Favourite ... of the year 2010

[leXX]

It's that time of the year again, doesn't time fly! So, what are your fav's of the year? Let's be avvin' ya.

 

Movie

 

Avatar

 

 

I don't care what anyone says, I absolutely love this film!

 

Game

 

Mass Effect 2

 

 

Red Dead Redemption comes a very very close second.

 

Album

 

Tinie Tempah - Disc-Overy

 

 

Awesome debut album with so many great tracks - Pass Out, Illusion, Written In The Stars, Miami 2 Ibiza and Wonderman. Love it.

[Rogue Nine]

Ah leXX, Avatar came out in December of 2009, so I think it's ineligible.

 

Movie

 

Inception - Probably the best movie I've seen this year. I'm not head over heels for it like some people are, but it's an excellent piece of cinema.

 

Game

 

Red Dead Redemption - Definitely the best game I've played this year. Wonderful gameplay, an engaging and interesting storyline and a very memorable cast of characters makes this probably my favorite Rockstar game ever.

 

Album

 

Asylum by Disturbed - I haven't really listened to much new music this year, but this is one album that I can single out as the one I liked the best. Favorite tracks include "Asylum", "The Infection", and "Serpentine".

[leXX]

Ah leXX, Avatar came out in December of 2009, so I think it's ineligible.

 

Well I didn't see it until 2010, so bah I'm gonna cheat.

[Alexrd]

For movies and music, I'll have to wait until the end of the year, but about games, this is my favourite of the year:

 

Limbo

 

 

You guys have to try this game.

[leXX]

Yeah, Limbo is a fantastic game, I loved it.

 

I forgot TV Series.

 

Sherlock

 

 

Quite possibly the best four and a half hours of TV you will ever watch. Complete and utter genius.

[jon_hill987]

I forgot TV Series.

 

Sherlock

 

Quite possibly the best four and a half hours of TV you will ever watch. Complete and utter genius.

 

Indeed, considering they set it in the present day they managed to keep it remarkably accurate to the books as well. I can't wait for series 2.

[Alexrd]

TV Series:

 

Mad Men

 

 

Another great season, as usual.

[TiE23]

Movie:

 

When it ended, I was so bummed. The movie could have been 5 hours long and I would have enjoyed all of it.

 

Games:

#1

304 hours, rank 50, 2.08 K/D... yeah, this was my favorite game.

 

#2

Just ****ing good.

 

#3

Just ****ing good.

 

Music:

LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening

Favorite song -

"I just got an instant boner at 3:08 ... And I am a girl..." ~Youtube commenter

Song is best when turned up for the quiet part, and NOT turned down when it gets to the "instant boner" segment.

 

 

Valient Thorr - Stranger

Favorite song -

 

 

RX Bandits - Mandala (came out in 2009, but whatever)

Favorite song - Hearts That Hanker For Mistake

[acdcfanbill]

Yeah, Limbo is a fantastic game, I loved it.

 

I forgot TV Series.

 

Sherlock

 

Quite possibly the best four and a half hours of TV you will ever watch. Complete and utter genius.

 

Yea, I'll have to agree with you about Sherlock being quite good. Though the best TV Show this year is easily Bored to Death season 2

[jon_hill987]

OK, My list;

 

Best Film:

Hot Tub Time Machine.

Best Game:

Minecraft.

Best Book:

Why does E=MC^2?

Best TV:

The Mentalist.

[Darth Avlectus]

Best fav Game: Dragon Warrior Monsters 2

 

Best VG theme:

(This BBCode requires its accompanying plugin to work properly.)

 

Best Band discovery: Kalmah

 

Best moment: pretty much when discovered I got to go to San Diego back in Feb this year, though it kinda drifted into mediocrity.

 

Otherwise it's been a pretty plain year.

