Sunday, January 3, 2016

2015 Top 5 Lists

Happy New Year Everybody!  2015 had its ups and downs.  On the upside, I had a great time in our local production of Stephen Sondheim's Assassins and my radio show ALL KINDSA GIRLS has been proudly purveying Power Pop for eight years now.  On the downside- my teenage children are killing me.  That said, everyone is healthy and once again my 2015 was considerably brightened by the many great movies, TV shows, music and books I saw, heard and read.   Now, in a tradition that dates back to 1999, I humbly submit my 2015 Top 5's:

TOP 5 MOVIES
Room (12x12 heaven/hell)
Inside Out (= 5 years of therapy)
It Follows (and you thought chlamydia was bad!)
Me and Earl and The Dying Girl (Greg gains)
Spotlight // The Big Short (systemic failures that couldn't happen again.... right?!?)

TOP 5 DVD'S/WEB STREAMS
What We Do In The Shadows (vampilarious!)
Frank (=genius+mental illness)
Blue Ruin (revenge cuts both ways)
The Tall Man (parental nightmare)
'71 / Starred Up (Jack O'Connell has arrived)

TOP 5 ALBUMS
Nick Piunti- Beyond The Static (back to Detroit)
Kurt Baker- Play It Cool (my Maine man)
Chris Stamey- Euphoria / Tommy Keene- Laugh In The Dark (the masters reign)
Reno Bo- Lessons From A Shooting Star (my Nashville music)
Hamilton Original Cast Recording (an American original)

TOP 5 BOOKS
Fourth of July Creek- Smith Henderson (social work)
Redeployment- Phil Klay (horror stories)
The Good Lord Bird- James McBride (little onion blossoms)
Purity- Jonathan Franzen (in praise of Pip)
All The Light We Cannot See- Anthony Doerr (spirit of the radio)

TOP 5 TV SHOWS
Bloodline Season 1 (family feud)
The Bridge Season 1 (over seriously troubled water)
Scrotal Recall (great series, HORRIBLE name)
Rita Seasons 1 and 2 (hot for teacher)
The Americans Seasons 1 and 2 (the couple that spies together...)

Yes I cheated on the "Top 5" a little but it was that kind of year.  Also, not all of the above were released in 2015 but this is the year I caught up with them.  Please send your own 2015 favorites- I'm always on the look out for quality viewing/listening/reading material and maybe your selection will show up on next year's list.  Here's to an awesome 2016!!