Happy New Year!
Hey everybody! A belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!
Been busy for the past 2-3 weeks enjoying my vacation which is why I haven't updated but I found a few free moments today, which is why you all get to be graced with a new post, lol.
So I'm gonna start the new year off, by recapping great things of the past year! Yes it's my own special "Year-End Awards" Column. Enjoy!
Best Movie of the Year: The Punisher
1st Runner Up: DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story
2nd Runner Up: Spider-Man 2/The Incredibles (Tie)
This was a hard one to call, there were a few great movies this year (notice how I was forced to leave out Kill Bill 2, Shrek 2, Shaun of the Dead, Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle, House of Flying Daggers, etc). It was hard to put an order to these flicks b/c there were some things I really liked about each of these movies. In order to make things more fair, I did watch each of these movies at least twice though (with the exception of the Incredibles, but that was just too awesome to not have on the list). I thought Dodgeball was hands-down the funniest movie of the year and I was gonna put it at the top of the list but after watching Punisher for the second time I remembered how absolutely awesome it was. I had originally seen it the same day as Kill Bill 2 and I liked it a lot more. There were just moments where I was freakin cheering in the theater as Punisher was taking guys out, and hell that just does not happen with me. As for Spider-Man 2, I wasn't totally thrilled with it when I first saw it in the theater (I liked it but wasn't blown away like the rest of America apparently was) but I think that was b/c my expectations were ridiculously high. After watching it again on DVD I realized the movie was pretty damn well made and deserved to be on the list.
Best CD of the Year: Green Day- American Idiot
1st Runner Up: The Killers- Hot Fuss
2nd Runner Up: Iced Earth- The Glorious Burden
There were some slim-pickings for this category. The music scene has been sucking as of the past few years. Hell I couldn't even think of a third CD to list here without looking through my collection. It was hard b/c first off the qualifications for this award had to be that the CD must have been released within this past year. This eliminated me putting in things like Hoobastank-The Reason, The Offspring- Splinter and anything Judas Priest which even though those were the CDs in VERY heavy rotation in my CD player this year I just couldn't count them (b/c then what about all my old Weezer, Metallica and OLP CDs)?
Not to say anything against the CDs I picked though. The Green Day album is an instant classic and has been in constant rotation since I bought it. The Killers CD was a late year Dark horse that came out of nowhere but is absolutely awesome and really made the choice for top album very hard for me. But I stick with my decision and I'd advise anyone out there to pick up both of those CDs.
Movie Soundtrack of the Year: Team America
1st Runner Up: Kill Bill Vol. 1
2nd Runner Up: Spider-Man 2
There were some better soundtracks this year than flat out regular albums. The one for Team America is absolutely HYSTERICAL. If you've seen the movie (or even if you haven't), then you need this CD. It's super short but oh man, it's quality stuff. I kinda broke my rule for the Kill Bill soundtrack since it came out last year, BUT I only got it myself in the summer and it's got some great music on it, so I couldn't just ignore it. As for the Spider-Man 2 CD, it just had a lot of great bands on it like Hoobastank, Jet, Maroon 5, etc.
Video Game of the Year: Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
1st Runner Up: Suikoden 3
2nd Runner Up: Spider-Man 2/ DragonBall Z: Budokai 3 (Tie)
While the winner of this category was never in question, it was rough to pick the other games b/c I played quite a few this year (other notables include Legend of Zelda: Windwaker, Simpsons: Hit and Run, Raw 2, and Halo). The qualifactions included that I needed to have beaten the game, so that eliminated X-Men Legends since I just started that last week, same for the Grand Theft Auto games.
But anyways, Star Wars: KOTOR is THE reason (other than Halo) to buy an X-Box. It was just one of the most engrossing RPGs I have ever played. The characters were well developed and likeable, the gameplay while different than what I am used to was fun and the story was truly worthy of being a part of the Star Wars "canon." It also included some of the most surprising and unique twists I've ever seen in a video game, so big props for that.
Suikoden 3 gets the nod for second b/c it took up almost my whole summer and I loved every bit of it. I'm a huge fan of the Suikoden series and even though they changed the gameplay and graphics a bit for this latest installment it was just as good as the original 2 (if not better).
