Sunday, December 11, 2011

Ultimate Top Fives of 2011

Apparently my blogging only got worse compared to last year...but...oh well. C'est la vie, I suppose.

Without further ado, here's this year's Ultimate Top Five List for 2011...notice that I've jumped the TV category from 5 to 10. I realized this year how much I absolutely love TV shows. There were way too many good ones to pick just five.

And...begin.

Top 5 Movies




5. Crazy Stupid Love
Ryan Gosling?  Check.  Ryan Gosling shirtless?  Double check.
This movie was so good on so many levels.  It could have wavered into sappy chick flick territory, but it did a fantastic job steering clear of that.  Well written, amazing cast...'nough said.

4. Super 8
I am pretty much in love with everything that J. J. Abrams does, so it's no wonder that I loved this movie.  It had a Cloverfield vibe to it, but way more heart.

3. Horrible Bosses
I can't even begin to tell you how excited I was for this movie to come out.  Charlie Day AND Jason Bateman?  Jennifer Aniston playing against character?  Co-written by the one and only John Francis Daley? This movie totally didn't let down.  Only Charlie Day could make accidently breathing in copious amounts of cocaine on accident look like a blast.

2. The Muppets
Two of my favorite things in the world in one movie: The Muppets and Jason Segel.  Plus all those cameos (most importantly Jim Parsons!!!) and total campiness?  I loved this movie.  It made me feel like I was ten all over again.  Plus, I was totally the oldest kid there with their mom.  I should get points for that.

1. Bridesmaids
For a brief second, I had The Muppets taking the Number 1 spot under movies, but this one quickly knocked it out of the way.  Kristin Wiig deserves serious points for co-writing what was the absolute smartest and most heartfelt comedy of the year.  I found myself crying during Bridesmaids both out of happiness and sadness.  This movie perfectly captured so much of what I was feeling this year.  Perfection.

Honorable Mentions: 
Scream 4 (...The killer reveal was just too simple)
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (Those mermaids were so badass)


Top 10 TV Shows




10. 2 Broke Girls
Kat Dennings won me over in Nick & Norah's Playlist as one of my absolute favorite literary characters come to life.  In this show, she has such epic comedic chemistry with Beth Behrs...that it only solidified the year that the girl comediennes proved they can do it just as well, if not better, than the dudes.

9. Raising Hope
HM in 2010 
This show makes me feel like my family is not the weirdest one out there.  It's nice to be reminded.

8. Bones
Number 5 in 2009, HM in 2010
Congrats to Emily Deschanel for getting knocked up by her husband Rickity Cricket David Hornsby, forcing the Bones writers to FINALLY go there with Booth & Brennan.  I love how much heart this show has for being a one hour crime procedural.

7. The Big Bang Theory
 Number 1 in 2010
Can we just discuss how thrilled I am that this show is syndicated finally?  It doesn't matter that I've seen every episode and have every past season on DVD, I'll still replay them over and over and over.  This cast is  fabulous and I seriously loved Jim Parsons and Johnny Galecki.

6. It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia
Number 2 in 2008, Number 4 in 2009, Number 1 in 2010
This show may have placed a little lower, but finding out Mac's name this week kicked it back up.  Really, Sunny still has done no wrong -- it's still amazing -- but there were so many other amazing shows to come out this year.  A few more high school reunions could kick this show back up to the top next year.

5. Awkward
Awkward is the only remaining thing that MTV has going for it.  For anyone who mourns the fact that My So-Called life was so short lived...check this show out.  It's so well written and well cast.  High school Jenna reminds me of high school me -- but with way more guts.  It's honest and heartbreaking and hilarious.

4. How I Met Your Mother
Number 4 in 2008, Number 3 in 2009, Number 4 in 2010
How I Met Your Mother can thank it's gain in this year's competition to the one and only Mr. Jason Segel.  I mean, we all knew that I loved him, but this past season he finally got some moments to stop being the comediac foil.  By doing the ballsy thing by killing off Marshall's dad, they elevated this show to another level -- one that made its characters flawed and way more human.  Last season made me fall in love with this show all over again.

3. New Girl
This cast is seriously amazing.  Sure, we all know Zoey Deschanel is quirky and all that...but her fellow castmates are just as (if not more) stellar than she is.  Plus has anyone else taken a really good look at Jake Johnson?  Um...I'd be all over that, thanks.

