Top Ten Albums of 2009

I've been thinking about doing a top ten since mid-November, and I keep going back and forth as to whether to include EPs or not. In any event, here's the current top 10, with some extras afterwards:

01. The Decemberists - The Hazards of Love
Out of every album I've gotten/heard this year, this is the one I've listened to the most, and have come back to again and again. Where there's so many places it could've gone off-course, Colin Meloy and company always keep the ship steered straight (with nary a whale in sight), and still manage to have some great pop songs in the mix.

02. Brand New - Daisy Continuing their evolution from emo-punk to atmospheric dramatics, Brand New really push the envelope of their sound on this album. The Modest Mouse influence is immediately obvious, and the more Glassjaw-ish tendencies (especially on the first track) are a welcome addition. If this is their last album, it's a great note to go out on.

03. We Were Promised Jetpacks - These Four Walls
This scottish band overcomes the tweeness of their name and deliver an 11 song salvo of power and emotion. Though I could see how some might find the songs slightly repetitive, I feel the dynamics make all the difference. "Ships With Holes Will Sink" is my song of the year, and "Keeping Warm" never fails to move me.

04. Regina Spektor - Far
Not as much a triumph as Begin to Hope, Regina's follow-up to that amazing record is still full of her trademark peculiarities and strong songwriting, while upping the orchestration a bit.

05. The Lawrence Arms - Buttsweat and Tears
I will buy anything this band puts out, and this 5 song EP is no exception. It continues in the same vein as their last full-length, Oh Calcutta!, and quite frankly, I'd be happy if they just made that over and over again. Hopefully, they have another album coming in '10.

06. Cursive - Mama, I'm Swollen
After the vignette heavy Happy Hallow, Tim Kasher could be forgiven if he'd just relaxed and put out a couple Good Life albums. Thankfully (after the Good Life's excellent Help Wanted Nights of last year), he reconvened Cursive and made this album, which keeps the horn orchestrations of the last one, while adding some of the more folky arrangements of the Good Life's work. The final track, "What Have I Done", could slot into the older discs of theirs, like Domestica, perfectly.

07. Thrice - Beggars
Written and recorded fairly quickly, in contrast to their "Alchemy Index" of last year, this sounds like Thrice decided to just make a "rock" album. It seems almost rootsy at times, like the "Earth" Alchemy Index section but electrified. I can't wait to see where this band goes next.

08. Cancel the Astronauts - I Am The President Of Your Fanclub (And Last Night I Followed You Home)
Another Scottish band with a science themed name, these guys put out a solid 5 song EP of 80's new wave-style pop songs, and the title track especially gets stuck in my head constantly.

09. Slow Club -Yeah So
This duo is so amazingly fun and vibrant. I could listen to "It Doesn't Have to Be Beautiful" all day (and have!). Their harmonies are what drew me in, but the energy inherent in every track is what kept me around.

10. Muse - The Resistance
While the album does drag a little in the middle, the undeniable one-two punch of "The Uprising" and "The Resistance" manage to carry the momentum through to the amazing suite of the last few tracks. I wish more bands would embrace their inner ridiculous epicness.

HONORABLE MENTIONS TO:

Patton Oswalt My Weakness Is Strong and Paul F. Tompkins Freak Wharf for being two comedy albums that I've listened to multiple times, and still find insanely hilarious.

The Pains of Being Pure At Heart for having the most ridiculously overwrought band name, yet still having a great record.

The Beatles remasters, because they're what I've listened to most since September 9th.

Jay-Z "Death of AutoTune", because it's my favorite "listening while driving" track this year.

This Is An Adventure

SO: I'm writing a comic.

Well, to be honest, I'm writing TWO comics. And drawing one. Along with writing a concept album with my band, Robots and Racecars. And writing for my other music project, How I Became Invisible. And trying to finish a couple short stories for submission to various areas. And ostensibly contributing to About 12 Minutes (I AM on many of the podcasts over the last few months.)

