See Ya, 2009 (Yes, I know I'm late)

Yes, Dear Reader, it was my intention to confuse you by waiting until 2010 to provide you my year in review. Why? That’s how I roll (Winner, “overused phrase of 2009”, btw). This way I am able to present you with the ultimate in 2009 lists by blatantly stealing all the good stuff from the previous 1,204,434 best of 2009 lists you’ve already read. Anyhoodles, here’s my list for the ages (or at least for today).

Best Movie I saw in Theater: UP. Sorry Hurt Locker and Up in the Air—you may be winning all the critics kudos but I just haven’t caught you yet. Meanwhile Pixar’s little flick about an old dude with a balloon house packed more emotion into that first five minutes than I’ve seen in a film in quite some time, animated or not. It’s not getting the Oscar buzz that it should because of (1) the animation category and (2) general animation bias from the actors’ branch. Well, screw them, Pixar deserves a Best Pic nom for yet another masterpiece. Runner “Up” (ha, ha, I love me), Inglourious Basterds (pending viewings of those mentioned above).

Most Exhilarating Time at Theater: Avatar 3D/Imax. Go 3D or Go home. Say what you will about the standard plotting, Cameron delivers on the hype with stunning visuals and 3D that adds to, rather than distracts from, the story. Yes, we knew what was going to happen and no, we didn’t care. $1 billion worldwide and counting makes that “most expensive movie ever” thing not so bad, eh. Runner Up: Star Trek. I was skeptical but dammit if J.J. didn’t pull it off (even though the time travel stuff is still a plot cheat).

Good TV:

Favorite Series: Lost. It may not be the best thing on the tube (that’s probably “Mad Men”) but it’s certainly my fav and the 2009 time tripping next to last season was worth every hour spent where I could have been doing something productive. Let’s face it—you want to read Hurley’s draft of “The Empire Strikes Back” from “Some Like it Hoth.” I know you do.

Fav. Single Ep: The Office, Niagara. I didn’t really expect Jim & Pam’s wedding to be anything special but damn if this episode of The Office didn’t just make me laugh harder than anything I’d seen this year. Twins! I love a good set of Twins!

(Runner up: Dollhouse, Epitaph One, probably hear ‘cuz it’s DVD only. The fact that Fox wouldn’t run the erstwhile season one finale makes it hard to believe it picked up Season Two—only to cancel it a few eps in. Ahh, what might have been.)

Fav TV Quote: tie: “A man crying over a chicken and a baby…I thought this was a comedy show.” Alan Alda, guesting on 30 Rock; “I love a good set of Twins” Dwight, The Office (see above).

Bye Bye: Battlestar Galactica. I’m still not sure what to make of the last 45 minutes or so of the finale, but for overall TV and sci-fi quality over its four seasons you get my special Dr. BCH Award for Excellence in Television and Tricia Helfer Parts.




Most Frustrating/Politics: The Senate version of the health care reform act retains most of the authority for our health care decisions in all those fantastic insurance companies that were the reason for this mess in the first place, it stomps all over women’s health care, and it basically requires those without income to make expenditures for insurance that if they could afford, they’d already have. Look, Mr. Pres, I’m with you…have been from the start—but this was one time where I went from thinking “Yes, we can” to “Maybe, we shouldn’t.” Let’s not set arbitrary deadlines and rush to get major policy initiatives complete only to have them done badly and lose public support in the process. The Senate bill sucks. There’s been public health care in this country for years (it’s called Medicare). Give us a public option cuz anything else is just not going to work.

Fav. Quote: Politics: Rep. Alan Grayson (D-Fla.) warned Americans that "Republicans want you to die quickly."





Most Frustrating/Sports (tie): Mr. Hendry meet Mr. Milton Bradley, known clubhouse cancer. Thank you so much for giving him $30 million dollars, destroying a season, and then turning him magically into Carlos Silva, pitcher without an arm, ugh. Meanwhile, look over there—Jay Cutler just threw another interception.

Best Book I actually read: Dan Simmons, The Terror, previously reviewed here. I’m pretty sure it was published in ’08, but I didn’t get around to it until ’09. In retrospect, this fictionalized/sci-fi’d account of a north pole excursion gone bad is still a damn good read overall even though I would have preferred a stronger ending. Give it a read. .

Best Book Still on My Shelf: I’ve been sitting on The Given Day by Dennis Lehane for most of 2009. Not sure why as I have enjoyed everything he’s done so far. Looking forward to kicking this off in ’10 and I’ll tell you how it went.

Favorite Tweet: “You came in that. You’re braver than I thought” #GreatStarWarsQuotesDuringSex (author unknown)

Favorite Facebook Read: Mr. Grant Chastain’s “My Week Of..” posts throughout the second half of 2009. “My week of guilty pleasures” is a personal favorite. Friend him and check that stuff out. It’s gold, Jerry…gold.

Favorite Podcast: Galactic Watercooler. Three self proclaimed “unrepentant sci fi geeks” and just good pals sitting around shooting the bull about sci fi and related topics. My new favorite phrase, “Mordor should have had a better legal department” is just one shining example of the joy spewed weekly from these guys. It’s just plain fun. Available for free on ITunes and at http://www.galacticwatercooler.com/.


Okay peeps, that’s it for now—mostly cuz I’m outta time. Later maybe I’ll treat you to some best of ’00-’09 now that I have your attention. Peace.