Here are my picks for best finds of 2011 in books, music, tv and cinema… and some fails
[Not all of them released in 2011]
WINS:
BOOKS:
A Monster in the Hollows (F) – Andrew Peterson
- If you or your kids are fans of the fiction of Tolkien, Lewis, Rowling, Riordan, do yourself a favor and get this series now – you will not be disappointed!!
A Monster in the Hollows (F) – Andrew Peterson
- If you or your kids are fans of the fiction of Tolkien, Lewis, Rowling, Riordan, do yourself a favor and get this series now – you will not be disappointed!!
Erasing Hell (NF) – Francis Chan
- A well written rebuttal to Rob Bell’s “Love Wins”. Having read both books, Chan makes a much more compelling, theologically faithfully sound and historically accurate case.
- A well written rebuttal to Rob Bell’s “Love Wins”. Having read both books, Chan makes a much more compelling, theologically faithfully sound and historically accurate case.
Imaginary Jesus (F/NF)– Matt Mikalatos
- captivating from page 1, but with a relatively weak ending, I liked it over all.
- captivating from page 1, but with a relatively weak ending, I liked it over all.
The Tehran Initiative (F) – Joel C. Rosenberg
- the latest in Rosenberg’s political thriller series once again predicts headlines before they happen.
- the latest in Rosenberg’s political thriller series once again predicts headlines before they happen.
SONG:
“Where the Streets Have No Name” (Acoustic Cover) – 30 Seconds to Mars and a gospel choir.
- do I even have to say another word?
“Where the Streets Have No Name” (Acoustic Cover) – 30 Seconds to Mars and a gospel choir.
- do I even have to say another word?
FULL ALBUMS:
JOSH GARRELS – Love & War & the Sea in Between
- wow! So, so , so good (and as of this writing still completely free online at his website) Haunting, plaintive, worshipful with a dash of hip hop every now and then. Think of a modern, artsy, Jesus-loving, Gordon Lightfoot
- wow! So, so , so good (and as of this writing still completely free online at his website) Haunting, plaintive, worshipful with a dash of hip hop every now and then. Think of a modern, artsy, Jesus-loving, Gordon Lightfoot
GUNGOR – Ghosts Upon the Earth
If you took Gungor, Sufjan Stevens, Glen Hansard/Marketa Irglova and Enter the Worship Circle and threw them into a blender, you would get “Ghosts Upon the Earth.” … and I love it!
If you took Gungor, Sufjan Stevens, Glen Hansard/Marketa Irglova and Enter the Worship Circle and threw them into a blender, you would get “Ghosts Upon the Earth.” … and I love it!
ARADHNA – Namaste Sate
- Learned of this group just before our team went to India. Great Indian music with Christ exalting lyrics
ANYA MARINA
- came across her EP on noisetrade.com and ended up buying her previous project. Fun, quirky, infectious, emotive pop for date nights and long car trips.
- came across her EP on noisetrade.com and ended up buying her previous project. Fun, quirky, infectious, emotive pop for date nights and long car trips.
DAFT PUNK - TRON:Legacy
- There are many who saw this movie as nothing more than well executed eye candy, but if you’ve followed this blog, you know I whole-heartedly disagree with that. One of the reasons being this soundtrack
- There are many who saw this movie as nothing more than well executed eye candy, but if you’ve followed this blog, you know I whole-heartedly disagree with that. One of the reasons being this soundtrack
ECHOING GREEN: In Scarlet & Vile
Big EG fan from way back. Synth pop. This album hit me at just the right time I guess
Big EG fan from way back. Synth pop. This album hit me at just the right time I guess
YEASAYER – Odd Blood
- I have my friend Justin to thank for introducing me to this group. Welcome back to the 80’s new wave. There are moments where this feels like a lost Oingo Boingo album in all the best possible ways.
SHINY TOY GUNS – We Are Pilots
Not a new album.. but new to me. This is the group who covered “Major Tom” for those car commercials. Again, wonderfully 80’s… though you should know there is both a ‘clean’ version and a version with a quiet, but strong profanity in one track
Not a new album.. but new to me. This is the group who covered “Major Tom” for those car commercials. Again, wonderfully 80’s… though you should know there is both a ‘clean’ version and a version with a quiet, but strong profanity in one track
CHRISTMAS MUSIC:
ENFIELD – God of God
- A great refreshing take on standard carols and original songs. My respect keeps climbing for Enfield
ENFIELD – God of God
- A great refreshing take on standard carols and original songs. My respect keeps climbing for Enfield
STEPHANIE SEEFELDT – Cradle & Cross
- when I learned my friend Stephanie was recording another (‘official’) Christmas project I was delighted. When I heard it, I was so thankful for her gifts and skills once again. Worshipful and tender.
