It's about time we got to Part 2 of my Decade in Review. In case you missed part 1, I'll make it real easy for you to not miss it. By clicking Part 1 you will have instant access to part 1. In order to make sure people are reading the blog I've got to make it easy for them, for I fear, in this new decade our laziness may be reaching unimaginable heights (is that sentence 140 characters or less? LMFAO) I hope my sarcasm translates.
Best Celebrity Scandal
3. Brad Pitt/Jennifer Aniston/Angelina Jolie Love Triangle- On the one hand you had the pure, wholesome seemingly perfect wife in Jennifer Aniston. On the other you had the bad ass, mysterious, pure sexual force that is Angelina. Pitt and Aniston seemed happily married until he went and made the movie Mr. and Mrs. Smith. And after seeing that movie I gotta say I can't hate Brad for that. Pitt had to pay for that by adopting 37 children and you gotta wonder if it was worth it. I don't know if it was, but Angie, I'd be willing to find out. Call me.
2. Nipple-gate- If you recall, I hate using the term "gate" to label a scandal but in this case its easier than calling it "the wardrobe malfunction at the Superbowl with Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake". Interesting side note...unlike the majority of America, I actually didn't get to see this. The reason being that I was too drunk because I went to a Superbowl party at Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly's house. I once saw a Dana Carvey standup in which he talked about smoking weed with Paul McCartney and he said "I don't condone smoking pot, but if a Beatle passes you a joint you toke that shit". Well sports fans, I don't condone drinking illegal liquor, but if a Hall of Famer gives you moonshine, you drink that shit.
1. Britney's Meltdown- I don't know what happened to the sweet girl that told me to "hit her baby one more time" (a life altering moment for me) but in a few short years Britney went from sex godess to bald. Most people think she went off the deep end when she married her friend in Vegas for 2 days or when she married Joba the Hut aka Kevin Federline a few months after her Vegas mishap. My theory is that she was never the same after Justin Timerblake came out with "Cry Me a River". That song and video was so intense that even Mother Theresa would have been destroyed by it. The rest as they say, is history. Timberlake's career skyrocketed and Britney's came to a screeching, buzz cut demise. She's making a comeback which is good to see, but to me she will always be the school girl whose picture hung above my bed. We'll always have 1998 Britney.
HONORABLE MENTIONS: Tiger's Sexcapades, Elliot Spitzer, Chris Brown/Rihanna, Martha Stewart Goes To Jail- Someone should make a movie about Martha Stewart going to prison, I just don't know which interpretation would be best. I think Martha as the Denzel role in The Hurricane would be the most entertaining. Imagine Martha locked in the hole, talking to herself about curtains, pot roasts and tapestries. I would definitely go see that movie.
Worst Trends of the Decade
3. Vampires- This whole vampire trend started with Twilight and has really spiraled out of control. I hate Twilight, True Blood and every other ridiculous vampire book, movie or story that makes vampires look like brooding Boy Band heart-throbs. Bram Stoker would be spinning in his grave if he saw how vampires are being portrayed today and I hope he is currently haunting and mentally tormenting the author of Twilight. If vampires actually did exist and you tried to flirt with said vampire, that vampire would rip your head off, drink your blood, stare down at your lifeless body and laugh at how much of a sucker you were. I have a simple solution as to how to end this revolting trend. Someone get Wes Craven on the phone, show him Twilight and beg him to make the scariest possible movie about a murderous, scheming vampire that makes Nightmare on Elm Street and Scream seem like Disney movies. That rant felt terrific.
2. Text Talk Jargon- I love texting and am a frequent texter, but I DESPISE text talk jargon. Things like LMAO, LMFAO, TTYL, BBF, BBM, GMAFB and every other nonsense term that we are too lazy to write. And some of them are so idiotic that I feel dumber for living while people text them, tweet them, BBM them or whatever they hell they do them without saying the full expression. LMAO, Laughing My Ass Off. Really? I blame this on the first person to say ASAP instead of "as soon as possible". Damn you whoever you are.
