Skip to main content

Screens 2011

I thought I'd tackle TV and movies in the same post this year. As usual, I watched a ton of TV and didn't see very many movies (only 24 combined in the theater and on DVD). The latter is something I'd like to change in 2012 but we'll see. As for the former, I'm not going to stop watching TV. I love the medium so much (and still have a bunch saved between the 2 DVRs). Anyway, here are my favorites things I watched on a screen this year...

Breaking Bad - Very few shows have ever had a perfect season but Breaking Bad did just that this year in its 4th season. The story, acting, and direction came together for 13 episodes of exquisite tension. Just amazing television. I also spent the year getting caught up on previous season, having abandoned it during the 2nd season. Yes, I know what a mistake it was. I've made amends and was given the gift of this show. Only 16 more episodes left and what a ride they will be.

Parks & Recreation - This is my favorite sitcom on television right now and is becoming one of the best ever. The world of Pawnee has expanded in the last year and I've enjoyed every single character. Ron Swanson is the best character on TV right now. Tom Haverford is one of the most entertaining. April and Andy. Treat yo' self. And so on. Hilarious.

Louie - Speaking of perfect seasons, this show might have had one in only its 2nd season. Louis C.K. is building something amazing and he has complete control over it. "Duckling" would be enough for any season but we also had Louie awkwardly confessing his love, a tense encounter with Dane Cook, a lesson from Joan Rivers, and a road trip to see a racist relative where Louie loudly sang along to "Who Are You" on the car radio to his unappreciative daughters. Great stuff.

Justified - I missed this show during the 1st season but caught up via Netflix before the 2nd season started. Wow, is this show good. Timothy Olyphant and Walton Goggins are amazing as Raylan Givens and Boyd Crowder. Margo Martindale justly earned an Emmy for her work as the complicated Mags Bennett this season. It's a character-driven thriller based on Elmore Leonard's work and I can't wait for it to come back in a few weeks.

Bridesmaids - The funniest comedy of the summer, hands down.

Crazy Stupid Love - This one gave Bridesmaids a run for its money, though.

Super 8 - Spielbergian goodness from J.J. Abrams

The Muppets - A great addition to a franchise I love from my childhood.

TV Honorable Mentions
Children's Hospital
Community
Game of Thrones
Homeland - though I've only watched the first 2 episodes so far

Movie Honorable Mentions
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Horrible Bosses
Marvel movies (Captain America, Thor, and X-Men: First Class)
Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol
The Town - which I saw on DVD

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Sunday Shuffle #413

Summer is here and I'm happy that it is. Jill finished school this week, but Grant and I have to go through Friday. I have the week off from my TTT course, so I'm going to catch up on some reading and TV. There was baseball I could watch yesterday and I can watch some again today, so you can bet I'll be doing that. Few things bring me joy more than baseball and a book in my lap for between innings. Here's today's ten... 1. I 4 U & U 4 Me (Home Demo)/The Decemberists (15) - last played on 8/19/15 2. Part One/Band of Horses (6) - last played on 5/7/16 3. Shame Chamber/Kurt Vile (5) - last played on 7/23/15 4. In the Eyes of My Friends/Sugar (2) - last played on 10/5/14 5. I Could Have Done This Myself/Lightspeed Champion (4) - last played on 9/1/14 6. Nonstop Disco Powerpack/The Beastie Boys (10) - 5/15/16 7. Mountain/Lucero (7) - last played on 4/29/12 8. Evergreen/Matthew Sweet (1) - played countless times on CD 9. The Sleeping Beauty/American Music ...

Sunday Shuffle #479

I don't know if it's the weather, nostalgia, or something else, but I woke up feeling like I wanted to do a Sunday Shuffle today. I barely open up iTunes anymore and haven't downloaded new music into it in a long time...which also means I haven't listened to a lot of the music I have stored there in a while. So, this is simultaneously old and new in a way and that feels interesting to me this morning. Let's get to today's ten... 1. Pulling On A Line/Great Lake Swimmers (6) - last played on 11/8/15 2. Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Of/U2 (7) - last played on 5/19/13 3. Us/Spoon (4) - last played on 11/24/17 4. Meat Is Murder/Shout Out Louds (6) - last played on 12/11/16 5. Different Days/Jason Isbell (11) - last played on 6/1/17 6. Another Way I Could Do It/Sloan (34) - last played on 6/22/18 7. Wizard Buys A Hat/The Mountain Goats (8) - last played on 2/12/17 8. Decks Dark/Radiohead (8) - last played on 7/10/18 9. Luisa/Jay Gonzalez (13) - last ...

Heavy Rotation #37

This past Friday was a big release day, with 4 new albums that I will probably be listening to over and over again. That means it's probably time to write about what I've been into over the last month-and-a-half or so. Sound good? Phoebe Bridgers/Stranger in the Alps - Before last fall, I hadn't listened to any of Bridgers' music. Sure, I knew of her, but that was it. It wasn't until Boygenius (the group she's in with Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus) that I really heard anything she'd done. Their EP is great, so I thought it was time to expand my horizons and give this one a listen. Better late than never is a cliche for a reason, right? Anyway, the album starts off very strong with "Smoke Signals" and "Motion Sickness." The former is contemplative and moody and lovely with killer lyrics while the latter is more prickly and up-tempo with (again) killer lyrics. It's a strong start to the album. If I had to pick one track to get someon...