There is a Light That Never Goes Out

The Move

2010-06-25T19:58:00.002-05:00

It's already begun, but soon this site will be obsolete. New posts will be found exclusively on the brand new kipmooney.com. It's more professional and has more features (it's a WordPress blog). Plus, I'm paying for hosting through GoDaddy, so I might as well use it. I'll eventually try to move all these archives over here, but it'll probably just be the "Best of the Decade" posts for now.

See you at my new place.

Summer Movie Doldrums

2010-05-14T13:47:00.008-05:00

School's officially out, so the summer movie season is upon us. Alas, it appears this is going to be a rather weak summer with very little to get riled up about. More empty sequels, romantic comedies that rip off other romantic comedies and a so-called family film that actually looks worse than Garfield. So here's your guide to the slim pickins, the ones you could actually spend your money on. Conveniently, it's a guide from Memorial Day to Labor Day, because after you've seen Iron Man 2--there may be a full review later, but for now it's just a solid B--there's not much else until then.

The A-Team (11 June)
Starring Bradley Cooper, Liam Neeson, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, Sharlto Copley
Written by Joe Carnahan & Brian Bloom and Skip Woods
Directed by Joe Carnahan
Updated from the over-the-top '80s TV series, the impeccable cast stars as the framed team of Army operatives out for revenge against those who set them up. Director Joe Carnahan's last flick was the obnoxiously loud, pointless Smokin' Aces which should cause some alarm. Still, this looks about as entertaining as they come.

Toy Story 3 (18 June)
Starring the voices of Tim Allen, Tom Hanks, Michael Keaton
Written by Michael Arndt
Directed by Lee Unkrich
While it's no doubt Pixar is on the longest creative hot-streak of any filmmaking entity in history, this sequel looks like it may top even its previous peaks (WALL•E, Up, the first two Toy Story installments) thanks to keeping the story within its own timeline--Andy is now headed off to college and may no longer need his beloved toys--and a script from Academy Award winnner Michael Arndt, who found a wealth of humor and honesty in Little Miss Sunshine.

The Last Airbender (2 July)
Starring Jackson Rathbone, Dev Patel, Shaun Toab
Written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan
Perhaps the riskiest of all the summer blockbusters. Based on the animated Nickelodeon series, it's your typical imported every-entity-for-itself melee. But after issues with its inappropriate casting and a bizarre choice of director, it's unclear how this one will turn out. Yet I think the big Shyamalan-style twist is that this is actually going to be awesome.

Despicable Me (9 July)
Starring the voices of Steve Carell, Jason Segel, Kristen Wiig
Written by Ken Daurio, Cinco Paul
Directed by Pierre Coffin & Chris Renaud
Thanks to genius campaigning, this has a genuine shot at winning the third-place animated film box office finish (after Toy Story 3 and what I pray to God is the last installment of Shrek). Carell voices Gru, who comfortably enjoys life as the World's Greatest Super-Villain until three orphans show up on his doorstep and his title is threatened by Vortex (Segel). Expect a high level of intelligence to balance out the saccharine and prepare for the most pleasant surprise since Monsters vs. Aliens.

Inception (16 July)
Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Ellen Page, Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Written and directed by Christopher Nolan
If you have a brain and 10 bucks, this is the only movie to spend your money on. Nolan's latest thought-provoking popcorn flick stars DiCaprio (who deserves an Oscar for Shutter Island, and frankly for being the hardest-working actor around) as sort of psychological master thief who... well, frankly, nothing in the trailer reveals much of anything in the way of plot. Regardless, this looks to be the most impressive but enigmatic blockbuster this summer.

Dinner for Schmucks (23 July)
Starring Paul Rudd, Steve Carell, Zach Galifianakis
Written by Andy Borowitz, David Guion, Michael Handelman, Francis Veber, et al
Directed by Jay Roach
The ever-consistent Rudd plays a banker looking for a promotion at the douchiest of firms, who insists on his attendance at a party where the bourgeoisie mock those in the lower strata. Based on the French comedy The Dinner Game, the film likely has a lot more to say than its trailer lets on, and it'll be nice to Roach stretch himself beyond the Austin Powers and Fockers franchises.

Get Low (30 July, limited)
Starring Bill Murray, Robert Duvall, Sissy Spacek
Written by Chris Provenzano and C. Gaby Mitchell
Directed by Aaron Schneider
It's hard to think of a reason why Sony would release this in the heat of summer and not push it during awards season, but thankfully there will be some older-people fare. Duvall plays a hermit who wants to throw his funeral before he dies and have the townsfolk share their stories, memories and tall tales about him. Murray plays the shady funeral parlor owner who wants to parlay this event into a money-making scheme. Think of it as sort of a dark Big Fish. I'm still waiting for a trailer remix featuring Lil Jon (NSFW).

The Other Guys (6 August)
Starring Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Samuel L. Jackson, The Rock
Written by Adam McKay & Chris Henchy
Directed by Adam McKay
McKay's a tough director to crack. His movies as a whole always follow the same pattern: initially hilarious --> not as funny the second time around --> memorably hysterical --> brilliant. His latest, and fourth with Ferrell, finds the increasingly naked (yeesh) comedian playing a detective stunted in his career. When he partners with Wahlberg (who showed comic panache in Date Night), the two uncover a major case. Ideally, this will follow Step Brothers' lead and earn an R rating (NSFW).

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (13 August)
Starring Michael Cera, Alison Pill, Anna Kendrick
Written by Michael Bacall & Edgar Wright
Directed by Edgar Wright
It appears Michael Cera is at a crossroads. Despite consistent work in his last three pictures (I'm excluding the alleged comedy Year One and 2009's second-worst movie Paper Heart), it seems as if he's never been more ready to break out of his typecast roles. And what better way to torpedo that nice kid image than with a movie about a nice kid who has to become a ruthless fighter. To win his love's hand forever, he has to defeat her seven evil ex-lovers. While the comic book's rabid fanbase will probably find plenty to nitpick, there's no one better to balance action, heart and witty dialogue than Wright (Hot Fuzz).

The American (1 September, limited)
Starring George Clooney, Bruce Altman, Thekla Reuten
Written by Rowan Joffe
Directed by Anton Corbijn
Further proof that Clooney is among our greatest movie stars. Here he plays a deeply conflicted international assassin, in Italy for one last gig. Corbijn, who cut his teeth with atmospheric music videos for U2, Depeche Mode and the Killers, knows how to create moody, substantive pictures with breathtaking cinematography. Expect no easy answers other than a beautiful, haunting film.

Machete (3 September)
Starring Danny Trejo, Robert de Niro, Jessica Alba
Written by Robert Rodriguez
Directed by Robert Rodriguez & Ethan Maniquis
Even though I picked Grindhouse as one of my 10 favorite movies of 2007, the best part was the fake trailers (NSFW). Thankfully, Rodriguez is turning one of those (NSFW) into a full-length feature. And with a Hobo with a Shotgun film on the way as well, I hope Eli Roth follows suit (NSFW). Trejo, who pretty much plays the Hispanic who gets gunned down in every movie, finally gets a starring role as a day laborer set up for the attempted murder of a Texas senator. It's essentially a gorier, grittier version of Shooter, and with the recent Arizona immigration law, the film has taken a surprisingly timely turn (NSFW).

Better Late than Never: Best Music of 2009

2010-03-25T15:29:00.016-05:00

So in my valiant efforts to chronicle the best of everything of the first decade of this millennium, I got way behind in my best of the year duties. Now, without further ado, here is the last piece: the best music of the past year.

BEST ALBUMS

1. Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion (Domino)
As if it could have been anything else. Since it dropped in January, the group has had this spot staked out. Their landmark ninth record is their most accessible but also their most brilliant. Unlike some past outings, which found them pushing every sonic boundary possible, they seemed to have reined themselves in to create a work that's at once distinctly theirs and yet friendly enough to land a spot on Letterman. And here's the real feat: it's their best-selling album to date, yet none of their fan base has dared cry "sell out!"

2. David Crowder*Band – Church Music (sixsteps)
Quite simply the most ambitious album ever released under the "contemporary Christian" banner. Meticulously engineered, this isn't a sway-with-your-arms-in-the-air Praise & Worship record. It's a God-has-pierced-directly-into-my-heart book of psalms. Determined, but not crafted, to offend orthodox sensibilities, this is the sound of awe at an unbelievably loving God.

3. Phil Wickham – Heaven & Earth (INO)
Religious or not, this is the year's best pop album. Wickham has always been the most exciting voice in Christian music, and he's shown tremendous growth since his 2006 debut. While the album sometimes borrows a little too heavily from Viva la Vida, this is a bold, unabashedly joyous hope for things to come.

4. Death Cab for Cutie – The Open Door (Atlantic)
How can someone married to Zooey Deschanel still be so sad? It doesn't much matter, because the five original songs on this EP are perhaps the best Ben Gibbard has ever written. He's never been more vulnerable on "A Diamond and a Tether" and "I was Once a Loyal Lover," two songs that seem to contradict one another. "Diamond" seems to admit that he's not worth holding onto, while "Lover" laments at how unfair it is that he's alone. I would tell him to cheer up, but not when the music is this good.

5. Bon Iver – Blood Bank (Jagjaguwar)
Usually follow-up EPs are just castaways that weren't good enough for the album. But Bon Iver's second effort is actually better than his first. It's doubtful there are better stories than four contained on this extended play. The haunting title track could be one of the Best American Short Stories, were it not accompanied by uneasy guitar work and husky vocals. A concise, brilliant work. Can't wait to see what he does next.

6. U2 – No Line on the Horizon (Interscope)
After 25 years and thousands of concerts, you'd think maybe they'd just phone it in once in a while. Not so with the legendary Irish band. This is their most spiritual album to date, with Bono wrestling with thoughts of faith–and accepting some too–inside a stadium. Big rock albums aren't supposed to have this much thought and care put into them, but then U2's never done what was expected. Oh, and they also happened to put on the best concert of all time.

7. The Avett Brothers – I and Love and You (American)
Sure, they're good at whistling and fun little summertime folk ballads, but it's time to get serious on this album. Like a mixtape built for a road trip to hell the family serves up a baker's dozen of tracks that prove they may not know exactly where they're headed–personally or musically–but they're going to create the best music they can along the way.

8. Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix (V2)
In keeping with the theme of '09 – experimental music with universal lyrics – the French band made their best album to date and finally gained the attention they deserved with two inescapable singles, "Lisztomania" and "1901." As always with the band, don't be fooled by how giddy it sounds. There's a headful of doubt singing those lyrics.

9. The xx – xx (Young Turks)
How bad do I feel that these twentysomethings have already done something incredible? The British duo have crafted a dreamy landscape with call-and-response vocals searching through the vast thicket of love unrequited and returned, because either leads to tremendous uncertainty. A stunning debut.

10. Kid Cudi – Man on the Moon: The End of Day (Universal Motown)
Easily the best rap album of the year, simply because he's more interested in honesty than credibility. Choosing to collaborate with MGMT over Lil Wayne won't do much for radio play ("Day 'n' Nite" notwithstanding), but it does make much better music. And until Lupe Fiasco returns with Lasers some time in 2010, Cudi is the most imaginative man in hip-hop.

HONORABLE MENTIONS
Amadou & Mariam – Welcome to Mali, Camera Obscura – My Maudlin Career, fun. – Aim and Ignite, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, St. Vincent – Actor, The Swell Season – Strict Joy, 500 Days of Summer soundtrack, Away We Go soundtrack, Fantastic Mr. Fox soundtrack, War Child Presents: Heroes

BEST MUSIC VIDEOS

1. Lady Gaga – "Bad Romance"

Directed by Francis Lawrence
Always one for shock value, Lady Gaga's most out-there video yet is the best of the year simply because it was like nothing else out there. It raised more questions than it answered and it's David Lynch-level disturbing, by you're still going to be rattling your head for days after watching it. And that's the hallmark of a memorable video.

2. The Avett Brothers – "Slight Figure of Speech"

Directed by Jody Hill
Jody Hill was on a creative roll in 2009, even if no one was aware. Between this video, HBO's Eastbound and Down and the criminally underrated Observe and Report, it's clear he's one of the most exciting voices in film. Yes, he's dark, but also hysterical and truly gets the lower-middle class, "I'm-ashamed-but-somewhat-excited-my-family-is-on-COPS-right-now" he's always using as a backdrop for his stories.

3. Phoenix – "Listzomania"

Directed by Sarah Newhouse
Video mash-ups are nothing new, but this YouTube user captured the excited-but-terrified spirit of the song by putting it alongside clips from the late master of teen angst John Hughes. Mannequin probably shouldn't be in there, or mentioned period, but the feel of the video is pure uncertainty–in the best way.

4. Coldplay – "Life in Technicolor II"

Directed by Dougal Wilson
Perhaps the group's most imaginative video to date, and that's saying something. The puppeteering is wondrous, not gimmicky. And though it is a bit cute, it's not obnoxiously so. After more than a decade together, this video proves the band is still keeping creativity first in mind.

5. HEALTH – "Die Slow"
Directed by John Famiglietti
The house show from hell, almost literally. The sound teeters between excitement and terror, as if the party could go south–and possibly deadly–at any moment.

A MIX OF THE BEST SINGLES
1. Miley Cyrus – “Party in the USA”
2. Animal Collective – “My Girls”
3. Phoenix – “1901”
4. Grizzly Bear and Michael McDonald – “While You Wait for the Others”
5. White Lies – “Death”
6. U2 – “I Know I’ll Go Crazy if I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight”
7. Dirty Projectors – “Stillness is the Move”
8. Mat Kearney – “Closer to Love”
9. Julian Casablancas – “11th Dimension”
10. Jay-Z and Alicia Keys – “Empire State of Mind”
11. HEALTH – “Die Slow”
12. Camera Obscura – “French Navy”
13. The Avett Brothers – “I and Love and You”
14. David Crowder*Band – “How He Loves”
15. Glee Cast – “Don’t Stop Believin’”

In no particular order, these songs best represent the cross-section of pop music.

Better Late than Never: Best Film of 2009

2010-03-12T15:24:00.010-06:00

So, in my valiant efforts to complete my best of the decade lists, I fell behind in doing my best of the year lists. So here's what I found to be the best in film of the last year, condensed and revised a bit from years past.

Top 10 films of 2009:

1. Up (dir. Pete Docter)
No other film this year left me in as much awe as Pixar's latest masterpiece. Emotionally and cinematically, I was left breathless. So rare is the film that has a script that explores to match the action on-screen. But Up has it all. And, as I've mentioned every time I talk about this movie, if you don't well up in the first 10 minutes, there's something wrong with you.

2. Up in the Air (dir. Jason Reitman)
Though shamefully snubbed at the Oscars, Jason Reitman's best film yet couldn't be more timely. In this era of massive layoffs and delayed intimacy, this film deftly balances comedy and drama and ends on an ambiguous note. Clooney is at the top of his game, and Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick are rising stars for a reason. The added reality of interviews with real jobless folks only gives this movie that much more of an impact.

3. Inglourious Basterds (dir. Quentin Tarantino)
Y'know, after you see a movie six times in as many months, you start notice things. Like how much attention to detail is paid in every scene, how this is a movie that's entertaining for the casual moviegoer yet especially enthralling for the film geek, and how Christoph Waltz gives one of the most perfect performances in the history of cinema. Tarantino's best.

4. The Hurt Locker (dir. Kathryn Bigelow)
Not quite the year's best picture, but the best movie ever made about Iraq. Bigelow's powder-keg of a movie pulls this off by remaining mostly apolitical and focusing on the soldier's themselves and how, even after witnessing the horrors of war firsthand, they can do nothing but run right back to it. Oscar nominee Jeremy Renner is racing to save others' lives, but he's really in a countdown with his own grip on reality.

5. Fantastic Mr. Fox (dir. Wes Anderson)
Every single thing about this adaptation of Roald Dahl's novel works, unless you're a kid. Anderson's vision of a fox (Clooney, effortless as usual) dying to return to his life of thievery is an excellent parallel to the millions of men looking to re-claim their youth after years stuck in a desk job--and the repercussions of that quest. It's also a surprisingly well-done endorsement for close-knit families. In a day and age where we're more fragmented than ever, this is the rare example of having a movie as an ideal.

6. Where the Wild Things Are (dir. Spike Jonze)
Speaking of movies that aren't for kids, Spike Jonze's years-in-the-making take on Maurice Sendak's seminal children's book is painted in just the right shades. Every shot of the camera, every line, every musical cue, is a reminder of the utter confusion of being 10 years old. These Wild Things are more than outlandish characters; they're parts of young Max's psyche. But if you think for a second there's no fun to be had along the way, watch and re-gain your sense of adventure.

7. 500 Days of Summer (dir. Marc Webb)
Finally, a romantic comedy with some honesty. There's not a single unauthentic moment in Marc Webb's directorial debut. Two of our generation's brightest actors: Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel star as the star-crossed lovers, and each brings just the right touches to the roles of the Smiths-obsessed sad-sack and the bright, worldly dream girl. The shuffling scenes don't feel like a gimmick, but like reality.

8. Departures (dir. Yōjirō Takita)
Though it probably shouldn't have won Best Foreign Language Film over Waltz with Bashir, I'm glad it did because otherwise I'd never have seen it. Another timely movie about how closely related jobs and dignity are. This Japanese import runs a little long but every scene rewards the viewer. Especially touching is the marriage between the main characters. While lots of Oscar bait focuses on relationships deteriorating, here's one that has its problems but truly believes love conquers all.

9. Away We Go (dir. Sam Mendes)
And while we're on the subject of inspiring movie relationships, John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph couldn't be better as the common-law spouses who criss-cross the country looking for guidance as they're about to have their first child. While many critics dismissed it as smug, I couldn't be more compelled by these two rebels, who aren't impressed with any of the methods of parenting they've seen thus far. But the scene that sticks with me is Krasinski's conversation with Chris Messina, who seems to have a perfect life but is harboring an unbelievable weight of sadness. Mendes shows surprising restraint and the result is a little knock-out of a movie.

10. Tyson (dir. James Toback)
Don't call it a comeback. Between this and his head-scratching cameo in The Hangover, the most interesting man in movies today is the former Heavyweight Champion of the World. It may be a little too broad to call itself a documentary, this is a riveting portrait of a shattered man. That face tattoo is a mask, and here we get glimpses behind it.

Runners-up (in alphabetical order): Adventureland, Crazy Heart, District 9, The Hangover, I Love You Man, The Informant!, The Invention of Lying, Observe and Report, Precious, Zombieland

Best Movies You Didn't See:

Assassination of a High School President (dir. Brett Simon)
Unfortunately relegated to DVD after its distributor went bankrupt, this little gem that premiered at Sundance in 2008 is a quirky masterpiece. Like Brick but with a snarky sense of humor, Reese Thompson is dead-on as the goofy gumshoe who falls hard for femme fatale Mischa Barton. It's somewhere between Encyclopedia Brown and Chinatown, but first-time director Simon pulls it off masterfully.

