Year in Review 2012

2012 had a lot of ups and a lot of downs. Personally I was all over the place with grad school and work and stress and such, however the world seemed to be a pretty ugly place this year. From that guy killing his kids and burning down his house in February to the Batman shooting to the Elementary School shooting a couple weeks ago...we live in a messed up place. I've got another kid due in March, and I have to pause and ask myself what kind of world I'm bringing that boy into. Anyways, here's my best of the bests list this year.



MOVIES

I can't really put them in order this year since there were so many awesome flicks. I can however put one above all others.

1. Moonrise Kingdom

This movie was a masterpiece. I've rarely been as entertained as I was when seeing this one. The all star cast was hilarious and nobody tried to steal the show...(though I believe that Edward Norton may have done so on accident). There's one awkward scene on a beach that is easily skipped. Best line of the movie...and of the whole year.   Suzy: Was he a good dog? Sam: Who's to say? If you haven't seen this movie...stop reading and go NOW to your local red box.

2 and 3 are a tie between The Hobbit: An unexpected Journey, and The Avengers.

 

Considering my love for comic book movies, this should come as no surprise that I held this film in such high esteem. This was a risky venture to be sure. Throwing Hulk, Thor, Captain America, and Iron man into the same movie was tough, but somehow they pulled it off. The action was incredible and let's face it: Hulk smash Loki was the coolest part of any movie this year.

 I saw the Hobbit more times in theaters than any other movie this year. This was the first big book I read as a kid. I believe I was in 4th or 5th grade when I first ventured into middle earth. I was so geeked about this movie that I bought 40 copies and made my class of seniors read it so that we could justify an epic field trip to see the movie. I saw it first at midnight in 2d and thought it was good. After my subsequent viewings in 3-d I've decided that this is on par with any of the LOTR films. The action was incredibly cool but the visual feast put together by Peter Jackson was glorious.


Honorable Mentions in Film: I also enjoyed the following films this year: The Grey (Lliam Neeson punching wolves), Prometheus (Alien prequel that was so intense I may have caused serious liver damage) Skyfall (James Bond's most successful venture yet) John Carter of Mars (If you know what the source material was...it was great) . Lincoln and Les Miserables have yet to be viewed by me...but I'll throw em on here anyways. 



Music
It was a great year for albums and a great year for attending concerts. I only bought a handful of albums this year, but I'm a still gonna rank them.

1. The Smashing Pumpkins- Oceania

I know I know, big surprise that I put this as number one. Not everyone likes these guys, and even if you do like them, many people have only casually enjoyed a few of their hits. This is a special album however and is critically acclaimed as a success. Their music used to mean a lot to a teenaged me full of angst and whatever. This album transcends their old hits and puts together a rather incredible collection of loud and soft songs.

The Celestials:

Violet Rays: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0F6qS1XlSM

Inkless: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kukO9PT83IQ


 2. Metric- Synthetica

So a few years ago I saw "Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World" which totally blew my mind and became an instant favorite. I bought the soundtrack and found a track by Metric called, "Black Sheep." I thoroughly enjoyed it, so I bought their "Fantasies" album. It quickly became a favorite, so I was excited to hear that they were going to have a new album this summer. It came out at the same time as the Pumpkins' album so I didn't get into it immediately...but soon thereafter I couldn't get enough of it. Breathing Underwater and Clone are two of the best songs I've heard in a long long time. Enjoy them, pick this album up...just skip the first track if you don't like language. 

 Breathing Underwater:    

Clone: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3a9K0c2ue0

Here's a shot of Emily Haines, lead singer for Metric, whom I was lucky enough to see in concert in October.
 
 
 3. The Killers- Battleborn

Look, the Killers are just GOOD. This album is incredible in that it isn't as "poppy" as the other albums this band has produced. Their sound is maturing, and this record is a testament to what a great band is. So many bands like the Beatles start out with kind of poppy sounding songs/albums that hook the general public. Like the Beatles, the Killers have matured and are now making in depth music that still pleases the ear, but also has a bit more to it.

Here's the video for Runaway.... dig it:  


 
So there's my movies and music for the year. I could do a whole article on the best comic books of the year....but that can wait for another day. 

Best Moments of the Year

1- Finding out I'm gonna be a dad again- Boy #3 due in March

2- P-Nut (bass play for 311) answers my tweet about me not being able to afford tickets to the show....he gets me 8th row seats for free

3- Applying for a job as a principal in Alpine School District
4- Hulk smash Loki....

5- Disneyland with my wife and children.     


Here's hoping 2013 finds us and you in good fortunes. Farewell goodnight, last one up turn out the lights