The Best of 2006
Ahh yes, its time for the typical “Best of” blog post. Thanks to social bookmarking sites like Digg and Delicious, this year’s list is vastly comprehensive. I’m still considering a “Worst of” list but why waste more time on crap? Some lists have more than others because sometimes there just isn’t that much to talk about. Also, I’d like to note that for once, I beat Blewis to the punch. I guess you can say that Blewis blew it.
Anywho, I’ll start with the best of the best….
The Best of 2006 - Battlestar Galactica
If it wasn’t for Satchel I wouldn’t even be watching the, hands down, best show on television. BSG is more than a fanboy’s wetdream, it’s a well-written character-driven engaging storytelling that knows where its going. BSG doesn’t treat its fictional creations as mere schlock artifacts.
One of the ingenious methods of storytelling used on BSG is the method in which the writers have managed to get the audience to root for the Iraqi insurgency by placing the protagonists (the human race) in a situation where they are under occupation by a vastly superior force (the Cylons) that has come to “liberate them.”
The Rest of the Best of Television
SNL Digital Shorts - SNL isn’t as funny as it used to be… Actually its been quite awful. But things are picking up. In the last month Alec Baldwin, Matthew Fox and Justin Timberlake have each hosted and those eps have been lollocausts. But the real comedy this year has come from the three prerecorded digital shorts: Lazy Sunday, Natalie Portman’s Gangsta Rap, and of course the funniest two minutes and forty-five seconds of the year, Dick in a Box.
The Office (season 3) - If you saw the Xmas episode from last week or any of the episodes since the “merger” then you know what I’m talking about. The timing and editing are picture perfect.
24 (season 5) - Sure there were some problems but for the first time 24 seemed to know exactly where it was headed from the first minute. Shocking deaths of favorite characters and brilliant performances from Gregory Itzin, Jean Smart, and Peter Weller were just the icing on the cake.
Heros - The first season of this live action comic book is coming together nicely. I just hope it doesn’t run out of steam. The writers seem to have a game plan which is more than I can say about….
Lost - Just before the third season started I said Lost was the best show on television. It’s not anymore and if the producers and writers don’t get their shit together soon I might be bailing like so many others already have.
South Park - The inappropriateness just keeps on coming, so do the laughs. Nothing is sacred for Trey Parker and Matt Stone, including showing an image of the prophet Mohammed, though Comedy Central executives pulled said image before it aired.
Weeds & Dexter - Showtime is trouncing on HBO’s territory hard and these two shows are fine examples.
Best in Film
Little Miss Sunshine - Funniest film of the last five years, at least.
Thank You For Smoking - Great satire tastes as good as that first cigarette after sex.
Borat
Shortbus
The Departed*
*I should note that I consulted with Chris Perkins on some of the films since didn’t see many films this year. My last three movie-going experiences were ruined by Blue-Tooth wearing cyborgs and text messaging bitches.
Best in Music
The Eraser by Thom Yorke
St. Elsewhere by Gnarls Barkley
Modern Times by Bob Dylan
Best of Teh Internets
Sesame Streets - Martin Scorsese’s Sesame Street.
Seinfeld: The Lost Episode - National Lampoon uncovers a “lost” episode of Seinfeld featuring Kramer’s new stand-up routine.
Leprechaun - You can’t fake a news report of this magnitude.
Soup of the Day - A series of shorts about one guy concurrently dating three different women.
Clikclak - A new media animation
Kiefer vs. Xmas Tree - Kiefer Sutherland’s drunken Xmas tree tackle.
Sometimes - Stunning video from a production group call Pleix featuring music by Kid 606.
Pete Goldlust - Carved Crayons - Amazing crayon carving art.
ドリームシップ エピソード１／２ - If this is a real film I want to see it, subtitles or not.
Stephen Colbert roasts the Bush administration at the White House Correspondence Dinner
part 1, part 2, part 3, transcript
Best in Advertising
Dove - The Distortion of Beauty - A short Dove film showing how the ordinary woman is made extraordinary by hours of makeup and photoshopping.
Sony Bravia - This ad was so affective that I bought a Sony Bravia. True story.
Human Katamari - If you know the game Katamari then you’ll love this.
Tango Balls - Great parody of the Sony Bravia spot.
Best of YouTube
Grape Stomp - While stomping grapes a woman falls off a platform while on live TV. Her overreaction to the pain is disturbingly funny.
Zuiikin English - If you scour YouTube you’ll find more excerpts of this odd method of teaching English. This one is by far the best.
Ooze Super Soaker - I’m not sure when this product came out on the market or who thought it up but it’s comedy platinum.
Real Life Simpsons Intro - A group of British filmmakers made this real life” Simpsons” Intro to promote the show’s airing on British television. It was so popular that Fox used it to open an episode of “The Simpsons” shortly thereafter.
Laughing Interview - I’m not sure if this is real or not but it is HILARIOUS.
U2 & Green Day “The Saints are Coming” - This is more on the lines of tragic humor. What Nola would have looked like if US Troops hadn’t been dying for nothing in Iraq.
All Your Snakes Are Belong to Us - Despite all the free publicity “Snakes on a Plane” disappointed financially and much of the user-generated content ended up being more entertaining.
Job for a Sponge - Spongbob rocks. Enough said.
Nintendo Sixty-FOOOOOOOOOUR! - This should be in best of advertising since it was used in a recent car commercial. The saddest thing is that YouTube owns anything uploaded to its site so this family never saw a dime.
Best Film Trailer Reduxes
10 Things I Hate About Commandments - This film trailer remix has become very popular since last year’s hilarious “Shining”.
Brokeback to the Future - Emerson College’s Chocolate Cake City mashes up Brokeback Mountain with Back to the Future.
Must Love Jaws - With the help of a shark, two unlikely partners come together to find…love