Top 10 of 2k10: Movies

2010 was kind of a weird year for movies, generally it felt like there weren't that many great movies released this year. It seems like all the best movies came out at the end of the year, but even so some of my favorite movies were released this year. Anyway, on to the list:

10. Black Swan
To be honest I haven't seen Black Swan, I'm not sure if I will. I don't really like scary movies, not that this is a scary movie, but from what I've heard I won't be able to stomach certain aspects of this film. But my own issues aside, I've hear this is an amazing film so I've made the 10 spot an acknowledgement spot of sorts. This list might be totally different if I actually got around to seeing: Black Swan, Exit through the Gift Shop, A Prophet, or The Fighter.

9. Jackass3D
So yeah, this movie isn't going to win any awards....probably. But If I go to a movie thats two hours long and I don't do anything other than laugh for those two hours, I say thats a great comedy. Also, this had to be the most interesting use of 3D since Avatar, and how often do you get to mention James Cameron and Johnny Knoxville in the same sentence?

8. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Like the books, the Harry Potter movies have gotten better as the series progresses. As good as this half of the Deathly Hallows is it really just sets up the second half to be EPIC.

7. The Kids Are All Right
I don't know how, but The Kids Are All Right is the only indie film on my list...how'd that happen? This is a great film if only for the way in which it depicts women on the big screen. Not that that's all there is to this film; it's well acted, we written, and beautifully produced. Did I mention it's also pretty funny when it's not being overly sentimental.

6. Toy Story 3
Hey look, its a bunch of toys coming to terms with adulthood. I can relate to that.

5. Shutter Island
I'm still not sure that this actually came out in 2010, but wikipedia says it came out in February 2010. Anyway, how many films can Leonardo DiCaprio put out in a year that leaves you questioning the films ending? Two, apparently.

4. Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World
One of my favorite comics adapted by Edgar Wright (one of my favorite directors) and starring Michael Cera? Yes, please.

3. True Grit
I don't really like westerns, but this film one me over. Everyone in it is amazing at their roles and the Coen's direction is amazing as always.

2. The Social Network

1. Inception

Top 10 of 2k10: Videogames

More like Top 5 of 2010. I'm not sure if it was just a slow year, or maybe I didn't play as many games because of insufficient funds but I can only recall playing a few great games released this year. Mass Effect2 is absent only because I haven't played it yet, but as far as I've heard it's great. I'd also like to mention that it was a pretty good year for downloadable content; Limbo, Scott Pilgrim the Game, and a lot of great game expansions were released. So even though it might not have been the best year for major releases it was a good year in gaming, and it looks like the lapse in 2010 will fuel 2011. The release schedule for 2011 makes my wallet cringe. Anyway, Top 5 Games of 2010:

5. Halo: Reach
I had mixed feeling about Halo, of course I enjoyed it but I don't know that its single player campaign is worthy of the praise it received from many reviewers. But honestly, I still play online multi-player all the time and that's what Halo is best known for. This game is the pinnacle of the series, it takes all the successes of the prior games and fine tunes them to a degree thats unrivaled.

4. Heavy Rain
Heavy Rain is less of a game and more of an interactive movie experience. The game follows the case of the Origami Killer, through four different characters each with their own storyline which is effected by your gameplay decisions. Their are sections that play like a normal game, but much of the player interaction occurs as quick time events in video sequences. The game has amazing graphics and really shows of the PS3's capabilities, but what really sets it apart is the story of the Origami Killer. The game is also releasing a patch that will make the game compatible with the new Playstation Move.

3 Gran Turismo 5
I've been looking forward to GT5 for a long time. Gran Turismo has set the standard for racing games with each iteration, and GT5 doesn't disappoint. The graphics are insane, the level of rendering is the closest to reality of scene from any game. Of course, there is a multitude of cars to drive and all seem to handle realistic, not that I'd know how a Lamborghini Gallardo really handles. The only problem with the game is its confusing menus, their laid out horrible and its a pain to navigate from race to race. Thank god, once you hit the track everything runs like a well oiled machine.

2. Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
Brotherhood is a direct sequel to Assassin's Creed 2, and continues the story of Ezio Auditore. The story is fine but it's the gameplay that hooks you. The missions aren't very diverse, but the assassination mechanics make it ridiculously fun to complete many of the missions. Along with completing the main storyline, you can also rebuild Rome and train your own league of assassins who will aid you with your missions. The multiplayer is pretty fun too, and there are few games that play similar (if any). Brotherhood is just a fun all around well made game.

