Saturday, December 31, 2011

Top 5 Countdown - My Favorite Things of 2011

As a little kid, adults always told me time goes by quicker the older you get. I thought they were liars, but believe it or not, they were telling me the truth. 2011 has proven to be nothing but a blur. Overall, I had a good year, but nothing spectacular really happened. I spent a lot of time at school working on two degrees, so I didn't get out much. And in the world of entertainment, I don't think there was anything breathtaking. However, there were a few pop culture gems I'd like to mention. So as my final post of the year, here is a Top 5 Countdown of My Favorite Things of 2011:

5. Batman for Best Comic Book of the Year: Comic Books have always been a huge part of my life, but I kind of got burnt out this year. It was a mixture of too many events, wasted space, escalating prices, and relocation of my comic shops. But with DC's company wide relaunch, I have much hope to get back into the game for 2012. I'm thinking about getting an iPad next year and reading all my comics digitally. However, one series I will always get the paper floppy is Batman. Thankfully the Dark Knight had a solid relaunch written by Scott Snyder. The art is fantastic, the story is solid, and the characters are interesting.

4. Wasting Light for Best Music Album of the Year: There was not a lot of rock music this year, so I spent a lot of time listening to The Lonely Island's silly hip-hop album - Turtleneck and Chain. Thankfully David Grohl and the Foo Fighters brought the awesome power of the guitar to the radio waves in their latest album. With enticing lyrics and riffs, the Foo Fighters brought us raw energy and sounds that could only produced from a garage. Even their hit Walk was featured in Thor.

3. Drive for Film of the Year: I didn't see a lot of movies in theater this year. Once again, I think I have to blame school, but nothing remarkable caught my eye (except for my choice). Yes, I enjoyed Planet of the Apes and Captain America, but there was nothing of Tarantino caliber - except for one movie - Drive. Most will consider this an artsy film rather than exploitation, but if you watch the trailer, you can't help but rush out and see it (a trait of Grindhouse films). It's not a film for everyone and can be slow at times, but when the intensity builds, it explodes! Accompanied by an all-star cast, I never thought I'd say Ryan Gosling is kick-ass.

2. Sons of Anarchy for TV Show of the Year: I came to this show late in the game. But once I started, I quickly breezed through all the previous seasons and caught up with the current airings. Right now, I think Television is the most entertaining medium with shows like Breaking Bad, Dexter, American Horror Story, and Raising Hope. But if you've never seen Sons of Anarchy, go watch it - You will not be Disappointed!

1. Jimmy Fallon for Entertainer of the Year: I based this decision on the number one person I'd like to hang out with (besides the beautiful Jessica Alba). I chose Jimmy Fallon because he is just a fun guy. On Late Night, he plays games with his guests, the audience are highly entertained, and he is multi talented. Yeah, Kimmel is funny, but Fallon goes one step further by carrying a tune and acting. Jimmy's latest stints on Saturday Night Live were awesome (as host and Barry Gibb) and I hope to see him live one day.

2011 was cool, but I'm more excited for 2012. I can't wait for Django Unchained and The Dark Knight Rises. So in 2012, I'll be hard at work studying lasers and glass (and hope to do some traveling), but one of my resolutions is to blog more (especially with Tarantino Comic Covers). This year I had a total of 77 posts as opposed to 2010's 6 posts. Looks like an upward trend, so let's see if I can do it!