Best of 2007

MOVIES

1) 300 - not at the top for any depth of script or characterization, but damn if it wasn’t the most fun I had at the movies all year.

2) Superbad – best John Hughes teen comedy not made by John Hughes? One of my few immediate 5-star ratings on Netflix. “Mclovin” also takes the top prize as the most-used Xbox Live gamertag variation of the year.

3) Into Great Silence – here’s where my list gets some depth. A fascinating and lengthy look at life in a French monastery, completely enthralling for anyone willing to surrender themselves to its glacial pace.

4) Tekkon Kinkreet – the most accomplished anime feature of the year, using a revolutionary look to tell a solid and entrancing tale of Japanese street urchins.

5) Paprika – Satoshi Kon continues his incredible run of quality anime films, weaving a bizarre dreamworld that only falls apart near the end with its trite Godzilla-like coda

Biggest Disappointment: Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End. How could a movie filmed at the same time as the awesome Dead Man’s Chest be so completely unentertaining and squander all the build-up of its predecessor? This movie sucked harder than Spider-Man 3.

--------------------------
MUSIC

1) Radiohead – In Rainbows – regardless of the media format, a work of innovation and substance. Listened to this far more than the rest of the list combined.

2) The Good The Bad & The Queen – The Good The Bad & The Queen – Damon Albarn continues his ascent as perhaps the single most important figure to emerge from the British music scene in the past decade. #1 all year until Radiohead came out.

3) The White Stripes – Icky Thump - more of the same = more spins by me

4) Crowded House – Time on Earth – completely solid effort from the veterans. I had absolutely no interest in listening to this…until I gave it a chance.

5) The Fratellis – Costello Music – best CD to make you feel like you’re in a raging Irish pub. Loud, fast, and exhilirating!

Song of the Year: Air – Mer du Japon

-------------------------
TV

1) Avatar: The Last Airbender – that’s right, a Nick cartoon at #1. No other show entertained me more thoroughly this year, with an epic quest, clever scripts, and plotting so strong that they could and did spend full episodes on peripheral characters. This is no mere kids show, it’s fantasy at its best and a refreshing adventure for viewers of all ages

2) Planet Earth – completely stunning series will hold you spellbound throughout its duration. An essential DVD purchase

3) The Sopranos – end of an era

4) LOST – great final episode, solid season

5) 30 Rock – A show that has “classic” written all over it

Honorable mention: Flight of the Conchords – looking forward to the further misadventures and melodies of the Rhymenoceros and Hiphopotamus

------------------------------
COMICS

1) The Nightly News (Image) – the rookie writer/artist completed this series as strongly as he started it, marking him as the breakthrough creator of the year.

2) Buffy The Vampire Slayer: Season 8 (Dark Horse) – Joss Whedon returns to spin some new yarns in his own sandbox

3) Daredevil (Marvel) – the only monthly Marvel title I look forward to

4) Y: The Last Man (DC) – end of another era

5) True Story Swear To God (Image) – a seemingly simple relationship comic that always keeps me coming back for more due to its passion, humor and insight.

------------------------
GRAPHIC NOVELS

1) Planet Hulk (Marvel) – Greg Pak is a genius, taking a character I’ve never cared about and stranding him on a distant planet where he makes new allies and goes on the grandest adventure of his life. One of the very few new graphic novels that found a permanent home in my library.

2) Sandman: Absolute Edition Vol. 2 (DC) – another year, another volume. Lush presentation of Neil Gaiman's legendary source material, recolored and complete with exhaustive extras

3) MW (Vertical) – Gorgeous hardcover edition of Osamu Tezuka’s somewhat controversial exploration of terrorism colored by US imperialism, more timely today than when it was originally serialized 30 years ago.

4) Flight Vol. 4 (Villard) – Kazu Kibuishi’s annual anthology keeps getting longer and better

5) Moomin: The Complete Tove Jansson Comic Strip Vol. 2 (Drawn & Quarterly) – 2nd collection of Jansson's daily strips from the 50s

-------------------------
VIDEO GAMES – Once again, Xbox 360 shooters owned the year

1) Call of Duty 4 (Xbox 360) – sure, it’s a sequel, but this game completely revolutionized Xbox Live multiplayer gameplay by incorporating RPG-like elements that keep players engaged in trying to reach the next achievement level to unlock the next weapon/perk/attachment to allow maximum customization of combat options. Over two full days later, I finally maxed out my stats and can now ponder doing it all again in “Prestige” mode. Apparently has a strong single-player mission too, maybe someday I’ll get around to playing it.

2) BioShock (Xbox 360) – a new property with an original and fully-realized concept that puts players in an underwater Ayn Rand-influenced art deco utopia gone awry. Basically a shooter with RPG elements, but with a completely immersive environment and great attention to story and pacing it completely motivates players to explore and discover all of its secrets.

3) Halo 3 (Xbox 360) – the game of the year to beat got beat, but not by much, and certainly by no fault of its own. A rewarding single-player mission and deep multiplayer options add up to a title that will still be racking up considerable play time years from now.

4) Super Mario Galaxy (Wii) – I haven’t played it, but definitely will in 2008

5) The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (DS) – Link made his long-overdue DS debut and upheld the mastery of the series, incorporating great uses for the stylus and providing a lengthy quest.