1. Red Dead Redemption
Red Dead Redemption is the sort of game you think when making an argument for games as art. Red Dead is the story of John Marsten, an outlaw who's been given a chance of redemption after being hired by the Fed's to hunt down his old gang. The story is incredibly well written, and the production quality is top notch. All games should be this good, and its not just fun to watch it's a great game to play. I spent my first couple hours of the game riding around the wilderness hunting deer and taming horses just because it was so fun. I didn't get into the multiplayer very much, but the main campaign provide hours of great gameplay which is still being expanded with DLC.

Top 10 of 2k10: Comics

In 2009 I started reading comics thanks to KICK-ASS and Scott Pilgrim, and 2010 saw my obsessive compulsiveness blow throw a bunch of money as I dove head first in to the world of modern comics. I've toned it down now but I have read a lot of comics this year and here are my favorite series:

10. Justice League International: Generation Lost
JLI is a 26 issue series which has made it a bit over half way through it's run in 2010. Its one of my favorite superhero series that I read, and I was first turned on to it by another blog Everyday Is Like Wednesday. None of the main cast are really major players in the DC universe, and that allows for a little more liberty to be taken with the relationships between them. It gets a little soap opera like at times but its nice to see superheroes with a more human side.

9. DV8
A short series published by Wildstorm, DV8 drew itself out with slow release schedule and numerous cliff-hangers. In the future, a group of teenagers are given super-powers that mirror their strongest personality trait. Then they are dropped on an under developed human-esque world, where the locals treat them as gods. A few team up, others take charge of individual clans of natives, and eventually the clashing ideal of the different groups lead to a world war with the teens as figureheads. Its a short read but quite interesting thanks to all the questions it raises, though it doesn't answer many. The last issue makes it sound like there will be another short series that will continue this story, so I look forward to that in 2011.

8. Power Girl
It's hard to tell people you like Power Girl and not have them look at you like you're a pervert. I mean look at that cover. Whats the first thing you notice? You're probably wondering where two women found a seamstress who could fashion a garment strong enough to contain their...um...bountiful assets. But seriously, PG is my favorite DC character (that's not Batman) mainly because she's an alternate version of another character who has a sense of humor. She is some other earth's version of Supergirl, but something happened and now she's stuck in our world or something. But she makes the most of it and has developed a sense of humor as a coping mechanism to deal with the fact that shes not supposed to exist.The first 12 issues of the series were especially good, and while the series is still okay its mainly my love of the character that keeps me reading. But ignore that and read the first 12 issues.

7. Sweet Tooth
I really like Sweet Tooth, but I'm forcing my self to read it in trade as those are released. I have to admit the wait but trades is horrible, the story is so good I just want to pick up every single issue of the comic and get caught up. The story is set in a post apocalyptic world where a mysterious disease is killing everyone, no one knows much about the plague other than the fact that its onset was marked by numerous children being born with a deformity. The children of the plague each have a  different deformity, but all are part animal part human. The many story follows a half deer boy who we call "Sweet Tooth" as he leaves the safety of his home in the woods after his fathers death. He's accompanied  by a man named Jeppard, whose intentions are never entirely clear. Sure post-apocalyptic setting isn't the most original, but the characters make this book great.

6. Scott Pilgrim's Finest Hour
Like I said, this series is the reason I got in to comics. It'd be higher up, but this wasn't even my favorite of the series. That being said, it does finally tie up all the series plots. It was a great year for Scott Pilgrim; the last book was released, the movie adaptation was released, and a really sweet 8-bit beat 'em up videogame was released to coincide with the game. And the soundtrack...oh the soundtrack. I'd feel stupid putting a soundtrack in my top albums of 2010, but the original music by Beck as Scott's band Sex Bob-Omb is amazing.