All this is by way of apology for not putting anything up here over the past few months (outside of the last post, which I would rather not discuss at length, but anyway). Along with all that stuff above, I also moved to south Philadelphia with my awesome girlfriend, and our awesome dog, and some rabbits, too. On top of that, my laptop has shit the bed TWICE (I am currently using my awesome girlfriend's), so you can see why my online writing has slowed a bit. You can, of course, keep up with my ramblings on the twitter, which I update often. And ridiculously.

In any event, hopefully a few of these things will be finished soon, so I can return to you, my adoring public who obviously could not care less if I were here writing or not. But I CARE NOT, as I am confident in my greatness.

Essentially, hold tight, sailors, the voyage continues.

11/88 - 7/09

We're in an empty parking lot, just me and him. The sun is out, it's warm, and he's dressed in purple, as normal. There's no one else around, no noises, nothing but the world and us. And I grab him by the shoulders, face to face, and I tell him "I don't know where you are, or what you're doing, but I hope you go and do everything you want to do. You are greatness and wonderfulness and everything there is in the world to be. You're my little brother and I love you. Never forget that, wherever you go and whatever you do: I love you."

And he smiles, like he does, a shy unassuming one, and turns away, and walks a couple steps, and suddenly he's a bunch of purple balloons, and he's rising into the air, higher and higher, into the bright blue sky, until he's so high that I can't see him anymore, the sun is too bright and the sky is too big and the world is too everything. But I still see him and hear him and know he's there. And I won't ever forget. Never.

I love you, Jared. And I always will.

The Chemicals Between Them: the early summer genre films

Chemistry is a funny thing. In one respect, it is supremely predictable; mix this chemical with that one, and you will get this result/reaction. But in others, it is amazingly unpredictable. Take for example, three films released over the past month: X-Men: Origins: Wolverine, Star Trek, and Terminator: Salvation. Each are special effects filled genre films, essentially sequels, attempting to cash-in on the built-in fanbase and name recognition, released in the prime summer blockbuster season. Each, in its own way, is a mix of certain chemicals. Yet the results have been far far different for each. Let us look closer, shall we?

X-Men: Origins: Wolverine


This is what could be considered the 4th film in the X-Men franchise. As such, it has the weight of expectation behind it that it will fit in with the rest of the films. It is a prequel, in fact, so it should, by all means, set-up the preceding three films. It stars Hugh Jackman, a popular actor, as Wolverine, the (arguably) most popular X-Man, in what was his breakout role. Yet it fails, on some level, to really capture what made the first 2 films (the third is mediocre at best) so great. It is flat, placid, almost rote in its movements. The special effects are laughably bad at times, and while the actors (especially Jackman and Liev Shreiber as Sabreto- excuse me, "Creed") do their college try best, the script is far from good. In all fact, it is full of plot holes and continuity errors, not just with the other films, but with ITSELF. It seems, from all appearances, to be the quick cash-grab sequel that many pegged it to be when it was announced (and that Fox as a studio has been known for in recent years, especially with genre franchises). All the elements are there: good actors, up and coming director (Gavin Hood), a lauded screenwriter (David Benioff), and a beloved central character, but they add up to much less than the sum of its parts. The chemicals never mix, and it sits there, inert.

Terminator: Salvation


Also a "fourth" movie, this film bears the burden of not only its predecessors' successes, but of that of its ostensible star, Christian Bale, the erstwhile Batman of the recent Christopher Nolan films. His very presence is both a boon to the film (in terms of the "star power" he brings) and a detriment (in that he carries a certain expectation with him). The problem, as this article/editorial from Chud.com shows, is that his part was not meant to be what it ultimately ended up as. One can argue back and forth as to whether this compromised the film or not, but as the final film shows, it certainly did not make it great. It has a multitude of action sequences, yes, all varied and exciting, a spectacle to the utmost. And that is what is likely the best part of the film, as the rest of its parts never quite come together to make a satisfying whole. It is, to quote, "sound and fury signifying nothing." The script seems glued together from disparate pieces, and its cracks show at times. The actors are nothing really to sneeze at either, as they're all either just rote action cyphers, or "tormented character X." Bale, especially, seems to basically be in Batman mode still. (He desperately needs to play a role where he can have FUN again. Like Patrick Bateman. Something crazy to get him out of "dour, driven tortured man of action" mode.) The various pieces of the movie are there for it to be something interesting and different, a continuation of what made T-2 great (we're ignoring the third one), but it fails to bring them together. Its chemicals fail to react with each other, and it fizzles.

