Rain Down From a Great Height
Congratulations to Mr. Andrew Tuegel for correctly naming U2's "Yahweh" as the last song of the day for 2005.
In this space, I normally try to keep the material that you read here fresh and original by not using too many running features besides the celebrated Song of the Day Contest. At the end of the year, there are always numerous "Best Of" or "Top 10" Lists and I could not resist, so here is my Favorites of 2005 List.
Favorite Album: "X and Y" by Coldplay--This was one of the most highly anticipated releases of the year and the 3rd album from Chris Martin, Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, and Will Champion did not disappoint. "X and Y" demonstrates a maturation in the band's sound from the spaciousness and apprehension that characterized "Parachutes" and "A Rush of Blood to the Head" to the drive and purpose that seems to typify "X and Y." I cannot wait to see Coldplay on February 26th in Dallas.
Favorite Movie (Comedy): "Wedding Crashers"-- This movie has all the trappings of a movie that I would probably enjoy and it delivered. Yes, this movie walked right up to the edge of being a little bit risky, but this did not mar the hilarious performance of Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson. Vaughn's place as the current motor-mouth of show business has been guaranteed since his breakthrough performance in "Swingers" and his dispensation of wisdom at 100 mph in "Wedding Crashers" will only further cement that title. This movie may not be groundbreaking in any sense of the word, but when you are looking for a film that will make you laugh, this was my top choice of 2005.
Favorite Movie (Drama): "Syriana"-- Even though it appeared near the end of the year, "Syriana" was still the film of 2005 that I enjoyed the most. A solid work all the way through that hopefully will signal the rise of more films that remind us that all of the bangs, whistles, and beautiful people that Hollywood can produce still take a backseat to a taut, well-written narrative.
Favorite Television Discovery: "Arrested Development"--I feel a bit guilty about this one. For those of you who have not heard, Fox decided to cut short the 3rd season of AD, due to a perceived lack of success, at least according to the folks at Nielsen. It may seem crazy to think that if I could have added my viewership to the show before Fox pulled the plug it would have made some sort of difference, but this was the same thought process that I used when I always wore the same hat so that the Bulls would win the 1993 NBA Finals. Anywho, "Arrested Development" will undoubtedly experience considerable success thanks to the the brilliant idea of placing TV series on DVD, which in my opinion is one of the more underrated developments of this millenium.
Favorite Book: "The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt"--In a close battle with "The Tipping Point" and "The Brothers K", the first portion of Edmund Morris's trilogy detailing the life of Teddy Roosevelt wins the race. A Pulitzer Prize Winner when it was released in the late 1970's, this chronicle remains a classic of the the genre. Roosevelt makes the job easier for every biographer who has chosen to cover him, but Morris is at the peak of his skill in this work.
So there you go. The past year has been a great one and I cannot wait to see what the next year brings my way.
posted by Justin @ 1/01/2006 12:21:00 PM
4 comments
4 Comments:
Justin--
2 things:
1. Not to correct you on your own blog, but I'd have to say that Wedding Crashers did a bit more than walk "right up to the edge of being a little bit risky". It was certainly the funniest movie of the year, but I think it was also probably not one you'd want to watch with your mom, which in my mind makes it risky at least.
2. Also, I think that Arrested Development was not cancelled so much becuase of unsatisfactory ratings, but mostly because of the cost to produce the show. The cast commanded salaries that weren't commiserate with what Fox was willing to give out. Now, that's only what I've heard, I've never actually even watched the show, but I thought I'd let you in on that information that I'd receieved.
Good choices though. I was considering seeing Syriana this week since I'm still out of school and you've convinced me to go.
I couldn't agree more with the Syriana choice; keeps you involved through the whole film.
Great "best of 2005" list. I'll echo Connors and your sentiments on Syriana: fantastic.
I have a good feeling about 2006. OK Computer is one of the greatest albums of all time. Radiohead's Paranoid Android, perfect way to start this year.
Glad to see that Arrested is doing well in Abilene. Despite critical praise and a devoted following from twentysomething hipsters and posers alike, the show never had the ratings for network jerks to renew it. TV shows are tools for selling advertising blocks, and higher ratings mean more revenue for networks. It's hard for shows that are smart or subtly funny to hang in there. Sometimes networks stick with a show, like how NBC is keeping their version of The Office, which often lands around #30 on the charts, but Arrested was much lower, around #80. Everybody likes it, but nobody watches it. Hey, at least we had it for 2.5 years or so, which is more than some great shows get.
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