Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Favorite TV Shows 2013

I watch way too much TV, but here's what I liked the best:

1) Breaking Bad - I usually gauge how much I like something, but how quickly it seems to go by. I was always crushed that Breaking Bad was already over, because it felt like it just began. I'm glad I could convert so many people to this show, because it was just that phenomenal.

2) Happy Endings - I can't believe it got cancelled. Why do people not watch the shows that are the funniest? I'll never understand. I recently watched a marathon on VH1, and after 5 minutes it reminded me of why it was funnier than any other show on TV. R.I.P.

3) Orphan Black - My newest addiction. With the opening scene of a woman watching someone that looked exactly like her jump in front of a train, I was hooked. I went into each episode wondering if it really was that good and by the end I knew it was. Tatiana Maslany is unbelievable.

4) Broadchurch - I've seen alot of mysteries about the investigation of one dead body, but never something so emotional. The last episode was crushing.

5) Game of Thrones - I like watching a show where any character can die at any moment. Plus it has dragons.

6) Parks and Rec - Not as great of a year as in the past, but still better than most TV shows on these days.

7) Enlightened - Criminally under-appreciated. I didn't like Laura Dern's character, but Laura Dern made me understand her and sympathize with her. No small feat.

8) Bob's Burgers - It just delights me every week.

9) The Killing - While I did not like the conclusion to the season (it just came out of nowhere), the buildup was fantastic and well worth watching.

10) The Mindy Project - It's growing on me more and more every week.

Favorite Movies 2013

It's been 2 years since I've blogged on here? I've gotta get back on the ball.
Here are my favorites movies of last year (keep in mind, I haven't seen everything)

1) The Hunt - I went into this movie knowing nothing about it. I left completely devastated. I love it when that happens.

2) Iron Man 3 - Yes my #1 movie is a foreign film and this is a blockbuster, but it was really the most fun I had at the movies all year.

3) Gravity - If I didn't know better, I would have thought this movie was filmed in space, it looked that amazing. And its the only movie I told people has to be seen in 3D

4) Short Term 12 - I used to work in social services and group homes, so this movie about one particular group home and its staff really hit home for me. A really nice indie flick more people should see.

5) The Way Way Back - If I hadn't seen Liam James on The Killing, I would have believed he was really that awkward, but since I knew he wasn't, I was really impressed. And Sam Rockwell was phenomenal. And I love everything Steve Carrell does.

6) Anchorman 2 - I waited a long time for this, and a lot of people were disappointed, but I laughed a lot, and hard. I guess singing an Irish ballad to a shark is much funnier than I ever would have thought.

7) World War Z - Non-stop action and very intense. Really surprised me how much I liked it.

8) Pacific Rim - What can I say, I'm a sucker for great special effects.

9) A Hijacking - While Captain Phillips got all the notoriety, this little Danish film impressed me more. I offered the perspective of the crew and the hijackers, but also of the corporation in Denmark who were negotiating with the pirates.

10) The Conjuring - Why would anyone ever play that clapping hide-and-seek game? They're just looking for trouble.