1. Celeb-reality- This is easily the worst trend of the decade. Generally speaking I hate all reality television (the lone exception being Jersey Shore) but I can see why some people like American Idol or The Biggest Loser. But there is nothing worse on television then celeb-reality; reality shows that follow C or D list "celebrities" around. It started with "The Simple Life" and "The Surreal Life" and now we have such garbage like Kathy Griffin, Brooke Hogan, Tila Tequila, Flava Flav, and the Kardashians dominating your television. Proof that the world is slowly coming to an end...Spencer Pratt and Heidi. I am working on a theory that applies all the major time periods of human history to every major era in television. Celeb-reality represents the Dark Ages and I am anxiously awaiting the Enlightenment and Renaissance.
(DIS)HONORABLE MENTIONS: CSI Spinoffs, Too many late night shows- The majority of my frustrations lie in the top 3, but these two are getting annoiying as well. How many cities currently have a CSI show? Las Vegas, Miami and New York. But there are so many shows just like it, Cold Case, NCIS, NCIS: Los Angeles, Without a Trace yada yada yada. How about some creativity people. However, these are much more preferable then celeb-reality. And what's with all the Late Night Shows nowadays. Letterman, Leno, Conan, Fallon, Ferguson, Lopez, Wanda Sykes, when is it going to end? I watch Conan and Fallon and that's it. It's time to send the Leno and Lopez shows to hang with Johnny Carson. Because all Late Night hosts go to heaven.
Best Trends of the Decade
3. DVR/Tivo/On Demand- It's hard to imagine life without these amazing, incredible features. Remember when you had to try and set your VCR if you were going to miss a TV show. That was such a pain in the ass. 9 times out of 10 you messed it up. You would get back from whatever it was that took you away from your favorite show, put the tape in the VCR expecting to see the latest Seinfeld episode, but instead you recorded the late local news. And back in those days if you missed an episode, you missed it. You had no way of rewatching it. If you got lucky your show was in syndication and you might be able to catch a rerun. Thankfully those days are over. Now you can watch your favorite shows whenever you want. You can pause, rewind and fast foward through commercials. Its utopia.
2. TV Shows on DVD- Are you picking up on a theme? The idea is similar to those in number 3 in that it revolutionized how we watch our tv shows. Now we dont have to wait a full week to follow the plot of our favorite shows. This has also created the "Marathon Effect", a documented phenomenal that increases your enjoyment of a show exponentially when you watch it continuously as compared to watching it week by week. It is so much easier to get addicted to a TV show when you can watch a whole season in a weekend (something I've done a few times with Entourage. Seasons 1 and 2 just might be the best Marathon of any show on DVD and if you haven't already done this then I highly recommend you do it).
1. High Definition- Need I say more. In all its shining, crystal clear glory HD has made the world a better place. Everything is better in HD. Except for 60 Minutes. It's proof Andy Rooney should not have lived this long.
Thing I Will Miss The Most About the Decade
I thought long and hard (thats what she said) about this topic. The obvious answer that came to my mind was college. Let's be honest, if you dont miss college, you're either still in college haven't been out of college long enough or went to a dry campus school.
Because with college comes parties, sleeping in, taking naps, eating fast food without consequence, hours of video games, drinking games, free time, late nights and all the other great things that you take for granted. But then again, the decade is new and fresh and who knows what might come next that will make us miss something we didn't expect......
That wraps up my 2 part Decade in Review. I'd be curious to hear some thoughts of the readers about anything that you either agree with or if I missed something major.
I have some improvements to make at ETC ETC ETC. The blog is still young and impressionable and it needs a shot of life. Like Kramer when he turned his apartment into the Merv Griffin show, we need to retool. After all, it is a new decade and I plan to add videos, podcasts and email interaction/feedback. Having said that, the core of the blog remains intact and you can expect the same great contributions from my illustious colleagues. So until next time, as always....STAY SWEET!
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Monday, January 4, 2010
Decade in Review Part 1
Happy new year everybody and with the new year it also brings a new decade. A fresh canvas to make your mark. With the 2000's officially in the books I decided to take a look back. I don't even know what this decade is called actually. Is it the two thousands, the 00's, I don't know. My vote is for James Bond years. How much cooler does 2007 sound when you refer to is as 007.