2. The Walking Dead
The Walking Dead got a little wordy this season so far...but then it also has been completely game changing. Shooting Carl in the first episode of season 2?  Shane being a total psycho?  Little girl zombies?  And can we just discuss my absolute favorite character -- Daryl Dixon -- for just a few moments?  This guy in ONE EPISODE fell off a horse, fell down a cliff, had an arrow go through his stomach, climbed cliff to get to the top, FELL DOWN THE CLIFF AGAIN, hallucinated, woke up to find a zombie gnawing on his shoe, pulled the arrow that was stuck in him out and then shot the zombie gnawing on his shoe in the head, ate a raw squirrel, wore zombie ears as a necklace, climbed back up said hill, walked back through the woods and upon returning back to camp got SHOT IN THE HEAD...but even more amazingly SURVIVED?  I would watch anything with Norman Reedus' Dixon in it.  He is pure genius...and probably the only one of those people who I'd want to hang out with during a zombie apocalypse.  (He could actually bathe though.  I would appreciate that.)

1. American Horror Story
Bear with me for a minute.  This will go full circle.
Last year was the year that Glee got shitty.
This year was the year that Glee somehow surpassed shittiness and turned into one of the worst television programs ever (which is a shame because its first season was so good).
The same thing happened with Nip/Tuck for a year while Ryan Murphy was filming Running with Scissors...then again when he left to go work on Eat Pray Love and Glee.
So I was wondering, "What the hell is Ryan Murphy working on that is making his current work so terrible?"

Because I've uncovered a formula:
Ryan Murphy putting all his effort into one program = Gold
Ryan Murphy putting his effort into a new program thus abandoning old gems = Shitty old programs...with whatever he's working on usually being pretty epic

Then I got my answer as to what he'd been spending his time on:
American Horror Story

And holy shit.  Ryan Murphy can abandon Glee now as much as he wants because this show is incredible.  It surpasses even Nip/Tuck in disgustingness at times (which I never thought was possible).  The cast of AHS deserves numerous gold stars -- especially Jessica Lange, Connie Britton and Evan Peters (who is my favorite character and now I feel incredibly guilty because he's gone from being someone you feel genuine sympathy for...then discover he's practically the devil -- and how can someone like that be someone you still really like???).  This show has so many twists and turns...and I hope that Murphy can keep up it up to the high bar that it's set at.

Honorable Mentions: 
Dexter (Not as good since the Trinity season) - Number 1 in 2008 and 2009, Number 5 in 2010
 Once Upon a Time
So You Think You Can Dance
 The Middle
Project Runway
The Killing (This would have made the Top 10 hadn't it been for that ending...)

So over…Glee

Top 5 Albums




5. Taking Back Sunday – Taking Back Sunday
“New Again” Number 3 Album of 2009
Taking Back Sunday somehow never seem to disappoint me.

4. Florence + the Machine – Ceremonials
“Lungs” was 2010’s Number 3 Album
Love, love, love her voice.

3. Alkaline Trio – Damnesia
The last few Alkaline Trio albums have bummed me out as they've failed to hit me as hard as their earlier work.  Damnesia went back to those earlier albums and stripped songs down that I'd loved so much to begin with by putting an acoustic twist on them.  This album was smart and it made me fall in love with Alkaline Trio all over again.

2. Amy Winehouse – Lioness: Hidden Treasures
RIP to one of the greatest singers of my generation.
This album may not be as personal as Back to Black but it's just as powerful.  It serves as a reminder of the type of artist that Amy was and shows the world what it'll be forever missing from now on.

1. Britney Spears – Femme Fatale Adele – 21
Two completely different artists and albums, but I refuse to pick between them -- especially since the two of them have such respect for one another.

On one hand you have Britney who has made one of the best albums of her career.  It's pop with a European flair and it makes you just want to get up and dance.

On the other hand you have Adele -- who let's just admit it -- owned the entire year musically.  Her album is so personal (it made me absolutely lose it on the way to work this past week) and heartfelt.

These two albums defined my year: upbeat but serious.  I couldn't have found two better albums.

Honorable Mentions:
The Sounds – Better Off Dead -“Crossing the Rubicon” Number 2 Album 2009, “Beatbox” Number 1 Song of 2009, Top Concert 2009, “Beatbox” Number 1 Video 2009
Ryan Adams – Ashes and Fire - Ryan Adams & The Cardinals’ “Cardinology” Number 2 Album of 2008
blink-182 – Neighborhoods
Cobra Starship – Night Shades - “Hot Mess” Number 5 Album in 2009, Number 3 Live Act 2008
Pixie Lott – Young Foolish Happy

Top 5 Singles

5. “Immigrant Song” – Karen O feat. Trent Reznor
This song only amps me up even more for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.  I loved this song to begin with...but I love it even more now that Trent Reznor got his hands on it.

