The Best & Worst of Pop Culture From 2007
MY FAVORITE FILMS OF 2007:
1.) “Death Proof”
No other movie jolted me to my core and made me rejoice at the same time more than this intense “talkie” by Quentin Tarantino. From beginning to end this movie is relentlessly entertaining. There is not one piece of unoriginal or unrealsitic dialog in this film. At this point I have seen this film over 10 times already, I just cannot get enough of it.
2.) “The Mist”
“The Mist” is way more than just another Stephen King horror movie directed by Frank Darabont. It is a deeply rich morality tale with so many intricacies and subtle messages. Layer on top of that startling creature effects, horrific gory images and an ending that will leave you gasping for air. Some people may not get this film, but I couldn’t stop thinking about it weeks after I saw it in the theater.
3.) “Lars and the Real Girl”
Critics have heralded this film as being tender and beautiful and some have called it pretentious. I say “Lars and the Real Girl” is a soft and sweet film that has a huge heart with a message that moved me to tears. Ryan Gosling gives another remarkable Oscar worthy performance as Lars who starts to date a sex doll. The premise may sound absurd to some people but the pay off in the end restored a bit of my faith in humanity as I realized how much compassion people can have if they try.
4.) “Knocked Up”
“Knocked Up” is the smartest adult stoner comedy to come out in decades (except for “40 year Old Virgin” of course). Who cares if it doesn’t seem plausible that a girl like Katherine Heigel would sleep with a guy like Seth Rogan? Both actors create such a great chemistry and work so well with the absurd comedic material that it truly comes off believable. This movie has so many belly laugh moments it is easy to watch over and over on DVD.
5.) “Hairspray”
The original “Hairspray” film by John Waters from the late 80’s is my all time favorite film ever. I have seen it at least over a hundred times. When I heard the Broadway play was being made into a film I was a bit scared. Boy was I wrong! The set designs, music, screenplay and acting are bursting with energy and color. This musical was the biggest surprise for me this past summer. As the song from the film says, “you can’t stop the beat”, right on!
6.) “Juno”
If “Knocked Up” is the best intelligent stoner comedy of the year, then “Juno” is the best intellectually stimulating comedy of the year. I fell in love with this film within the first few frames. The screenplay by Diablo Cody is a work of genius. Not one scene comes off artificial or contrived. This film finally depicts teen pregnancy in a way that doesn’t demonize sex or young adult’s choices. “Juno” deserves a lot of Oscar nominations this season in all the main categories, hands down!
7.) “Eastern Promises”
David Cronenberg is one of my top three favorite movie directors of all time. “Eastern Promises” is the best Russian mobster movie I have ever seen. Much like “Goodfellas” and “The Departed”, “Eastern Promises” gives a detailed and rich depiction of a culture that isn’t shown much in cinema. The gritty realism and hard core fight scenes make this one of the most intense films of the year.
8.) “Superbad”
“Superbad” is the best teen sex romp comedy since the 1980’s. Written and created by the same guys that made “Knocked Up” this crude and smart as a whip film has the best quotable dialog from a film all year. Mc Lovin is the best film geek ever put on screen in my opinion. Perfectly acted and sweet in all the right moments, “Superbad” is enjoyable from start to finish.
9.) “The Simpsons Movie”
After years and years of waiting “The Simpsons” movie was finally released, and the wait was well worth it. This film blew away my expectations and delivered on all fronts. I am crossing my fingers that we can see the Simpson clan get a nomination for best animated feature at the Academy Awards this year. This film only cemented the fact that The Simpsons are the best animated family in history.
10.) “Hot Fuzz”
A few years ago “Shaun of the Dead” made my top ten list and this year “Hot Fuzz” made the same impact as that hilarious zombie send up did. Taking jabs at movies like “Lethal Weapon” and “Bad Boys”, “Hot Fuzz” does a great job at being consistently funny without being too over the top and silly. There are so many hidden jokes and sight gags you need to see this film more than once to get them all.