Third place was hard for me to call. Spider-Man 2 would have been my choice hands down (and may have even taken second place) if not for the fact that it was just so damn short. The game was QUALITY and one of the most fun non-RPG games I've ever played but I beat it in like 2 weeks and it just left me wanting more. I really can't wait for the sequel. But speaking of sequels, the newest installment of the DragonBall Z: Budokai series went head and shoulders above its predecessors. I wasn't gonna buy it originally b/c while the first 2 were a lot of fun, I thought this new one would just be more characters and that would be it. But I was wrong. They tweaked the gameplay itself but all for the better, the graphics look just as if it was the cartoon itself and you can upgrade each character to your liking. It's a very fun game, even if you play on your own (unlike how other fighting games could be). So that's why I had to include it on this list.
Best TV Show of the Year: 24
1st Runner Up: Angel
2nd Runner Up: South Park
This was another rough one for me to pick. Angel was my sentimental favorite but fact is due to restrictions given to the show this season before it was cancelled it wasn't allowed to get on track as it had for previous seasons and by the time they did so, it was the end. There were some quality episodes in there but 24 was quality ALL season long. It was torture waiting a week to see what was going to happen next (and even worse when they did that mid season crap where we had to wait like 4 weeks for new episodes). But each wait was more than worth it and it makes it hands down the show of the year. The new season actually starts this Sunday, and I would advise EVERYONE to make time to watch it (or tape it). I guarentee you will not be disappointed (and will become addicted just like the rest of the shows fans).
I gave the last spot to South Park b/c there have been some funny-ass episodes this past season. We had the Anime episode "Good Times with Weapons" which is one of the best episodes EVER (next to the J-Lo one and the Christian Rock one). A.W.E.S.O.M.- O and A Very Critter Christmas were also insane but funny episodes from this past season. It's just a show I know I can count on to get me to laugh.
Honorable mention goes out to Chappelle Show (I didn't rank it only b/c I don't know whats been new and whats been old- but damn if that Wayne Brady episode doesn't have me busting a gut every single time I see it), and Desperate Housewives for being way better than I had any idea it could be.
"G**dammit!!" Moment of the Year: Bush wins the election
1st Runner Up: Boston comes back from 3-0 to beat the Yanks and go on to win the World Series
2nd Runner Up: Randy Orton beats Chris Benoit for the World Title/ Everytime Orton's music is played on TV (Tie)
This was a pretty cool year with the exception of at least these three notable things.
The presidential election this year had nearly everyone talking and at odds with one another. I'm not gonna go into another rant here but I must say I was super pissed at America for choosing that idiot Bush to run this country (into the ground) again for another four years. Let's just say if my job's department is closed next year b/c of his cuts on education I will be a VERY unhappy camper. It just really hurt to wake up the morning of November 3rd and hear that he won, so this easily tops this category.
The runner up hurt too. Watching the Yankees collapse how no other team in baseball has ever collapsed before was painful (and exhausting thanks to the freakin 5-6 hour games being played) to watch. It hurt even more when the Cardinals fell to pieces and Boston utterly crushed them in the World Series. Thankfully the Yankees have been making some insane trades and signings in this off season (i.e. Randy Johnson, Carl Pavano, possibly Beltran- ::crosses fingers::) so we have a way better chance at a Championship next season to erase from memory the end of this one.
For the last runner up, sickly enough I was tempted to put this at number 1, only b/c it affects me on a weekly basis. I have bitched at length of my hatred of Randy Orton (both here and in person) and having him beat my favorite wrestler for the World Title at Summerslam sucked the big one. Even though I was temporarily appeased when Triple H kicked Orton's ass and won the World Title from him only a month later, they still continue to push Orton and make him the "star" of the show above all the way better wrestlers. Plus, Orton's music is probably the suckiest wrestling theme of all time, performed by a really crappy nu-metal whiny band- think guy with no talent trying to sing like Aaron Lewis from StainD but failing badly and having a shitty band behind him and even worse lyrics and maybe u can then comprehend the suckitude of this song. I swear, I need to mute it everytime he comes out (or when they decide to have Orton come out to end the show and loop the song ad-nauseum).
