| #12 |
Criterion continues to mine the past and come up with amazing, though expensive, DVD sets. The past year saw such films as Clean, Shaven; The Double Life of Veronique; and Noah Baumbach's Kicking and Screaming available for the masses. With Criterion and Netflix, it's much easier to film enthusiasts to find those classics not available at the local rental store.
| #11 |
This album is on just about every ‘best of' list for a reason: it's pretty damn good. While in no way a return to his sixties glory days, he manages to combine classic country and rockabilly styles into an energetic and slightly depressing late-period classic. Honestly, did you ever expect to hear Bob Dylan say he "doesn't care about your dreams?"
| #10 |
http://www.goodmagazine.com/
First of all, the cost of subscription goes directly to charity. Second, it's just filled with interesting stuff: general news, a lot of environmental developments, and a bit of culture jamming here and there. Highly recommended.
| #9 |
The FOX series was cancelled this year, but I discovered it through DVD. Arrested Development was undoubtedly the funniest and most original show on network TV, which is why it had to have its time slots shifted and eventually killed off. I'd like to call David Cross' character my favorite, but then I remembered Buster. And Gob. And the dad. They're all so good.
| #8 |
Scorcese marks his return to violence grace with one of the most outright entertaining and engrossing films of the year. Plus, *spoiler warning*, how can you not love a movie that ends with every character being shot in the face?
| #7 |
Bryan Lee O'Malley's North American manga continues, with many more ridiculous fight scenes and an expose of the secret powers possessed by vegans. It's packed with jokes and drawn with an endearing style that makes it hard to wait for the fourth volume.
| #6 |
Of the two ex-Libertines bands (it is considered polite to ignore Yeti), Carl Barat and Gary Powell clearly took the rocking half of their old group. Waterloo to Anywhere is caught somewhere between punk and the more popular acts in indie rock, but clearly demonstrates the songwriting skills of such Libtertines songs as "I Get Along" and "Boys in the Band."
| #5 |
I had never heard of this show as its first season was airing, but the addition of Danny Devito and more advertising led me to one of the cleverer shows on television. The humor manages to flout political correctness without feeling forced or facetious – really, it's just a group of stupid friends trying to turn every situation to their selfish advantage. I've seen it described as "Seinfeld on crack," and the show deserves that title in the best way.
| #4 |
Alright, I'm still going through The Wire on DVD – halfway through the second season right now. The fourth season, dealing with politics among other things, aired last year. It's very difficult to discuss The Wire without falling into hyperbole, but it really is the best show on TV.
| #3 |
In the year Christina Aguilera was making a big deal out of masking sluttiness by putting up 50s wallpaper, English singer Winehouse released her second album. Back to Black shows her to be a one-woman 60s soul group, and she writes irresistibly hooky songs with clever lyrics. See the single, Rehab: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LD5sahXoj0U
| #2 |
Matt Fraction and Gabriel Ba's Image series was the best comic to come out this year, and there's only one more issue before the series goes on hiatus until the summer. Casanova is a stylish superspy pulled from his own timeline to work as a double agent in an alternate universe until he decides he should be beholden to no one. Maybe that sounds a little confusing, but so is the series. Still, it's a wonderful confusion that creates an entire intriguing world. The best elements of James Bond, Jerry Cornelius and then some, Casanova is a fascinating and entertaining work for both comic nerds and newcomers.
| #1 |
I suspect this was released in late December just to prove itself the best film of the year. It attracted a lot of attention for its carefully orchestrated ten-minute shots, but the movie is so engrossing that you may not even notice the care taken by Alfonso Cuaron and his associates. This was the only film this year I completely lost myself in. A perfect dystopian drama, it combines elements of 1984 and other classics while carving out its own place in the genre. Not to be missed under any (any!) circumstances.
Things I Missed:
Tom Waits' Orphans: Nobody bought me this new three-disc set, proving that I am completely unlovable.
Nintendo Wii: If you meet someone who is not excited by the Wii, you should steal his or her wallet. If they have two hundred fifty dollars and haven't bought this system, they don't deserve the money.
Jonestown: The Life and Death of the Peoples Temple: Apparently excellent documentary that never played anywhere near me.
Things I discovered in 2006 not from 2006:
The Auteurs: I have managed to buy or download every Auteurs album since I saw the video for The Rubettes. I now have an altar to Luke Haines in my closet.
The 101ers: Joe Strummer's pre-Clash rockabilly outfit is surprisingly good, and their album was rereleased last year.
Turbonegro: I'm coming a bit late to the Norwegian Gay Rock party, and I apologize. Try listening to "Sell Your Body (to the Night)" just once...it's impossible.
Nathan Barley: Chris Morris' 2005 BBC series can be easily found on torrent sites. It's an odd little comedy/satire that makes a cast of relatively unlikable characters engrossing.
Flex Mentallo: Grant Morrison's uncollected miniseries, drawn by Frank Quitely, is a superb piece from his mid-nineties mindfuck period...which is still going on, really.