11.) “Sicko”
“Sicko” is one of Michael Moore’s most honest films to date. He uses the topic of the poor health care system in America as his latest victim of scrutiny. This movie doesn’t go out of it’s way to create a political divide because health care is a universal problem. “Sicko” will infuriate you and bring you to tears, and that is the true sign of a great film.
12.) “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story”
This year was full of great adult comedies and “Walk Hard” is easily the best farce comedy since “Borat”. John C. Riley’s performance as Cox gives this film the sweet and ridiculously hilarious qualities that make this film such a winner. As a huge fan of the genre I have to say that “The Dewey Cox Story” is the smartest and quickest musical satire since “Spinal Tap”.
13.) “No Country For Old Men”
Haunting gory images and breathtaking scenery make this film stand out in a year of big budgets and highbrow comedies. Leave it to the Coen Brothers to weave a tale of serial killers, gangsters and small town people into a Shakespearean masterpiece. The ending will confuse you at first, but when you finally understand its meaning a bit later you will be blown away. This movie gave me the creeps in a big way, and I liked it!
14.) “Enchanted”
This delightful family film won me over immediately. This movie is exactly what Disney needed to bring back it’s credibility. By making fun of the genre they created Disney has made an instant classic with a sweet as pie plot and terrific acting and singing by Amy Adams. The animation is flawless and evryone of all ages will enjoy the jokes and references.
15.) “Sweeney Todd”
This was another great year for Johnny Depp, Tim Burton and movie musicals. The music and cinematography in “Sweeney Todd” is gloomy and spooky just like the plot. Only Burton could bring a blood splattering tale of revenge and lost love to the screen in such a morbidly beautiful way. Tim Burton and Depp may get some serious Oscar consideration when the nominations are announced next month.
MY FAVORITE DVD RENTALS OF 2007:
1.) “Fido” - This movie is like “Shaun of the Dead” meets “Pleasantville”, enough said. It will steal your heart and gross you out!
2.) “The Host” - This creature feature is funny, scary and a complete delight. This is how a good monster movie should look like.
3.) “Behind The Mask: The Rise of Lilian Vernon” - This dark comedy/horror film is wildly inventive and it is a hidden gem for sure.
4.) “Breach” - The biggest surprise thriller of the year is so intelligent and detailed it will hold you in its grip from start to finish.
5.) “Bug” - Not for the faint of heart, this mind fuck of a film will freak many people out and startle the hell out of your senses.
6.) “Jesus Camp” - The people in this film are some of the scariest documentary subjects ever filmed. It will jolt you to your core.
7.) “The Bridge” - This movie haunts me to this day. The subject of suicide has never been so eloquently explained as it is here in this film.
8.) “Zodiac” - This film was way overlooked by audiences. It is a gripping film with a terrific cast and beautiful cinematography.
9.) “Deliver Us From Evil” - This documentary sheds light on the Catholic Church and pedophelia in a way that will shock you.
10.) “Year of the Dog” - Molly Shannon is so good in this tender comedy about animal lovers. This film has a great message and is true to life in many ways.
11.) “Apocalypto” - I didn’t want to like this film but its details, rich history and lush images make this a gorgeous action film.
12.) “The Lookout” - This film is a great crime thriller that blew many critics away with its smart script and gritty premise.
13.) “Severance” - “Severence” is “The Office” meets “Hostel”. You will laugh and scream all at once in this gross dark comedy.
14.) “Crazy Love” - This was a great year for documentaries and this wacky tale of love is enjoyably twisted and just plain weird.
15.) “Once” - Short and sweet, “Once’ will charm your socks off with it’s great tunes and realistic love story.