And of course the award I just HAD to give-
Best Concert of the Year: Judas Priest @ Mohegan Sun Arena
1st Runner Up: Linkin Park, P.O.D., Hoobastank and Story of the Year @ Nassau Colisseum
2nd Runner Up: Rolling Rock Town Fair 5
Believe it or not, I only went to 12 concerts this entire year (a record low for me), but I think that goes back to the whole music scene sucking thing. But the few shows I did go to were all pretty freakin good, making this a very hard award for me to give. Any one of these shows could have gotten the top spot but I had to way the pros and cons of each.
The winner is the Judas Priest show for many reasons. First the only "con" wasn't much of a con at all, it was the fact it was at a place 2 hours away (on a Sunday night), BUT the show wound up starting fairly early and ending early also and we were back home by a decent time. The pro's and there were many- were the fact that I didn't go to the show alone (I was with Ariana, Steve P, and a friend of his also named Steve), it was at the Mohegan Sun Arena, so we got there nice and early and gambled at the casino's and ate at a great BBQ place, and lastly- the show just kicked freakin ass! They played for almost two hours (which most bands never do anymore), and every bit of it rocked. All the songs were great choices and Rob Halford was on the top of his game singing and screaming better than I could have imagined. Not only would I rank this show best of the year, I'd also rank it within the top 5 shows I've EVER been to.
The runner ups were harder to distinguish for me. Both the Linkin Park, Hoobastank show and the Rolling Rock Town Fair were great concerts. The cons for the LP show were the fact that I had to drive out to Long Island in a really bad snowstorm to get to it b/c it was at the Nassau Colisseum. Also, even though I was supposed to go with people I wound up being by myself for almost the whole show, b/c Stevo couldn't make it and Christina came on her own later on and we couldn't find each other til the end of the concert. So even though those were two very sucky factors the good things FAR outweighed the bad. Awesome thing #1- as a member of the Hoobastank fanclub I got to go to a "meet & greet" before the show which consisted of me and only about TEN other fans (if even that many) meeting and hanging out with Hoobastank before the show for about a half hour just chilling. I got all their autographs on both CDs and a picture with each member. I also just got to chat with all of them, while we kinda watched the football game on the big screen TV in the background. It was VERY cool. Then the show itself kicked ass. Every single band put on a great performance, and I was right in the front, dead center against the guardrail so members of almost every band came up right in front of me at certain points. So it was definitely one of my greater concert experiences (I'd put this one in my top 10).
Finally there was Rolling Rock, which was very cool also with some distinguishable pros and cons. As for the cons, the weather sucked ass that weekend! It was pouring rain the entire time we were out there including during almost the whole concert, which made everything really gross and muddy. Another big con was the idiot people that me and Ariana ran into during the show which put a bit of a damper for part of the day. The last con though, wasn't really too much of a con in that the concert was 8 hours away which was a long drive, BUT it was made cool by the fact that Jordan had a portable DVD player in the car which allowed us to watch movies the entire way there which made the trip go by way fast. So you know what, I actually might make that into a pro. Other pros were that the motel was pretty nice and had a heated pool which me and Ariana took advantage of. The bars in the area were great awesome and we got some great deals out there. And then of course the concert itself was great too. The highlights of it were the fight between Finch and Disturbed, Hoobastank's set, and Disturbed's set. There were 10 bands altogether and at least half of them were cool and plus the town fair stuff was fun to look at, so it made for a very cool show altogether.
Honorable mentions in this category go to- Metallica at Nassau Colisseum, Green Day (which was in the streets and was FREE), Yellowcard at Roseland, and Ozzfest (which didn't place higher b/c I went alone and had to take the train there- but the show itself kicked ass).
And that my friends is the end of my "Year-end" awards. (Well more like I'm about to go out so I don't have time to write more- but I'm sure this was long enough). Hope you enjoyed. Agreed with my choices? Seriously disagreed? Let me know, debates can be fun. See you soon!