"Remember when you sang 'Born to Run' at kareoke and completely butchered it?
"When was that, 007? that was a great year."
So I've decided to break the decade down and remember some of the best and worsts of the 00's (that's double o's). There's plenty to cover so I've decided to make this a two part entry.
Best Comedy Movie of the Decade:
3. 40 Year Old Virgin- Launched Steve Carell into the comedic force that he is now. Absolutely hysterical and also began the whole Judd Apatow revolution. Great supporting roles from Paul Rudd and Seth Rogen.
2. Old School- This movie changed my entire understanding of comedy movies. Iconic movie, and some would probably put this at number 1 and I wouldn't argue if you did. Frank the Tank is born from Will Ferrell and Vince Vaughn returned to his Swingers days in a performance for the ages. Who hasn't yelled out "You're my boy blue!"
1. Wedding Crashers- The first 20 minutes of this movie are as good as any comedy movie ever. It does tail off a little at the end and become a quasi chick flick, but there are enough truly funny moments for this to be my number 1 comedy of the decade. Vince Vaughn is at his best in this movie and the chemistry between Owen Wilson and Vaughn is perfect. Solid supporting roles from Christopher Walken, Bradley Cooper, Will Ferrell and Todd.
HONORABLE MENTIONS: The Hangover, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Borat, Anchorman, Knocked Up, Superbad. - All are worthy contenders but have flaws compared with my top 3. I would put The Hangover in the top 5 but its only been a few months and it needs to hold up to the re-watchability factor. Borat is hilarious, but really falls off after the first viewing. Anchorman is one of my personal favorites but people either hate it or love it. Superbad would fall into the top 5, but just misses the top 3.
Best Movie of the Decade:
3. The Departed- Leo and Damon carry this gangster flick and make it one of the best of decade. Tremendous performances from Wahlberg, Nicholson, Baldwin and many others. It's intense, suspenseful and funny, yet doesn't lose its storyline. It won the Oscar for best picture and finally Scorsese won a best director award.
2. Lord of the Rings Trilogy- The visual world and effects created in these movies are amazing. Yes I'm slightly cheating by lumping 3 movies into 1 but as a continuous story it has to rank as one of the best of the decade. The 3rd installment, Return of the King won 11 Academy Awards, sweeping its nominations, something only 2 other films have ever done. It's the first and only fantasy movie to win a best picture oscar. Yes, it is a little out there and science fictiony but a great movie.
1. Gladiator- It's hard to believe that this movie was in the 2000s, but it was released exactly in 2000. Russell Crowe carries this movie and delivers an amazing performance as Maximus. Not only do I think this is the best movie of the decade, I think it is one of the best movies of all time. It's even good on TNT despite being edited.
HONORABLE MENTIONS: Almost Famous, The Dark Knight, No Country For Old Men, Slumdog Millionaire, A Beautiful Mind, Michael Clayton, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind- These are all very enjoyable movies, but don't quite make the list. Almost Famous is very underrated and seems to get better the more I watch it. The Dark Knight is the most entertaining of the honorables, but Maggie Gyllenhall just doesn't cut it for me. Heath Ledger is simply amazing and the Joker will go down as one of the greatest characters of all time. Michael Clayton and Eternal Sunshine lose their luster after the first viewing, but still quality movies. No Country was nearly perfect, but it had a terrible ending which knocked it out of the top 3.
Best Comedy TV Show:
3. The Office- The minutiae of office life is perfectly summed up in this show. It's offbeat and irreverent but it is very funny. Single handily brought back the expression "that's what she said" and has solidified Steve Carell's career.
2. 30 Rock- The show about a show. Tina Fey is the creative force behind this show and her SNL humor has carried over to a great show. The best character is played by Alec Baldwin, as the wise cracking, whispering smart ass studio head.
1. Curb Your Enthusiasm- Can't get enough of Larry David and his almost unbearably uncomfortable show. Some might disagree with this, but this is the closest we get to Seinfeld. Leon Black has become one of my favorite characters on tv. What's most impressive is that this show is 90% improv.