THE BEST ANIMATED FILMS OF 2007:
1.) “The Simpsons Movie”
2.) “Ratatouille”
3.) “Surf’s Up”
4.) “Enchanted”
5.) “Bee Movie”
THE WORST FILMS OF 2007:
1.) “I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry” - Fuck Adam Sandler and this preachy “love letter” to the gays. This is a piece of shit film that tries to look like it is tollerant, but it is just plain mean.
2.) “The Number 23″ - This movie is so bad it is laughable and ridiculously stupid. Nothing in this movie is believable, nothing!
3.) “Norbit” - Eddie Murphy offends everyone on the planet in this gross immature display of an actor’s ego gone crazy.
4.) “The Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer” - Why is Jessica Alba playing a blonde and who really likes this crappy franchise?
5.) “Epic Movie” - This is an example of how a farce can be bad. This one isn’t just bad, it’s horrible and ignorant.
6.) “Resident Evil: Extinction” - This movie series is a waste of celluloid. Even the special effects are crappy.
7.) “300″ - I don’t get this over stylized macho bullshit. The whole movie was laughable and silly, who really fights in underwear?
8.) “The Invisible” - This movie irritated me to no end. The plot is frustrating and the actors are just plain bad.
9.) “Pirates of the Caribbean: At Worlds End” - Why did this movie run 2 1/2 hours? What was it about? Can anyone tell me?
10.) “The Ex” - This comedy was so very painful to watch. “The Ex” is mean spirited and crude, and not in a good way.
MY FAVORITE ALBUMS OF 2007:
1.) Feist - “The Reminder”
2.) Junior Senior - “Hey Hey My My Yo Yo”
3.) Amy Winehouse - “Back to Black”
4.) Robyn - “Robyn”
5.) Mika - “Life In Cartoon Motion”
6.) Of Montreal - “Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?”
7.) Calvin Harris - “I Created Disco”
8.) Mark Ronson - “Version”
9.) The Arcade Fire - “Neon Bible”
10.) Simian Mobile Disco - “Attack, Decay, Sustain, Release”
11.) Groove Armada - “Soundboy Rock”
12.) Rilo Kiley - “Under The Blacklight”
13.) Robin Thicke - “The Evolution of Robin Thicke”
14.) Peter, Bjorn & John - “Writer’s Block”
15.) The Chemical Brothers -”We Are the Night”
16.) Kylie Minogue - “X”
17.) Rufus Wainwright - “Release The Stars”
18.) Fujiya & Miyagi - “Transparent Things”
19.) Daft Punk - “Alive”
20.) Soundtrack - “Death Proof”
THE BEST SONGS OF 2007:
1.) Peter, Bjorn & John - “Young Folks”
2.) Of Montreal - “Gronlandic Edit”
3.) Rihanna - “Umbrella”
4.) Mika - “Relax (Take It Easy)” / “Big Girl You Are Beautiful”
5.) Feist - “1 2 3 4″ / “My Moon My Man”
6.) M.I.A. - “Jimmy”
7.) Robyn - “Konichiwa Bitches” / “With Every Heart Beat”
8.) Mark Ronson feat. Amy Winehouse - “Valerie”
9.) Justice - “D.A.N.C.E.”
10.) Beck - “Timebomb”
11.) Rufus Wainwright - “Rules & Regulations”
12.) !!! - “Heart of Hearts”
13.) Timbaland - “The Way I Are” / “Apologize” Feat. One Republic
14.) The Fratellis - “Chelsea Dagger”
15.) Kelly Clarkson - “One Minute”
16.) The Kaiser Chiefs - “Ruby”
17.) Rilo Kiley - “Silver Lining”
18.) Amy March - “Chick Habit”
19.) Kylie Minogue - “2 Hearts”
20.) Cassius - “Toop Toop”
MY FAVORITE DANCE SONGS OF 2007:
1.) Ida Corr Vs. Fedde le Grande - “Let Me Think About It”
2.) Samim - “Heater”
3.) Mason Vs. Princess Superstar - “Perfect”
4.) Bodyrox feat. Luciana (D. Ramirez Remix) - “Yeah Yeah”
5.) Axwell - “I Found U”
6.) Camille Jones Vs. Fedde le Grande - “The Creeps”
7.) September - “Cry For Me”
8.) Armand Van Helden - “I Want Your Soul”
9.) DADA - “Lollipop”
10.) Hillary Duff - “Stranger” (remixes)
11.) Pink - “Who Knew” / “U & Ur Hand” (remixes)
MY FAVORITE CONCERTS OF 2007:
1.) Daft Punk & The Rapture @ The Greek Theater
2.) Morrissey in Reno, NV
3.) The Arcade Fire & LCD Soundsystem @ Shoreline Amphitheater
4.) Morrissey @ The Filmore S.F.