Star Trek


This film bears the greatest burden of the three, as it has had the most predecessors, and the most riding on it. It's not just a continuation of a franchise (which it is), nor is it just a reboot (which it is as well); it had to simultaneously please a very loud and skeptical fandom and attract a new audience which looked at the "brand" as something old and stale, and maybe past its prime. Add to that the glamour and mystery that its director, super-producer and writer JJ Abrams, brings to every project he's involved with. The fact that it succeeds is almost beside the point now. The uphill climb it faced before even a single foot of film had been shot was insane. Of the three films discussed, this one definitely had the closest scrutiny. Its success, both monetarily (which, no mistake, all three of these films made money; how much will be discussed shortly) and dramatically/critically, is the most impressive story of the early summer movie season. And much of that, if not all of it, can be attributed to two things: JJ Abrams, and the cast. Because, make no mistake, the script is not great. There are many plot-holes, and many areas which bear the mark of being maybe one draft away from being fixed. The writers strike affected this film, probably more than the other two, in a very palpable way. But, and this is a large "but", the casting saves it. Every person in every major role has such a sense of fun and life to them, that any plot holes and inconsistencies are easily overlooked. WITHOUT recalling or deriding the actors who played their various roles before. The unique nature of the film (not quite a reboot, but not a direct prequel) made it possible for the actors (with special notice to Chris Pine as Kirk and Zachary Quinto as Spock) to take what elements they wanted from their predecessors and then add their own unique spark. Much like Abrams, in both his directorial duties and in a design sense, ventured away from the past films, but still added touches which acknowledged them. The chemicals mixed, and they reacted, and they made something newer and better.


Like I said, these are all unpredictable things. And make no mistake, all three were monetarily successful films. This time of year, it's very hard for a big franchise film to NOT make money. But only Star`Trek surpassed expectations. Wolverine and Terminator both had large opening weekends, then crashed hard, losing (in the case of Wolverine) up to almost 70% off its box office total in its second week. Star Trek made more than 30% more than expected in its first weekend, then stayed near the top for the next 2 weeks, ending up (as of this writing) with $232 million in domestic box office. (Wolverine has made $176 million, and Terminator has made $115 million.) It, along with UP and The Hangover, is the big winner of the summer so far in terms of money made.

Film is literally made of chemicals: a piece of film consists of a light-sensitive emulsion applied to a tough, transparent base, sometimes attached to anti-halation backing or "rem-jet" layer. The emulsion is comprised of silver halide grains suspended in a gelatin colloid; in the case of color film, there are three layers of silver halide, which are mixed with color couplers and interlayers that filter specific light spectra. These end up creating yellow, cyan, and magenta layers in the negative after development. Movies themselves, though, are a chemistry crapshoot. No one can predict why any one film will catch on with audiences and another won't. Remember: the expectation before release was that Titanic was going to be a huge flop; billions of billions of dollars later. . . It all comes down to luck and timing and the chemistry of filmmaker and audience meeting in a felicitous circumstance. All one can do is make your choices, step forward, and boldly go.

MEANWHILE:

Back at the Mall of Justice...!

AQUAMAN BUYS SOME 9 VOLT BATTERIES!

BATMAN SHOPS AROUND FOR THE BEST PRICE FOR A NEW VCR!

WONDER WOMAN WAITS IN LINE AT ARTHUR TREACHER'S FISH 'N CHIPS!

THE FLASH BUYS NEW SHOES!

SUPERMAN HANGS OUT IN THE GAP RIGHT NEXT TO THE DRESSING ROOM!