4. “Radioactive” – Marina & the Diamonds
“Oh No” was Number 1 Song of 2010
This song is so different from Marina's "Oh No" that it could be from a completely different artist...but it's just as hard hitting.  Love it.

3. “Love You Like a Love Song” – Selena Gomez & the Scene
I know.  Selena Gomez?!  But seriously.  This song...is...perfection.  It's catchy as hell.  Plus, major props to Selena for doing a Britney tribute at her concerts this year...plus she has Pixie Lott on her latest album.  This girl is seriously underrated -- plus she's way too good for Justin Bieber.

2. “Set Fire to the Rain” – Adele
Sure Adele had other songs with way more radio play this year...but this single was the best of any she released.  It's haunting.

1. “I Wanna Go” – Britney Spears
I dare you to find a song catchier than this one.  You won't find one.
Plus the video was pure fabulousness.

Honorable Mentions:
“Hello” – Martin Solveig f. Dragonette
“Nose Over Tail” (Acoustic Version) – Alkaline Trio
“Yeah Yeah Yeah” – The Sounds
“El Paso” – Taking Back Sunday
"In the Dark" -- Dev
"Like Smoke" -- Amy Winehouse


Top Artists




5. Ryan Adams
Ryan Adams returned to form this year with Ashes & Fire.  Amazing.

4. Cheryl Cole
Anyone who's read the post beneath this already gets it.

3. Amy Winehouse

2. Adele

1. Britney Spears
“3” HM Song 2009, Top Concert 2009, “3” Number 4 Video 2009, “Circus” Number 1 Album of 2009, “Circus” Number 1 Video of 2008

Top Concerts
Britney Spears (with Nicki Minaj)
There was only artist that I saw in concert this year: the one and only Britney Spears.
And she was the only concert that I needed.
I spent one epic weekend with Honkus doing a mini-Britney tour on the East Coast, first in Philadelphia where we met Britney herself (!!!!!!!!!!!!) followed by an incredible show in Washington DC.  First and third row seats meant that we were practically IN the show.
I can't even put into words how incredible the whole experience was.
So Honkus, if you ever find yourself reading this, thank you.  It was such a fabulous time and I couldn't have done it with anyone else.  Ever.

Side Note: I also saw Brit in Pittsburgh and while she was great, Nicki didn't open for her...which was a shame.  Because Nicki was amazing.  Instead, we got Pauly D from the Jersey Shore...and after seeing Nicki Minaj, Pauly D was a huge let down.


Top 5 Books




5. We Need to Talk About Kevin – Lionel Shriver
After finding out that this was going to be a movie, I decided that I had to read the book first.  While it took a little bit of a shove to actually get into, it ended up paying off big time.  It was heartbreaking and shocking and a book that more people should read.  Kevin's main plot points are things that everyone should be discussing, not just a few of us.

4. Sisterhood Everlasting – Ann Brashares
I finished the fourth book of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series the night before I flew off to London, so that book has always had a nostalgic hold on my heart.  So when I found out that Brashares had  written a final book I was kind of skeptical.  The fourth book had done such a good job wrapping the series up, what more could she have to say?
I should never have doubted her.
She forced her characters to grow up, which meant that they were once again my age.
Needless to say, fifty pages into the book I was crying.
And I cried through the whole damn thing.
But I loved it.  THIS was the perfect way to end this series.

3. Everyone Loves You When You’re Dead – Neil Strauss
Strauss won be over when he helped Jenna Jameson write one of my favorite autobiographies: How to Make Love to a Porn Star.  So when I found out that he was releasing a book of various interviews he'd done...I was in.  While it wasn't life changing, it was entertaining and a side of some entertainers we never get to see.

2. Devil’s Knot – Mara Leveritt
This book came out a few years ago, but I just found it this year.
Based on the West Memphis Three, Leveritt digs deep into the murders of three Arkansas children and then into the trial that sends three young men to jail -- for a crime -- which I agree with Leveritt -- that they did not commit.  But that...you will read more about at the bottom.