Been busy for the past 2-3 weeks enjoying my vacation which is why I haven't updated but I found a few free moments today, which is why you all get to be graced with a new post, lol.
So I'm gonna start the new year off, by recapping great things of the past year! Yes it's my own special "Year-End Awards" Column. Enjoy!
Best Movie of the Year: The Punisher
1st Runner Up: DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story
2nd Runner Up: Spider-Man 2/The Incredibles (Tie)
This was a hard one to call, there were a few great movies this year (notice how I was forced to leave out Kill Bill 2, Shrek 2, Shaun of the Dead, Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle, House of Flying Daggers, etc). It was hard to put an order to these flicks b/c there were some things I really liked about each of these movies. In order to make things more fair, I did watch each of these movies at least twice though (with the exception of the Incredibles, but that was just too awesome to not have on the list). I thought Dodgeball was hands-down the funniest movie of the year and I was gonna put it at the top of the list but after watching Punisher for the second time I remembered how absolutely awesome it was. I had originally seen it the same day as Kill Bill 2 and I liked it a lot more. There were just moments where I was freakin cheering in the theater as Punisher was taking guys out, and hell that just does not happen with me. As for Spider-Man 2, I wasn't totally thrilled with it when I first saw it in the theater (I liked it but wasn't blown away like the rest of America apparently was) but I think that was b/c my expectations were ridiculously high. After watching it again on DVD I realized the movie was pretty damn well made and deserved to be on the list.
Best CD of the Year: Green Day- American Idiot
1st Runner Up: The Killers- Hot Fuss
2nd Runner Up: Iced Earth- The Glorious Burden
There were some slim-pickings for this category. The music scene has been sucking as of the past few years. Hell I couldn't even think of a third CD to list here without looking through my collection. It was hard b/c first off the qualifications for this award had to be that the CD must have been released within this past year. This eliminated me putting in things like Hoobastank-The Reason, The Offspring- Splinter and anything Judas Priest which even though those were the CDs in VERY heavy rotation in my CD player this year I just couldn't count them (b/c then what about all my old Weezer, Metallica and OLP CDs)?
Not to say anything against the CDs I picked though. The Green Day album is an instant classic and has been in constant rotation since I bought it. The Killers CD was a late year Dark horse that came out of nowhere but is absolutely awesome and really made the choice for top album very hard for me. But I stick with my decision and I'd advise anyone out there to pick up both of those CDs.
Movie Soundtrack of the Year: Team America
1st Runner Up: Kill Bill Vol. 1
2nd Runner Up: Spider-Man 2
There were some better soundtracks this year than flat out regular albums. The one for Team America is absolutely HYSTERICAL. If you've seen the movie (or even if you haven't), then you need this CD. It's super short but oh man, it's quality stuff. I kinda broke my rule for the Kill Bill soundtrack since it came out last year, BUT I only got it myself in the summer and it's got some great music on it, so I couldn't just ignore it. As for the Spider-Man 2 CD, it just had a lot of great bands on it like Hoobastank, Jet, Maroon 5, etc.
Video Game of the Year: Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
1st Runner Up: Suikoden 3
2nd Runner Up: Spider-Man 2/ DragonBall Z: Budokai 3 (Tie)
While the winner of this category was never in question, it was rough to pick the other games b/c I played quite a few this year (other notables include Legend of Zelda: Windwaker, Simpsons: Hit and Run, Raw 2, and Halo). The qualifactions included that I needed to have beaten the game, so that eliminated X-Men Legends since I just started that last week, same for the Grand Theft Auto games.
But anyways, Star Wars: KOTOR is THE reason (other than Halo) to buy an X-Box. It was just one of the most engrossing RPGs I have ever played. The characters were well developed and likeable, the gameplay while different than what I am used to was fun and the story was truly worthy of being a part of the Star Wars "canon." It also included some of the most surprising and unique twists I've ever seen in a video game, so big props for that.
Suikoden 3 gets the nod for second b/c it took up almost my whole summer and I loved every bit of it. I'm a huge fan of the Suikoden series and even though they changed the gameplay and graphics a bit for this latest installment it was just as good as the original 2 (if not better).