Black Dynamite (dir. Scott Sanders)
A funkadelic homage/parody of '70s blaxploitation flicks. With deliberately shoddy camerawork and gratuitous nudity, this is a brilliant send-up of an era that never knew when to say when. There's also a cavalcade of black character actors it was great to see again, and the best climax ever: Richard Nixon. With nunchucks. As Dynamite's harem would say: satisfying, very satisfying.

The Brothers Bloom (dir. Rian Johnson)
The only thing hiding up the sleeve of Johnson's follow-up to Brick is its tremendous heart. There's as much about brotherly love as their is for the love of conning. Rachel Weisz shines as the peppy love interest of Bloom (Adrien Brody), and Oscar nominee Rinko Kikuchi is as vibrant as ever, though I'd wish she'd finally pick a role where she actually talks. It's a deft little picture and one you should definitely seek out.

Fifty Dead Men Walking (dir. Kari Skogland)
Based on Martin McGartland's 1997 autobiography, this is a gripping Irish thriller that hearkens back to they heyday of '70s paranoia thrillers. At times unbearably tense, the movie isn't relentless but it creates such an uneasy atmosphere that it seems as if someone could disappear at any moment, just like Northern Ireland in the early '90s. Ben Kingsley is great–as if anything else would even be a possibility–and Jim Sturgess has never, ever been this good.

Moon (dir. Duncan Jones)
What an amazing year for sci-fi. Between this, District 9 and Star Trek, Wells and Lovecraft would be thrilled. In Jones' first feature: Sam Rockwell plays a lunar miner, with only a few days left before he returns to Earth. But as the hours grow longer, his world starts unraveling. What he reveals is human nature at its darkest. Simply brilliant.

Better Late than Never: Best Television of 2009

2010-03-05T14:13:00.014-06:00

I was considering not even doing a list this year, basically because these are about the only shows I watch anymore. There may be a "Golden Age of Television" upon us, but I don't have the time or patience to sit through most serialized shows. So here's the best of what I actually sat through.

1. Modern Family (ABC)

A brilliant mockumentary series about the interconnecting lives of three related families. Each character is extremely well-written, something we haven't seen since the days of Arrested Development. While it's always howlingly funny, what keeps me coming back is the show's tremendous heart.

2. Friday Night Lights (NBC)

No show should be able to keep up this much steam headed into its fourth season. But the football drama always remains compelling, no matter how many times a game comes down to the last play of the fourth quarter. But it's really what happens off the field that works so well: how characters change into something the viewer didn't expect.

3. The It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Christmas Special (FX)

A vicious parody of A Christmas Carol and unsettling trip back to childhood for Charlie and Mac, nothing made me laugh harder than this extended episode (only available on DVD). With everything from stealing presents, gentlemen callers dressed as Santa and a gory Rankin-Bass tribute, this was the most grisly piece of Christmas entertainment since Bad Santa.

4. The Daily Show with Jon Stewart/The Colbert Report (Comedy Central)

Scarily, this is still the place to get the most accurate news on cable. Both of these guys are pros at making Democrats and Republicans look foolish, which they are. It's also still a painful reminder that no in Washington is looking to help you.

5. Community (NBC)

The new Friends, and that's not a slight. While much of the humor comes from the characters' tendencies and behavior--not necessarily just jokes--most viewers genuinely care about these characters, each of them with just the right amount of layering. A stroke of genius.

6. The Simpsons (Fox)
You may be asking yourself how a show with more than 450 episodes under its belt can remain funny and relevant, but between episodes about underperforming schools and a No Country for Old Men parody and a Da Vinci Code spoof infinitely better than the movie, it still works.

7. The Office (NBC)
Though I've said many negative things about this show (and about how it wants to be the next Friends--without actually doing a lot of the work. Boom! Roasted!), it's making my list because of two masterful episodes: the rib-crushing "Stress Relief" and the tear-jerking "Niagara". Both episodes find the show at its peak with side-splitting humor and the right amount of heart.

8. American Idol (Fox)

Another show that still manages to be engaging after numerous seasons. The showdown between the flashy Adam Lambert and the down-home Kris Allen led to the most exciting finale in years (or least since the previous year) and further proof that some reality shows are worth your time.

9. Glee (Fox)
Though it doesn't always stay on point and strays into becoming an hourlong commercial for the soundtrack (available on iTunes!!!), this is the best time to catch the series. Because if it goes on for too long, Ryan Murphy (Nip/Tuck) won't know what to do and start making it up as he goes along.

10. The Singing Bee (CMT)
In the era of Mad Men and Big Love, why on earth would I pick a goofy karaoke show on a station dedicated to country music? Because, well, it's simply appointment television. It's fun, easy-to-follow and watching Melissa Peterman make a fool of herself week after week is more entertaining than just about anything else on the air.

Oscar Predictions 2010

2010-03-04T21:27:00.003-06:00

I've now seen 9 of the 10 Best Picture nominees (except Avatar, natch) so I feel I can make some honest predictions. Here goes:

BEST PICTURE
Avatar
The Blind Side
District 9
An Education
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Precious
A Serious Man
Up
Up in the Air

With 10 nominees, this category is getting harder than ever to predict. While Avatar may have "changed the way we look at movies" (blah blah blah), many folks are quick to criticize its lack of an original story (it's Pocahantas/Fern Gully/Dances with Wolves from what I've heard) and even Morgan Freeman himself called it "basically cartoons." Then there's The Hurt Locker which everyone loves but no one's seen and the last thing the Academy wants to do, especially with lots of popular films nominated, is give the big award to a movie the audience will respond with a big "huh?" That's why I think the timely, crowd-pleasing Up in the Air will sneak in and win it all.

SHOULD WIN: Up
COULD WIN: The Hurt Locker
WILL WIN: Up in the Air
SHOULD HAVE BEEN HERE: 500 Days of Summer

BEST DIRECTOR
Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
James Cameron, Avatar
Lee Daniels, Precious
Jason Reitman, Up in the Air
Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds

Directing in four different languages from a multi-layered script in a variety of different styles should be enough for Tarantino to win his first directing Oscar, but it won't be. Cameron, though he spent a good 10 years on Avatar, already has a statuette. So I think Bigelow will make history when she becomes the first woman (out of only four ever) to win for directing.

SHOULD WIN: Quentin Tarantino
COULD WIN: Jason Reitman
WILL WIN: Kathryn Bigelow
SHOULD HAVE BEEN HERE: Spike Jonze, Where the Wild Things Are

BEST ACTOR
Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
George Clooney, Up in the Air
Colin Firth, A Single Man
Morgan Freeman, Invictus
Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker

Though it seemed early on that Morgan Freeman would walk away easily for playing Nelson Mandela, the late surge by the incomparable Jeff Bridges will be unstoppable--and deserving.

SHOULD & WILL WIN: Jeff Bridges
COULD WIN: George Clooney
SHOULD HAVE BEEN HERE: Matt Damon, The Informant!

BEST ACTRESS
Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
Helen Mirren, The Last Station
Carey Mulligan, An Education
Gabourey Sidibe, Precious
Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia

While I love Bullock's take-no-B.S. Southern belle matron, I'm still most impressed with Sidibe. Though the Oscars will feel that she's got a lot more in her--and will reward her later in life.

SHOULD WIN: Gabourey Sidibe
COULD WIN: Meryl Streep
WILL WIN: Sandra Bullock
SHOULD HAVE BEEN HERE: Mélanie Laurent, Inglourious Basterds

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Matt Damon, Invictus
Woody Harrelson, The Messenger
Christopher Plummer, The Last Station
Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones
Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds

There's nothing more to be said. Christoph will Waltz away with this Oscar. (Yes, I'm ashamed for making that pun.)

SHOULD & WILL WIN: Christoph Waltz
COULD WIN: No one else
SHOULD HAVE BEEN HERE: Zach Galifianakis, The Hangover

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Penélope Cruz, Nine
Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air
Maggie Gyllenhaal, Crazy Heart
Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
Mo’Nique, Precious

In any other year, I'd give it to Anna Kendrick. But like Gabby Sidibe, she'll have her chance down the road. This year--although something tells me Farmiga could sneak in here--Mo'Nique's towering performance as a pig-feet eating ball of rage and hurt has no competition.

SHOULD & WILL WIN: Mo'Nique
COULD WIN: Vera Farmiga
SHOULD HAVE BEEN HERE: Marion Cotillard, Public Enemies

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Coraline
Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Princess and the Frog
The Secret of Kells
Up

SHOULD & WILL WIN: Up
COULD WIN: Fantastic Mr. Fox
SHOULD HAVE BEEN HERE: Monsters vs. Aliens

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Burma VJ
The Cove
Food, Inc.
The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers
Which Way Home

SHOULD & WILL WIN: The Cove
COULD WIN: Food, Inc.
SHOULD HAVE BEEN HERE: Tyson

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Mark Boal, The Hurt Locker
Alessandro Camon & Oren Moverman, The Messenger
Joel Coen & Ethan Coen, A Serious Man
Bob Peterson, Pete Docter and Tom McCarthy, Up
Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds

SHOULD & WILL WIN: Quentin Tarantino
COULD WIN: Mark Boal
SHOULD HAVE BEEN HERE: Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber, 500 Days of Summer

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci and Tony Roche, In the Loop
Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell, District 9
Geoffrey Fletcher, Precious
Nick Hornby, An Education
Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner, Up in the Air

SHOULD & WILL WIN: Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner
COULD WIN: Geoffrey Fletcher
SHOULD HAVE BEEN HERE: Wes Anderson & Noah Baumbach, Fantastic Mr. Fox

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
“Almost There” from The Princess and the Frog
“Down in New Orleans” from The Princess and the Frog
“Loin de Paname” from Paris 36
“Take it All” from Nine
“The Weary Kind” from Crazy Heart

SHOULD & WILL WIN: “The Weary Kind”
COULD WIN: “Almost There”
SHOULD HAVE BEEN HERE: “Stu's Song” from The Hangover

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders, The Hurt Locker
Alexandre Desplat, Fantastic Mr. Fox
Michael Giacchino, Up
James Horner, Avatar
Hans Zimmer, Sherlock Holmes

SHOULD & WILL WIN: Michael Giacchino
COULD WIN: James Horner
SHOULD HAVE BEEN HERE: Marvin Hamlisch, The Informant!

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Avatar
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
The White Ribbon

SHOULD WIN & COULD WIN: The Hurt Locker
WILL WIN: The White Ribbon
SHOULD HAVE BEEN HERE: Where the Wild Things Are

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Avatar
District 9
Star Trek

SHOULD WIN: District 9
COULD WIN: Star Trek
WILL WIN: Avatar
SHOULD HAVE BEEN HERE: Knowing

Better Late than Never: Revisionary Road 2008

2010-02-24T11:13:00.010-06:00

In undertaking the massive project of blogging about the best television, music and film of the first decade of the 21st Century, I'm wildly behind on doing my best of 2009. Something I started last year (even though looking back, I should do this again--it's amazing how much your tastes change in the matter of a couple years) is a great start to what I loved in the past year. So before I get into the best of 2009, let's take a look back at what I thought was the best of 2008 (at the time), and what I think now. Revisions are in bold.

FILMS:

The Dark Knight (dir. Christopher Nolan)
Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father (dir. Kurt Kuenne)
Doubt (dir. John Patrick Shanley)
Forgetting Sarah Marshall (dir. Nicholas Stoller)
Man on Wire (dir. James Marsh)
Rachel Getting Married (dir. Jonathan Demme)
Slumdog Millionaire (dir. Danny Boyle)
U2 3D (dirs. Mark Pellington and Catherine Owens)
WALL·E (dir. Andrew Stanton)
Waltz with Bashir (dir. Ari Folman)

Falling off: Iron Man, Milk, The Wrestler

ALBUMS:

American Teen: Music from the Motion Picture (Almost Gold)
Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago (Jagjaguwar)
Coldplay - Viva La Vida, or: Death and All His Friends (Capitol)
Death Cab for Cutie - Narrow Stairs (Atlantic)
Fleet Foxes (Sub Pop)
Girl Talk - Feed the Animals (Illegal Art)
Kings of Leon - Only by the Night (RCA)
M83 - Saturdays = Youth (Mute)
Snow Patrol - A Hundred Million Suns (Interscope)
Kanye West - 808s & Heartbreak (Roc-a-Fella)

Falling off: The Hold Steady - Stay Positive, Lecrae - Rebel, Sigur Rós - Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust (EMI)

SINGLES:

Adele - "Chasing Pavements"
Coldplay - "Viva La Vida"
Death Cab for Cutie - "I Will Possess Your Heart"
Does it Offend You, Yeah? - "Dawn of the Dead"
Fleet Foxes - "White Winter Hymnal"
M83 - "Kim & Jessie"
M.I.A. - "Paper Planes"
MGMT - "Time to Pretend"
Vampire Weekend - "A-Punk"
We are Scientists - "After Hours"

Falling off: Elbow - "Grounds for Divorce," Estelle featuring Kanye West - "American Boy," Keane - "Spiraling," Kings of Leon - "Sex on Fire," Kanye West - "Heartless"

Film: Best Movies of the Decade (Honorable Mentions)

2010-02-14T23:18:00.004-06:00

No time to explain these. Just trust me that they're also fantastic, but not quite good enough to make my shortlist.

• 21 Grams (2003, Alejandro González Iñárritu)
• The 40 Year Old Virgin (2005, Judd Apatow)
• About a Boy (2002, Paul Weitz)
• About Schmidt (2002, Alexander Payne)
• Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004, Adam McKay)
• Away from Her (2007, Sarah Polley)
• Bandits (2001, Barry Levinson)
• A Beautiful Mind (2001, Ron Howard)
• Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead (2007, Sidney Lumet)
• Bella (2007, Alejandro Gomez Monteverde)
• Borat (2006, Larry Charles)
• Casino Royale (2006, Martin Campbell)
• Charlie Wilson’s War (2007, Mike Nichols)
• Collateral (2004, Michael Mann)
• The Fall (2008, Tarsem)
• Finding Forrester (2000, Gus Van Sant)
• For Your Consideration (2006, Christopher Guest)
• A History of Violence (2005, David Cronenberg)
• The Hurt Locker (2009, Kathryn Bigelow)
• I’m Not There. (2007, Todd Haynes)
• Idiocracy (2006, Mike Judge)
• Iron Man (2008, Jon Favreau)
• Keeping the Faith (2000, Edward Norton)
• The Kingdom (2007, Peter Berg)
• Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005, Shane Black)
• Layer Cake (2004, Matthew Vaughn)
• The Lives of Others (2006, Florian Hinkel von Donnersmarck)
• Lost in Translation (2003, Sofia Coppola)
• Mean Girls (2004, Mark Waters)
• Minority Report (2002, Steven Spielberg)
• Mission: Impossible III (2006, J.J. Abrams)
• The Mist (2007, Frank Darabont)
• Mondays in the Sun (2003, Fernando León de Aranoa)
• Monster House (2006, Gil Kenan)
• Mysterious Skin (2005, Gregg Araki)
• Ocean’s Eleven (2001, Steven Soderbergh)
• Once (2007, John Carney)
• The Patriot (2000, Roland Emmerich)
• Red Dragon (2002, Brett Ratner)
• Saved! (2004, Brian Dannelly)
• Shattered Glass (2003, Billy Ray)
• Signs (2002, M. Night Shyamalan)
• The Simpsons Movie (2007, David Silverman)
• Sin City (2005, Robert Rodriguez)
• Snatch. (2000, Guy Ritchie)
• Spider-Man 2 (2004, Sam Raimi)
• Superbad (2007, Greg Mottola)
• Team America: World Police (2004, Trey Parker and Matt Stone)
• Waitress (2007, Adrienne Shelly)
• Waltz with Bashir (2008, Ari Folman)

Film: Best Movies of the Decade, Part 2

2010-02-10T17:35:00.012-06:00

Michael Clayton
(2007, Tony Gilroy)
At first, it's just another legal thriller. Nothing more special than a pretty good John Grisham adaptation. But upon further viewings, this is a deeply complex picture, where good and evil get blurred, often in the same people. Tilda Swinton won the Oscar (over a much more deserving Cate Blanchett), but it's Clooney and Wilkinson who shine here--as the titular bankrupt (morally and monitarily) attorney and his deranged but compassionate mentor. This is a film that will blow you away (pun partially intended).

Moulin Rouge!
(2001, Baz Luhrmann)
Perhaps the most flawed film on this list. Yet it's also perhaps the most entertaining. Baz Luhrmann's wild, kaleidoscopic musical is unabashedly romantic, and completely engrossing. It would make this list for the "Elephant Love Medley" alone.

Mystic River
(2003, Clint Eastwood)
A Shakespearean tragedy in Boston. Often depressing, but occasionally humorous and always revealing, the movie has much to say about manhood. And how ignoring problems don't make them go away. But at the end of the day, this is still a mystery told exceptionally well.
Further Viewing: Million Dollar Baby (2004), Gran Torino (2008)

No Country for Old Men
(2007, Joel and Ethan Coen)
When I first saw this Coen Brothers masterpiece (of which there are many), I thought there was something missing. I thought they had kind of missed the point of Cormac McCarthy's novel. But that was all in my interpretation. It turns out it wasn't their fault that their cat-and-mouse game is so engrossing, the subtext of the difficulty of living in a dark and fallen world can be missed. But it was right there all the time. This is a richly rewarding experience.
Further Viewing: O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000), The Man Who Wasn’t There (2001), Burn After Reading (2008)

Rachel Getting Married
(2008, Jonathan Demme)
Now this is what you call a return to form. Having essentially made just OK films after The Silence of the Lambs (1991), this was the first movie to make any kind of waves. The same things that made that Oscar-winner so great apply here: an impeccable, believable cast (led by a brave female lead--here it's Anne Hathaway, showing unexpected maturity), a script filled with tension and of course Demme's subtle touch. It's less about the wedding and more about family secrets that try to remain buried but can't help but be uncovered.

The Royal Tenenbaums
(2001, Wes Anderson)
Thanks to Anderson and Owen Wilson's screenplay, the film succeeds with every style of humor: sight gags (the falcon, Ben Stiller's kids), sex (Margot's secret file), drugs (Owen Wilson's entire performance), racial ("What are you gonna do about it, Coltrane?), etc. But it's the heart of the story--Gene Hackman's desire to piece back his family--that makes it so memorable.
Further Viewing: The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004), Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)

Shaun of the Dead
(2004, Edgar Wright)
Is it wrong that a movie wants to be more romantic comedy than zombie splatterfest? Nope. And this is the rare movie that can pull off both. And I hate to use this word, but it's an effective "bromance" as well.
Further Viewing: Hot Fuzz (2007)

Shrek
(2001, Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson)
Momentarily proved that Pixar didn't have a strangehold on great animated filmmaking. Unlike past masterpieces of animation, not every detail serves or accentuates the story. This is more about telling Disney to suck it, and the creative team does so with gusto. Future versions would rely more and more on pop culture references (though part 2's COPS parody still brings the laughter), but the first film struck the perfect balance of fairy tale, anachronism and inner-beauty message.