5.) Lily Allen @ The Filmore S.F.
6.) Peter, Bjorn & John @ The Warfield S.F.
7.) Erasure & Cyndi Lauper “The True Colors Tour” @ The Greek Theater
8.) Kaskade @ Bill Graham Civic Center
9.) September @ The Energy 92.7 Party
10.) Razorlight @ Slims S.F.
THE WORST MUSIC OF 2007:
1.) Britney Spears - “Blackout”
2.) Fergie - “Big Girls Don’t Cry”
3.) Daughtry - “Daughtry”
4.) J-Lo - “Brave”
5.) Blake Lewis - “A.D.D.”
6.) Jordin Sparks - “Jordin Sparks”
7.) Soulja Boy - “Crank That (Soulja Boy)”
8.) Beyonce & Shakira - “Beautiful Lie”
9.) Avril Lavigne - “Girlfriend”
10.) Elliott Yamin - “Movin On”
MY FAVORITE T.V. SHOWS OF 2007:
1.) Big Love (HBO)
2.) 30 Rock (NBC)
3.) The Office (NBC)
4.) The Soup (E!)
5.) Katt Williams Comedy Special (HBO)
6.) Extras (HBO)
7.) The Flight of the Conchords (HBO)
8.) Big Brother (CBS)
9.) Top Chef/Project Runway (Bravo)
10.) Lost (ABC)
11.) Kathy Griffin: Life On The D-List (Bravo)
12.) Louis C.K. “Shameless” (HBO)
13.) The Sarah Silverman Program (Comedy Central)
14.) Planet Earth (Discovery)
15.) TMZ (Syndication)
THE WORST TELEVISION OF 2007:
“Sunset Tan” (E!) - There is nothing redeeming about these people or this reality series, the whole mess is just gross.
“The Hills” (Mtv) - This “reality show” reminds me that money can make some people ugly. These spoiled rich white kids need a good as whipping.
“Dancing With The Stars” (ABC) - This cheesy crap is just too corny and gay even for my taste.
“The Simple Life 5: Camp Counselors” (E!) - Why did they make this staged reality t.v. show again? What a waste of t.v. air time!
“On The Lot” (FOX) - What a boring failure this train wreck became. I was not impressed.
“The Tyra Banks Show” (Syndication) - Tyra acts like a drag queen, and not the funny talented type.
“The View” (ABC) - With Rosie O’Donnell gone this show became unbearable and grating.
“Star Jones” (Court TV) - I wish this woman would just go away and stay away from my t.v.
“A Shot At Love With Tila Tequila” (Mtv) - Watching this dating show is painful and turns my stomach.
“American Idol” (FOX) - This year American Idol lost me with the whole Sanjaya thing and with it’s pitiful top 2.
T.V. GUILTY PLEASURES OF 2007:
“I Love New York 2″ (Mtv)
“Kid Nation” (CBS)
“Janice Dickenson’s Modelling Agency” (Oh!)
“John From Cincinatti” (HBO)
“Slacker Cats” (ABC Family)
“Drawn Together” (Comedy Central)
“Intervention” (A&E)
“Judge Judy” (Syndication)
“American Dad” (FOX)
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