Third place was hard for me to call. Spider-Man 2 would have been my choice hands down (and may have even taken second place) if not for the fact that it was just so damn short. The game was QUALITY and one of the most fun non-RPG games I've ever played but I beat it in like 2 weeks and it just left me wanting more. I really can't wait for the sequel. But speaking of sequels, the newest installment of the DragonBall Z: Budokai series went head and shoulders above its predecessors. I wasn't gonna buy it originally b/c while the first 2 were a lot of fun, I thought this new one would just be more characters and that would be it. But I was wrong. They tweaked the gameplay itself but all for the better, the graphics look just as if it was the cartoon itself and you can upgrade each character to your liking. It's a very fun game, even if you play on your own (unlike how other fighting games could be). So that's why I had to include it on this list.
Best TV Show of the Year: 24
1st Runner Up: Angel
2nd Runner Up: South Park
This was another rough one for me to pick. Angel was my sentimental favorite but fact is due to restrictions given to the show this season before it was cancelled it wasn't allowed to get on track as it had for previous seasons and by the time they did so, it was the end. There were some quality episodes in there but 24 was quality ALL season long. It was torture waiting a week to see what was going to happen next (and even worse when they did that mid season crap where we had to wait like 4 weeks for new episodes). But each wait was more than worth it and it makes it hands down the show of the year. The new season actually starts this Sunday, and I would advise EVERYONE to make time to watch it (or tape it). I guarentee you will not be disappointed (and will become addicted just like the rest of the shows fans).
I gave the last spot to South Park b/c there have been some funny-ass episodes this past season. We had the Anime episode "Good Times with Weapons" which is one of the best episodes EVER (next to the J-Lo one and the Christian Rock one). A.W.E.S.O.M.- O and A Very Critter Christmas were also insane but funny episodes from this past season. It's just a show I know I can count on to get me to laugh.
Honorable mention goes out to Chappelle Show (I didn't rank it only b/c I don't know whats been new and whats been old- but damn if that Wayne Brady episode doesn't have me busting a gut every single time I see it), and Desperate Housewives for being way better than I had any idea it could be.
"G**dammit!!" Moment of the Year: Bush wins the election
1st Runner Up: Boston comes back from 3-0 to beat the Yanks and go on to win the World Series
2nd Runner Up: Randy Orton beats Chris Benoit for the World Title/ Everytime Orton's music is played on TV (Tie)
This was a pretty cool year with the exception of at least these three notable things.
The presidential election this year had nearly everyone talking and at odds with one another. I'm not gonna go into another rant here but I must say I was super pissed at America for choosing that idiot Bush to run this country (into the ground) again for another four years. Let's just say if my job's department is closed next year b/c of his cuts on education I will be a VERY unhappy camper. It just really hurt to wake up the morning of November 3rd and hear that he won, so this easily tops this category.
The runner up hurt too. Watching the Yankees collapse how no other team in baseball has ever collapsed before was painful (and exhausting thanks to the freakin 5-6 hour games being played) to watch. It hurt even more when the Cardinals fell to pieces and Boston utterly crushed them in the World Series. Thankfully the Yankees have been making some insane trades and signings in this off season (i.e. Randy Johnson, Carl Pavano, possibly Beltran- ::crosses fingers::) so we have a way better chance at a Championship next season to erase from memory the end of this one.
For the last runner up, sickly enough I was tempted to put this at number 1, only b/c it affects me on a weekly basis. I have bitched at length of my hatred of Randy Orton (both here and in person) and having him beat my favorite wrestler for the World Title at Summerslam sucked the big one. Even though I was temporarily appeased when Triple H kicked Orton's ass and won the World Title from him only a month later, they still continue to push Orton and make him the "star" of the show above all the way better wrestlers. Plus, Orton's music is probably the suckiest wrestling theme of all time, performed by a really crappy nu-metal whiny band- think guy with no talent trying to sing like Aaron Lewis from StainD but failing badly and having a shitty band behind him and even worse lyrics and maybe u can then comprehend the suckitude of this song. I swear, I need to mute it everytime he comes out (or when they decide to have Orton come out to end the show and loop the song ad-nauseum).