HONORABLE MENTIONS: Entourage, Arrested Development, Family Guy, Scrubs, How I Met Your Mother- These shows have there moments but either fell off or never lasted long enough. The first 3 seasons of Entourage are priceless but the last few haven't been as strong. The same can be said for Scrubs and How I Met Your Mother, they had strong starts, not nearly as good as Entourage, but severely fell off. Arrested Development is so strange its hysterical. But it only lasted for 2 seasons before it was cancelled.
Best Show of the Decade:
3. The West Wing- One of the best written shows I've ever seen. There were so many characters and problems yet you never felt it was moving away from its central story. At times a little too political, but very captivating.
2. Band of Brothers- I debated making this number 1, but it's technically a mini-series not a tv show. But again I'm blurring the lines. If you haven't seen this series I highly recommend you go rent this. Its from Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks as it follows the 101st Airborne Division during WWII.
1. The Sopranos- Despite its cop-out of an ending, its still the best show of the decade. At it's peak it was one of the best shows ever. Tony Soprano is such a great villian that despite being a vile human being, you were rooting for him. That's not an easy task. It was complex, intense, edgy and even at times very funny. Not to mention there were some great characters like Big Pussy, Ralphie, Paulie Walnuts and many others.
HONORABLE MENTIONS: Freaks and Geeks, Ed, The Wire, Madmen : These shows all flew under the radar for the most part. The Wire was fantastic and cracks the top 5, and its best season can compete with any show I've seen. For some unexplainable reason it didn't grab my attention the way the top 3 did. Ed is probably my favorite show (non-comedy that is) that I've seen, but not many people agree with that. The bowling alley lawyer connected with me for reasons I don't really know. Freaks and Geeks is the best show that you haven't seen, and would compete for top honors if it wasn't cancelled way too early. I never got into Madmen, but I've only heard good things and it will be on my list to rent.
That's it for Part I of the decade in review. Stay tuned for Part II coming later this week. Some of the awesome topics that will be covered include the best sports team of the decade, the biggest celebrity scandal, as well as the best and worst trends of the decade. Until next time, as always.....STAY SWEET.
"Remember when you sang 'Born to Run' at kareoke and completely butchered it?
"When was that, 007? that was a great year."
So I've decided to break the decade down and remember some of the best and worsts of the 00's (that's double o's). There's plenty to cover so I've decided to make this a two part entry.
Best Comedy Movie of the Decade:
3. 40 Year Old Virgin- Launched Steve Carell into the comedic force that he is now. Absolutely hysterical and also began the whole Judd Apatow revolution. Great supporting roles from Paul Rudd and Seth Rogen.
2. Old School- This movie changed my entire understanding of comedy movies. Iconic movie, and some would probably put this at number 1 and I wouldn't argue if you did. Frank the Tank is born from Will Ferrell and Vince Vaughn returned to his Swingers days in a performance for the ages. Who hasn't yelled out "You're my boy blue!"
1. Wedding Crashers- The first 20 minutes of this movie are as good as any comedy movie ever. It does tail off a little at the end and become a quasi chick flick, but there are enough truly funny moments for this to be my number 1 comedy of the decade. Vince Vaughn is at his best in this movie and the chemistry between Owen Wilson and Vaughn is perfect. Solid supporting roles from Christopher Walken, Bradley Cooper, Will Ferrell and Todd.
HONORABLE MENTIONS: The Hangover, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Borat, Anchorman, Knocked Up, Superbad. - All are worthy contenders but have flaws compared with my top 3. I would put The Hangover in the top 5 but its only been a few months and it needs to hold up to the re-watchability factor. Borat is hilarious, but really falls off after the first viewing. Anchorman is one of my personal favorites but people either hate it or love it. Superbad would fall into the top 5, but just misses the top 3.
Best Movie of the Decade:
3. The Departed- Leo and Damon carry this gangster flick and make it one of the best of decade. Tremendous performances from Wahlberg, Nicholson, Baldwin and many others. It's intense, suspenseful and funny, yet doesn't lose its storyline. It won the Oscar for best picture and finally Scorsese won a best director award.