BLACK LIGHTNING CONSIDERS SWITCHING TO A NEW CELLPHONE PLAN!

APACHE CHIEF IS DRUNK IN THE PARKING LOT!

THE WONDER TWINS GO TO VICTORIA'S SECRET. TOGETHER. THAT'S...ACTUALLY PRETTY CREEPY!

ROBIN IS SMOKING BY THE ENTRANCEWAY WITH SOME UNSAVORY FOLKS!

HAWKMAN SEARCHES FRANTICALLY FOR THE PAC SUN!

GREEN LANTERN PLAYS MARVEL VS CAPCOM IN THE ARCADE FOR 3 HOURS!

BRAINIAC SIGNS UP FOR A CHANCE TO WIN A NEW CAR!

WENDY AND MARVIN CONTINUE TO BE USELESS!

VIXEN RUNS UP THE DOWN ESCALATOR!

LEX LUTHOR AND SOLOMON GRUNDY GET NICKED FOR SHOPLIFTING CDS FROM SAM GOODYS!

BOOSTER GOLD BUYS SOME DIPPIN' DOTS!

GREEN ARROW EATS A SANDWICH AND FLIRTS WITH HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS!

ORACLE IS BEING STARED AT BY SMALL CHILDREN!

PLASTIC MAN BUYS A CUSTOM AIRBRUSHED TSHIRT OF BART SIMPSON WITH DREADLOCKS!

HAWKGIRL BEATS UP THE WOMAN WHO SPRAYS HER WITH A PERFUME SAMPLE!

BLACK CANARY DEMANDS A REFUND ON HER FULLSCREEN DVD!

NIGHTWING ATTEMPTS TO RETURN A SWEATER WITHOUT A RECEIPT!

THE QUESTION AND THE HUNTRESS MAKEOUT IN THE BACK HALLWAY!

ZATANNA BUYS A NEW HAT AT H&M!

GORILLA GRODD PLAYS WITH THE KITTIES AT THE PET STORE!

DONNA TROY STILL DOESN'T GET THE APPEAL OF JUICY COUTURE!

BLUE BEETLE KEEPS LOOKING IN WALDENBOOKS BUT DOESN'T BUY ANYTHING!
alternate: BLUE BEETLE APPLIES FOR A JOB AT HOT TOPIC!

MAXWELL LORD BECOMES VERY CROSS WITH AN UNHELPFUL EMPLOYEE AT AMERICAN EAGLE!

GUY GARDNER SHOPS AT THE LEATHER STORE FOR A NICE BELT!

ORION GETS IN A FIGHT OUT FRONT OF RADIOSHACK AND IS KICKED OUT OF THE MALL!

DARKSEID ENJOYS A CINNAMON SUGAR PRETZEL!

GLEEK GETS DETAINED BY ANIMAL CONTROL FOR EBOLA CONTAMINATION!

JASON TODD SPENDS OVER $12 TRYING TO WIN A STUFFED RABBIT FROM A CRANE MACHINE!

MARTIAN MANHUNTER THOUGHT THERE WAS A CINNABON HERE, BUT IT MUST HAVE CLOSED OR SOMETHING!

LADY SHIVA CAN'T FIND THAT TOP IN HER SIZE!

IMPULSE SPENDS TWO HOURS MAKING A MIXED BAG OF JELLYBELLYS IN MISTER BULKYS!

JOHN STEWART JUST HAD HIS CREDIT CARD DECLINED!

MISTER MIRACLE PLAYS GUITAR IN THE PARKING LOT FOR QUARTERS!

R'AS AL GHUL BUYS A FABULOUS COUCH AT POTTERY BARN!

SUPERGIRL LOOKS THROUGH THE CLEARANCE RACK IN MACYS!

POWER GIRL FINDS A USED SEGA DREAMCAST AT GAMESTOP!

CAPTAIN ATOM CAN'T GET IN TO SEE WATCHMEN BECAUSE HE LEFT HIS ID AT HOME!

