2009 Top 5 Lists

Happy New Year! Wow, 2009… I’m tempted to do my Comic Guy Impression (“Worst….Year….Ever”) but why tempt fate? What I can say is that the last year has helped keep things in perspective: the family is great, we are healthy, we live in a very cool town and, thanks in large part to the Internet and the Sonoma County Library, last year I got to see/listen to/read some fantastic movies & TV shows/music/books. My radio show on KSVY in Sonoma, ALL KINDSA GIRLS (http://allkindsagirls.blogspot.com/), has also been a blessing. So, in an incredibly challenging year, we still have a lot to be thankful for.

While not all of the selections below came out in the last 12 months, that’s when I discovered them. Also, my 2009 Top 5’s do not include a Live Performance category- it was that kind of year. So, unsolicited and humbly submitted, here are my 2009 Top 5’s:

TOP 5 MOVIES
Adventureland (excellent taste in music only gets you so far- trust me)
District 9 (we are not very nice)
In The Loop (so plausible it’s horrifying)
Paranormal Activity (terror in the cul de sac)
The Hurt Locker (Survivor: Baghdad)

TOP 5 DVD'S
Tell No One (lovely Gallic mystery)
I Love You, Man (bromantic comedy)
4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (Romanian nightmare)
Sugar (real baseball saga)
Old Joy (Portland zen)

TOP 5 ALBUMS
Tinted Windows- s/t (Power Pop supergroup)
Kevin K & The Hollywood Stars- Cool Ways (rock & roll warrior)
Big Kid- You Must Be Kidding (California big stars)
Raspberries- Starting Over (Power Pop prototype)
Someloves- Something Or Other (more Mariani genius)

TOP 5 BOOKS
Drop City- TC Boyle (hippie indictment)
The Curious Incident of The Dog In The Night Time- Mark Haddon (autistic Hercule Poirot)
The Devil In The White City- Erik Larson (before civic duty morphed into community service)
Dear American Airlines- Jonathan Miles (extreme customer dissatisfaction)
The Ax- Donald Westlake (revenge of the downsized)

TOP 5 TELEVISION/CABLE SHOWS
The Wire Seasons 1-3 (Jimmy, Kima & Omar helped me through some tough times)
Modern Family (re-vitalizing the family sitcom)
Buffy The Vampire Slayer Season 4 (shame I was too snobby to tune in during its run)
Slings & Arrows Season 1 (Canadian Shakespeare festival follies)
John Adams (living U.S. history)

You can check out past Top 5 Lists at: http://ricktop5lists.blogspot.com/. I’d love to hear your best of 2009, so please feel free to respond with your favorites in any category. I always appreciate hearing about quality viewing, listening and reading material. Thanks- and here’s hoping for a better year in 2010!