- when I learned my friend Stephanie was recording another (‘official’) Christmas project I was delighted. When I heard it, I was so thankful for her gifts and skills once again. Worshipful and tender.
VINEYARD UK – Christmas from the Vineyard
- great take on some standard carols and a some very cool arrangements of very old songs
- great take on some standard carols and a some very cool arrangements of very old songs
CINEMA:
BOLLYWOOD
- pretty much as a whole. The silly stories with their predictable formulas, punctuated with musical numbers that make you want to wobble your head and dance.
- pretty much as a whole. The silly stories with their predictable formulas, punctuated with musical numbers that make you want to wobble your head and dance.
Super 8
- I could have done without all the profanities, but this was such a hearkening back to movies I loved as a 12 year old – Goonies meets Close Encounters. That magic I felt back in the dog days of summer, escaping the heat and reality by spending a few hours in the cinema? That. All over again.
- I could have done without all the profanities, but this was such a hearkening back to movies I loved as a 12 year old – Goonies meets Close Encounters. That magic I felt back in the dog days of summer, escaping the heat and reality by spending a few hours in the cinema? That. All over again.
Captain America: The First Avenger
- I was hoping I would like this movie and I was not disappointed. From the camera work to the dialogue, it felt like a throwback to 40’s cinema – which works perfectly since that is the time period a majority of it is set in. Great blend of action, humor and romance.
- I was hoping I would like this movie and I was not disappointed. From the camera work to the dialogue, it felt like a throwback to 40’s cinema – which works perfectly since that is the time period a majority of it is set in. Great blend of action, humor and romance.
Rango
- We rented it and I laughed my head off
Battle:L.A.
Great, military-gritty, sci-fi film. The honor of self-sacrifice on display time and time again.
Monsters
- Not the Pixar “Monsters, Inc.”, the film by Gareth Edwards. A GREAT low-budget indie sci-fi film where the alien invasion element takes a backseat to the characters dealing with the situation and their story arcs. Not just Special FX or high paced action.
(Six years after aliens invaded Earth, a security force maintains tenuous control in the Infected Zone straddling the U.S.-Mexican border. Andrew, a photo journalist, is documenting this war-torn area when he's interrupted by an unexpected rescue mission. Sam, the daughter of a media mogul who just happens to be his boss, needs an escort home, and Andrew reluctantly takes on the job.)
- Not the Pixar “Monsters, Inc.”, the film by Gareth Edwards. A GREAT low-budget indie sci-fi film where the alien invasion element takes a backseat to the characters dealing with the situation and their story arcs. Not just Special FX or high paced action.
(Six years after aliens invaded Earth, a security force maintains tenuous control in the Infected Zone straddling the U.S.-Mexican border. Andrew, a photo journalist, is documenting this war-torn area when he's interrupted by an unexpected rescue mission. Sam, the daughter of a media mogul who just happens to be his boss, needs an escort home, and Andrew reluctantly takes on the job.)
The Muppets
- just saw it today… it got a 97% “fresh” rating on Rottentomatoes.com…and I laughed quite a bit, but I’d put this Muppet installment at about #5 of all the Muppet movies. I’m just going to say I love that the Muppets are back and I hope it’s for more than just this movie.
- just saw it today… it got a 97% “fresh” rating on Rottentomatoes.com…and I laughed quite a bit, but I’d put this Muppet installment at about #5 of all the Muppet movies. I’m just going to say I love that the Muppets are back and I hope it’s for more than just this movie.
Where were Rizzo & Pepe? *sigh*
TELEVISION:
To be honest, this was the year we mostly moved away from network TV and just began watching shows via Netflix… there’s just so much poor quality stuff on TV… and I don’t just mean content .
DOCTOR WHO!!!!!!
This was such a huge find that the good Doctor has replaced the Star Wars saga for me. That’s right – I’m posting my SW collection on eBay. Don’t need it. Why the change? It has to do with storytelling. Are there silly aliens mixed with the scary like in SW? yes. But Dr. Who (while much more professional today in its FX work than say the 80’s) does not rely on FX for its stories. Star Wars started great, but has become a palette for Lucas to do FX experiments. Trade routes? Yawn. Gungans? Bother! Lightsaber overkill? Ugh.
I’ll take a Doctor with a blue flashlight that we’re convinced is a sonic screwdriver that can fix most things simply by shining it’s light and making the wzwzwzwzw sound. Dr. Tennant & Rose captured my heart.