[Seph]

Film: I'd have to go with Jackass 3D

 

Game: Going to have to go with Dragon Age: Origins

 

Album: For Lack of a Better Name - Deadmau5

 

Show: Eastbound and Down

[Jamps]

Movie: The Expendables

Game: Madden 11

Album: Hits Alive - Brad Paisley

[edlib]

Movie: Toy Story 3

 

Game: Gran Turismo 5

 

Album: Ummm... I don't think I have anything released this year, actually. Oops... The Rush track "Caravan" that was leaked from the upcoming album "Clockwork Angels" is quite good, though...

 

TV: Top Gear (As always!)

[swphreak]

TV Show(s)

 

Modern Family

 

 

The Good Guys

 

 

Runner Ups: Big Bang Theory, Community, Bones, Psych, Burn Notice

 

 

Book(s)

 

The Name of the Wind - Wasn't released this year, but I didn't read it til this year/

 

 

The Ranger's Apprentice series - Really liking this series.

 

 

Movie(s)

 

The Other Guys

 

 

Scott Pilgrim

 

 

Get Him to the Greek

 

 

Runner Ups: Cop Out, Kick Ass, Death at a Funeral, The Social Network, Red, Due Date, Megamind

 

 

 

Game

 

Mass Effect 2

 

 

Runner Ups: Splinter Cell Conviction, Red Dead Redemption, Fable 3, Civilization V

[Jeff]

Movie

 

 

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World

 

Btw anyone that doesn't like Scott Pilgrim doesn't like anything.

 

 

Game

 

 

Halo: Reach

 

2. StarCraft 2

3. Alan Wake

 

I still haven't beat/played a few potential winners for my GOTY (Fallout: New Vegas is in progress, and there's WoW: Cataclysm) but they probably wouldn't change my #1 or 2.

 

 

Music

 

Eric Clapton - Clapton

 

(This BBCode requires its accompanying plugin to work properly.)

 

Santana - Guitar Heaven: The Greatest Guitar Classics of All Time

 

(This BBCode requires its accompanying plugin to work properly.)

 

^ It's criminal that Chris Cornell didn't get a Grammy nomination for vocals in that song.

 

Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

 

http://www.thewildernessdowntown.com/

 

This might be the first year that I've bought an album that actually came out that year, aside from maybe Weird Al.

[leXX]

Bah, I can't just name one of each, I have to expand...

 

 

Movies

 

1. Avatar

2. How to Train Your Dragon

3. Kick Ass

4. Toy Story 3

5. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World

 

Games

 

1. Mass Effect 2

2. Red Dead Redemption

3. Assassin's Creed Brotherhood

4. Blur

5. Limbo

 

Albums

 

1. Tinie Tempah - Disc-Overy

2. Two Door Cinema Club - Tourist History

3. Cee Lo Green - The Lady Killer

4. Janelle Monae - The ArchAndroid

5. Black Eyed Peas - The Beginning

6. The Script - Science & Faith

7. B.O.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray

8. Hybrid - Disappear Here

9. Gorillaz - Plastic Beach

10. Delphic - Acolyte

 

TV Series

 

1. Sherlock

2. Wonders of the Solar System

3. Miranda

4. The Walking Dead

5. Eastenders

[PR-0927]

Movies:

 

1. Inception
   

 

 

Games:

 

1. Mass Effect 2
   
2. Battlefield: Bad Company 2
   
3. Halo: Reach
   

 

 

Music:

 

1. Soundtracks for all of the above.
   

 

 

- PR-0927

[Darth Groovy]

I have to pose my results with a disclaimer. When most of the really fun stuff was happening in 2010, I had lost most of my staff at work, and had to work extraordinary long hours, and I feel I missed out on most of the fun. I am still playing catch up. Also, in regards to games, there was SO much flavor out of last year that spilled over into this year, that I found myself still playing last year's games and having a pretty good time doing so. I will however make due with what I know.