Slumdog Millionaire
(2008, Danny Boyle)
Did the illiterate slum kid cheat on Who Wants to be Millionaire? Is he just lucky? Or is it his destiny? The game-show plot device here actually serves the story. It never feels like a gimmick. In fact, everything in this film feels realistic, right down to the glorious Bollywood number at the end. Jai ho!
Further Viewing: 28 Days Later (2003), Millions (2005)

State and Main
(2000, David Mamet)
As brutally funny and well-acted (and ad-libbed) as any of Christopher Guest's pictures, but tailor-made especially for film geeks. The behind-the-scenes of The Old Mill will resonate with anyone who's ever worked on a project where no one was a team player. Alec Baldwin (as a leading man with an appetite for teenage girls) and William H. Macy (as the stressed director) are just two standouts in an impeccable cast.
Further Viewing: Heist (2001), Spartan (2004)

There Will Be Blood
(2007, P.T. Anderson)
Easily the weirdest movie to be nominated for Best Picture, at least this decade. A period piece/capitalist horror flick/anti-religion propaganda. In other words, a masterpiece. The two leads (Daniel Day-Lewis--in what may be the finest bit of acting this decade--and a completely overwhelmed Paul Dano) are both men completely full of it, but also masters of manipulation. Their battle of wills carries the movie until it reaches its violent end.
Further Viewing: Punch-Drunk Love (2002)

This Film is Not Yet Rated
(2006, Kirby Dick)
OK, so it's not the most hard-hitting piece of investigative journalism. But Kirby Dick has a reasonable ax to grind. The MPAA, which rates the movies you watch, has a history of being incredibly hypocritical and overly accommodating to big studios. Is there a guidebook for the reasons behind its ratings? Nope. Can you write the members? Nuh-uh. He raises lots of good questions. And hopefully we'll eventually get the answers.

Touching the Void
(2004, Kevin MacDonald)
Re-enactments are usually reserved for Maury and Unsolved Mysteries. But this docudrama actually worked, mainly because it was so realistic. In 1985, Joe Simpson broke his climbing in the Andes with his partner Simon Yates. Since they were tethered together, both would likely die, unless Yates cut Simpson free. What happened next was nothing short of miraculous. It simply has to be seen to be believed.

United 93
(2006, Paul Greengrass)
In a fragmented political climate, Greengrass made a completely apolitical movie based on the most harrowing event of the last decade. Here, he simply shows heroism--not hero worship. It's an incredibly subtle touch at a time when it was needed the most.
Further Viewing: The Bourne Supremacy (2004), The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)

Up
(2009, Pete Docter)
As adventurous as Indiana Jones and as touching as Forrest Gump, yet balances the two unbelievably well. If the first 10 minutes don't make you tear up, there's probably something wrong with you.
Further Viewing: Monsters, Inc. (2001)

Up in the Air
(2009, Jason Reitman)
So rarely does a movie perfectly embody the era in which it was made, but Reitman's third film (and his best--a feat in and of itself) gets everything about 2009: the layoffs, the culture of isolation and the growing anti-marriage sentiment. And then it reveals the hollowness of each of those things.
Further Viewing: Thank You for Smoking (2006), Juno (2007)

V for Vendetta
(2006, James McTiegue)
Is V for Vendetta as good as Network or A Clockwork Orange? Well, no, but it does belong in the same league as those '70s masterpieces. Like both of those unsettling works that all but predicted the future, the Wachowski Brothers' best film grows more relevant everyday. A pitch-black political thriller that's closer to happening than anyone would like to admit. ¡Viva la revolución!

WALL•E
(2008, Andrew Stanton)
Pixar's best movie? Maybe. The first half-hour is Chaplinesque beauty. After that, it becomes a scathing indictment of a lazy humanity. Both work. Another scary but realistic vision of the future.
Further Viewing: Finding Nemo (2003)

Where the Wild Things Are
(2009, Spike Jonze)
Recently surpassed The NeverEnding Story as my all-time favorite live-action kids movie. But calling it a kids movie sells it far short. I doubt many kids enjoyed this. Like all of Spike Jonze's films, this is an endeavor far more interested in identity than plot, but it all works. A challenging movie that never got the respect or audience it deserved.
Further Viewing: Adaptation. (2002)

Zodiac
(2007, David Fincher)
Unlike any other crime thriller because it's less about who did it and catching him and more about the obsession of finding out who did it and catching him. Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, Robert Downey Jr. and particularly Anthony Edwards shine as the stakeholders in solving the Zodiac killings. But it's Brian Cox and John Carroll Lynch who stand out the most. This is as intelligent as filmmaking gets.

Film: Best Movies of the Decade

2010-01-31T17:02:00.026-06:00

How fitting that my 100th post on this blog brings me back to my first love: film. It's been nearly three years since I started it, and--save a couple semesters--I've done my best to maintain it. I hope you enjoy this list, which is hardly complete. I'll follow this up with a post of 50 honorable mentions.

Here goes:

25th Hour
(2002, Spike Lee)
The definitive guy movie of the decade. On the eve of his prison sentence, Monty Brogan (Ed Norton) reflects on his friendships and poor decisions over the years and in the process reveals the devastation his drug dealing has brought on his family. Featuring great supporting performances from an insecure Philip Seymour Hoffman, an overly confident Barry Pepper and a stoic but strong Brian Cox. Oh, and it manages to say more about our "post-9/11" world in a few minutes than most movies did in their entire run time.
Further Viewing: Bamboozled (2000), Inside Man (2006), Miracle at St. Anna (2008)

500 Days of Summer
(2009, Marc Webb)
A romantic comedy that's not terrible is a miracle in and of itself, but one that includes realistic dialogue and scenarios? That's unheard of. Music video director Marc Webb makes a remarkable debut, one that's totally honest with its audience, even when it has a few tricks up its sleeve.

Almost Famous
(2000, Cameron Crowe)
Perfectly captures teenage innocence, the '70s, rock 'n' roll, the pressures of your first big job, falling in love, and anything else ya got. This is Crowe's masterpiece.

Amélie
(2001, Jean-Pierre Jeunet)
Has there ever been a more likable protagonist than Amélie? She's a person so unwaveringly nice and generous person, she has to be a work of fiction. But none of this would work if Audrey Tautou weren't so genuine.

American Gangster
(2007, Ridley Scott)
Another appropriate title would have been the title of the article it's based upon: "The Return of Superfly." After the commercial failures of his last three projects, Scott teamed up with his ol' buddy Russell Crowe, attached a perfectly cast Denzel (clearly relishing his bad guy role) and much, like The Departed, emphasized the psyche--not the firepower--of the two leads.
Further Viewing: Black Hawk Down (2001), Matchstick Men (2003), Kingdom of Heaven (2005)

Audition
(2001, Takashi Miike)
The first half flawlessly blends mystery and romance, the second is a terrifying trip into obsession. A movie with a palpable sense of dread. Seek it out immediately.

Before Sunset
(2004, Richard Linklater)
Nine years after their brief encounter, Jesse and Celine reconnect in Paris and their real-time conversation about all their how their lives didn't turn out the way they planned carries significant heft. But it's more than just the dialogue that resonates: each gesture carefully adds another detail of the regret they both feel. One of the most affecting and rewarding movies you'll ever see.
Further Viewing: Waking Life (2001)

Big Fish
(2003, Tim Burton)
After the dark dreck of the despicable Planet of the Apes remake, many wondered what one of the most gifted directors would do next. He turned his sights on Daniel Wallace's magical novel, a father-son tale that never once feels trite. Albert Finney is terrific as the larger-than-life patriarch, whose tall tales don't sit well with his son (Billy Crudup). The ensuing conversations and stories paint a picture of a man whose big dreams and full life had to be filled with big stories. The more fantastic sequences--with Ewan McGregor--are a delight to behold, but the intimate scenes with Crudup and Finney are touching.
Further Viewing: Sweeney Todd (2007)

Brick
(2006, Rian Johnson)
A gripping detective thriller set in the shifty world of high school. The seedy clubs are backstage of theater productions, the dark alleys are rows of lockers, but the hard-boiled dialogue remains consistent. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is marvelous as a Phillip Marlowe in sneakers, with Matt O'Leary as his trusty sidekick. Tremendously well-written, especially for a film with a budget of under $500,000.
Further Viewing: The Brothers Bloom (2009)

Children of Men
(2006, Alfonso Cuarón)
From the opening scene--a bomb goes off in a crowded café, sending a disoriented man scrambling to find his arm--sets up the alarming sense of certainty viewers feel throughout this rough-edged masterpiece. It's pretty hopeless until the ending, which leaves the viewer to decide whether hope is fulfilled or destroyed. A terrifying vision of the future, filled with realism, masterful camera tricks and honest performances.
Further Viewing: Y Tu Mamá También (2002), Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)

City of God
(2003, Fernando Meirelles)
Think of it as the Brazilian GoodFellas: a comprehensive, engrossing mob tale from its violent origins to its devastating end. This is the work of a startling visionary who knows exactly what he's talking about.

Cold Mountain
(2003, Anthony Minghella)
A movie that grows richer as time goes on. This isn't your father's Civil War movie: there are no winners in the final months of the conflict, only losers. This Deep South Odyssey works only because you believe the love between Jude Law and Nicole Kidman is that strong. It also helps that the gritty realism of deserters and devastated victims of war fill in the rest of the film, eliminating any Hollywood shine.

Crash
(2005, Paul Haggis)
Is it well-acted and well-written? Yeah. Is it brutally honest? Yeah. Is it preachy? Yeah, that too. But Haggis' directorial debut is the kind of movie that comes around so rarely: a movie that holds up a mirror to America (and humanity) and shows it its own hideous reflection.
Further Viewing: In the Valley of Elah (2007)

The Dark Knight
(2008, Christopher Nolan)
I could write pages and pages about this game-changing movie, which pretty much redefined everything that came before it. It inspires. ethical debates. It has an impeccable cast, from the shortest supporting performance of David Dastmalchian to the piece-de-resistance of the late Heath Ledger. Its story has more and more layers upon each viewing. In short, this is about as good as it gets.
Further Viewing: Memento (2000), The Prestige (2006)

Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father
(2008, Kurt Kuenne)
More compelling and tear-jerking than just about any movie you'll ever see. One half is a gripping true-crime story, the other is filled with righteous indignation over a corrupt Canadian justice system. This is a documentary made to shake you with nothing but the truth.

The Departed
(2006, Martin Scorsese)
A crime epic like nothing you've ever seen. Leave it to Scorsese to add context to a mob saga. There's plenty of shootouts, but also lots of deeper themes about true identity and cultural heritage. Plus, the cast (including Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, and Jack Nicholson--all at the top of their games) is one of the best ever assembled.
Further Viewing: The Aviator (2004)

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
(2007, Julian Schnabel)
Most biopics are as flat and uninteresting as West Texas. But every once in a while, a true storyteller comes along to inject some life into someone's life story. Jean-Dominique Bauby, the editor of French Vogue had a stroke in his 30s, paralyzing all but his left eye. But his spirit could not be contained. He blinked his memoirs with the help of his longsuffering nurse. If this sounds a bit boring, trust me it's not. This is about as riveting as they come.

Donnie Darko
(2001, Richard Kelly)
I'm not going to pretend like I know everything that's going on in this movie. But that's part of what's so rewarding about repeat viewings of this spiritual-supernatural-completely unreal coming-of-age story.

Doubt
(2008, John Patrick Shanley)
Here's a movie you can dissect and discuss for days on end, thanks to a script filled with clues and misinterpretations. No two people will have the exact same theory on what happened. But that's not the point. It's more of how misconceptions and assumptions tear apart people's lives. It's a shame more people haven't seen it.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
(2004, Michel Gondry)
A romantic comedy that defies convention or boundaries. A stunning piece of technical genius, but also filled with powerful but realistic performances. In short, this is a movie that gets everything right.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall
(2008, Nicholas Stoller)
Smarter and more resonant than a dozen romantic comedies, Jason Segel's screenwriting debut is more honest and funny than anything with Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey.

Grindhouse
(2007, Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino)
A filmgoing experience like no other: a Z-grade double feature done with grade-A talent. Rodriguez's Planet Terror is the more entertaining zombie-infestation gross-out and Tarantino's Death Proof is a talky revenge thriller. But the best part is the fake trailers that connect the two films: each a surprisingly well done parody of a subgenre of horror.

High Fidelity
(2000, Stephen Frears)
Here's a guy movie that actually doesn't insult men--or women. The characters are complex, but not overly so. Yes, we like to make top 5 lists and obsess over records, but that doesn't mean we don't regret some things or feel cheated or wish our lives could be better.
Further Viewing: The Queen (2006)

In America
(2003, Jim Sheridan)
An immigrant tale that doesn't feel like it's been told 1,000 times. Based on director Jim Sheridan's own life experience, the movie feels authentic because it is. It's also unpredictable. Nothing in the film feels methodical. It unfolds realistically.

In Bruges
(2008, Martin McDonagh)
Most movies find their protagonists trapped in an idyllic small town. But the twist here is that they're trapped in a hellhole in Belgium. There's a little bit of underlying sadness in the conversation of two men who have devoted their lives to the business of killing, but the movie is still ferociously funny and delightfully off-kilter.

The Incredibles
(2004, Brad Bird)
Just a superhero movie? Think again. This is less about the family's superpowers and more about how society has made those superpowers something to be ashamed of because it distinguishes them from the rest of the average population. Like Dash says, "Everyone's special, which means no one is." Biting satire in a kids' movie? You bet your Hai Karate.
Further Viewing: Ratatouille (2007)

Inglourious Basterds
(2009, Quentin Tarantino)
After you see a movie six times, you start to notice things. Like how every performance is richly detailed, how intense each scene is, and how detailed each setpiece is. You also notice how aggressively, well, awesome this movie is. A well-crafted piece of historical pulp fiction, this multi-layered revenge fantasy is as elaborate and entertaining as they come.
Further Viewing: Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003), Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004)

Let the Right One In
(2008, Tomas Alfredson)
Twilight, schmilight. This is the ultimate teen vampire romance. Relationships don't get more complicated than the one between Oskar and Eli, the bullied boy and his vampire pal. Plus, it's not exactly clear if Eli wants to give up the blood-sucking life. A complex love story that feels real, even with its fantastic elements.

Little Miss Sunshine
(2006, Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris)
A dysfunctional family tale that's authentic because none of the revelations feel out-of-the-ordinary. For the most part, anything that the Hoovers experience, your family could just as easily go through. Oh, but it's still hilarious.

The Lord of the Rings trilogy
(2001-03, Peter Jackson)
No one knows the definition of painstaking better than Peter Jackson (except maybe James Cameron). A years-in-the-making epic that made sure every minute detail (from how many soldiers in a battle scene to the proportions of a treehouse to height of each character) is perfected. In a way, it's almost too perfect, and definitely too long, but incredibly entertaining nonetheless.

Film: Best Performances of the Decade

2010-01-25T12:07:00.009-06:00

MEN

Christian Bale as Patrick Bateman
American Psycho (2000)
As one of the greatest living actors, Bale never gives anything less than his all. But this was the start of his tremendous transition from admirable child actor to an obsessive craftsman. There are lots of good actors, but few immerse themselves like he does. Here is a portrait of a man who has absolute control of every situation and uses his power to become an emperor of Soho, depraved in every possible way imaginable. But history doesn't repeat itself. In the self-obsessed '80s, no one bats an eye.
Photo courtesy of Lionsgate/The Telegraph

Javier Bardem as Anton Chigurh
No Country for Old Men (2007)
Never before has a character with such a goofy haircut been such a terrifying presence. Unlike so many other kill-anything-that-gets-in-his-way sociopaths, Chigurh is a man driven by his desire to finish the job, by whatever means necessary. He's also beholden to random chance. Tough but fair if you want to look at it that way.
Photo courtesy of Miramax

Sacha Baron Cohen as Borat Sagdiyev
Borat (2006)
The word "fearless" gets thrown around a lot these days to describe performances simply because they did what the role called for (nudity, kissing another dude) but it's rarely been more applicable than comedian Sacha Baron Cohen's portrayal of a racist Kazakh journalist who, deep down, really just wants to learn about the mythic American dream. Cohen's ad-lib skills blow anyone in Christopher Guest's impressive troupe out of the water and his comedic timing is perfect. It was a trick he could only pull off once, but it worked.
Photo courtesy of 20th Century Fox

Daniel Day-Lewis as Daniel Plainview
There Will Be Blood (2007)
The 2008 documentary Man on Wire documents Philippe Petit's high-wire walk between the two towers of the World Trade Center. I submit that Daniel Day-Lewis's walk between over-the-top and hamming-it-up in P.T. Anderson's darkly comic masterpiece was even tougher. No one else could have tread such a fine line for such a boisterous character. He embodies a man full of ambition but equally full of it. Yet there's not a single moment when a character challenges him that a viewer could expect the slightest possibility of victory. Rarely has a character been so devoid of any morals been depicted so vividly onscreen.
Photo courtesy of Paramount Vantage

Heath Ledger as the Joker
The Dark Knight (2008)
The most telling sign of his excellence in this role: he would have won the Oscar even if he hadn't died. Ledger was an actor who bucked every trend, refusing to fit any definition or boundary. While Jack Nicholson defined the role in 1989 with a brilliantly over-the-top take on Batman's adversary, Ledger took it in a much sinister direction. Depending on which account you read, he was hoping his performance would be so dark he would be fired, but Christopher and Jonathan Nolan used that ugliness to set an unrelenting tone for perhaps the most realistic comic book movie ever made.
Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.