DOCTOR WHO!!!!!!
This was such a huge find that the good Doctor has replaced the Star Wars saga for me. That’s right – I’m posting my SW collection on eBay. Don’t need it. Why the change? It has to do with storytelling. Are there silly aliens mixed with the scary like in SW? yes. But Dr. Who (while much more professional today in its FX work than say the 80’s) does not rely on FX for its stories. Star Wars started great, but has become a palette for Lucas to do FX experiments. Trade routes? Yawn. Gungans? Bother! Lightsaber overkill? Ugh.
I’ll take a Doctor with a blue flashlight that we’re convinced is a sonic screwdriver that can fix most things simply by shining it’s light and making the wzwzwzwzw sound. Dr. Tennant & Rose captured my heart.
Don’t. Blink.
And I think I will pass on the Adipose, thankyouverymuch.
So 2011 – was great year for entertainment… but there also were some disappointments…
tvb – TSOOL.
I love this band and artist so much that I can’t even bring myself to list the band name or album title. I was so excited for this project… and then what I heard was so unlike everything I loved about the band. I guess maybe I could listen again… maybe.
tvb – TSOOL.
I love this band and artist so much that I can’t even bring myself to list the band name or album title. I was so excited for this project… and then what I heard was so unlike everything I loved about the band. I guess maybe I could listen again… maybe.
X-Men: First Class
- gather your stones now… I was totally unimpressed. As an X-Men comics fan, there was so much continuity that was just thrown out the window it was like having someone hand you a McDonalds breakfast burrito and calling it a Taco Bell chalupa
- gather your stones now… I was totally unimpressed. As an X-Men comics fan, there was so much continuity that was just thrown out the window it was like having someone hand you a McDonalds breakfast burrito and calling it a Taco Bell chalupa
FAILS
Skyline
- GREAT trailer. Awful, awful movie. Seriously so bad that one reviewer said, “When other films are critiqued in the future, they will be able to say, ‘at least it’s ending wasn’t as bad as Skyline’” Yep – it was that laughably bad.
Star Wars on Blu Ray
I’ll try to say this kindly: Epic. Colossial. Fail.
Having placed a pre-order the day these went up for sale, I promptly cancelled it when I learned of the changes Lucas made. With the above mentioned Gungans, bad storytelling, overuse of CGI & lightsabers and increasing potty humor, I had started to drift away from SW – not even the (slowly degenerating) Clone Wars cartoon is of interest anymore.
- GREAT trailer. Awful, awful movie. Seriously so bad that one reviewer said, “When other films are critiqued in the future, they will be able to say, ‘at least it’s ending wasn’t as bad as Skyline’” Yep – it was that laughably bad.
Star Wars on Blu Ray
I’ll try to say this kindly: Epic. Colossial. Fail.
Having placed a pre-order the day these went up for sale, I promptly cancelled it when I learned of the changes Lucas made. With the above mentioned Gungans, bad storytelling, overuse of CGI & lightsabers and increasing potty humor, I had started to drift away from SW – not even the (slowly degenerating) Clone Wars cartoon is of interest anymore.
Here was the promised “own every moment” in 1080p. But wait. Some of those moments have changed – for the worse. (Krayt dragon call? Wha? Moving rocks? Noooooooooo!) Some of the promised fixes to rotoscoping sabers correctly, better color correction, etc. never happened. And now all the bonus deleted scenes are on Youtube, which themselves are pretty ho-hum.
Angels & Airwaves – Love part II & film
I liked AvA’s I-Empire album a LOT. So it was natural to get Love:Part I when they made it available online… and hey… FREE! Similar music, and the anticipation of a film that was to come. An artsy film looking at the existence of God… hmmmm. Once Love:Part II leaked online, I was able to peruse the album lyrics. I guess Tom DeLong has concluded that the God Christians know and follow is a big lie that we’ve made up.
Well, there’s more money I can save. I do still plan to rent the film because it does look interesting.
I liked AvA’s I-Empire album a LOT. So it was natural to get Love:Part I when they made it available online… and hey… FREE! Similar music, and the anticipation of a film that was to come. An artsy film looking at the existence of God… hmmmm. Once Love:Part II leaked online, I was able to peruse the album lyrics. I guess Tom DeLong has concluded that the God Christians know and follow is a big lie that we’ve made up.
Well, there’s more money I can save. I do still plan to rent the film because it does look interesting.
Here’s to a great 2012! And, no – the world will not be ending in Dec. of 2012.