SPEEDY DOES HEROIN IN THE MENS ROOM!

THE JOKER BUYS A NICE FRAMED PRINT OF THE KRAMER PORTRAIT AT THE FRAME STORE!

WALLY WEST CAN'T DECIDE BETWEEN SARKU JAPAN AND CHINESE WOK!

ETRIGAN IS ANGRY THAT F.Y.E. IS SOLD OUT OF PEARL JAM'S "TEN"!

and then they all went home and had chocolate milkshakes.

contributions from nicholasreed, newageamazon, thebeak
Yes, sometimes twitter leads to ridiculousness.

MAN IN SQUID! MAN IN SQUID! MAN IN SQUID!

This is offered entirely without context. Deal with it, America.

The first rule of Giant Squid Club is: you do not talk about Giant Squid Club.

Dude, "chinamen" is not the preferred nomenclature. Giant squids, please.

I don't want to be a product of my environment. I want my environment to be a product of giant squid.

Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe fuck yourself. Maybe giant squid.

In space, no one can hear you scream at a giant squid.

Why So Serious? (Oh right, giant squid.)

All our yesterdays will light fools the way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle! Life is but a giant squid, a poor player who struts & frets...

I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I've watched giant squids glitter in the dark, like tears in rain.

Quisnam vigilo giant squid. (Who watches the giant squid)

There's a lot of fine looking women in the world. They won't all make you giant squids.

Death, as it does to all men, comes to Charles Foster Kane. With giant squids.

Even the smallest of us can change the course of the giant squid.

"I'm pregnant." "With... emotion?" "With a giant squid."

Luke, search your feelings, you know this to be true. Join with me, and we can rule the universe as father and giant squid!

Show me the giant squids! SHOW ME THE GIANT SQUIDS!

And you will KNOW my name is the LORD, when I lay my vengeance and giant squids upon thee!

We have to go... BACK TO THE FUTURE! (Also, there are giant squids.)

We've all been raised by television to believe we'll be millionaires & movie gods & rock stars & giant squids... but we won't.

Nothing ever ends, Adrian. Until giant squids come along.

Bill, it's your giant squ*BANG*

A boy's best friend is his giant squid.

You never go full giant squid.

And so the lion fell in love with the giant squid.

I DRINK YOUR GIANT SQUID! I DRINK IT UP!

I came here to kick ass and chew bubblegum. And I'm all out of bubble gum. And giant squids.

His name was Robert Paulson. Also, he was a giant squid.

I know kung fu. And a giant squid.

Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou, Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name and I'll no longer be a giant squid!

Your giant squids will blot out the sun? Then we will fight in the shade!

I just love it when a plan comes together. With giant squids.

You have my sword. And you have my bow. And MY giant squid!

But what we found out is that each one of us is a brain, an athlete, and a basket case, a princess and a giant squid.

Mr. Brown, Mr. White, Mr. Blonde, Mr. Blue, Mr. Orange, and Mr. Giant Squid.

Well, nobody's perfect. Especially giant squids!

This is my blessing. This is my curse. This is my giant squid.

I hate the way you look at me, I hate the way you stare, I hate your giant squid, and the way you brush your hair.

Say "hello" to my little friend...A GIANT SQUID!

She realized that when he said "As you wish," he was really saying "I love giant squids."

Never underestimate the power of the giant squid

Frankly Scarlett, I don't give a damn...about giant squids.

I have always depended on the kindness of giant squids.

My name is Squid. Giant Squid.

Nobody puts Giant Squid in a corner!

There's no giant squids in baseball!

A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some farva beans and a nice giant squid.

I'm just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her giant squid.

You had me at giant squids.

We're going to need a bigger giant squid.

Gondor has not giant squids. Gondor needs no giant squids.

Ray, when someone asks you if you are a giant squid, you say YES.

Fear not, sweet lady! I will not molest you. I am but a humble giant squid, and you? You are to far above me!

Every time a bell rings, an angel gets his giant squid. (Or a giant squid gets its wings?)