WOMEN

Cate Blanchett as Jude
I'm Not There. (2007)
She wuz robbed. Though I'm certainly a Tilda Swinton fan--no one plays a woman whose world is about to unravel better than she--but Blanchett, who long ago proved she could play any role asked of her, was the most impressive and fully realized interpretation of Bob Dylan. It's more than just a gender-role reversal. Her performance is downright visionary, playing a real-life person every knows yet injecting her own verve into the interpretation.
Photo courtesy of The Weinstein Company

Julie Christie as Fiona Anderson
Away from Her (2007)
Steering as far away from TV-movie-of-the-week sentimentality, the veteran actress makes the Alzheimer's stricken Fiona a woman of tremendous depth, pride but also a twinge of sadness. The revelations of the movie are painful to watch but breathtaking to behold, but none of it would feel quite so real with anyone else in the lead role.
Photo courtesy of Lionsgate

Anne Hathaway as Kym
Rachel Getting Married (2008)
One of the most complex onscreen character's in recent memory, Kym would be a challenge for any actress of any age to play, let alone someone as young as Hathaway. So for the star of former garbage like The Princess Diaries and Havoc to not only show all those layers but elicit even the slightest bit of empathy from a woman so inherently unlikable, is nothing short of miraculous.
Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

Helen Mirren as Queen Elizabeth II
The Queen (2006)
I'm not always that big on performances of real-life people. To me, it's a much bigger challenge to pull off an original character. But here, I was blown away by Helen Mirren. Most people know the public image of England's monarch--regal, stoic, powerless--but here we got to see the private life. The one who at first seems unphased by Diana's death but then realizes just how deeply she was affected. The one who quarrels with newly elected Prime Minister Tony Blair, not because she doesn't like him, but because she feels unnecessary around him. This is true performance.
Photo courtesy of Miramax

Michelle Williams as Alma
Brokeback Mountain (2005)
By far the best part of a vastly overrated movie. This is no distraught housewife routine. With a mere facial gesture, she reveals the immense devastation and betrayal she feels after learning of her husband's affair and her determination not to put up with his cover-up act. You feel all her emotions: shock, sadness, anger, pride. And all this from someone who used to be on Dawson's Creek.
Photo courtesy of Focus Features

Film: Funniest Movies of the Decade

2010-01-22T12:14:00.011-06:00

Now, let me just preface this list by saying it's going to make me look really immature, picking these as the 10 funniest movies of the decade. They may not be the "best" comedies (for example, I love Lost in Translation, but it didn't make me laugh as much as Superbad). The following flicks, while they may have not been daringly original or have a good message, provided the most laughs per minute for me over the past 10 years.

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy

(2004, Adam McKay)

Will Ferrell's finest hour. A hilarious examination of hubris, chauvanism and disastrous '70s fashion, the corps of actors (including David Koechner, Steve Carrell, Paul Rudd and Christina Applegate--not to mention cameos from Luke Wilson, Tim Robbins and Ben Stiller) were all in peak improvisational form, making this one of the most quotable movies of the decade.

Best Line: "I killed a guy with a trident!" - Brick (Steve Carell)

Best in Show

(2000, Christopher Guest)

The always reliable crew of Christopher Guest (whose number is too large to count) doesn't really act so much as brilliantly ad-lib their way from scene to scene. This tale of beyond-obsessed dog owners on their way to a competition is filled with awkwardness (thanks to Eugene Levy), an abundance of nut knowledge (thanks to Christopher Guest) and dogs dressed as Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh (thanks to John Michael Higgins and Michael McKean).

Best Line: "We met at Starbucks. Not at the same Starbucks but we saw each other at different Starbucks across the street from each other." - Meg Swan (Parker Posey)

Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan

(2006, Larry Charles)

A movie that has the brains to go with the laughs. Going undercover as bumbling, racist reporter Borat Sagdiyev, Sacha Baron Cohen revealed the worst parts of human nature with a big, dopey grin and uncontrollable laughter. The scenes are funny not because they are uncomfortable, but uncomfortable because they are funny. Brüno tried to replicate this formula, but with less success.

Best Line: "May George Bush a-drink the blood of every single man, woman, and child of Iraq!" - Borat (Sacha Baron Cohen)

The Hangover

(2009, Todd Phillips)

Here's a movie that by all accounts shouldn't have broken any new ground or been any better than your latter-day National Lampoon venture. But it was. And not because it was raunchy, but because it was genuinely funny and intriguing. Hats off to a potential Best Picture nominee.

Best Line: "What do tigers dream of/When they take a little tiger snooze?/Do they dream of mauling zebras/Or Halle Berry in her Catwoman suit?/Well, don't you worry your pretty striped head/We're gonna get you back to Tyson and your cozy tiger bed/And then we're gonna find our best friend Doug/And then we're gonna give him a best friend hug/Oh, Doug!/Oh, Doug!/Dougie, Dougie, Doug-Doug/But if he's been murdered by crystal meth tweakers/Well, then we're sh*t outta luck." - Stu (Ed Helms)

Hot Fuzz

(2007, Edgar Wright)

The Brits strike back! After delivering an impressive debut with Shaun of the Dead, Edgar Wright brought back Simon Pegg and Nick Frost for this loving tribute to cop movies both good (Point Break) and bad (Bad Boys II). Is it hilarious even if you're not into British humor? Yarp!

Best Line:

Nicholas Angel (Simon Pegg): "He's appointed himself judge, jury and executioner!"

Danny Butterman (Nick Frost): "He's not Judge Judy and executioner!"

The Room

(2003, Tommy Wiseau)

A complete travesty on every single level, this is not only the worst movie ever made, but also the worst-made movie ever. Still, that doesn't stop it from being wildly entertaining, with its atrocious dialogue, subplots that go nowhere and horrific sex scenes that go on way too long. In other words, it's a masterpiece.

Best Line: "You are lying! I never hit you! You are tearing me apart, Lisa!" - Johnny (Tommy Wiseau)

State and Main

(2000, David Mamet)

Mamet's style certainly isn't for everyone, but this out-of-the-blue comedy (if you know anything about Mamet, you know he's best at twisty, F-word-laden dramas) about a film production that may never finish is relentlessly funny. Each character has a personality (gasp!) and a bevy of funny lines. Plus, there's a touch of something you never find in a Mamet movie: sweetness.

Best Line: "Who designed these costumes? It looks like Edith Head puked, and that puke designed these costumes." - Walt Price (William H. Macy)

Superbad

(2007, Greg Mottola)

Despite containing some of the most vulgar dialogue since Clerks, this film has a heart beneath its rough exterior. All the frustration of teenage life (especially if you're not in the upper echelon of popularity) is on full display here, but with a shield of humor. And even if the wacky cop subplot belongs in a different movie, it's still gut-busting.

Best Line: "I'm sorry the Coen Brothers don't direct porn." - Seth (Jonah Hill)

Team America: World Police

(2004, Trey Parker & Matt Stone)

More entertaining than most Michael Bay movies, funnier than most Eddie Murphy movies, this marionette-starring action comedy blows doors and delivers laughs by the ton. Part of a tremendous balancing act between stupid and smart comedy, the creators of South Park pull it off unbelievably well. Remember: the real enemy are celebrities who think we want to hear their political opinions.

Best Line: "When you see Arec Barrwin, you see the true ugriness of human nature." - Kim Jong-Il (Trey Parker)

Zoolander

(2001, Ben Stiller)

Who's one of the funniest characters ever created? One name and five syllables: Der. Ek. Zoo. Lan. Der. Though it could have failed miserably (ask SNL how many of its sketches have turned into funny movies--the answer is two and a sequel), this Manchurian Candidate (and apparently Glamorama) rip-off provides the laughs, even if the inept character only has one look.

Best Line: "You're dead to me, son. You're even more dead to me than your dead mother." - Larry Zoolander (Jon Voight)

Film: Best Music of the Decade

2010-01-21T11:41:00.014-06:00

BEST SONGS

Eminem - "Lose Yourself"
(Mathers/Resto/Bass)
8 Mile (2002)
Five minutes of pure, raw power. The first rap song to win the Oscar and for good reason. A devastating, brutally honest nightmare account about Detroit and the burning desire to get out of there as soon as possible.

Ryan Bingham - "The Weary Kind"
(Bingham/Burnett)
Crazy Heart (2009)
So apparently someone still does write good country music. We're talking Waylon, Willie, Johnny stuff here. An ode to a life lived hard and the toll it's taken.

Ewan Mcgregor & Nicole Kidman - "Come What May"
(Baerwald)
Moulin Rouge! (2001)
A big, sweeping romantic ballad. It may be covered in cheese, but it's the kind of tear-jerking sound of Hollywood they just don't make anymore.

Trey Parker & Matt Stone - "The End of an Act"
(Parker/Stone/Shaiman)
Team America: World Police (2004)
Unabashedly romantic in its own twisted little way. One of the funniest songs of the last decade.

Bruce Springsteen - "The Wrestler"
(Springsteen)
The Wrestler (2008)
As his comeback decade was coming to an end, Springsteen submitted this song--for free--to Darren Aronofsky's difficult sports drama, and perfectly embodied every emotion in the film. Bravo.

BEST SOUNDTRACKS

500 Days of Summer
Sire, 2009
Comes across as a hand-crafted mixtape that follows a relationship from its lovely beginnings to devastating ends, and then sets itself on shuffle.

I'm Not There
Sony, 2007
It took six actors to play Bob Dylan in Todd Haynes' breathtaking biopic. It took five times as many artists to pay tribute to him on this mind-blowing covers album.

A Mighty Wind
Sony, 2003
A collection of folksy ('60s clean-cut folksy, not '00s beard-y folksy) ditties that would be lame if they weren't so accomplished. "There's a puppy in the parlor and a skillet on the stove and a smelly ol' blanket that a Navajo wove." I'm so there.

O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Lost Highway, 2000
The soundtrack-as-history lesson. Taught a new generation about the birth of popular and hillbilly music from the early 20th Century. Oh, and it became the first soundtrack since The Bodyguard to win the Grammy for Album of the Year.

Once
Columbia, 2007
Take just two of the albums tracks: "Falling Slowly" and "Say it to Me Now." There's more passion in those few short minutes than in most band's entire discographies.

BEST SCORES

Jon Brion
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
It sounds as if it was recorded with an out-of-tune piano, which just adds to theme of brokenness that fills every frame of Michel Gondry's film.

Howard Shore
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
One of the many reasons, in my opinion, people kept returning to see the epic saga of Middle-earth, besides the lavish set design, above-par acting and meticulous direction, was the moving score by Howard Shore, who won an Oscar for this score, as well as the score and song from The Return of the King.

A.R. Rahman
Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
A vibrant journey through the streets of Mumbai that brought Indian music to the U.S. (well, to the white part anyway). It's far more entertaining than American Top 40.

Jonny Greenwood
There Will Be Blood (2007)
A sense of dread fills every scene of P.T. Anderson's anti-everything period masterpiece, thanks in no small part to the Radiohead guitarist's score. Unsettling yet mesmerizing, it recalls horror films like Halloween and The Exorcist.

Michael Giacchino
Up (2009)
More adventurous than Indiana Jones, Star Wars and Harry Potter combined. Sorry, John Williams.

Film: Worst Movies of the Decade

2010-01-07T15:35:00.015-06:00

Choke
(2008, Clark Gregg)
Appalling in every sense of the word, this is a sex comedy that is neither sexy nor funny. The great Sam Rockwell is reduced to playing a sex addict with zero depth. He's perhaps the most unlikable protagonist in the history of film. And then there's Anjelica Huston, in flashback as his mother, looking like she just walked out of an audition for a live-action Carmen Sandiego movie. It's a movie seriously in need of the Heimlich.

Daddy Day Camp
(2007, Fred Savage)

That Fred Savage. Great child actor, heckuva nice guy. But trying his hand at film directing was something that shouldn't have been been attempted. A sequel that stunk up the cinema, this was a new low for the Oscar-winning Cuba Gooding, Jr. And that's saying something.

Date Movie
(2006, Aaron Seltzer & Jason Friedberg)
When you've got hundreds of romantic comedies to mock, how hard is it to write and direct a parody of the decades of schmaltz? For these two, apparently, it's impossible. But that didn't stop them from going on to commit such further atrocities as Epic Movie and Meet the Spartans.

Duplex
(2003, Danny DeVito)

Could the dream home that constantly undergoes more and more damage be a metaphor a comedy that gets worse and worse by the minute? Perhaps, but that would be giving the creative team too much credit.

Enough
(2002, Michael Apted)

What an accurate slogan, because my limit was about 30 minutes into this lousy excuse for women's empowerment. The movie is, quite literally, a beating.

The Family Stone
(2005, Thomas Bezucha)

For the first half of the movie, everyone wants to punch Sarah Jessica Parker in the face, and with good reason. From there, you can see every twist coming a mile away, which doesn't make it any less frustrating once you get there. To cap it all off, there's a manipulative montage set to "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas". Next year, your troubles will be miles away. Get it! Actually, they'd be away quicker if you just stopped watching.

Fat Albert
(2004, Joel Zwick)

Bill Cosby has apologized for Leonard, Part 6. He should do some serious pennance for this, too.

Ghost Rider
(2007, Mark Steven Johnson)

A comic book movie that manages to get everything wrong, except for Peter Fonda as a motorcycle-riding Satan. One of Nicolas Cage's least enjoyable performances this decade. No, I don't like I-talian, nor do I like the rest of this movie.

The Happening
(2008, M. Night Shyamalan)

There must be some black magic at work to make Zooey Deschanel annoying. Co-starring Terrible Movie Champion Mark Wahlberg, this is the absolute bottom for M. Night Shyamalan, which is pretty obvious considering the killer is the wind. Ooooo, scary!

He’s Just Not That into You
(2009, Ken Kwapis)

Between 10-plus annoying characters, a meandering plot and a sex scene or two that clearly pushes the boundaries of a PG-13 rating, it's safe to say I'm just not that into this adaptation of the self-help best-seller.

Lara Croft: Tomb Raider
(2001, Simon West)

Not even perfect casting can save a disaster like this. One of the 21st century's first video game adaptations, it was supposed to be a vast improvement over travesties like Super Mario Bros. and Mortal Kombat, what with our new technology and all. But sometimes special effects can't cover up this many missteps, with a plot that goes nowhere and subtext about Jon Voight and Angelina Jolie's troubled relationship. Game over, man.

Max Payne
(2008, John Moore)
Ice. Darkness. Snow. Shadows. Hard rock soundtrack. A couple ideas cribbed from '70s vigilante cop shows. This is enough for a movie, right? You'd be dead wrong. And if you watched this movie, you'd make a death wish yourself. For yourself.

Miami Vice
(2006, Michael Mann)
Michael Mann is, in my opinion, one of the greatest American directors. But everyone makes a bad movie every once in a while, and this violates a key rule of action movies: it's boring. Sucking all the guilty pleasure out of his original series, this is just a joyless, violent mess.

Mission to Mars
(2000, Brian de Palma)
After only a small bit of intrigue, de Palma--whose last good movie was, um, Mission: Impossible?--quickly implodes the story in a haze of spooky special effects and a twist so bad you'll want send your TV into outer space.

Monster-in-Law
(2005, Robert Luketic)
Despite the best efforts of the always reliable Wanda Sykes, this stretches the limits of the term "romantic comedy." Every possible cliché you could think of is jammed into this obnoxious, mean-spirited hunk of junk. If this is what we waited on Jane Fonda for, I don't want to see her again either.

Mr. Deeds
(2002, Steven Brill)
Making a bad Adam Sandler movie? That's easy. Defecating on the grave of Frank Capra? That takes some nerve, and the director of Little Nicky was more than happy to oblige. Few people should feel as much shame as the creative team behind this atrocious remake.

Paper Heart
(2009, Nicholas Jasenovec)
All the good will endeared by interviewing real couples is undone with a completely fabricated, utterly unbelievable love story between adorable Michael Cera and annoying Charlyne Yi, complete with puppet interludes. It may be better to love and lose than to have never loved at all, but you're better off never seeing this movie.

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End
(2007, Gore Verbinski)
The reason "bigger is better" rule should not be followed for sequels (see Spider-Man 3 below). Everything that made its predecessors so much fun is thrown out the window in favor of stereotypes ("Wehcome to Singapah") and 20 Johnny Depps. By the time the witch grew to 15 times her original size, I wished the world was ending.

Planet of the Apes
(2001, Tim Burton)
I just have to wonder at what point Tim Burton just gave up, because there's no way this matched up with his vision. It's all hooting (from the apes) and hollering (from Mark Wahlberg) and heavy-handed messages about racism (from Burton ladyfriend Helena Bonham Carter). It's the only real blotch on his otherwise stellar record.

Quantum of Solace
(2008, Marc Forster)
Realism, schmealism. Another case of an action movie that lost its sense of fun--and its soul--in trying to out-do the first one. And I hereby ban Olga Kurlyenko from ever appearing in another movie. Ever.

Saw II
(2005, Darren Lynn Bousman)
Beyond a lack of any scares, there's also no sense of uncertainty, because every twist and gory death can be seen from a mile away. Someone finds a key that says "don't use me." Hmm... I wonder if whomever uses it will die? And because this predictable yawnfest outgrossed the original by at least $30 million, it ensured we'd all be treated to another bloody outing every Halloween. Thanks a lot, teenagers.

Spider-Man 3
(2007, Sam Raimi)
My son, my son, what have ye done? After raising the bar for comic book movies with Spider-Man 2, Raimi--who I'm sure had good intentions--undid all his success with this overlong, overstuffed sequel. It's so appallingly bad, from the terrible casting choices (Topher Grace as Venom? Really?!) to the 20-minute interlude that seems ripped from a bad SNL skit (Tobey Maguire goes emo! He tap dances! He orders his neighbor around like a slave!) to the focus of the film (on Sandman, one of the lamest characters ever) which makes viewers completely forget about everything that happened in the first two films. If that wasn't enough, there's a third villain: James Franco, slowly realizing his potential as an actor, as the new incarnation of the Green Goblin. Oy vey.

Taxi
(2004, Tim Story)
Queen Latifah: funny and can act. Jimmy Fallon: not so lucky. Put them together behind the wheel of a suped up taxi and you've got hilarity! At least that's what producers thought. If you make it through the end of this ride, you'll demand your money back.

Twilight
(2008, Catherine Hardwicke)
The coldest touch in this movie seems to be from the formerly authentic Catherine Hardwicke, who ensures not a single genuine moment will come out of this conveniently packaged abomination, complete with sub-SyFy special effects and sub-Lifetime acting. And vampires playing baseball, I kid you not. The only convincing thing in the whole movie is the sexual tension between the two leads and that's only because they're teenagers.

A Walk to Remember
(2002, Adam Shankman)
That's me in the corner. That's me in the spotlight. Losing my religion.
The most embarrassing thing about this movie--and there are many--is that it reduces an earnest faith to a bunch of sentimental hooey.

Music: Best Albums of the Decade (Honorable Mentions)

2010-01-03T19:57:00.007-06:00

BEST FAREWELL ALBUM:

Johnny Cash – American IV: The Man Comes Around
(American, 2002)
It wouldn't be the last thing he recorded, and if the album and box set that followed weren't so great, it would have felt disrespectful. But this was the last thing the Man in Black released before his sad death in 2003. The album, much like Warren Zevon's The Wind, is the sound of a man who knows his days are numbered, and he wishes he had a bit more time to make up for all his mistakes.

BEST CHRISTIAN RAP ALBUM:

116 Clique – Amped
(Reach, 2007)
It seems like a dubious achievement, but Lecrae, Trip Lee, et al, have created something even the most hardcore gangbangers could enjoy. Everything else in this genre either gets the rap right and the spirituality takes a back seat or it's earnest but totally wack. Here, this EP provides the best of both worlds.