5. American Vampire
American Vampire is a new series that garnered some attention because it was partially co-written by Stephen King, though his storyline isn't the best part of the book. King rights the origin story of one of the main characters Skinner Sweet who is criminal that is transformed by some European vampires into the first American Vampire. Apparently, your place of birth effects your blood stream, or at least how the vampire blood reacts with your human blood. So, European vampires are what you would think of as classic vampires, they hate sunlight and can be killed with a wooden stake. American Vampires on the other hand can walk in the day light and have no known weaknesses. The primary storyline follows Pearl, a struggling actress who finally gets her big break in a film when she's paired in a scene with the lead actor, who eventually invites her to a party with some very important foreign film makers. Needless to say, Pearl gets a little more than she bargained for and we get an awesome comic.

4. Batman and Robin
Not everyone is a fan of Grant Morrison's run on Batman and the assorted Batbooks but I am not one of those people. Now that I've read some more of Morrison's current work I can say that I'm not excited by his overarching goals for the Batman canon but I love the way he writes his characters and I'm excited by the prospect of Batman Inc. So that was super nerdy and if you're reading this I'm sorry, but I think its illegal to read comics and not have strong opinions on Batman and whoever is currently writing the series. Anyway, lets talk about this specific Bat-series. Dick Grayson is Batman and Damien Wayne is Robin, and the two work great together. Dick is enthusiastic and makes Batman fun, he enjoys it whereas Bruce always seemed burdened by the cowl. Damien on the other hand is an asshole, and it's hilarious. I mean just look at that cover, you can get a sense of their attitude just from that picture. The art is great through out the entire series, and they have consistently some of the best covers of any series.

3. Orc Stain
I haven't mentioned the art of many other comics on this list but its hard to ignore in Orc Stain. James Stokoe writes and draws Orc Stain and it is amazing! The story isn't the most complicated but its fun and the protagonist One-Eye is pretty great. In a race of non-thinker, he is a thinker; One-eye understands that all things have a failing point and uses that knowledge to crack safes and wreak havoc on enemies. Issue 4 also introduces Bowie the Swamp Bamba who you see to the left, she's like a witch doctor...who kicks ass. It's hard to explain how awesome these characters are...but describing the interior are is even more challenging. The level of detail is miraculous and every issue takes hours to fully appreciate. I highly recommend this series, a trade collection was just released of the first 5 issues and everyone should buy it.

2. Chew
Every week I look forward to reading Chew, unfortunately it doesn't come out every week so I'm disappointed....a lot. Chew is incredibly well written, and the art takes some getting used to but once you reach a certain point you can't imagine it any other way. The story follows Tony Chu and FDA detective who's also a cibopath...or whatever it's called, when he eats things he can instantly sense their history. There was a plague, a variant of Bird Flu, that led to the ban of chicken. The FDA was turned in to a variant of Secret Service that enforces the poultry ban, and Tony is a lead detective. You can buy the first issue for a dollar at any comic shop, and that should be enough to reel you in.

1. KING CITY

KING CITY is about Joe the Cat Master, and his cat Earthling. Thats all I'm going to tell you. It doesn't matter, but this comic is AWESOME! Anyway, its in low distribution so there's hardly a chance you could even buy it if you wanted to. If you see a copy BUY IT! They might be releasing it in trade and you should buy that. I feel like a more in depth write is necessary but I struggle to find more to say than, HOLY SHIT JOE IS SO AWESOME! AND HE'S GOT THIS CAT, EARTHLING WHO HE INJECTS WITH STUFF. AND IT DOES ALL THIS CRAZY SHIT. AND ITS AWESOME. AND OH MY GOD, DID I MENTION IT WAS AWESOME!!!!

Top 10 of 2k10: Books

More like book. I only read one book this year so it's automatically number one:

Mike Birbiglia is one of my favorite comics, when I saw his tweets that his book had been released I picked it up immediately. That this is the only book I read this year might sound bad; but I do read quite a lot, just not books. I have three books I've been reading off and on for the last year or two and I opted out of those for this, which wasn't a big deal cause I read it in two days. Not that it's a short read, I just found many of the stories so easy to relate to that I couldn't put the book down. Mike's stories are honest and personal, their the kind of moments that define a person and he shares those with his soft-spoken comedy style that makes most of them entertaining. Makes it entertaining? Well, in some cases it would be scary, if he didn't make it funny. My favorite chapter was a collection of three stories about Mitch Hedberg who is a shared comedic idol of mine and Mike's. If you have any doubts just go to the bookstore and read the inner sleeve, I know I made ten people read it when they asked what I was laughing at while I read this at work.