Well, in Whoville they say that the Grinch's giant squid grew three sizes that day

Someday we'll find it. The lovers, the giant squid, and me.

Some cultures are defined by their relationship to giant squid.

I'm a very important man, you know. I have a giant squid.

Well, fuck me gently with a giant squid, Veronica. (My life is one. big. dark. giant. squid?)

I admit i should feel some sense of obligation from the honor of your proposal, but giant squid.

When you think about it giant squid is actually all around...

Wow J.P., that is a great outfit. How much do giant squids cost in The Matrix?

Klaatu... Barata... Giant squid.

Obi-Wan never told you about giant squid.

contributors: nicholasreed, newageamazon, qbist, ohnickels, falsestart, snowth, GwenArtax, jayv,

The Passover Otter

Here then, children, is the story of Sheckie, the Passover Otter. *

Sheckie the otter was a happy fellow, but he had no need for his Jewish heritage. He spent all his time swimming, eating fish, and doing elaborate cross-stitch patterns for art supply stores. His parents, especially his mother Ethel, implored him to give all this time to the Torah and remember Elijah, but Sheckie was like "Screw that noise, I totally want some oysters."

So one day, he was out searching for some sweet, sweet otter wine (the finest of the fine, that sweet otter wine), when he stumbled into a fur trap. Crying, he was brought into the furriers' van, wherein he was forced to inhale much cigar smoke and listen to a lot of Fog Hat. The one furrier's name, it would happen, was Elijah! For he was the self-same prophet who has a place set for him at every seder. Him and Moses had reincarnated to get some of that fat fur trade cash. Elijah spoke otter-ese, so he understood Sheckie's pleas for freedom. And he felt pity, as he knew most otters were Hindu, so he knew how hard it already was for the young one's family.

Thusly, he set Sheckie free. But first, he made him promise to respect and honor his Jewish heritage. Sheckie agreed, but his paws were crossed behind his back, and Elijah saw this with his x-ray vision, and smote Sheckie right quick. "Disobedient otter," the prophet said, his voice louder than seven thunders, "because of your insolence, you shall be in servitude to the Lord your God for many millenia!" And he cursed Sheckie to deliver presents to all the Jewish children all throughout the world every year on Passover. Though, to be honest, the presents are sort of crap, as he is still a lazy and shiftless otter.

Though, every so often, when the moon is right, and the Fog Hat is heard on the high wind, Sheckie will deliver some sweet, sweet otter wine. And there is much rejoicing and honoring of Elijah.

Hooray for God!

* This may or may not be entirely made up. Also, any facts or names therein may or may not be entirely inaccurate and based on my 5th grade knowledge of Passover.

In Which I Expound On If I Ruled The World

The other day, I, in my usual way, was being completely AWESOME, and I started pondering what it would be like if I ruled the world. I'd be a benevolent dictator, of course. The planet would flourish under my rule. And there would be hardly any torture camps or death squads. I mean like, one or two per city. TOPS. Is that too much to ask, for a little order amidst the chaos? OF COURSE NOT.

But it wouldn't be all cake and death traps, of course. I'd have PLANS. I'd set some rules to live by, commandments, if you will. Not any set number, though. You put limits on things, and then you find yourself caught in loop-holes that you can't close, etc etc. So yes, here are some of the myriad and sundry proclamations I would no doubt enjoin on my citizens of the Planet Fabulous. (Catchy name, right?)

IF I RULED THE WORLD:

• Dogs would be compulsory, but cats would require special permits, granted only to those I randomly decide deserve them. As such, there would be an overwhelming mouse problem, but I would be less allergic to everything. Hail, Fabulous!
• "Philosopher-king" would be a viable career path. The only qualifications would be "well-read" and "kind of a dick." Also: you'd have to make it through the Hyper Colossal Death Maze. Hail, Fabulous!
• The Wayanses would be shot out of a cannon into the sun. All of them. The entire family.
• Every day would be Rex Manning Day. Every day would also be David Tennant Day. Then they would fight for my amusement. Hail, Fabulous!
• It would be nap time whenever I say it is. Because a well-rested ruler is a happy one.
• Batman would be the world's mascot, and all would be required to wear a piece of clothing with the Bat symbol on it once a week. Hail, Fabulous!
• Ayn Rand and all her works would be retroactively erased from history. Hail, Fabulous!
• Every day would be like Sunday. Morrissey fans worldwide would rejoice. Hail, Fabulous!
• Personal jet packs for all. Mark it down. Hail, Fabulous!
• All currency would be replaced by high-fives. Sales transactions would come to resemble elaborate celebration rituals. Hail, Fabulous!
• There'd be robot gangsters, and maybe robot orphans. BUT THOSE WOULD BE THE ONLY ROBOTS. Hail, Fabulous!

And that's only a few of my MANY MANY ideas for how to make our planet more awesome, more spectacular, more, dare I say it... FABULOUS.

The Look of THE WRESTLER

This is not a film review.

I want to state that again: this is not a film review.

I love this movie, and in fact the totality of Darren Aronofsky's film work, so much that there is no way I can be objective enough to "review" this. Thus, my aborted (and long overdue) attempt to write about his last film, The Fountain. (Maybe I'll be able to sort through my thoughts and feelings enough in the future to produce something of worth on that, but for now, it shall lie, fallow and unfinished.)

But THIS is not ABOUT The Fountain. THIS is about The Wrestler, Aronofsky's newest film, starring Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei, and Evan Rachel Wood. It is undoubtedly the best film of 2008. And while theme-wise, it is not as drastic a departure from Aronofsky's previous work (especially Requiem For A Dream), VISUALLY, it is as different from them as almost anything can be.


His first two films, Pi and Requiem For A Dream, had a lot of stylistic touches, very overt and showy, almost. Not to the "oh look at me, I'm fancy and can do these fancy things" point, but in ways that service the story being told. The editing of Requiem was rhythmic, sticking to a beat and pattern that repeated throughout the film (Aronofsky refers to it as "hip-hop editing), as the point was to inure the audience to the acts of drug abuse, and make it a very big deal later when the pattern lengthens, or is interrupted, or changes. It exemplifies the point that addiction is all about habit and repetition, and that it is a cycle that only degrades.


The Fountain, his third film, while as stylistic as the earlier films in its own way, did less with rhythm, but was all about visual patterns, the same images and actions used at different points in the film to (both overtly and subtley) connect different scenes and time periods. The theme of "recurrence" was an important point to be made and stressed, and thus the similarity of such disparate time periods as 1500's Spain, Modern day America, and the deep space of the far future was brought to bear, and made to relate to the movie's theme of death, rebirth, and acceptance. Death is nothing to fear, the film says, and while it maybe should not be celebrated, it should be embraced as a necessity.


The Wrestler uses very little of these tricks, and in fact goes as far opposite from those films as possible in terms of style, to point of being very documentary-like in feel. The grain in the image implies harsh reality, and the washed out colors of everything in Randy "The Ram"'s life, accentuate the vividness the film adopts during the scenes of action in the ring. The blood and lights "pop" that much more when contrasted with the mutedness of Randy's trailer, really of his entire life outside of the ring. Like all of Aronofsky's films thus far, this relies, at its center, on the interpersonal relationships between its characters; in this case, between Randy and the people in his world: his estranged daughter Stephanie, his only real "friend" Cassidy/Pam, and the various acquaintances of his wrestling career. Aronofsky has always focused on how people relate to their world and each other, and Randy's disconnect from both is at the heart of the film, and the reasons for why it looks the way it does.

Repetition still plays a small part in the film, as it is, in its own way, about addiction. Contrast the scene of Randy's walk-out to the ring in the beginning of the film with his walk out to the floor on his first day at the deli counter: the crowd noise piped in over the latter seals it, as does the exact same type of plastic curtain in front of each place's respective entrance. Randy is addicted to the crowd, the noise, the reaction he gets from people who know him as a character. He gives them his sweat, his blood, his very life, and they applaud, they cheer, they chant. He needs that, he craves that, and his life is a complete shambles because of it. His health, his family, his ability to deal with every day life: all sacrificed within the altar of the "squared circle."