1. In the Woods – Tana French
When I finished French's first novel, I was absolutely furious.
Angry.  Mad.  Almost hateful.
But the more that I got to thinking about it, the more that I actually appreciated this book.
It's been so long since a book brought out that kind of emotion in me that I was almost thankful that she ended that novel the way that she did.
French has released two novels with supporting characters from each taking the protagonistic role...they're just as amazing (but didn't make me as irritated).

Honorable Mentions: 
What Happened to Goodbye? – Sarah Dessen - “Along for the Ride” Number 5 Book 2009
Double Dexter – Jeff Lindsay (I won't lie -- I haven't read this yet.  But I'm assuming it deserves this place) - “Dexter is Delicious” Number 3 in 2010, “Dexter by Design” Number 2 in 2009
Megan McCafferty - Bumped

Top Idols
Cheryl Cole
Britney Spears
Lily Allen
Sarah Michelle Gellar
Adele
Chelsea Handler
Kate Middleton


Top 5 Boys




5. Ryan Dunn
RIP to my favorite Jackass cast member.  You'll be missed.

4. Ryan Gosling
Those abs.  That humor.  Ugh.  I hate how much I love him.

3. Charlie Day
Number 4 in 2010
Only Charlie Day can make being totally manic totally attractive.

2. Norman Reedus
I loved Reedus in Boondock Saints...so imagine how thrilled I was when I discovered he was on The Walking Dead.  Reedus partially has to thank his on-screen counterpart Daryl Dixon for this distinction, as at times I really think Dixon is real.

1. Jason Segel
Number 1 in 2010, Number 1 in 2009, Number 5 in 2008
Seriously.  Shut up and marry me.  I'm willing to adopt Muppets.  Why not?

Honorable Mentions:
Ryan Adams - Number 2 in 2010, Number 4 in 2008
Jason Statham (I don't remember a lot about Halloween this year, but I remember making a horribly inappropriate comment about him, which has earned him this spot)
Joseph Gordon-Levitt - Number 3 in 2010
Beau Mirchoff (Team Matty all the way)

Top 5 Oldies, But Goodies

5. Linkin Park & Jay Z – “Collision Course”
When I get my ass out of bed on Saturday, this is the album that I put on first.  It makes me feel powerful.  I know that sounds ridiculous, but it's so true.

4. “Layla” – Eric Clapton
We listen to a ton of classic rock at work on Pandora...
Which is how I re-discovered this song.
Thanks to Clapton's Layla, I think I now have yet another name for my unborn children.
My parents say all the time that they don't write music the same way anymore.  With "Layla" that statement has never been more true.

3. Se7en
WHAT'S IN THE BOXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX?!
This movie only excites me even more for David Fincher's version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

2. Cheryl Cole’s “Tiny Little Raindrops” & “3 Words”
Total Eurotrash perfection.

1. Pride and Prejudice
Um.  So I have a confession.  In the last two weeks, I've watched this movie ten times before going to sleep.    I want my own Mr. Darcy...especially if he looks like Matthew MacFadyen.

Honorable Mentions: 
Martin Solveig & Dragonette’s “Boys & Girls” Video (This video is SO fun)
 The Zombies (More classic rock goodness for you)
Original Scream Trilogy

Ted Bundy True Crime Award

I know.  I have a serious true crime problem.  So much so that I've created a new category this year for my latest "thing."  First it was Bundy, then Columbine...now I've invented this new yearly category...and I've named it after Ted Bundy - who I feel is the most interesting serial killer ever.

But what makes this year different from those in the past is that the cases that really grabbed my attention were ones with people who were wrongly convicted or were victims that overcame huge obstacles to get on with life.

So without any further interruption, the number one case that grabbed my attention:

The West Memphis 3

The more research I do on the West Memphis Three, the angrier I get.  What happened in West Memphis was something we hadn't seen since the Salem Witch Trials.  Shoddy forensics only "solidified" a conviction of three boys where the evidence relied heavily on the fact that the boys wore black clothing and listened to Metallica.

Years later, two of the men are sitting in prison for life and the other is on death row.

And this August...

A plea bargain lets all three of them out of jail.

The whole thing is incredible and super interesting.

I'll shut up now.

Honorable Mention:
Amanda Knox -- Unlike Casey Anthony, I don't think Knox "got away with murder."  (Side note: They never should have gone for the death penalty with Anthony...that killed their whole case)
Jaycee Dugard  -- What an inspiring story of overcoming the odds.  She's seriously someone who we could all learn a ton from.


Top 3 Favorite Nail Polish Colors




3. Rainbow Connection
2. Yodel Me On My Cell
1. Awakening