BEST BOOTLEG ALBUM:

Danger Mouse – The Grey Album
(Self-released, 2004)
By blending two great albums, the DJ (and future half of Gnarls Barkley) created something new and better. Who knew they'd work so well together? He did, and everyone's better off for it (except EMI, who sent him a cease-and-desist letter).

BEST GREATEST HITS COLLECTION:

Talking Heads – The Best of Talking Heads
(Rhino, 2004)
What really needs to be said here? An updated version of The Name of This Band is Talking Heads adds their essential '80s output, including my personal favorite "(Nothing But) Flowers".

BEST BREAK-UP ALBUM:

Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago
(Jagjaguwar, 2008)
"Hello, this is Justin Vernon, you've reached the winter of our discontent." Recorded in a Wisconsin cabin after his devastating break-up, this is brutal catharsis that everyone can relate to.

BEST POP ALBUM:

Justin Timberlake – FutureSex/LoveSounds
(Jive, 2006)
Who knew the former icon of boy band NSYNC would deliver an album that more or less got everything right. There's the dirty funk jam ("SexyBack"), the karma-is-a-bitch anthem that's become his staple ("What Goes Around...Comes Around") and the beginning of his great recording relationship with T.I. ("My Love"). So when's he going to release something else?

BEST LIVE ALBUM:

Rufus Wainwright – Rufus Does Judy at Carnegie Hall
(Geffen, 2007)
Rufus Wainwright's verbatim recording of Judy Garland's landmark Carnegie Hall concerts is wildly ambitious, extremely gay but also a tremendous piece of music. The torch singer is like a relic from a bygone era, but still one of the most exciting voices in contemporary music.

BEST REISSUE:

The Clash – London Calling
(Legacy, 2004)
Hard to believe it's been 30 years now since the Clash's landmark punk album was released. With a guitar smash, Joe Strummer and co. planted their flag on the musical landscape. A second disc of demos and a DVD on the making of this essential album.

BEST BOX SET:

various artists – Left of the Dial: Dispatches from the '80s Underground
(Rhino, 2004)
Four discs of '80s nuggets, from household names like Red Hot Chili Peppers and R.E.M. to lesser-known but just as essential artists like Echo & the Bunnymen and Cocteau Twins.

BEST INSTRUMENTAL ALBUM:

Explosions in the Sky – The Earth is Not a Cold, Dead Place
(Temporary Residence, 2003)
That it found success nearly a decade after first forming is not because they sold out, but rather that the editors of film trailers, sportswear commercials, et al, know that the Austin band's music is so malleable that it convey any emotion. It's all open to interpretation.

BEST CRISIS OF FAITH:

Brand New – The Devil and God are Raging Inside Me
(Interscope, 2006)
What Jesse Lacey captured on this bold leap forward for the Long Island band was what so few Christian recording artists fail to grasp: that life isn't all sunshine and lollipops. This is a dark album with no easy solutions. If only other emo bands had a tenth of this ambition.

MOST SELF-ASSURED DEBUT ALBUM:

Franz Ferdinand
(Domino, 2004)
Great Scots! I can't remember a band coming out of the gate so aware of the message it wanted to send: all cocky come-ons and self-deprecation. But by keeping it under 40 minutes, the band never wears out its welcome. That confidence waned on their follow-up then came back but felt hollow on Tonight. At least they started out strong...

BEST EGO DEFLATION:

Kanye West – 808s & Heartbreak
(Roc-a-Fella, 2008)
Perhaps the most conceited artist in all of rap (and that's saying something), Kanye West had the chops to back it up. But on this marvel of an album, a Blood on the Tracks for the iPod age, is the first time the Chicago MC and producer pulled back the façade to reveal the human underneath the superhuman talent and achievements.

MOST DRAMATIC SHIFT:

David Crowder*Band – Church Music
(sixsteps, 2009)
The Waco band is one of the most versatile and talented bands in all of Christian music. He's so good in fact, MSN users voted the group the best artist of any genre in 2006. But after his ventures into bluegrass (A Collision) and pop-rock (Remedy), no one could have predicted this. A journey through about every style imaginable, this proved they could do anything, and succeed better than their peers.

BEARDIEST ALBUM:

Fleet Foxes
(Sub Pop, 2008)
It's not quite country, it's not quite folk, it's not quite chamber pop. What it is, in a word, is gorgeous. And not to get all pretentious on you, but pastoral also comes to mind. Basically, this is what Aaron Copland would sound like were he alive today--and a hipster.

BEST ALBUM YOUR DAD LIKES:

U2 – No Line on the Horizon
(Interscope, 2009)
After winning their second Album of the Year GRAMMY for How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb and more than 25 years in the biz (which got them into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame), the Irish band could have done anything they wanted. Instead, they took five years to record this massively underrated, deeply spiritual album. This is their most personal--and best--album since their unequivocal masterpiece Achtung Baby.

BEST COMEBACK:

Morrissey – You are the Quarry
(Attack, 2004)
Once you're the leader of the Smiths, you pretty much get a pass for the rest of your life. But a true artist like Morrissey wouldn't settle for a so-so solo output. So for his first album in nine years (following the lackluster Maladjusted), he brought out the venom, on vicious tracks like "Irish Blood, English Heart", "All the Lazy Dykes" and "America is Not the World". A master with words, the veteran singer-songwriter's acerbic wit was back in full force.

Music: Best Albums of the Decade

2010-01-02T22:19:00.029-06:00

Ryan Adams – Heartbreaker
(Bloodshot, 2000)
After years of struggles in relationships both professional and personal, Adams delivered an album that lived up to its name. I was hooked from the opening track: a debate with friend David Rawlings about Morrissey. From there, it's pure alt-country bliss as the former Whiskeytown singer laments about his poor decisions and unfortunate break-ups.
Further Listening: Rock n Roll (Lost Highway, 2003); Love is Hell (Lost Highway, 2004); Cold Roses (Lost Highway, 2005)

Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion
(Domino, 2009)
A true miracle of an album, one that made the obscure Baltimore band immensely more accessible without alienating any of their rabid fan base. Each track is completely indispensable and the sunny antithesis of the dark days of the decade's end.
Further Listening: Sung Tongs (Fat Cat, 2004); Fall Be Kind (Domino, 2009); Panda Bear's Person Pitch (Paw Tracks, 2007)

Arcade Fire – Funeral
(Merge, 2004)
It put Montreal on the musical map. It made white folks everywhere swoon. It made Merge a major player on the indie-label scene. But the XL-sized band's debut is more important for what it didn't do: It didn't diminish on repeat listenings. The album still sounds as fresh and exciting more than five years after its original release. The title may have referred to the end, but the music speaks of new beginnings.
Further Listening: Neon Bible (Merge, 2007)

Bloc Party – Silent Alarm
(Wichita, 2005)
The title is very likely a reference to the unknown dissatisfaction and disappointment felt by lead singer Kele Okereke and thousands of other twentysomethings like them. "It's so cold/In this house," he sings on the opening track. It's still unclear if that alarm has been noticed yet.
Further Listening: "Helicopter" (Wichita, 2004); Silent Alarm Remixed (Wichita, 2005)

Broken Social Scene – You Forgot it in People
(Arts & Crafts, 2002)
More great music from Montreal, this time with even more members bearing glad tidings. Each track is ethereal, but with a simplicity. Nowhere is this more evident than on "Anthems for a Seventeen-Year-Old Girl" with its beautiful refrain: "Park that car / Drop that phone / Sleep on the floor / Dream about me." You'll be dreaming about this album for quite a long time.
Further Listening: Feel Good Lost (Arts & Crafts, 2001); Bee Hives (Arts & Crafts, 2004)

Coldplay – A Rush of Blood to the Head
(Capitol, 2002)
Further Listening: Parachutes (Capitol, 2000); X&Y (Capitol, 2005); Viva La Vida, or: Death and All His Friends (Capitol, 2008)
The album that changed everything. After their melancholy debut, this was an altogether lovely follow-up that was the opposite of a sophomore slump. It was an album that showed tremendous growth and propelled the band into the stratosphere.

Daft Punk – Discovery
(Virgin, 2001)
A dance album to the core, but one that remembers dancing starts in the heart.
Further Listening: Alive 2007 (Virgin, 2007)

Death Cab for Cutie – Transatlanticism / The Postal Service – Give Up
(Barsuk, 2003 / Sub Pop, 2003)
Did anyone have a better year creatively than Ben Gibbard in 2003? In any other year, these would both have been crowning achievements, but they came out IN THE SAME YEAR. The former is the indie bible, the latter is a lo-fi electronic masterpiece with just as big a heart (that's just as damaged).
Further Listening: Plans (Atlantic, 2005); Narrow Stairs (Atlantic, 2008); The Open Door (Atlantic, 2009)

The Flaming Lips – Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
(Warner Bros, 2002)
Though not as good as their 1999 masterpiece The Soft Bulletin, this was a landmark album for me personally. Like a nerdy rock opera, it's got balloons, robots and underdog protagonists. Yet it all works. The same could not be said for their follow-ups.
Further Listening: Fight Test (Warner Bros, 2003); The Dark Side of the Moon (Warner Bros, 2009)

The Format – Dog Problems
(The Vanity Label, 2006)
They were challenged with delivering a perfect pop album with their debut. Here, they go one better, showing a surprising maturity with better songwriting and more grandiose arrangements. Too bad delivering such a masterwork undid them and they broke up in 2008.
Further Listening: Interventions + Lullabies (Elektra, 2003)

Girl Talk – Feed the Animals
(Illegal Art, 2008)
In a terrible 2009 song, Ke$ha sings "Don't stop/Make it pop/DJ, blow my speakers up." But DJ Gregg Gillis could easily turn this No. 1 disaster into a danceable hit. It's just what he does. But the important thing is this: he does exactly what she commands. The party really doesn't stop with this album.
Further Listening: Night Ripper (Illegal Art, 2006); @Yale (freeculturemusic.com, 2009)

Green Day – American Idiot
(Reprise, 2004)
An album of limitless ambition, brought to you by a band that called its breakthrough album Dookie. It tells a complete story. Hearing any of the songs separately lessens the impact, though Billie Joe and co. wisely chose its most universal songs for singles: "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" and "Wake Me Up When September Ends" among them. Don't let its popularity among the Hot Topic crowd cause you to think less of it.
Further Listening: International Superhits! (Reprise, 2001)

The Hold Steady – Boys and Girls in America
(Vagrant, 2006)
Things are always hazy through the Hold Steady's lens. Were the high moments that great? Were the low moments so bad? But the best thing about this band is its relentless honesty. The title of this album comes from a line in their tremendous single "Stuck Between Stations": "Boys and girls in America/They're such a sad time together." How true.
Further Listening: Stay Positive (Vagrant, 2008)

Jay-Z – The Blueprint
(Roc-a-Fella, 2001)
I don't think I'll ever be able to decide if this is the ultimate rap album of the decade (see OutKast's entry below). Regardless, this is about as good as it gets. Unfortunately released on 9/11, this album signaled that nothing would ever be the same. Everything that's tired and recycled about hip-hop now was fresh then. Its title is extremely apt.
Further Listening: The Black Album (Roc-a-Fella, 2003); American Gangster (Roc-a-Fella, 2007); The Blueprint 3 (Roc-a-Fella, 2009)

Jimmy Eat World – Bleed American
(DreamWorks, 2001)
A polished power-pop powerhouse that truly got what it was like to be a young American male.
Further Listening: Clarity (Capitol, 1999--re-released 2007); Futures (Interscope, 2004)

The Killers – Hot Fuss
(Island, 2004)
For a debut this fantastic, it sure sounded like Brandon Flowers was filled with doubt. He'd felt betrayed ("Somebody Told Me"), guilty ("All These Things That I've Done") and a fool ("Mr. Brightside"). His inner demons may have been his muse.
Further Listening: Sam's Town (Island, 2006)

M83 – Before the Dawn Heals Us
(Mute, 2005)
Not quite a concept album, but definitely feels like a complete story (or at least an intertwined collection of short stories). An electronic masterpiece, each track is filled with anxiety and uncertainty, hoping for rescue that may or may not come from assailants both emotional and physical. Haunting stuff.
Further Listening: Saturdays = Youth (Mute, 2009)

Original Broadway Cast – Spring Awakening
(Decca, 2006)
Resurrecting a banned century-old play about insatiable teenage lust--and adding pop songs--must have surely seemed like a foolish endeavor in the developing stages, but Duncan "Barely Breathing" Sheik finally got some credit.

OutKast – Stankonia
(LaFace, 2000)
Could this be the decade's best rap album? The jury's still out. What we know for sure is this sounded like nothing else on earth--when it came out, and for the most part, still today. From the mind-blowing energy of "B.O.B." to the surprising earnestness of "Ms. Jackson", this was not the misogynistic, materialistic hip-hop we were used to.
Further Listening: Speakerboxxx/The Love Below (LaFace, 2003)

Rilo Kiley – More Adventurous
(Brute/Beaute, 2004)
Is that title ironic? Because the songs on this gem of an album are all evidence of a life full of risk-taking that backfired badly. The songs of immense regret and sadness, which ebbed and flowed throughout this decade made them the Fleetwood Mac of the '00s.
Further Listening: The Execution of All Things (Saddle Creek, 2002); Under the Blacklight (Warner Bros, 2007); Jenny Lewis' Rabbit Fur Coat (Team Love, 2006)

Sigur Rós – Ágætis Byrjun
(Fat Cat, 2001)
Every once in a while a band comes along and produces music that seems directly descended from another world. It's music so heavenly, it couldn't have come from the planet Earth. No secular band has ever sounded so spiritual.
Further Listening: Untitled (Fat Cat, 2002), Takk... (Geffen, 2005); Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust (EMI, 2008)

Sufjan Stevens – Illinois
(Asthmatic Kitty, 2005)
Let's put it this way: His collection of B-sides from this album--the second in his proposed 50 States project--is far better than most artists' studio albums. A true musician and perfectionist, Sufjan is not one to let an album to put out something merely good. Nor will he put out an album inferior to the work he just produced.
Further Listening: Michigan (Asthmatic Kitty, 2003), Seven Swans (Sounds Familiyre, 2004), The Avalanche (Asthmatic Kitty, 2006)

The Strokes – Is This It
(RCA, 2001)
Despite the lack of punctuation, this is the ultimate question, especially for us twentysomethings. College? Career? Marriage? This is not album with the answers, only more questions.
Further Listening: Room on Fire (RCA, 2003); "New York City Cops" (unreleased)

The White Stripes – Elephant
(V2, 2003)
It could have been quite cumbersome, the follow-up to their breakthrough album. But the immensely talented duo delivered in so many ways. With 14 songs that were completely different from the track before, this was an album that defied classification.
Further Listening: White Blood Cells (Sympathy for the Record Industry, 2001); Get Behind Me Satan (V2, 2005); Icky Thump (Third Man, 2007)

various artists – Once (Music from the Motion Picture)
(Canvasback, 2007)
How could music like this go unnoticed for so long? Most of these songs were recorded at least a year or two before their heart-melting musical took the world by storm. Thank God we have them now. Each track reveals the ache and longing the characters (and likely the actors/musicians themselves) have felt for much of their lives. Everyone else, take note.
Further Listening: The Frames' Set List (Plateau, 2003); The Swell Season's Strict Joy (ANTI-, 2009)

Music: Best Songs of the Decade, Part 4 (S-Z)

2009-12-30T00:18:00.019-06:00

Scissor Sisters – “Take Your Mama”
From their self-titled debut album (Universal, 2004)
Is it a good idea to get your mother drunk before you break bad news to her? Probably not, but when it's this much fun, you can worry about the consequences tomorrow.

Secret Machines – “Alone, Jealous and Stoned”
From the album Ten Silver Drops (Reprise, 2006)
The perfect anthem for “idle kids with idle hearts.”

William Shatner – “That’s Me Trying”
From the album Has Been (Shout! Factory, 2004)
This just in: Captain Kirk was a terrible father. This is his spoken-word account of his attempt to change that. Heartbreaking.

The Shins – “Kissing the Lipless”
From the album Chutes Too Narrow (Sub Pop, 2003)
Don't let the hand claps fool you. This is angry recollection of a friendship gone sour.

Sigur Rós – “Starálfur”
From the album Ágætis byrjun (PIAS, 2001)
The most spiritual song ever recorded by a secular band.

Snow Patrol – “Chocolate”
From the album Final Straw (Interscope, 2004)
Quarter-life crises are a dumb concept, but Gary Lightbody pulls off the angst of everything that comes with turning 25.

Spring Awakening original cast – “My Junk”
From the soundtrack album Spring Awakening (Decca, 2006)
Bryan Ferry would be proud of this love-as-drug metaphor. It's an intoxicating showtune. How's that for originality?

SR-71 – “Right Now”
From the album Now You See Inside (RCA, 2000)
They were just too soon. SR-71's brand power-pop with the slightest punk edge came too early for the success of all the bands that followed. Besides success, the only difference was that SR-71 was actually good.

St. Vincent – “Marry Me”
From the album Marry Me (Beggars Banquet, 2007)
Annie Clark is making you an offer you can't refuse. Just say yes.

Stars – “Your Ex-Lover is Dead”
From the album Set Yourself on Fire (Arts & Crafts, 2005)
It was an affair to remember. No regrets. It was quite a way to start off an album of lost memories.

Sufjan Stevens – “Chicago”
From the album Illinois (Asthmatic Kitty, 2005)
If he ever decides to get out of music, he'd make an awesome travel agent. This song will make you want to book your tickets to the Windy City right away.

The Streets – “Dry Your Eyes”
From the album A Grand Don’t Come for Free (Atlantic, 2004)
This is the kind of confessional song rappers only write every once in a while. Are you surprised at my tears? Strong men also cry. Strong men also cry.

The Strokes – “Someday”
From the album Is This It (RCA, 2001)
Julian Casablancas and co. were perhaps too self-assure (even though all their songs were about self-doubt) on their debut. Perhaps that's why they haven't been able to measure up since. This is them at their peak.

The Swell Season – “Falling Slowly”
From their self-titled debut album (Overcoat, 2006)
Made popular through the lovely film Once--which won them an Oscar--the duo's 2006 love song grows more resonant after each listen.

The Temper Trap – “Sweet Disposition”
From the album Conditions (Glassnote, 2009)
Used to underscore the more touching moments of 500 Days of Summer, this is one of those songs that drifts back to you in your memory at the most unexpected times.

Justin Timberlake featuring T.I. – “My Love”
From the album FutureSex/LoveSounds (Jive, 2006)
Coming hot off his quirky smash hit “SexyBack,” J.T. proved it was no fluke. Here was Male Pop Singer Version 2.0: sleek, stylish, armed with an arsenal of songs that could take the world by storm.