There's more to say about the film, and its themes and ideas, like the similarity between Randy and Pam's stories, and his own self-destructive streak, and the (deceptively) unambiguous ending, but I wanted to stick to discussing the look of it. It is a fascinating film, and one I hope everyone gets to see. Aronofsky and Rourke, especially, deserve all the credit in the world for a wonderful piece of filmmaking and acting. Go out and see The Wrestler whereever and whenever you can. It is on a limited release now, but I believe it goes wide shortly.

We're all looking for the crowd's roar. Very few of us ever find it. The ones who do, sometimes have trouble letting it go.

My Year In Lists

As promised previously, here is my mythical and always highly anticipated Best of the Year lists!!!!

(The extra exclamation points are there to emphasize my complete awesomeness.)

Now, normally, I would expound at length on each entry of each list, or at the very least on the choice for number one. As it stands, though, I am loathe to do so at this time, because I can't quite verbally quantify my feelings for some of the entrants on these here ladders of excellence. And so, I expound not at all. (Except here, because that is how I roll. Deal with it, America!)

In any event, these are my favorites of this past Year of Someone's Lord, Two-Thousand and Eight. Notice I do not say "Greatest" or "Best", because one's mileage may vary. (Though why anyone would think to disagree with me, I'll never know. I am right and good in all things. Like Ghandi.)

So yes, so anyway, here's a list of things. Links where appropriate. Maybe a picture. Enjoy it. Add comments at the end, let's see what some of yours are.

FILMS

1. The Wrestler
2. The Dark Knight
3. Wall-E
4. Cloverfield (I wrote about this here. You should read it.)
5. Iron Man

ALBUMS

1. Los Campesinos! - Hold On Now, Youngster... / We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed (They put out two full albums this year. I'm counting both, as both are amazing, though each has a slightly different feel.)
   
2. Thrice - The Alchemy Index, vol 3 & 4: Air & Earth
3. the Killers - Day and Age
4. Death Cab for Cutie - Narrow Stairs
5. Stars - Sad Robots EP
6. Okkervil River - The Stand-Ins
7. Atmosphere -When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold
8. Paddy's Well - First Friday (this is my dad's band!)
9. Alkaline Trio - Agony & Irony
10. Amanda Palmer - Who Killed Amanda Palmer?
    

SONGS (links lead to downloadable versions of the songs. I cannot guarantee the links will last forever.)

1. Baskervilles - "A Little More Time"
2. the Decemberists - "Valerie Plame"
3. Los Campesinos! - "We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed"
4. Okkervil River - "Calling and Not Calling My Ex"
5. Chairlift - "Bruises"
6. the Killers - "Spaceman"
7. Ben Folds - "You Don't Know Me (feat. Regina Spektor)"
8. Alkaline Trio - "Help Me"
9. Amanda Palmer - "Astronaut (A Short History Of Nearly Nothing)"
10. Los Campesinos! - "Broken Heartbeats Sound Like Breakbeats"
    

COMICS (specific issues highlighted): creative team

1. Casanova Vol 2. (issue #14): Matt Fraction, Fabio Moon
   
2. All-Star Superman (issue #10): Grant Morrison, Frank Quitely
   
3. Pax Romana (4 issue miniseries): Jonathan Hickman
   
4. Final Crisis (issue #5): Grant Morrison, JG Jones, Carlos Pacheco
   
5. Aetheric Mechanics (a graphic novella): Warren Ellis, Gianluca Pagliarani

TELEVISION

1. The Venture Brothers season 3
   
2. Doctor Who season 4
   
3. The Venture Brothers season 3
4. ok, so I don't watch a whole lot of television...
   

So there you go. Comment with your opinions. Otherwise, I'm just going to assume that all my lists are comprehensive and completely correct.

Excelsior! And never forget: