December 31, 2011

My TV of 2011 List

Here is a summary of the TV I watched in 2011. Or, as I like to call it, "The stories I watched instead of the stories I wrote."

The Best:

My Favorite Comedies
Happy Endings
Parks and Recreation
New Girl
30 Rock
Community
Modern Family
South Park
Bob's Burgers
Up All Night
Saturday Night Live

My Favorite Dramas
Friday Night Lights
Justified
Southland
Sherlock (Masterpiece Mystery)
Mad Men
Downton Abbey
American Horror Story
Suits
Alphas
Person of Interest

Show that Hates Its Viewers
The Killing

Six Seasons and a Movie
Community

Shows I Want to Start or Catch Up On Someday
Breaking Bad
Parenthood
Vampire Diaries
Dexter
Rescue Me
Eastbound and Down
Chuck
Fringe

What do you like to watch?

December 30, 2011

My Movies of 2011 List


Here are, I think, all the movies I saw that were released in 2011.

As with my previous lists, I have tried to break them down according to how I feel about them right in this moment. It should be noted that any in the top 3 could have taken the top spot but right now my gut says it's The Muppets. Some days it's Drive. Outside the Top 10, I rank them this way: If I had to see them again, would I pay Full, Matinee, or Rental Price or would I just pass altogether?


Top 10
The Muppets
Drive
Midnight in Paris
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
The Artist
Bridesmaids
The Descendants
Moneyball
Super 8
Hugo

Full Price
Thor
Mission: Impossible -- Ghost Protocol
Rango
X-Men: First Class
Captain America: The First Avenger
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II
The Tree of Life
Tucker and Dale vs. Evil
Contagion
Hanna
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Source Code
Kung Fu Panda 2
Point Blank (France)

Matinee
Melancholia
Troll Hunter
Our Idiot Brother
Fast Five
Puss in Boots
Tower Heist
The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn
Limitless
Friends with Benefits
The Adjustment Bureau

Rental
Attack the Block
Insidious
13 Assassins (Japan)
30 Minutes or Less
The Trip
Bellflower
Submarine
The Green Hornet
The Mechanic
Cowboys and Aliens

Meh/Pass
Green Lantern
Battle: Los Angeles
Hop
I Am Number Four
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
Hangover 2

What did you enjoy (or not) this year?

Note: Republished after I had seen more 2011 releases.

December 29, 2011

My Top 11 Albums of 2011

I pretty much ignored music most of the year. I find I do that more that I'm married and alone a lot less and tend to really only enjoy music if I can really listen to it. So here's what I think made me the happiest this year where music is concerned. Enjoy

Nine Types of Light - TV on the Radio
From release day until October 3rd, this was in my car's CD player. Actually, I think it's still in there.
Recommended track: "Second Song"

No Color - The Dodos
I smile from ear to ear every single time I listen to this. Every time.
Recommended tracks: "Black Night" and "Don't Stop"

The Rip Tide - Beirut
Unique without being different for different's sake. A better use of accordion I have not heard.
Recommended track: "Vagabond"

Circuital - My Morning Jacket
Got back to what made me fall in love with them in the first place.
Recommended track: "Wonderful (The Way I Feel)"

Helplessness Blues - Fleet Foxes
For the smelly, hacky-sack playing hippy in all of us.
Recommended track: "Someone You'd Admire"

Bon Iver - Bon Iver
They're just great, aren't they?
Recommended track: "Holocene"

The Year of Hibernation - Youth Lagoon
Far away, earnest and melancholy, reaching out to you from inside a winter dream.
Recommended track: "Cannons"

Days - Real Estate
Dreamy floating tune after dreamy floaty tune.
Recommended track: "Wonder Years"

Kaput - Destroyer
Some people may not enjoy Daniel Bejar outside of New Pornographers but I've became an even bigger fan when I heard the album Destroyer's Rubies for the first time.
Recommended track: "Chinatown"

Tomboy - Panda Bear
Loops and reverb and happiness and sadness and echo and loops and it just puts me in the zone.
Recommended track: "You Can Count On Me"

Torches - Foster the People
It's not perfect but I have a lot of fun with it when I'm in the right mood.
Recommended track: "Houdini"

Honorable Mention:

Collapse Into Now - R.E.M.
I'll miss you Michael, Mike, Bill, and Peter.

What were your favorites?