TV on the Radio – “Heroes”
From the compilation album War Child Presents: Heroes (Astralwerks, 2009)
A phantasmagorical cover of David Bowie's seminal ballad that was one of the band's only tolerable songs.

U2 – “Beautiful Day”
From the album All That You Can’t Leave Behind (Island, 2000)
Their first recording after the disaster that was Pop. If they can have one of the titular days, anyone can.

Vertical Horizon – “Everything You Want”
From the album Everything You Want (RCA, 2000)
Perhaps the best of the one-hit wonders of the decade, this was the first CD I remember buying with my own money. There's nothing really unique about them, but when all the typical stuff comes together, they make it into something memorable.

Rufus Wainwright – “Vibrate”
From the album Want One (DreamWorks, 2003)
This is why he's so great: he takes an old style and modernizes, molding it into something original. This is the best of his torch songs: waiting for a lover to return his call, and feeling less and less human the longer he waits.

The Walkmen – “The Rat”
From the album Bows + Arrows (Record Collection, 2004)
Four-and-a-half minutes of pure rage. Why don't more bands bottle their anger like this? Or this well?

We are Scientists – “After Hours”
From the album Brain Thrust Mastery (Virgin, 2008)
The “Closing Time” of our generation.

Kanye West featuring Adam Levine – “Heard ’em Say”
From the album Late Registration (Roc-a-Fella, 2005)
Who knew the most superficial of bands (Maroon 5) could augment the most talented of rappers to make the most poigant hip-hop track of the decade?

Whiskeytown – “Crazy About You”
From the album Pneumonia (Lost Highway, 2001)
Before Ryan Adams went solo, this “lost album” of his old band made its way into the record stores long after it was recorded. Regardless of the release date, this was a precursor to all the greatness Adams had stored up.

White Lies – “Death”
From the album To Lose My Life… (Polydor, 2009)
Interpol. Editors. She Wants Revenge. None of these bands put out as good a Joy Division tribute as this London band did.

The White Stripes – “Little Acorns”
From the album Elephant (V2, 2003)
Part of what made the duo so great--aside from their complex guitar-simple drum dichotomy--was their unrelenting weirdness. And this track, featuring narration from Detroit broadcaster Mort Crim, is actually inspiring in its own bizarre way.

Phil Wickham – “Beautiful”
From the album Cannons (INO, 2007)
Picture the perfect wedding. Phil Wickham's description of the heavenly ceremony is even far beyond your wildest dreams.

Amy Winehouse – “Tears Dry on Their Own”
From the album Back to Black (Universal, 2007)
I never really got why people loved her so much. All she was doing was having Mark Ronson hijack Motown samples as she sang about her substance-abusing tragicomic life. That is until this song--which samples “Ain't No Mountain High Enough”--brought sadness to the forefront. From the first line, “All I can ever be to you/Is a darkness that we knew/And this regret I've got accustomed to,” it was clear this was a horse of a different color.

“Weird Al” Yankovic – “White & Nerdy”
From the album Straight Outta Lynnwood (Volcano, 2006)
His first Top 10 hit was a parody of Chamillionaire's “Ridin'” and anyone who can identify with the title knows it's scarily accurate. It also proved the 25-plus-year music biz veteran had some serious rhymin' skills.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs – “Maps”
From the album Fever to Tell (Interscope, 2003)
Their debut was a hodgepodge of tributes to old CBGB stars, but this was the only song that caught on with more than Internet message board commenters. So universal, so sad, but so memorable. This song's gonna last for another 100 years.

Warren Zevon – “Keep Me in Your Heart”
From the album The Wind (Artemis, 2003)
The only good thing that came out of the singer-songwriter's death was this touching final album and this song in particular, which I hope replaces Sarah McLachlan's “I Will Remember You” as the go-to funeral song. It wouldn't cheapen the sentiment one bit. This is as heartbreaking as songs get.

Music: Best Songs of the Decade, Part 3 (L-R)

2009-12-29T22:43:00.012-06:00

LCD Soundsystem – “All My Friends”
From the album Sound of Silver (DFA, 2007)
James Murphy writes about regret the way great novelists do. But his point is this: what good is it to grow up and start making money if you're just going to want to reclaim your youth later on? Ponder that when you think about taking that desk job.

Lecrae – “Send Me/Represent”
From the compilation EP Amped (Reach, 2007)
Musically, Lecrae is something of a miracle worker: he's brought legit skills to the heretofor (understandably) maligned genre of Christian rap. Here, he disses not other MCs, but lazy listeners who'd rather watch MTV than do something that would impact the world.

Leeland – “Carried to the Table”
From the album Sound of Melodies (Essential, 2006)
The wee Mooring took an obscure psalm and turned it into a tear-jerking anthem. It's not an end-of-your-rope giving up, but a breakthrough giving up. Beautiful.

M.I.A. – “Paper Planes”
From the album Kala (Interscope, 2008)
The kind of success story you can cheer for: she didn't have to change your sound to achieve fame. Most people heard it in that Pineapple Express trailer, but it made much more sense in the context of Slumdog Millionaire. For the gangsta in all of us.

M83 – “Kim & Jessie”
From the album Saturdays = Youth (Mute, 2008)
Wait, this isn't the theme song for the worst '80s movie ever made? Why isn't Andrew McCarthy in this video?

Mêlée – “She’s Gonna Find Me Here”
From the album Devils & Angels (Warner Bros, 2007)
The antithesis of emo. Lead singer Chris Cron doesn't think it'll never happen. It just hasn't happened yet.

MGMT – “Time to Pretend”
From the album Oracular Spectacular (Columbia, 2008)
Thirty years ago, your parents listened to Loverboy's “Working for the Weekend” when 5 o'clock Friday rolled around. Now, it's your turn.

Moby – “I’m Not Worried at All”
From the album 18 (V2, 2002)
Play may have been his big seller, but this song was the apex for the DJ. Combining all the things that made him so popular in the first place (universal themes, but mainly taking a good portion of his music from old spirituals) was on full display here.

Modest Mouse – “Float On”
From the album Good News for People Who Love Bad News (Epic, 2004)
Could anyone have guessed that people outside of college campuses and Pitchfork offices would know the name Modest Mouse before this year? I don't think they did either. But one listen to the sage advice of Isaac Brock, self-help guru, changed all that.

Morrissey – “The World is Full of Crashing Bores”
From the album You are the Quarry (Attack, 2004)
Don't call it a comeback; he'd been here for years. One of his most universal songs, even if we're not all wordsmiths.

Nas – “Made You Look”
From the album God’s Son (Ill Will, 2003)
With just one line--“Made you look/You're a slave to a page in my rhyme book”--Nasir Jones had us hooked.

New Order – “Crystal”
From the album Get Ready (London, 2001)
After years of middling with side projects, the seminal electronic band reunited for one of the decade's best club albums. Without this song, there would be no Killers (and not just because of the video).

Oasis – “Songbird”
From the album Heathen Chemistry (Big Brother, 2003)
So Noel finally deflated his ego enough to let Liam right a song, and the result is far better than when the Beatles let Ringo write a song.

OutKast – “Hey Ya!”
From the album Speakerboxxx/The Love Below (LaFace, 2003)
There are many good arguments for “B.O.B.” to be on this list instead, but I still have to go with the infectious “where-do-we-go-from-here” hit. André 3000 knew how to traffic in heartbreak in addition to the regular hip-hop trappings.

Trey Parker & Matt Stone – “The End of an Act”
From the soundtrack album Team America: World Police (Atlantic, 2004)
What could be a more pure expression of love than comparing your affection to how much Pearl Harbor sucked? That's an awful lot, girl.

Pet Shop Boys – “I Get Along”
From the album Release (Parlophone, 2002)
With this song, Neil Tennant became the biggest liar since John Waite declared “I ain't missing you at all.”

Peter Bjorn and John – “Young Folks”
From the album Young Folks (Wichita, 2006)
Whistling came back into (hipster) fashion with this off-beat Dutch hit, and it's not hard to see why. It'll be stuck in your head for days, but the difference between this and most Top 40 songs is you'll actually want it there.

Phoenix – “Consolation Prizes”
From the album It’s Never Been Like That (Astralwerks, 2006)
They're just now gaining the popularity they deserve, but this song finds the French band at their peak, singing deceptively upbeat pop songs to hide the betrayal underneath.

The Postal Service – “Brand New Colony”
From the album Give Up (Sub Pop, 2003)
Should Ben Gibbard write your vows? If they're this good, you may want to ask him for some help.

The Rev. Peyton’s Big Damn Band – “Walmart Killed the Country Store”
From the album The Whole Fam Damnily (SideOneDummy, 2008)
AC/DC sold millions of copies of Black Ice by carrying it exclusively at Wal-mart. But I doubt the Rev. Peyton cares if his shamefully unheard 2008 album will ever be sold at the Evil Empire because, truthfully, they kill mom-and-pop business. A folky bit of righteous indignation.

Rilo Kiley – “Portions for Foxes”
From the album More Adventurous (Brute/Beaute, 2004)
A song that's all about the moment when you know you shouldn't do something but you debate whether you should do it anyway. You know you've been there.

Music: Best Songs of the Decade, Part 2 (F-K)

2009-12-28T16:43:00.014-06:00

Fall Out Boy – “What a Catch, Donnie”
From the album Folie à Deux (Decaydance, 2008)
All that stuff you probably hate about Fall Out Boy (I, for one, consistently enjoy their work and I will not apologize for it)? That's all put to death in this song. As a cavalcade of guest stars--Elvis Costello among them--sing snippets of past hits, the old band is fading away. What emerges is a band that could go any direction. I can't wait to see what that is.

The Flaming Lips – “Do You Realize??”
From the album Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (Warner Bros, 2002)
The song that took the Oklahoma band from favorite of college-aged druggies to wedding staple.

Fleet Foxes – “White Winter Hymnal”
From their self-titled debut album (Sub Pop, 2008)
Walkin' in a winter wonderland, with a dark edge. Haunting.

Foo Fighters – “Best of You”
From the album In Your Honor (RCA, 2005)
Their fifth album (or at least this song) finds the Grohl-fronted band at their most focused. Their rage, the howl, the feeling of righteous indignation all culminates in this biting cut.

The Format – “The First Single”
From the album Interventions + Lullabies (Elektra, 2003)
It was basically a joke, spitting into the face of record labels who wanted to "format" them and demand the perfect first single. But Elektra records got what they wanted. This is about as great as pop songs get.

Franz Ferdinand – “Take Me Out”
From their self-titled debut album (Domino, 2004)
Back when they still had swagger, the Scottish band took wordplay to heights not seen since the heyday of the Smiths. Is it about hooking up or snipers caught in the crossfire?

The Fratellis – “Chelsea Dagger”
From the album Costello Music (Fallout, 2006)
Somewhere in the self-seriousness of the decade, bands forgot how to have fun. This Scottish trio is the grand foray back into enjoyable rock music.

The Freelance Hellraiser – “A Stroke of Genius” (2001)
The mash-up that made everyone want to do one. Edgy pop or glitzy indie-rock? Either way, it's one of the decade's essential party track.

Girl Talk – “Play Your Part (Parts 1 and 2)”
From the album Feed the Animals (Illegal Art, 2008)
The songs that bookend DJ Gregg Gillis's indispensable 2008 party album are the perfect complements. Things kick off with a foot-stomping mash-up of “Oh, Pretty Woman”, “Gimme Some Lovin’” and UGK's “International Player’s Anthem”. At the end, things close out with a reprise of “International Player’s Anthem”, beautifully spliced with Journey's “Faithfully”.

Gnarls Barkley – “Crazy”
From the album St. Elsewhere (Atlantic, 2006)
The ultimate out-of-left-field hit single, obscure rappers Danger Mouse and Cee-Lo collaborated for a great song that transcended genres. Maybe they were crazy, but they got everyone's attention.

David Gray – “Please Forgive Me”
From the album White Ladder (IHT, 2000)
Originally released in 1999, but re-released after White Ladder finally hit it big thanks to “Babylon”, this is the Manchester singer-songwriter's finest hour. Unabashedly romantic without ever getting sappy.

Guillemots – “Trains to Brazil”
From the album Through the Windowpane (Polydor, 2006)
Perhaps the most joyous four minutes recorded this decade. It makes it all but impossible to sit down while listening to this song.

Joe Henry – “God Only Knows”
From the album Civilians (ANTI-, 2007)
Few artists deserve a Tom Waits comparison, but it's apt here. He deals in world-weary bar ballads, and none was more devastating than this 2007 cut, used to underscore a tribute to 2008's fallen filmmakers.

Hillsong United – “From the Inside Out”
From the album United We Stand (Hillsong, 2006)
After hundreds of uses in churches throughout the world, Joel Houston's 2006 praise & worship song still resonates.

The Hold Steady – “Stuck Between Stations”
From the album Boys and Girls in America (Vagrant, 2006)
Sal Paradise was right: “Boys and girls in America have such a sad time together.” In just four short minutes, the Minneapolis band captures that essence of that phrase and kicks off an album that understood what it's like to be lost in the delirium of romance and alcohol.

Jay-Z – “99 Problems”
From The Black Album (Roc-a-Fella, 2004)
Had this really been Jigga's swan song, it would have been a fitting tribute to the unstoppable MC. Of course, he couldn't stay away from the game he loved so much. Regardless, this is the finest rap song of the decade, a sundown for an era ruled by boasting, which gave way to the modern era of goofiness.

Jet – “Are You Gonna Be My Girl”
From the album Get Born (Elektra, 2003)
Before they self-destructed, the Australian band had the song everyone wanted. It also proved Apple could make any song a Top 10 hit, as long as it made it into an iPod ad. It's still my go-to karaoke song.

Jimmy Eat World – “Your House”
From the album Bleed American (DreamWorks, 2001)
The most earnest plea to stay since Lisa Loeb declared “I Miss You”. The band are experts at crafting deceptively upbeat pop songs that mask deep sadness and this is their best.

Scarlett Johansson – “Anywhere I Lay My Head”
From the album Anywhere I Lay My Head (Atco, 2008)
The song I know I'll have to most vehemently defend: the ingenue's cover of Tom Waits's seminal ballad sounds just as off-beat and world-weary. In her defense, Waits can't sing either.

Keane – “Is it Any Wonder?”
From the album Under the Iron Sea (Island, 2006)
If their debut album was Hopes and Fears, their sophomore effort was all about the latter. With everything that happened in the two-year gap between these albums, it's no wonder the band sounded more hopeless, but also more polished.

R. Kelly – “Ignition Remix”
From the album Chocolate Factory (Jive, 2003)
He's never sounded like he cared less. It's the epitome of effortless cool.

Nicole Kidman & Ewan McGregor – “Elephant Love Medley”
From the soundtrack album Moulin Rouge! (Interscope, 2001)
It begins with Sweet and ends with Elton John. In between it's the ultimate love song, because it cherry-picks the best love songs from decades past into a decadent smorgasbord of cheese. That Baz Luhrmann is really on to something.

The Killers – “All These Things That I’ve Done”
From the album Hot Fuss (Island, 2004)
Saddled with guilt from growing up in the excess of Las Vegas, Brandon Flowers' sorrowful track is a wringing-of-hands tune that feels like something more than catharsis.

Kings of Leon – “The Bucket”
From the album Aha Shake Heartbreak (RCA, 2005)
Long before they became every college co-eds favorite indie band, the Southern rockers were trafficking heavily in the horrors of early on-set stardom. If it wasn't so earnest, it would come across as whiny. But the family act knew how to cultivate sorrow over grungy guitars. They changed the game for their next album, but the soul was still there, even if the songs lamented about how they might be losing theirs.

The Knife – “Heartbeats”
From the album Deep Cuts (Electropop, 2006)
Weird as weird gets, but there's a romantic layer underneath all that electronic pastiche.

Music: Best Songs of the Decade, Part 1 (A-E)

2009-12-27T20:21:00.018-06:00

Ryan Adams – “Come Pick Me Up”
From the album Heartbreaker (Bloodshot, 2000)
More than just a drunken lament, this is one of many tracks that live up to the album's title and heralded the debut of one of the decade's best songwriters.

Adele – “Chasing Pavements”
From the album 19 (XL, 2008)
She may have only been the age of her album when she wrote this song, but she showed a maturity and depth many singers twice her age have yet to grasp.

Animal Collective – “My Girls”
From the album Merriweather Post Pavilion (Domino, 2009)
Really, any song from this late-decade masterwork could have made this list, but I went with this eternally sunny single. Think of it as the hipster equivalent of “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”.

Arcade Fire – “Wake Up”
From the album Funeral (Merge, 2005)
Few songs elicit the emotional response of this single from the decade's best album. Brutally honest but honestly hopeful, this is a truly uplifting song.

Badly Drawn Boy – “The Shining”
From the album The Hour of Bewilderbeast (XL, 2000)
Could a song that takes its title from a terrifying novel and film be so beautiful? Only when Damon Gough is behind it.

Beck – “Lost Cause”
From the album Sea Change (Geffen, 2002)
His break-up album (the decade's best) saw Mr. Hansen doing a complete 180 from his sample-heavy irony-laden compositions. This is him stripped and raw. He needs to do more of this.

Beyoncé – “Crazy in Love”
From the album Dangerously in Love (Columbia, 2003)
Riding a sample from the O'Jays, Beyoncé announced her independence to the world with this No. 1 smash hit. Though she's been hit-or-miss since, this was the ultimate summer song in 2003, and still holds up today.

blink-182 – “I Miss You”
From their self-titled album (Geffen, 2004)
From the band the once called their life-on-the-road memoir Tales from Beneath Your Mom came a side we hadn't seen before: the honest, mature side. Too bad they broke up not long after this.

Bloc Party – “Always New Depths”
From the single “Helicopter” (Wichita, 2004)
Their "what-a-horrifying-present-we-live-in" debut was devastating, but on this B-side, they found a glimmer of hope. It would have helped them on their follow-ups.

Bon Iver – “Skinny Love”
From the album For Emma, Forever Ago (Jagjaguwar, 2008)
Recorded in a cabin in the Wisconsin woods, this is the raw, unfiltered sound of a man whose life was in shambles and is slowly beginning to piece it back together.

Brand New – “Jesus”
From the album The Devil and God are Raging Inside Me (Interscope, 2007)
Filled with doubt, listeners feel every ounce of Jesse Lacey's existential crisis. It's an ambiguous song with no easy answers.

Bright Eyes – “One Foot in Front of the Other”
From the compilation album Saddle Creek 50 (Saddle Creek, 2003)
Later re-recorded under the title “Landlocked Blues”, Conor Oberst's best song (and that's saying something) captures everything that sucked about this decade, but implores the listener to continue on and move like the title.

Broken Social Scene – “Lover’s Spit”
From the album You Forgot it in People (Arts & Crafts, 2002)
So the song's pretty disgusting, but the Montreal band turned into something lovely. Just one of many glorious cuts from their 2002 album.

Camera Obscura – “Let’s Get Out of This Country”
From the album Let’s Get Out of This Country (Merge, 2006)
The title track makes you want to run away and forget your troubles. The perfect song for such an uneasy decade.

Johnny Cash – “Hurt”
From the album American IV: The Man Comes Around (American, 2003)
Going above and beyond what a cover song can do, this is a lifetime of pain recorded in four minutes. It still packs a wallop.

Kelly Clarkson – “Since U Been Gone”
From the album Breakaway (RCA, 2004)
When American Idol's first winner sang "I'm so movin' on," she wasn't just talking to that loser of an ex. She was kissing the old guard of pre-packaged, polished pop music goodbye.

Coldplay – “Swallowed in the Sea”
From the album X&Y (Capitol, 2005)
It was nearly impossible to find Coldplay's ultimate track from their first decade of recording. But I had to go with this earnest plea from their underrated 2005 album. This is them at their peak.

David Crowder*Band – “How He Loves”
From the album Church Music (sixsteps, 2009)
No one in Christian music was as innovative as the Waco native. Here, he re-tools the acoustic praise song into an electronic ballad that's even more emotional than the original.

Daft Punk – “One More Time”
From the album Discovery (Discovery, 2000)
As the decade draws to a close, the French band has made it clear that no matter how difficult the times have been, it's important to cherish those good times, because they might be gone tomorrow. But it would all come off as trite if it wasn't so danceable. Kudos to you, robots.

The Darkness – “I Believe in a Thing Called Love”
From the album Permission to Land (Atlantic, 2003)
Hair metal for people who don't like hair metal, Justin Hawkins' falsetto cracked windows but also landed its way into listeners' hearts. It'll make a believer out of you, too.

Death Cab for Cutie – “I Was Once a Loyal Lover”
From the EP The Open Door (Atlantic, 2009)
Ben Gibbard's been displaying his heart on the record sleeve for years now, but this track from his 2009 EP may just be his best. He's trying to get his stuff together, but it might be easier said than done.

Eminem – “Stan”
From the album The Marshall Mathers LP (Aftermath, 2000)
Perhaps the most terrifying song of the decade, Shady's account of a fan on the edge hooks the listener in with that beautiful refrain from Dido (and later, Elton John) but its gripping details haunt you long afterward.

Explosions in the Sky – “Your Hand in Mine”
From the album The Earth is Not a Cold Dead Place (Temporary Residence Limited, 2003)
Without a single word, the Austin band says more about relationships than many artists do with the best writers at their disposal. Truly mesmerizing.

Music: Worst Songs of the Decade

2009-12-20T18:10:00.025-06:00

3OH!3 – “Don’t Trust Me”
From the album Want
The biggest insult of the decade. Not only to women, but also to anyone with ears and a brain. I wish Helen Keller was still alive so she could beat the crap out of these two.

Akon featuring Snoop Dogg – “I Wanna Love You”
From the album Konvicted
Does it sound like Akon's disingenuous here? That's because this is the poorly edited-for-radio version of his album track "I Wanna F*** You". Now, take another look at that single cover. Are you creeped out? Because you should be.

The Black Eyed Peas – “My Humps”
From the album Monkey Business
Exhibit A in the case to bring the Black Eyed Peas up on charges of terrorism. A diabolically crafted song, designed to get stuck in your head and push you to the point of suicide. Instead of jail time, the band got a Grammy for this. Seriously.

James Blunt – “You’re Beautiful”
From the album Back to Bedlam
I'll admit. I fell under the spell of this song back in 2005. Now, it's like a bitter memory and I can't believe I bought into it. My ears deserve better than you, James Blunt.

BrokeNCYDE – “Freaxxx”
From the album I'm Not a Fan... But the Kids Like It!
If you can make it more than 30 seconds into this song, you deserve a medal. If I was ranking these songs, this would be No. 1 by far. Nothing this horrible should ever be recorded or sung or even thought up. A downright atrocity.

Buckcherry – “Crazy Bitch”
From the album 15
What this L.A. band lacks in songwriting ability, they make up for with a heaping dose of misogyny. Swoon, women, swoon!

Aaron Carter – “America A.O.”
From the album Another Earthquake
Nick Carter's little brother wants you to know that you can't mess with America. Enemies of the United States cower in fear.

Cobra Starship featuring Leighton Meester – “Good Girls Go Bad”
From the album Hot Mess
Taking douchiness to extreme new heights, the ostentatious band enlists the help of the Gossip Girl "star" for this horrendous ode to loose women. You only make women run away, Mr. Saporta.

Crazy Frog – “Axel F” / Gummibar – “I Am Your Gummy Bear”
A frozen Snickers bar? That's a novelty. These are what you call travesties. The former was No. 1 in the UK, which I guess proves they'll listen to anything. No one in America would listen to anything that bad...

Fergie featuring will.i.am – “Fergalicious”
From the album The Dutchess
... except maybe this, a song that's catchy like an STD. You know, misspelling "tasty" (as in "T to the A to the S-T-E-Y") is acceptable if you're running a burger joint in Texas, but when you're describing yourself, you come off as even more repulsive.

Flo Rida featuring T-Pain – “Low”
From the soundtrack album Step Up 2: The Streets
Ladies and gentlemen, your best-selling single of the decade. Who could resist a woman in baggy sweatpants and Reeboks with the straps, especially when she turns around to give that big booty a slap? Oh, Flo Rida, you are the poet laureate of the club.

Paris Hilton – “Stars are Blind” / Heidi Montag – “Higher”
Since neither of these singers are real people, why should anyone expect their songs to feel anything less than manufactured?

Hinder – “Lips of an Angel”
From the album Extreme Behavior
There's rarely been more irony in a line than when Austin Winkler sings "It's really good to hear your voice." No, no it's not. But what really pissed me off about this song was how much women loved it, even though it's about cheating with your ex. But he's from Oklahoma, so I don't expect him to be classy.

Toby Keith – “Courtesy of the Red, White & Blue (The Angry American)”
From the album Unleashed
The subtitle must refer to the listener of this song because not a single line works. To describe 9/11 as a "mighty sucker punch" cheapens the horror of that day. To say "we lit up your world like the 4th of July" is outrageous because whose world are we talking about? All of the Middle East? That's not fair to the millions of people who had nothing to do with the attacks. To say "we'll put a boot in your ass, it's the American way" doesn't make the U.S. of A look so good. Please, let's get a new PR guy in here.

Madonna – “American Life”
From the album American Life
Let's just look at some of the ridiculousness here: she describes how she feels "super-duper" when she drives her MINI Cooper, she rhymes yoga and Pilates with "the room is full of hotties," and talks about how dope "this metaphysics sh**" is. Someone needs to stop rapping, immediately.

New Boyz – “You’re a Jerk”
From the EP Skinny Jeans and a Mic
Is that all I had to do to write a hit song? Find an insult and repeat it 18,000 times over some ProTools samples? Man, I am in the wrong business.

Nickelback – “Something in Your Mouth”
From the album Dark Horse
I don't think I need to explain anything with a title like that.

Pussycat Dolls – “When I Grow Up”
From the album Doll Domination
A one-hit wonder is all that a burlesque troupe should aspire to be, but unfortunately people keep listening to them. This might be their worst song, but anything they've recorded could be a contender, especially their butchering of A.R. Rahman's Oscar-winning "Jai Ho".

Rihanna – “Unfaithful”
From the album A Girl Like Me
When she sang "I don't wanna do this anymore," I really hoped she was talking about singing this song. She's giving herself entirely too much credit here, equating cheating with murder. Apparently her infidelity is literally killing her boyfriend. I envy him, because I wanted to die after hearing this song.

Asher Roth – “I Love College”
From the album Asleep in the Bread Aisle
Things Asher Roth has never done: passed a class, written a good song, said something intelligent.

(tie) Ashlee Simpson – “La La”
From the album Pieces of Me
Ashley Tisdale – “He Said She Said”
From the album Headstrong
It's a battle of the Ashes for the worst song ever. Both these are tawdry little trifles that aren't instantly forgettable and incredibly unsexy, as it should be, because you were both TEENAGERS when you recorded these songs. The competition is still neck-and-neck.

Soulja Boy Tell 'Em featuring Arab – “Yahhh!”
From the album souljaboytellem.com
I can forgive "Crank That" because there was a dance associated with it, and people love stupid dances (see also: "Macarena", "Cupid Shuffle", "Cha-Cha Slide"). But this, this I cannot abide. It's an all-out assault on the ears, recorded on the 17-year-old kid's home computer. It's the musical equivalent of an IED.

Britney Spears – “If U Seek Amy”
From the album Circus
This song from album No. 2 in Spears' comeback discography was originally titled, "Look at Me (I'm Still Popular! I'm Still Sexy! I'm Still Edgy!) Look at Me! Look at Me!"

Swizz Beats with Ja Rule and Metallica – “We Did it Again”
From the soundtrack album Biker Boyz
If I had to pick the three people I would less want to hear on one track, I don't know if I could have done any better than this.

Neil Young – “Let’s Impeach the President”
From the album Living with War
Listen, Mr. Young. You've written some great songs over the years. "Heart of Gold". "After the Gold Rush". "Rockin' in the Free World". Man, that was a great song. So, if you're so pissed about the president, why can't you write anything better than this? Take an example from one of your disciples on how to write a good protest song.

Music: Best Music Videos of the Decade

2009-12-18T13:53:00.008-06:00

Animal Collective – “My Girls”
Directed by Jon Vermilyea
The least head-scratching video they've ever done. But that's not to say it's not weird by everyone else's standards.

The Avalanches – “Frontier Psychiatrist”
Directed by Tom Kuntz and Mike Maguire
Literal interpretations rarely work, but the Australian band employs a full band to tell this story, ripped from hundreds of vinyl samples.

Bat for Lashes – “What’s a Girl to Do?”
Directed by Dougal Wilson
Simple yet haunting, this video is a bit creepy but nevertheless beautiful.

The Black Keys – “10 A.M. Automatic”
Directed by David Cross
Further proof that David Cross is good at everything.

Boards of Canada – “Dayvan Cowboy”
Directed by Melissa Olson
A sure-fire contender for the “Ho-ly...” video of the year. Parachuting from nearly 20 miles above the earth? Risky but makes for dern good watchin'.

Johnny Cash – “Hurt”
Directed by Mark Romanek
The most poignant video ever made. Cash's final on-screen appearance brings the pain.

Coldplay – “The Scientist”
Directed by Jamie Thraves
The backward walking and singing seems gimmicky at first until the heartbreaking ending, er, beginning.

Fatboy Slim – “Weapon of Choice”
Directed by Spike Jonze
Few things in life are more joyous than watching Christopher Walken dance and fly. Peter Pan who?

Feist – “1 2 3 4”
Directed by Patrick Daughters
More or less done in one take, this is cheesy choreography (made popular by fellow list-makers Fatboy Slim and OK Go) on a grand scale.

Girl Talk – “Still Here”
Directed by Chris Beckman
Actually, any of YouTube user BunnyGreenhouse's videos could make this list. Painstakingly culling clips for every one of Greg Gillis's myriad samples, this must have been a whole lot of work. But it definitely paid off.

Gnarls Barkley – “Who’s Gonna Save My Soul?”
Directed by Chris Milk
Poor Jorma. Kid can never catch a break.

Junior Senior – “Move Your Feet”
Directed by Shynola
Proof animation doesn't need to be fancy for the audience to have a good time.

Justice – “D.A.N.C.E.”
Directed by Jonas & François
A buoyant, seamless blend of animation and live action. Eat your heart out, Urban Outfitters.

R. Kelly – “Trapped in the Closet”
Directed by Jim Swaffield and R. Kelly
The first five chapters brought ridiculousness to new heights. And then things got out of hand... ("But the man is a midget. MIDGET! MIDGET! MIDGET!")

Jenny Lewis – “See Fernando”
Directed by Alan Tanner
Someone let this guy direct the next James Bond movie. This was a million times more entertaining than Quantum of Solace.

OK Go – “Here it Goes Again”
Directed by Trish Sie
The DIY video that made DIY videos popular again. The Chicago band pretty much staked their entire future into the making of this video. Luckily for them (and us), they have this to show for it.

OutKast – “Hey Ya!”
Directed by Bryan Barber
Both the song and its video went over the heads of most everyone. But whether you're into subtext or not, both are amazing works.

R.E.M. – “Imitation of Life”
Directed by Garth Jennings
Jennings is a true technical wizard here, as everyone walks, sings and dances at different speeds. It all adds to theme of disconnection common in R.E.M.'s music.

She & Him – “Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?”
Directed by Ace Norton
O Zooey, how I love thee. The clip brings to mind Lily Tomlin's fantasy from 9 to 5, but remains a true original.

U2 – “Window in the Skies”
Directed by Gary Koepke
They've made plenty of great videos over the decades, but this is their standout from the 00s. If it wasn't so poignant, it would feel like a cola commercial. But, like all of U2's music, there's real heart here.

Usher featuring Young Jeezy – “Love in this Club”
Directed by Robert Whitcomb
There's something terrifying about the band from Showbiz Pizza singing "searching for a n***a that'll take you out and do ya right, yet there's something endearing about it, too. Chris Thrash is on to something here.

We are Scientists – “After Hours”
Directed by Akiva Schaffer
Schaffer's work with the Lonely Island definitely could have made the list, but I had to go with this video because it captures his sad but humorous outlook.

Weezer – “Pork & Beans”
Directed by Matthew Cullen
It's really only been about 10 years since video on the Internet has been decently available and the band sums up the most viral of those videos (shame they couldn't get Rick Astley though) in their hilarious clip. It's homage and parody all at once.

Kanye West – “Can’t Tell Me Nothing”
Directed by Michael Blieden
After his breakout performance in The Hangover, there's no reason this shouldn't be one of the most viewed videos on YouTube. He's a genuinely funny man and this clip is the antithesis of Kanye's flashiness. And here's the kicker: West loved it.

The White Stripes – “Fell in Love with a Girl”
Directed by Michel Gondry
Is Gondry the greatest director (of film and music videos) to emerge in the last decade? He sure makes a case for it here, crafting thousands of LEGO bricks for the millions of shots, all lasting just a few seconds. Only minimal CGI was used, and it showcases one of Gondry's many talents: mind-blowing lo-fi special effects. Wow.

Music: 10 Songs This Decade That Would Embarrass Redd Foxx (God Rest His Smutty Soul)

2009-12-18T12:57:00.014-06:00

No explanation needed for these 10 tracks. All the artists on this list should be ashamed of themselves. Not just because these songs are downright obscene, but most are unlistenable regardless of subject matter. And it's not just male rappers, both sexes are equally represented here, because women can be just as disgusting. (I shouldn't have to tell you this, but all these links are NSFW.) Oh, and if you caught the Simpsons reference in the title, good for you.

Christina Aguilera – “Nasty Naughty Boy”
From the album Back to Basics

David Banner – “Play”
From the album Certified

Beyoncé featuring Kanye West – “Ego”
From the album I Am… Sasha Fierce

Eminem – “Fack”
From the album Curtain Call: The Hits

Ghostface Killah – “Stapleton Sex”
From the album Ghostdini: The Wizard of Poetry in Emerald City

Khia – “My Neck, My Back (Lick It)”
From the album Thug Misses

Lil Kim – “How Many Licks”
From the album The Notorious K.I.M.

Nelly – “Tip Drill”
From the album Da Derrty Versions: The Reinvention

Liz Phair – “H.W.C.”
From her self-titled album

Ying Yang Twins – “Wait (The Whisper Song)”
From the album U.S.A. (United State of Atlanta)

Music: Best Cover Songs of the Decade

2009-12-11T15:26:00.016-06:00

Michael Andrews featuring Gary Jules – “Mad World”
Originally by Tears for Fears

It's only on the rarest of occasions that a cover outdoes the original in both chart success and emotional resonance, but this version--from the Donnie Darko soundtrack--topped the UK charts and was used in pretty much every television series in the last decade. But that hasn't lessened the impact one bit.

Johnny Cash – “Hurt”
Originally by Nine Inch Nails

Recorded in the twilight of his life, this is the standout from the last album released before his death. Here, he turned Trent Reznor's what-have-I-done lament into a humble final amends. Perhaps the most powerful song of the decade.

Cat Power – “Sea of Love”
Originally by Phil Phillips

One of the measures of a great cover tune is how it can pull even more emotion out of a song without changing any words. Chan Marshall did this on her contribution to the Juno soundtrack. To paraphrase 50 Cent, she was a seasoned vet when it came to this stuff, but if you think she'd ever slack, just take a listen to her wistful take on the '50s classic.

David Crowder*Band – “How He Loves”
Originally by John Mark McMillan

Christian or otherwise, David Crowder*Band was among the best artists of the decade, and his 2009 album Church Music is a mixture of lovingly crafted originals and stirring re-recordings of psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Here, the Waco native condensed McMillan's eight-minute acoustic ditty and injected it with serious emotional heft. It's a slow burn of a song, but it's one you won't be the same after hearing.

Dynamite Hack – “Boyz-n-the-Hood”
Originally by Eazy-E

Goofy, sure, but the Texas band never took themselves seriously and--for better or worse--essentially kicked off trend of ridiculous acoustic covers of rap songs. A note to haters: "Come talkin' that trash and we'll pull your card."

Scarlett Johansson – “Anywhere I Lay My Head”
Originally by Tom Waits
Many people loathed this album, and I can kind of see why. Tom Waits is such a legend and such a distinct voice that really no one should touch his stuff. But I suppose you’d have to say that about a lot of artists. Seeing as how there are no sacred cows in music (at least not to me), I’m more than OK with this cover. It evokes the mood of the original while taking it in bold new directions. And the production is both haunting and beautiful.

Seu Jorge – “Five Years”
Originally by David Bowie

While the idea of a Brazilian troubadour singing Bowie covers may sound gimmicky, there's an added level of poignancy here, even if you don't understand a lick of Portugeuse. An honest performer, Jorge deserves far more recognition than "that dude from Life Aquatic."

Joey Ramone – “What a Wonderful World”
Originally by Louis Armstrong
Like Johnny Cash and Warren Zevon, Joey Ramone succumbed to disease, but not before recording especially poignant and painful songs. His version of one of the most famous songs of all time is big middle finger to Death. Even though his time is short, he's lived in this "Wonderful World" long enough to appreciate it.

TV on the Radio – “Heroes”
Originally by David Bowie

I would hardly describe myself as a TV on the Radio fan, but this--along with "Staring at the Sun" and "Wolf Like Me"--is an absolutely killer track. With layers upon layers of vocals and synth wizardry, it's an especially haunting take on one of Bowie's best songs. Here, the emphasis is on the "ghosts [that] shot above our heads."

Young at Heart Chorus – “Fix You”
Originally by Coldplay

For those who have seen the documentary (and if you haven't, get up and go find it immediately), one of the final songs on the group's set list is the film's centerpiece--and its emotional heart. Seeing the clip on YouTube is moving as it is, but viewing it in context will reduce you to a blubbering mess (but for all the right reasons).

Television: Best Shows of the Decade (Part 2)

2009-12-10T16:42:00.005-06:00

Joan of Arcadia (2003-2005, CBS) / Miracles (2003, ABC)
Both shows dealt with the supernatural and its unexplainable but profound effects on the mortal world. Both shows also had the same effects on its audience, and still got screwed over by their respective networks. CBS’s family drama brought a dose of realism to the otherworldly proceedings thanks to an immensely likeable (and believable cast). ABC’s thriller was more glitzy and eerie, but still knew how to pack a wallop.

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (19 99-present, NBC)
Despite its unsettling subject matter (sex crimes), SVU has emerged as the best cop show on TV. While its parent series kept changing cast members and time slots, this spin-off has held onto its core cast and allowed its audience to get under the skin of its characters (Stabler’s anger, Capt. Cragen’s alcoholism). It makes this procedural anything but routine.

Lost (2004-present, ABC)
Thought it grew increasingly frustrating, no show in recent memory has fostered such rabid devotion. The ongoing saga of the stranded plane crash survivors has grown increasingly mysterious but always compelling. It’s a show that’s likely to spark outrage after resolution-less seasons, but it’s not a show you’re likely to forget any time soon.

Modern Family (2009-present, ABC)
Is this the show that can save the family sitcom? As the show is still in its infancy, that remains to be seen. What audiences do know is that this is one of the flat-out funniest shows in recent memory. Much like Arrested Development, it has a pitch-perfect cast that constantly adds layers to their performances to keep them from ever becoming one-note and proves broadcast TV isn’t out of the quality programming game just yet.

Monk (2002-2009, USA)

Finally, here was a detective show that wasn’t just about finding the crooks or the P.I.’s little quirks that help him solve crimes. This is a character study of a lonely man who dives into his work to escape the pain of his wife’s murder. But it’s all handled with tact and a sense of humor and carried by the incomparable Tony Shalhoub. Its 2002 premiere was the start of something special, and signaled a change in the way cable treated its available time. Next stop: well-written original programming.

My Boys (2006-present, TBS)
In its first season, it was heavy on the baseball metaphors, but the show found its footing as it progressed. The comedy about the tomboy sportswriter and her gang of male friends has all of the elements of great television: great writing, a great cast and consistent tone. Think of it as a more palatable Sex and the City.

My Name is Earl (2005-2009, NBC)
With richly detailed Southern-fried characters and a big heart, Earl’s quest for redemption was filled with laughs, but never got stale. In its second season, Earl went to jail for his ex-wife, showing just how selfless he was. In fact, each character was three-dimensional, and that meant more than just a backstory. Randy was more than good-meaning nitwit, Joy more than a selfish harlot, Crab Man much more than a black bartender. And to think this came from the creator of Yes, Dear.

The Office (2001-2003, BBC / 2005-present, NBC)
Ricky Gervais’s British series was a straightforward but blistering satire on the modern workplace. Its American counterpart was far more interested in the relationships of that workplace. Each has its pros and cons, but they both make for essential comedy. The UK series lasted for two quick seasons and a Christmas special, which kept it from getting stale. But it was occasionally too curt. The U.S. version took its set-up and evolved it into something much warmer and inviting but every bit as funny. Though it veered into The Jim & Pam Show at times, when it kept its focus on the laughs, it was hilarious.

Popular (1999-2001, The WB)
Unlike his two follow-up series—the ludicrous but watchable Nip/Tuck and the entertaining but trite Glee—Ryan Murphy hit the nail on the head with his first foray into television. The show quickly set up the battle lines between the popular and unpopular groups at school and then promptly blew them up. This was a show without a single predictable character. Ironically airing on the WB network (home to such fare as Dawson’s Creek), this was a vicious satire of high school and teen-aimed programming.

The Restaurant (2003-2004, NBC)
The best reality series of all time? Perhaps. No one won a competition, and this was hardly a documentary series like the aforementioned 30 Days and American High. So in this definition of “reality,” it’s a clear winner. Viewers followed chef Rocco DiSpirito, a douchebag of the highest order, as he tried to make his New York restaurant a success. The behind-the-scenes stuff was incredibly compelling. Forget the Food Network or Gordon Ramsey, this is where food and drama collided.

Scrubs (2001-2008, NBC / 2009-present, ABC)
Though it hasn’t been anywhere near as good in its past three or four seasons (and certainly since its bastardization at ABC, Zach Braff was the crown prince of broadcast sitcoms this decade. His medical comedy got just about everything right. ABC apparently didn’t think each cast member was valuable (a big mistake) and shed most of its supporting cast. But with its musical numbers (“Guy Love”), terrific guest stars (Michael J. Fox and Brendan Fraser, to name a few) and a tremendous balance of poignancy and absurdity, this was one of the absolute joys of the decade for me.

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (2006-2007, NBC)
Though it couldn’t match up to its incredibly gripping pilot (few shows could), this was the most intelligent show of the decade. Far more than a backstage pass to a fictional sketch comedy, this is a show where characters were complex and believable, where they reacted as real people would. Many situations were based on the actual experiences of creator Aaron Sorkin and the show provided laughs and heft at just the right time.

Television: Best Shows of the Decade (Part 1)

2009-12-08T18:37:00.003-06:00

30 Days (2005-2008, FX) / American High (2000, Fox/PBS)
In a decade when reality TV overtook networks like a vicious plague, destroying originality, here were two shows about real life that deserved to be followed. FX’s series took bold filmmaker Morgan Spurlock (hot off the success of Super Size Me) and thrust him and other subjects into unknown worlds for a month, and audiences saw the struggle of Americans just like us. The latter series was just as compelling, even though no one saw it. A cross-section of high school students from the Chicago suburbs collided over the course of their senior year. It was raw and believable. If only producers had taken note of these shows.

American Idol (2002-present, Fox)
Every once in a while, a show comes along that taps into something inside a large swath of Americans. It transforms from a weekly program to a culture in and of itself. Fox’s version of the UK series Pop Idol is just that sort of show. It’s one of three shows to ever remain No. 1 for five years. It was at the forefront of just about every technological revolution of the decade (text messaging as a vehicle for voting, the Internet as a tool to build up and dismantle the show, DVR-ing past the boring moments) and it encourages viewers to participate—through voting, donations to charities (it raised several million dollars in one special) and braving summer heat to audition in the hopes that they might become the next American Idol.

Arrested Development (2003-2006, Fox)
Mitchell Hurwitz’s family comedy isn’t just a funny show. It’s a surefire contender for the funniest sitcom of all time. Filled to the brim with jokes upon jokes (and jokes-within-jokes), there’s something new to catch every time. The cast is absolutely perfect, making it impossible to single out the funniest character. A show this good shouldn’t have made it to three seasons, but it deserved even more. Now all we can do is hope for the movie.

Best Week Ever (2004-2009, VH1) / The Soup (2004-present, E!)
Both shows took the easiest of all concepts—making fun of celebrities—and turned it into something brilliant. The cast of regulars each brought something different to each week of famous people doing stupid things on VH1’s show. Alas, they decided to change to a single-host format in 2008, and essentially removed all the humor. On the flip side, the one-man show approach worked for E!’s variation on its own Talk Soup. Joel McHale’s contrasting frenetic energy and dark humor carried the cheaply produced show for five years.

Boomtown (2002-2003, NBC) / Line of Fire (2003-2004, ABC)
So why should two cop shows no one saw be on this list? Because they did it better than anyone had in a long time. I was personally never a fan of The Shield or NYPD Blue, but these two series brought the right amount of darkness to the tired format. NBC series took a page from Kurosawa and gave its L.A.-based series a Rashomon set-up, as viewers saw the crime from the point of view of cops, attorneys, victims and suspects. ABC’s show was even darker, as we got a look into organized crime outside Washington, D.C. and the cops and FBI agents looking to take it down. Violent but gripping, both shows were part of the last wave of edgy programming before it left for the safe haven of cable. Broadcast stations removed the word “risky” from their vocabulary after Janet Jackson’s Super Bowl debacle.

Chappelle’s Show (2003-2006, Comedy Central)
For two short seasons (and some scraps called “The Lost Episodes”), Dave Chappelle brought a daring, hilarious voice to not just sketch comedy, but television in general. When he wasn’t making some thought-provoking points about race, he still managed to make equally funny sketches about THC-free weed, a financial firm run by Wu-Tang Clan, Rick James and Prince’s behind-the-scenes antics, and of course, “When Keeping it Real Goes Wrong.”

The Colbert Report (2005-present, Comedy Central)
A mercilessly funny send-up of loud, angry pundits (Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity), this is one of those shows that continues to get better as it ages. Stephen Colbert the character has an ego that rivals anyone on Fox News, and he keeps the spotlight on him at all times. It could easily get stale if he didn’t always have his sights on the never-ending stupidity of politicians. As the decade wore on, it proved it was superior to The Daily Show, because it was never certain which party Colbert hated more.

Dinner for Five (2001-2008, IFC)
It’s probably too insider for most viewers, but Jon Favreau’s entertaining unscripted series always works. Taking a simple set-up: Favreau and four Hollywood friends sit around the table and talk about their experiences, the show never grows stale and you feel a part of the club, even if you’re in your living room.

Flight of the Conchords (2007-2009, HBO)
Perhaps the closest thing we’ll get to a Christopher Guest-directed TV series, the New Zealand folk-comedy duo hits close to home for musicians trying to make it. Jemaine and Bret, with the help/detriment of their manager (the pent-up Rhys Darby), their band makes records, concert appearances and plenty of mistakes. But the music is the glue that holds the show together, with titles like “Hiphopopotamus vs. Rhymenoceros” and “Bowies in Space.”

Freaks and Geeks (1999-2000, NBC) / Undeclared (2001-2002, Fox)
Before he became “the smartest guy in Hollywood” (at least according to Entertainment Weekly), Judd Apatow was just another TV writer/producer who never had a show last a complete season. But both of these shows (the first a wistful take on the trials and tribulations of high school, the second a sunnier version of the trials and tribulations of college) were among the funniest and sharpest of the decade.

Friday Night Lights (2006-present, NBC)
The show based on the movie based on the book is the best version of the Permian football team. There’s no reason a show about football should be this good, but the top-notch writing and subtle acting of the entire cast (particularly Kyle Chandler) give it an added realism that hits home for just about anyone who’s ever lived in a place where football is the local god.

Gideon’s Crossing (2000-2001, ABC)
ER? What’s ER? ABC’s short-lived medical drama was far more compelling, thanks to a consistent roster of great actors (and a terrific story arc with the one and only Billy Dee Williams) and interesting storylines. Every character mattered here, and it got its wings clipped just as it was starting to fly.

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2005-present, FX)
In 1996, Seinfeld aired one of its best episodes, “The Bizarro Jerry.” Nine years later, one could argue the opposites of Jerry and co. got their own show. Actually, it takes the same set-up (three guys, one girl) and moves in an even darker direction. The series finale of Seinfeld reminded us that even though we loved watching these characters for years, they were actually terrible people. Sunny reminds us of this every episode. There are no redeeming qualities to Charlie, Dee, Mac or Dennis, and especially not Danny DeVito’s Frank, who joined the cast in 2006. It’s just one hilariously dark misadventure after another, yet it still remains fresh and appalling each week.

Television: Best Performances of the Decade

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Unfortunately, many of the great shows of the decade featured tremendous ensemble casts, which would have made singling out a single character impossible. So, ignoring that wonderful plethora of performances, here are the stand-out showings of the decade.

Stephen Colbert – The Colbert Report
The only similarities Colbert the character shares with Colbert the man are humor and name. Colbert the character is a self-centered imbecile hell-bent on never changing his mind. He’s right because he’s the loudest person in the room. Sound familiar? That’s because while The Daily Show is modeled upon straightforward newscasts, The Colbert Report mocks pundits who value winning an argument over the audience understanding what it all means. Yet he remains so gosh dern likable (this is where the real Colbert shines through) and he transcended television, making headlines for hosting the White House Press Correspondents’ Dinner and making enemies, coining a new word (“truthiness”) and running his own political campaign (which quickly got torpedoed by politicians who would have been given a run for their money).

Mariska Hargitay – Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
As one of the most complex and bravest women on television, Hargitay took SVU from just another spin-off to what was perhaps the superior to the original. That sort of thing doesn’t happen that often (critics have also argued the same about Frasier and Pinky and the Brain). Here was an intelligent, dedicated woman who still managed to care about the real people she encountered on the job. She’s part of the cream of the crop of female actors on TV, not just now but at any time.

Jane Kaczmarek – Malcolm in the Middle
Longsuffering mothers and wives are nothing new to television, and at one time, Malcolm in the Middle was at the forefront of shows with do-nothing dads, but Kaczmarek’s performance was nothing to scoff at. Like Roseanne before her, she brought a dose of realism to her bit. Working a minimum-wage job to help support her family, she loved her boys, even when they were profoundly disrespectful. She was nominated for an Emmy every year, but lost to such safe bets as Jennifer Aniston and Debra Messing. She should grab voters by the ear and give them a piece of her mind.

John C. McGinley – Scrubs
The script called for a “John C. McGinley-type” for the role of the isolated Dr. Cox, and even though he had to audition for the role, it’s no surprise he got it. But this is no mere typecasting. Before then, McGinley played either nitwits or jerks. Here, he revealed a character filled with pain. And despite his difficulty opening up, Coxxy (“OK, maybe Coxxy was going a bit too far.”) always wanted his trainees to learn something. We all did.

Tammy Lynn Michaels – Popular
Keeping in line with the theme of this list, Michaels played a character that could have been one-note, but ended up striking the right chord. As school bully Nicole Julian, the ultra-wealthy witch tormented the popular and unpopular alike in her quest for acceptance. As the season progressed, we learned more about the reasons behind her reprehensible behavior. It was never justified, but her performance caused viewers to constantly re-evaluate their opinion about her.

Sarah Paulson – Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
Finally, a Christian character on television who wasn’t a fanatic or a moron. Her portrayal of Harriet Hayes was of a woman who was flawed, but still stood her ground when the situation called for it. The other details about the character feels genuine, even though Paulson is her polar opposite.

Tony Shalhoub – Monk
In the shows eight seasons, Shalhoub won approximately 72 Emmys for his performance as the obsessive-compulsive detective and it’s not hard to see why. Far more than facial tics and an affinity for hand wipes, this is one of those “lived-in” performances, where such time and care went into the craft, everything goes off without a hitch. Every case he works on is not just part of his job, but part of his personal journey that this case might be the one that helps him solve what’s haunted him for so long: the murder of his wife. Though we only occasionally see Trudy in flashbacks, we feel Monk’s love for her in every frame.

Amber Tamblyn – Joan of Arcadia
Many characters on the show were skeptical that Joan could actually see and hear God talking to her, and if Tamblyn wasn’t giving it her all, audiences wouldn’t have bought it either. Instead, the young actress was convincing despite her character’s own doubts. Her performance was many of the moving aspects of the show that was canceled way before its time.

U2 – Super Bowl XXXVI
Everything about this Super Bowl felt different, especially less than five months after 9/11. But the band’s halftime performance brought out an emotional response out of all of us. “Where the Streets Have No Name” never felt as resonant as that banner of victims’ names ran up the stage. Hard not to tear up, but it’s not manipulative, only powerful.

Kristen Wiig – Saturday Night Live
Man, there were some lean years this decade on SNL. It was like searching for the occasional light on a dark road. Between legendarily awful guest hosts (January Jones) and musical performances (Ashlee Simpson), the sketch series was usually not a laughing matter. But starting in 2005, something changed. Wiig was part of a new breed of fearless, funny (and frankly sexy) comediennes trained at the 30 Rockefeller set (see also: Tina Fey, Amy Poehler).

Television: Best Guest Spots of the Decade

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Revisions in bold.

Bea Arthur – The Comedy Central Roast of Pamela Anderson
Adding a touch of class to the sketchy proceedings, the Golden Girl does a deadpan reading from Pam’s novel Star and more viciously jabs at the center of attention than any other roaster.

Wayne Brady – Chappelle’s Show
No, I’m not done talking about this episode yet. Brady, who had a reputation of being white people’s favorite black man because he was so inoffensive, had lots of fun sending up his squeaky-clean image by (simulating) running a prostitution ring, forcing his friend to smoke PCP and killing a police officer. His performance remains legendary no matter how many times you re-watch it.

Tina Fey – Saturday Night Live
Passing beyond the realm of good imitation, Fey was spot-on in her performance as Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. It transcends sketch comedy. Fey is honestly as brilliant as Helen Mirren in The Queen or Jamie Foxx in Ray.

Michael J. Fox – Rescue Me
After years out of the spotlight, Fox returned with a dark (and darkly funny) performance as Dwight, the parapalaegic nemesis of Denis Leary’s disgruntled New York fireman. Tough stuff, but by playing against type, Fox reminded us how much we had missed him.

Brendan Fraser – Scrubs
Yes, the goofy star of such ’90s shenanigans as George of the Jungle and Blast from the Past, brought just the right touch of poignancy and lightheartedness to the goofy but heartfelt show as Dr. Cox’s brother-in-law.

Ricky Gervais – The Simpsons
So one episode can’t prove that he’s in contention for the funniest guy alive title but the creator of The Office certainly gave it some effort. As the reality TV star who desperately wants some wifely attention, he adds a tinge of loneliness to his hilarious performance. And, boy can sing, too.

Cloris Leachman – Malcolm in the Middle
As Lois’ overbearing, racist, but relentlessly funny mother, Leachman was nominated every year (six seasons) she guest starred on the Fox show. But it’s because she still manages to be endearing despite her shortcomings. Kind of like real family.

Laurie Metcalf – Desperate Housewives
For the few minutes she was on this otherwise terrible show, audiences were actually captivated and didn’t have to focus on the acting that mostly consists of gasps at “shocking behavior.” They were all glued to their sets as the crazy neighbor and Sunday School teacher held townspeople hostage.

Richard Simmons - Whose Line is it Anyway?
So maybe it's not as groundbreaking or important as other performances, but the fitness guru is responsible for about 10 of the funniest minutes on television, period.

Henry Winkler – Arrested Development
The Bluth family lawyer is more than just a terrible attorney, he’s a terrible human being. He runs from courtrooms with dutiful judges and street corners with female prostitutes, but he’s just another hilarious layer in one of the funniest shows of all time. And the cherry on top? He’s replaced by Bob Loblaw (Scott Baio).