it would be more surprising if it was anything but.

The Muppets
 

My father got me to fall in love with the Muppets at an early age. I’ve always found them odd and wonderful and this movie captured everything about that perfectly. It was that same brand of Muppets humor- I basically keel over laughing every time the Swedish chef says something- and Jason Segel made it with that same sense of mind, a nostalgic effort at reviving a classic. I think he and company succeeded and I hope it gets a sequel.
 

The Descendants
This was just heartbreaking and surprising. George Clooney is always excellent but the script when a lot of places I did not expect and packed a huge emotional punch and was full of humor. Those sound very typical and that’s why I am hesitant to review things, but this movie is way too wonderful and full of emotional resonance to miss.

Like Crazy
I can relate. They fill up little books for each other, they break each others hearts and they confuse each other and they love each other as best they can- its just that film that you can relate too, and I am typical 20 year old looking for love, so of course I can relate to it. It really hit me. I think it knocked (500) Days of Summer off its little romantic film pedestal for me, and since I am about to turn 20, that is a good thing.

Drive
1- The brilliant cast. 2- A stylish director. 3- A script with lots of tension, energy and minimal amounts of dialogue that more or less does not need any more dialogue. I got a lot more of Ryan and Carrie’s characters gazing at each other than I would have if they were talking and I loved it. I had so much fun driving after I saw this movie.

Moneyball
Fantastic in every way. Watching Brad Pitt embody this guy fighting uphill resonated with me. I loved his character and the script. My love for baseball love helped.

50/50
Let’s just that at the end, when the things all come together at the climax and you find out what happens, I was breathless, and when the answer came I let out a deep breath and I wanted to cry because of how deep it got to me. I mean that in the most glowing way possible.

The Ides of March
It could have been better but damn do I love me a taut political thriller and George Clooney and Ryan Gosling.

Midnight In Paris
This was so much fun to watch and experience all those historical characters. I really love Woody Allen when he shows that he’s still got it. This movie more than anything made me want to lay down and read a book, because getting lost with the characters in this as just as fun as it is in a book.

Tree of Life
This is more of a viscera experience than a movie,; its exhausting and bewildering to watch but man does it hit you. 

Bridesmaids
“Look away! It’s coming out of me like lava!” Yeah it was hilarious.

Super 8
So much sweet Spielbergian moments and mysterious child hood wonder and cute kids being kind to each other. It was a trip down memory lane to being that again mixed with aliens.

Now, I have not seen The Artist, War Horse, TinTin, Hugo, My Week With Marilyn and a few more that I’m sure I’m forgetting. It was a decent year for film; 2012 will be better.

FAVORITE MUSIC OF THE YEAR

Bright Eyes – The People’s Key- A weird, beautiful album about Rastafarianism and basically everything else you can think of. “Ladder Song” is the best song I have ever heard this year and I truly think it’s a masterpiece. It is achingly beautiful and it fills me up every time I listen it.
Death Cab For Cutie – Codes & Keys – you knew it. Thanks Ben Gibbard.
Jack’s Mannequin – People & Things – Andrew McMahon gets more admirable in my eyes every time he releases new music. Not as good as Everything In Transit, but fantastic.
Blink-182 – Neighborhoods – The beginning of “Ghost on the Dance Floor” makes me feel like I am thirteen and I fucking love it so much. It makes me so happy that this band is back.
Taking Back Sunday –  Taking Back Sunday — They kind of dropped off for a little bit there, but it’s nice to love them again as much as I did a few years ago.
Thursday – No Devolucion – This is such a strange, incredible album, and the more I listen to it the more sense it makes to me that Thursday decided to call it a day. “Turkpike Divides” sums up their music so definitively and they’ve had such a good run; its sad, but I’m happy they went out with such a good album.
Noah and The Whale – Last Night on Earth
Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues – “Helplessness Blues” is probably my second favorite song of the year.
Los Campesinos! – Hello Sadness
Explosions In The Sky – Take Care, Take Care, Take Care
Bomb The Music Industry – Vacation
I think I’m forgetting a lot here too. Oh well. Lists are hard.

FAVORITE TELEVISION OF 2011. YOU KNOW WHY. THEY ARE GOOD SHOWS WATCH THEM YOU WILL LIKE THEM. THANKS.

Breaking Bad – It is the best show on television. Long have I searched for a show my dad and I could watch religiously together- he gave up on LOST in season two, Community doesn’t do a whole lot for him- this show is perfect for my dad because its something incredible that he can really enjoy, and because everything else about It is flawless.
Community – Of course.
Parks and Recreation
Game of Thrones
Louis
Curb Your Enthusiasm
30 Rock
The League
American Horror Story
The Colbert Report
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart