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!
Monday, January 4, 2010
Saturday, February 14, 2009
2008 Top 5 Lists
Happy New Year! What can we say about 2008? For starters, I’m happy it’s over and I’m striving to remain optimistic about 2009. (On the plus side, hard times generally produce great art for future lists.) Thanks to DVD and hulu.com, the small screen finally gets a category in my tenth annual list. Not all of these selections came out last year, but that’s when I got around to them. So, unsolicited as always, I humbly submit my 2008 Top 5’s:
TOP 5 MOVIES
Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist (young love in/with NYC)
The Orphanage (Capra-esque horror)
Happy Go Lucky (anatomy of a truly happy person)
Rachel Getting Married (a trainwreck, yet I couldn’t look away)
Appaloosa (Ed & Viggo rock the Wild West)
TOP 5 DVD'S
Colma The Musical (authentic high school musical)
Be Kind Rewind (thoroughly sweded)
The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford (proto celebrity-stalker-homicide)
Talk To Me (back when radio ruled)
Gone Baby Gone (Southie hospitality)
TOP 5 LP'S/CD'S
The Hold Steady- Stay Positive (these sing a long songs will be our scriptures)
Titan: It’s All Pop! (Kansas City ‘78-82…powerpop’s halcyon days)
The Speedies- Speedy Delivery (hella hair and hooks with skinny ties too)
The Clash Live At Shea Stadium (rocks, despite the faux-hawk and imminent break-up)
Silver Sun- Dad’s Weird Dream (keeping the powerpop fires burning)
TOP 5 BOOKS
Lush Life- Richard Price (lower east side nightmare)
The Plot Against America- Philip Roth (guardian of liberty)
The Abstinence Teacher- Tom Perrotta (suburban jihad)
Then We Came To The End-Joshua Ferris (dot com bubbleheads)
Gentlemen of the Road- Michael Chabon (or as the author puts it “Jews with Swords”)
TOP 5 LIVE PERFORMANCES
AC/DC 12/4/08 Oracle Arena, Oakland (father-son bonding)
The Hold Steady/Drive By Truckers 11/24/08 The Fillmore, San Francisco (almost killed me)
“August Osage County” 7/26/08 Music Box Theater, NYC (full bore family dysfunction)
The Rubinoos 6/21/08 Great American Music Hall, San Francisco (powerpop gods rock the earth)
You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown 5/2/08 Trinity Church Sonoma, CA (a starlet is born)
TOP 5 TELEVISION/WEB SHOWS
Deadwood Seasons 2&3 (extreme manifest destiny)
Firefly Season 1 (cowboys in space, thanks hulu.com!)
Arrested Development Complete Series (be glad you’re not a Bluth, another hulu gem)
Dr. Horrible’s Sing-A-Long Blog (1st entry from the new small screen)
Lost Season 4 (mind bending flash forwards)
Let me know what you think and feel free to respond with Top 5’s of your own. I’m always on the lookout for material for future lists. Here’s to a brighter 2009!
TOP 5 MOVIES
Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist (young love in/with NYC)
The Orphanage (Capra-esque horror)
Happy Go Lucky (anatomy of a truly happy person)
Rachel Getting Married (a trainwreck, yet I couldn’t look away)
Appaloosa (Ed & Viggo rock the Wild West)
TOP 5 DVD'S
Colma The Musical (authentic high school musical)
Be Kind Rewind (thoroughly sweded)
The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford (proto celebrity-stalker-homicide)
Talk To Me (back when radio ruled)
Gone Baby Gone (Southie hospitality)
TOP 5 LP'S/CD'S
The Hold Steady- Stay Positive (these sing a long songs will be our scriptures)
Titan: It’s All Pop! (Kansas City ‘78-82…powerpop’s halcyon days)
The Speedies- Speedy Delivery (hella hair and hooks with skinny ties too)
The Clash Live At Shea Stadium (rocks, despite the faux-hawk and imminent break-up)
Silver Sun- Dad’s Weird Dream (keeping the powerpop fires burning)
TOP 5 BOOKS
Lush Life- Richard Price (lower east side nightmare)
The Plot Against America- Philip Roth (guardian of liberty)
The Abstinence Teacher- Tom Perrotta (suburban jihad)
Then We Came To The End-Joshua Ferris (dot com bubbleheads)
Gentlemen of the Road- Michael Chabon (or as the author puts it “Jews with Swords”)
TOP 5 LIVE PERFORMANCES
AC/DC 12/4/08 Oracle Arena, Oakland (father-son bonding)
The Hold Steady/Drive By Truckers 11/24/08 The Fillmore, San Francisco (almost killed me)
“August Osage County” 7/26/08 Music Box Theater, NYC (full bore family dysfunction)
The Rubinoos 6/21/08 Great American Music Hall, San Francisco (powerpop gods rock the earth)
You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown 5/2/08 Trinity Church Sonoma, CA (a starlet is born)
TOP 5 TELEVISION/WEB SHOWS
Deadwood Seasons 2&3 (extreme manifest destiny)
Firefly Season 1 (cowboys in space, thanks hulu.com!)
Arrested Development Complete Series (be glad you’re not a Bluth, another hulu gem)
Dr. Horrible’s Sing-A-Long Blog (1st entry from the new small screen)
Lost Season 4 (mind bending flash forwards)
Let me know what you think and feel free to respond with Top 5’s of your own. I’m always on the lookout for material for future lists. Here’s to a brighter 2009!
2007 Top 5 Lists
Happy New Year! I hope the start of 2008 finds you well. All in all, it was a pretty good year for film/music/books and live entertainment. It was especially difficult keeping the DVD list to five, now that so many great TV/cable shows are released in the format. While not all of the selections below came out last year, that is when I caught up with them (I live in Sonoma, give me a break). So, I humbly submit my 2007 Top 5’s:
TOP 5 MOVIES
Children Of Men (an incredible achievement in dystopian filmmaking)
Once (captures the thrill of musical collaboration)
The Lives Of Others (humanity conquers oppression)
3:10 To Yuma (the western will NEVER die)
Juno (she is invincible)
TOP 5 DVD'S
Flight Of The Conchords Season 1 (100% irony-free musical/comedic genius)
Lady Vengeance (what revenge really looks like)
Deadwood Season 1 (*#!%ing incredible)
Hard Candy (Juno as an American lady vengeance)
The Descent (all-time top horror film)
TOP 5 LP'S/CD'S
The Hold Steady- Boys & Girls In America (Kerouac with guitars blazing)
Ace Of Hearts Records- 12 Classic 45’s (Boston rock & roll soundtrack of my teenage years)
Sloan- Never Hear The End Of It (keeping the northern pop fires burning)
The Weakerthans- Reunion Tour (more proud Canucks, even a song about curling!)
Dinosaur Jr.- Beyond (biggest surprise of the year)
TOP 5 BOOKS
The Yiddish Policemen’s Union (alternative universe Philip Marlowstein)
Boomsday- Christopher Buckley (no one under 45 is laughing)
The Shadow Of The Wind- Carlos Ruiz Zafon (extreme bibliophilia)
No Country For Old Men- Cormac McCarthy (when did it all go wrong? 1980.)
Night Train- Martin Amis (existential noir)
TOP 5 LIVE PERFORMANCES
Sloan 4/30/07 The Independent, San Francisco (anti-shoegazers)
Cheap Trick 6/22/07 Sonoma-Marin Fair, Petaluma (Daddy’s all right)
The Weakerthans 10/03/07 Slim’s San Francisco (rock, pop and songs about a cat)
The Hold Steady 11/06/07 Mezzanine, San Francisco (keeping the rock & roll dream alive)
Elvis Costello & Clover 11/08/07 Great American Music Hall, San Francisco (an historic event)
Agree? Disagree? Let me know. Also, please respond with Top 5’s of your own. My quest for new viewing/listening/reading material is never-ending. Here’s to a great year in 2008!
TOP 5 MOVIES
Children Of Men (an incredible achievement in dystopian filmmaking)
Once (captures the thrill of musical collaboration)
The Lives Of Others (humanity conquers oppression)
3:10 To Yuma (the western will NEVER die)
Juno (she is invincible)
TOP 5 DVD'S
Flight Of The Conchords Season 1 (100% irony-free musical/comedic genius)
Lady Vengeance (what revenge really looks like)
Deadwood Season 1 (*#!%ing incredible)
Hard Candy (Juno as an American lady vengeance)
The Descent (all-time top horror film)
TOP 5 LP'S/CD'S
The Hold Steady- Boys & Girls In America (Kerouac with guitars blazing)
Ace Of Hearts Records- 12 Classic 45’s (Boston rock & roll soundtrack of my teenage years)
Sloan- Never Hear The End Of It (keeping the northern pop fires burning)
The Weakerthans- Reunion Tour (more proud Canucks, even a song about curling!)
Dinosaur Jr.- Beyond (biggest surprise of the year)
TOP 5 BOOKS
The Yiddish Policemen’s Union (alternative universe Philip Marlowstein)
Boomsday- Christopher Buckley (no one under 45 is laughing)
The Shadow Of The Wind- Carlos Ruiz Zafon (extreme bibliophilia)
No Country For Old Men- Cormac McCarthy (when did it all go wrong? 1980.)
Night Train- Martin Amis (existential noir)
TOP 5 LIVE PERFORMANCES
Sloan 4/30/07 The Independent, San Francisco (anti-shoegazers)
Cheap Trick 6/22/07 Sonoma-Marin Fair, Petaluma (Daddy’s all right)
The Weakerthans 10/03/07 Slim’s San Francisco (rock, pop and songs about a cat)
The Hold Steady 11/06/07 Mezzanine, San Francisco (keeping the rock & roll dream alive)
Elvis Costello & Clover 11/08/07 Great American Music Hall, San Francisco (an historic event)
Agree? Disagree? Let me know. Also, please respond with Top 5’s of your own. My quest for new viewing/listening/reading material is never-ending. Here’s to a great year in 2008!
2006 Top 5 Lists
Happy New Year! All in all, not a bad year- at least compared with the crapstorm that was 2005. Finally some sanity in the voting booth and Mother Nature didn’t go all biblical on us- maybe we should thank Al Gore. The list was hard to put together this year as I had a tough time limiting a few of the categories to five. Several selections below were not released last year, but that was when I finally caught up with them. It was a good year for live performances too, so I’ve included them as well. I now respectfully submit my 2006 Top 5’s.
TOP 5 MOVIES
Little Children (suburban horror movie)
Sweet Land (timeless love story)
The Departed (Marty’s back)
Tristram Shandy: A Cock & Bull Story (funniest of the year)
The Three Burials Of Melquiades Estrada (same old problems in the new west)
TOP 5 DVD'S/VIDEOS
Targets (Bogdonovich’s inspired debut B-movie/art film)
The Best Of Youth (Italian family saga- 100% mafia-free)
The Proposition (a genuine Western, in a different west)
Brick (contemporary high school noir)
Angels In America (elegy for the 20th Century)
TOP 5 LP'S/CD'S
The Weakerthans- Reconstruction Site (Winnipeg poetry with guitars blazing)
The Drams- Jubilee Dive (from the ashes of Slobberbone)
Pernice Brothers- Live A Little (so pretty, if you ignore the words)
Bloc Party- Silent Alarm (angular and beautiful)
Drive-By Truckers- A Blessing & A Curse (even in a world of hurt, it’s great to be alive)
TOP 5 BOOKS
King Dork- Frank Portman (rock & roll Holden Caufield)
The Darling- Russell Banks (politics wilt under the West African sun)
Never Let Me Go- Kazuo Ishiguro (sheep Dolly’s progeny)
Black Swan Green- David Mitchell (universal coming of age story)
On Beauty- Zadie Smith (higher education survival game)
TOP 5 LIVE PERFORMANCES
Drive-By Truckers 5/5 Fillmore SF (from acapella harmonies to thundering 3-guitar onslaught)
“The Lieutenant of Inishmore” 5/23 Lyceum Theatre NYC (blood drenched farce)
“Spring Awakening” 8/3 Atlantic Theater NYC (19th century German “Breakfast Club”)
The Drams 9/25 Bottom Of The Hill SF (they just can’t NOT rock)
“Passing Strange” 11/4 Berkeley Repertory Theater (Is Stew the new Sondheim?)
Now it’s your turn! Please respond with Top 5’s of your own- I’m always looking for new/different viewing/listening/reading material. Here’s to a great year in 2007!
TOP 5 MOVIES
Little Children (suburban horror movie)
Sweet Land (timeless love story)
The Departed (Marty’s back)
Tristram Shandy: A Cock & Bull Story (funniest of the year)
The Three Burials Of Melquiades Estrada (same old problems in the new west)
TOP 5 DVD'S/VIDEOS
Targets (Bogdonovich’s inspired debut B-movie/art film)
The Best Of Youth (Italian family saga- 100% mafia-free)
The Proposition (a genuine Western, in a different west)
Brick (contemporary high school noir)
Angels In America (elegy for the 20th Century)
TOP 5 LP'S/CD'S
The Weakerthans- Reconstruction Site (Winnipeg poetry with guitars blazing)
The Drams- Jubilee Dive (from the ashes of Slobberbone)
Pernice Brothers- Live A Little (so pretty, if you ignore the words)
Bloc Party- Silent Alarm (angular and beautiful)
Drive-By Truckers- A Blessing & A Curse (even in a world of hurt, it’s great to be alive)
TOP 5 BOOKS
King Dork- Frank Portman (rock & roll Holden Caufield)
The Darling- Russell Banks (politics wilt under the West African sun)
Never Let Me Go- Kazuo Ishiguro (sheep Dolly’s progeny)
Black Swan Green- David Mitchell (universal coming of age story)
On Beauty- Zadie Smith (higher education survival game)
TOP 5 LIVE PERFORMANCES
Drive-By Truckers 5/5 Fillmore SF (from acapella harmonies to thundering 3-guitar onslaught)
“The Lieutenant of Inishmore” 5/23 Lyceum Theatre NYC (blood drenched farce)
“Spring Awakening” 8/3 Atlantic Theater NYC (19th century German “Breakfast Club”)
The Drams 9/25 Bottom Of The Hill SF (they just can’t NOT rock)
“Passing Strange” 11/4 Berkeley Repertory Theater (Is Stew the new Sondheim?)
Now it’s your turn! Please respond with Top 5’s of your own- I’m always looking for new/different viewing/listening/reading material. Here’s to a great year in 2007!
2005 Top 5 Lists
Another year gone and my family has not been smited by Mother Nature. I consider us blessed- many have not been so lucky. SERIOUSLY!! WHAT IS GOING ON!! As the floodwaters recede in my town of Sonoma, I reflect on the cultural artifacts that made an impression on me in 2005 and respectfully submit my list of Top 5’s for the year. While many of the selections below were not released in the last year, 2005 was the year I first saw/heard/read them:
TOP 5 MOVIES
Brothers (cain/able vice-versa)
The 40-Year-Old Virgin (funniest since…..?)
The Squid and the Whale (sophistication/suffocation)
Me and You and Everyone We Know (a conversation/near divorce starter)
Junebug (southern gothic)
TOP 5 DVD'S/VIDEOS
Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (sex vs. love)
Fat Girl (puberty blues)
Fail-Safe (President Fonda)
3-Iron (helpful home invasion)
The Safety of Objects (neighborhood watch)
TOP 5 LP'S/CD'S
Fountains of Wayne- Out-Of-State-Plates (B-sides better than most group’s A-sides)
John Vanderslice- Pixel Revolt (pop horrors)
101’ers- Elgin Avenue Breakdown Revisited (Joe Strummer 101)
Big Star- In Space (The year’s biggest musical surprise)
The Killers- Hot Fuss (new band/old sound the kids and I dug)
TOP 5 BOOKS
Harbor- Lorraine Adams (millennium immigration story)
Killer On The Road- James Ellroy (psychobiography)
Gilead- Marilyn Robinson (father’s legacy)
Perv: A Love Story- Jerry Stahl (Stark, Bobby Stark)
Summerland- Michael Chabon (baseball odyssey)
Please feel free to respond with Top 5’s of your own as I am already looking for next year’s selections. Happy New Year- here’s to a natural disaster-free 2006.
TOP 5 MOVIES
Brothers (cain/able vice-versa)
The 40-Year-Old Virgin (funniest since…..?)
The Squid and the Whale (sophistication/suffocation)
Me and You and Everyone We Know (a conversation/near divorce starter)
Junebug (southern gothic)
TOP 5 DVD'S/VIDEOS
Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (sex vs. love)
Fat Girl (puberty blues)
Fail-Safe (President Fonda)
3-Iron (helpful home invasion)
The Safety of Objects (neighborhood watch)
TOP 5 LP'S/CD'S
Fountains of Wayne- Out-Of-State-Plates (B-sides better than most group’s A-sides)
John Vanderslice- Pixel Revolt (pop horrors)
101’ers- Elgin Avenue Breakdown Revisited (Joe Strummer 101)
Big Star- In Space (The year’s biggest musical surprise)
The Killers- Hot Fuss (new band/old sound the kids and I dug)
TOP 5 BOOKS
Harbor- Lorraine Adams (millennium immigration story)
Killer On The Road- James Ellroy (psychobiography)
Gilead- Marilyn Robinson (father’s legacy)
Perv: A Love Story- Jerry Stahl (Stark, Bobby Stark)
Summerland- Michael Chabon (baseball odyssey)
Please feel free to respond with Top 5’s of your own as I am already looking for next year’s selections. Happy New Year- here’s to a natural disaster-free 2006.
2004 Top 5 Lists
I can’t say I’m sorry to see the end of 2004. For various reasons the year already wasn’t going very well, then it finishes with one of the worst natural disasters of all time. Such suffering makes nearly everything else seem trivial, so I wasn’t sure I’d send out a list this year. Yet, the selections in my yearly “Top 5’s” are very important to me, perhaps even more so in years like 2004. So, I humbly submit the films, albums and books that, regardless of when they were actually released, made a considerable impression on me in the last twelve months. Please feel free to respond with a list of your own.
TOP 5 MOVIES
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter…& Spring (a film/poem)
Mean Creek (who’s the bully?)
We Don’t Live Here Anymore (love on the rocks)
The Return (from Russia with love)
Dogville (our town?)
TOP 5 DVD'S/VIDEOS
Freaks & Geeks Complete Series (the ultimate American coming-of-age story)
The Office Seasons 1&2 (it hurts sometimes, but you still can’t look away)
Broken Wings (universal family struggle)
Barbarians At The Gate (son redeems father and vice-versa)
Carandiru (scared straight)
TOP 5 LP'S/CD'S
Green Day- American Idiot (historical record of our times)
Sloan- Action Pact (Canadians rock too, eh?)
Wire- Chairs Missing (post punk original)
The Muffs- Really Really Happy (they ain’t kiddin’!)
Descendents- Cool To Be You (punk rock for adults)
TOP 5 BOOKS
Little Children- Tom Perrotta (parents are people too)
The Odd Sea- Frederick Reiken (little boy lost)
Lullaby- Chuck Palahniuk (I don’t even want to know where his inspiration comes from)
The Color Midnight Made- Andrew Winer (enter Conrad’s world)
Vernon God Little- DBC Pierre (misanthropy & mendacity- over the top or right on target?)
Happy New Year- I wish you all the best in 2005.
TOP 5 MOVIES
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter…& Spring (a film/poem)
Mean Creek (who’s the bully?)
We Don’t Live Here Anymore (love on the rocks)
The Return (from Russia with love)
Dogville (our town?)
TOP 5 DVD'S/VIDEOS
Freaks & Geeks Complete Series (the ultimate American coming-of-age story)
The Office Seasons 1&2 (it hurts sometimes, but you still can’t look away)
Broken Wings (universal family struggle)
Barbarians At The Gate (son redeems father and vice-versa)
Carandiru (scared straight)
TOP 5 LP'S/CD'S
Green Day- American Idiot (historical record of our times)
Sloan- Action Pact (Canadians rock too, eh?)
Wire- Chairs Missing (post punk original)
The Muffs- Really Really Happy (they ain’t kiddin’!)
Descendents- Cool To Be You (punk rock for adults)
TOP 5 BOOKS
Little Children- Tom Perrotta (parents are people too)
The Odd Sea- Frederick Reiken (little boy lost)
Lullaby- Chuck Palahniuk (I don’t even want to know where his inspiration comes from)
The Color Midnight Made- Andrew Winer (enter Conrad’s world)
Vernon God Little- DBC Pierre (misanthropy & mendacity- over the top or right on target?)
Happy New Year- I wish you all the best in 2005.
2003 Top 5 Lists
Happy New Year to you all! It’s that time again... Completely unsolicited, though painstakingly detailed, lovingly compiled and respectfully submitted, here are lists of the films, videos/DVD's, LPs'/CD's and books I enjoyed most in 2003:
TOP 5 MOVIES
Rabbit Proof Fence (evil done despite best intentions)
Thirteen (Nica will be holding at 12 forever, thanks)
The Man Without A Past (Finland Rocks!)
The Secret Lives of Dentists (no root canals, but still SCARY)
28 Days Later (finally some good eatin' in London)
TOP 5 VIDEOS/DVD'S
The Believer (=teenage identity crisis x infinity)
Raising Victor Vargas (romance without the "comedy")
Blue Car (full contact poetry)
Intacto (lucky? if not, this may be why)
No Such Thing (millennium monster...literally)
TOP 5 LP'S/CD'S
Avenue Q Original Broadway Cast Recording (Sesame Street for 22 year olds)
Slobberbone- Everything You Thought Was Right Was Wrong Today (an all-time American original)
Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros- Streetcore (redemption/epitaph)
No Thanks! The 70's Punk Rebellion (yeah, well I've still forgotten more than you'll ever know, I think)
Rooney-s/t (powerful pop)
TOP 5 BOOKS
Atonement- Ian McEwen (family secrets and lies)
Wonder When You'll Miss Me- Amanda Davis (RIP way too soon)
Samaritan- Richard Price (society's microscope)
Boy Still Missing- John Searles (childhood trauma)
Plainclothes Naked- Jerry Stahl (such depravity!)
Feel free to respond with a list of your own. Here's to a great 2004!
TOP 5 MOVIES
Rabbit Proof Fence (evil done despite best intentions)
Thirteen (Nica will be holding at 12 forever, thanks)
The Man Without A Past (Finland Rocks!)
The Secret Lives of Dentists (no root canals, but still SCARY)
28 Days Later (finally some good eatin' in London)
TOP 5 VIDEOS/DVD'S
The Believer (=teenage identity crisis x infinity)
Raising Victor Vargas (romance without the "comedy")
Blue Car (full contact poetry)
Intacto (lucky? if not, this may be why)
No Such Thing (millennium monster...literally)
TOP 5 LP'S/CD'S
Avenue Q Original Broadway Cast Recording (Sesame Street for 22 year olds)
Slobberbone- Everything You Thought Was Right Was Wrong Today (an all-time American original)
Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros- Streetcore (redemption/epitaph)
No Thanks! The 70's Punk Rebellion (yeah, well I've still forgotten more than you'll ever know, I think)
Rooney-s/t (powerful pop)
TOP 5 BOOKS
Atonement- Ian McEwen (family secrets and lies)
Wonder When You'll Miss Me- Amanda Davis (RIP way too soon)
Samaritan- Richard Price (society's microscope)
Boy Still Missing- John Searles (childhood trauma)
Plainclothes Naked- Jerry Stahl (such depravity!)
Feel free to respond with a list of your own. Here's to a great 2004!
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