And of course the award I just HAD to give-
Best Concert of the Year: Judas Priest @ Mohegan Sun Arena
1st Runner Up: Linkin Park, P.O.D., Hoobastank and Story of the Year @ Nassau Colisseum
2nd Runner Up: Rolling Rock Town Fair 5
Believe it or not, I only went to 12 concerts this entire year (a record low for me), but I think that goes back to the whole music scene sucking thing. But the few shows I did go to were all pretty freakin good, making this a very hard award for me to give. Any one of these shows could have gotten the top spot but I had to way the pros and cons of each.
The winner is the Judas Priest show for many reasons. First the only "con" wasn't much of a con at all, it was the fact it was at a place 2 hours away (on a Sunday night), BUT the show wound up starting fairly early and ending early also and we were back home by a decent time. The pro's and there were many- were the fact that I didn't go to the show alone (I was with Ariana, Steve P, and a friend of his also named Steve), it was at the Mohegan Sun Arena, so we got there nice and early and gambled at the casino's and ate at a great BBQ place, and lastly- the show just kicked freakin ass! They played for almost two hours (which most bands never do anymore), and every bit of it rocked. All the songs were great choices and Rob Halford was on the top of his game singing and screaming better than I could have imagined. Not only would I rank this show best of the year, I'd also rank it within the top 5 shows I've EVER been to.
The runner ups were harder to distinguish for me. Both the Linkin Park, Hoobastank show and the Rolling Rock Town Fair were great concerts. The cons for the LP show were the fact that I had to drive out to Long Island in a really bad snowstorm to get to it b/c it was at the Nassau Colisseum. Also, even though I was supposed to go with people I wound up being by myself for almost the whole show, b/c Stevo couldn't make it and Christina came on her own later on and we couldn't find each other til the end of the concert. So even though those were two very sucky factors the good things FAR outweighed the bad. Awesome thing #1- as a member of the Hoobastank fanclub I got to go to a "meet & greet" before the show which consisted of me and only about TEN other fans (if even that many) meeting and hanging out with Hoobastank before the show for about a half hour just chilling. I got all their autographs on both CDs and a picture with each member. I also just got to chat with all of them, while we kinda watched the football game on the big screen TV in the background. It was VERY cool. Then the show itself kicked ass. Every single band put on a great performance, and I was right in the front, dead center against the guardrail so members of almost every band came up right in front of me at certain points. So it was definitely one of my greater concert experiences (I'd put this one in my top 10).
Finally there was Rolling Rock, which was very cool also with some distinguishable pros and cons. As for the cons, the weather sucked ass that weekend! It was pouring rain the entire time we were out there including during almost the whole concert, which made everything really gross and muddy. Another big con was the idiot people that me and Ariana ran into during the show which put a bit of a damper for part of the day. The last con though, wasn't really too much of a con in that the concert was 8 hours away which was a long drive, BUT it was made cool by the fact that Jordan had a portable DVD player in the car which allowed us to watch movies the entire way there which made the trip go by way fast. So you know what, I actually might make that into a pro. Other pros were that the motel was pretty nice and had a heated pool which me and Ariana took advantage of. The bars in the area were great awesome and we got some great deals out there. And then of course the concert itself was great too. The highlights of it were the fight between Finch and Disturbed, Hoobastank's set, and Disturbed's set. There were 10 bands altogether and at least half of them were cool and plus the town fair stuff was fun to look at, so it made for a very cool show altogether.
Honorable mentions in this category go to- Metallica at Nassau Colisseum, Green Day (which was in the streets and was FREE), Yellowcard at Roseland, and Ozzfest (which didn't place higher b/c I went alone and had to take the train there- but the show itself kicked ass).
And that my friends is the end of my "Year-end" awards. (Well more like I'm about to go out so I don't have time to write more- but I'm sure this was long enough). Hope you enjoyed. Agreed with my choices? Seriously disagreed? Let me know, debates can be fun. See you soon!
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