2. Lord of the Rings Trilogy- The visual world and effects created in these movies are amazing. Yes I'm slightly cheating by lumping 3 movies into 1 but as a continuous story it has to rank as one of the best of the decade. The 3rd installment, Return of the King won 11 Academy Awards, sweeping its nominations, something only 2 other films have ever done. It's the first and only fantasy movie to win a best picture oscar. Yes, it is a little out there and science fictiony but a great movie.
1. Gladiator- It's hard to believe that this movie was in the 2000s, but it was released exactly in 2000. Russell Crowe carries this movie and delivers an amazing performance as Maximus. Not only do I think this is the best movie of the decade, I think it is one of the best movies of all time. It's even good on TNT despite being edited.
HONORABLE MENTIONS: Almost Famous, The Dark Knight, No Country For Old Men, Slumdog Millionaire, A Beautiful Mind, Michael Clayton, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind- These are all very enjoyable movies, but don't quite make the list. Almost Famous is very underrated and seems to get better the more I watch it. The Dark Knight is the most entertaining of the honorables, but Maggie Gyllenhall just doesn't cut it for me. Heath Ledger is simply amazing and the Joker will go down as one of the greatest characters of all time. Michael Clayton and Eternal Sunshine lose their luster after the first viewing, but still quality movies. No Country was nearly perfect, but it had a terrible ending which knocked it out of the top 3.
Best Comedy TV Show:
3. The Office- The minutiae of office life is perfectly summed up in this show. It's offbeat and irreverent but it is very funny. Single handily brought back the expression "that's what she said" and has solidified Steve Carell's career.
2. 30 Rock- The show about a show. Tina Fey is the creative force behind this show and her SNL humor has carried over to a great show. The best character is played by Alec Baldwin, as the wise cracking, whispering smart ass studio head.
1. Curb Your Enthusiasm- Can't get enough of Larry David and his almost unbearably uncomfortable show. Some might disagree with this, but this is the closest we get to Seinfeld. Leon Black has become one of my favorite characters on tv. What's most impressive is that this show is 90% improv.
HONORABLE MENTIONS: Entourage, Arrested Development, Family Guy, Scrubs, How I Met Your Mother- These shows have there moments but either fell off or never lasted long enough. The first 3 seasons of Entourage are priceless but the last few haven't been as strong. The same can be said for Scrubs and How I Met Your Mother, they had strong starts, not nearly as good as Entourage, but severely fell off. Arrested Development is so strange its hysterical. But it only lasted for 2 seasons before it was cancelled.
Best Show of the Decade:
3. The West Wing- One of the best written shows I've ever seen. There were so many characters and problems yet you never felt it was moving away from its central story. At times a little too political, but very captivating.
2. Band of Brothers- I debated making this number 1, but it's technically a mini-series not a tv show. But again I'm blurring the lines. If you haven't seen this series I highly recommend you go rent this. Its from Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks as it follows the 101st Airborne Division during WWII.
1. The Sopranos- Despite its cop-out of an ending, its still the best show of the decade. At it's peak it was one of the best shows ever. Tony Soprano is such a great villian that despite being a vile human being, you were rooting for him. That's not an easy task. It was complex, intense, edgy and even at times very funny. Not to mention there were some great characters like Big Pussy, Ralphie, Paulie Walnuts and many others.
HONORABLE MENTIONS: Freaks and Geeks, Ed, The Wire, Madmen : These shows all flew under the radar for the most part. The Wire was fantastic and cracks the top 5, and its best season can compete with any show I've seen. For some unexplainable reason it didn't grab my attention the way the top 3 did. Ed is probably my favorite show (non-comedy that is) that I've seen, but not many people agree with that. The bowling alley lawyer connected with me for reasons I don't really know. Freaks and Geeks is the best show that you haven't seen, and would compete for top honors if it wasn't cancelled way too early. I never got into Madmen, but I've only heard good things and it will be on my list to rent.
That's it for Part I of the decade in review. Stay tuned for Part II coming later this week. Some of the awesome topics that will be covered include the best sports team of the decade, the biggest celebrity scandal, as well as the best and worst trends of the decade. Until next time, as always.....STAY SWEET.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)