 

Movie: Tie between Inception and The Expendables

 

VS

 

I want to say Inception. I really do. Why? Christopher Nolan knows how to make amazing movies...he really does. He made the best comic book movie of all time....The Dark Knight. Also...Leonardo Dicaprio has become one of my most hated actors, to one of my most beloved. He is really good at what he does, and knows how to sell a character. He has broken away from that pretty boy Titanic stereo type, and I have enjoyed just about everything he has done since he redeemed himself as playboy tycoon Howard Hughes in The Aviator. Inception is good, but my biggest problem with it, is that it is not by any stretch of the means a summer popcorn flick. The movie ultimately tells you a good story, but you spend the first 30-40 minutes of the movie not really knowing what the hell is going on, and flash backs be damned. Even though I got it, I feel this is too much of a mind rape for the average consumer in this day and age.

 

The Expendables, is not going to win anyone any awards. The plot is not deep. There is no Cannes festival art house feeling at all about a bunch of muscle head biker dudes who moonlight as mercenaries. But you know what this movie does well? Entertain! In a summer full of bad sequels and re-makes I finally left this one with a smile, because it was a film that did what it promised to do. Also, I forget sometimes that Sly, despite all his flaws, is actually a pretty decent writer and director. So what did he do? Simple. Lets get the biggest list of muscle head action heroes from the past two decades and put them on the big screen as biker mercenaries. Seriously, this is the biggest cast of muscle heads in one movie since the original Predator! So what this movie delivers is a fun action movie full of one liners, gratuitous violence, some very upbeat comic relief from that of Jet Li, and a surprisingly good chemistry of "buddy/cop" from Jason Statham and Sly. The likes I have not seen since the original Lethal Weapon. Also, the price of the movie ticket alone resulted in a meeting in a church between Bruce Willis, Sly, and Arnold. Best line ever in a movie.... is

Arnold and Sly take pop shots at each other, and when Arnold finally walks out...Willis asks Sly "what is his problem?", Sly replies with "oh he's trying to be President."

Anybody who has been following Sly and Arnold's movies over the years will get THIS joke!

 

Game:

 

I would have to give this to the obvious VGA Game of the year:

 

 

I am actually glad this game got Game of the Year, because it was one of the few that I MADE time to sit down and play. Usually open world games like this bore me very easily because it is always the same fair. Jack cars, kill people, take the hooker to the clinic...yada yada yada. I realized I was done with Grand Theft Auto IV when I spent a good half hour or so watching TV in my apartment. I felt like a tool. I actually spent money on a game to do what I do in my miserable real life? Red Dead is a departure from that boredom. Red Dead takes anything and everything you ever loved about westerns, movies, or anything about being a cowboy, and injected it into this open world venture. I am surprised this game did as well as it did, considering there has been quite some time since there has been a good western game or movie in the works! What makes this game work, is that none of the trivial tasks you perform in the game seem tedious at all. Skinning animals, hunting, finding bounties, etc. All a really good time. Difficult to put this game down at all! Rock Star made a good homage to the old west with this one!

 

My one runner up....had to say it....

 

 

2010 saw the end of Lucascast, the only official podcast of Lucasforms.com. It was a fun trip, but due to the lack of support from fans and members, it became increasingly difficult to maintain, and we nailed the lid on that coffin with bittersweet feelings. It was kind of the same feeling when they ended the Firefly series. It was a beautiful thing, but the world was just not ready.

 

Anyways, during earlier podcasts, we had talked at great lengths about Zombies in video games. One title that caught my attention was Plants VS Zombies. For one, the sheer lunacy of the title itself. Another, I had never played a "tower defense" game in my life. leXX had got me addicted to previous Pop Cap games such as Bejeweled and Peggle. Sometimes I would play them during the podcast as we were recording. Pop Cap knows how to make low budget games that are more addictive than crack cocaine. So I had to give Plants VS Zombies a try. After all...the disc retails for $20 and includes Peggle and Zumba as well!

 

Even though this game debuted on PC and i-phone in 2009, this was the first year it was available on 360. I got hooked immediately. The premise is simple. Zombies are trying to attack your home through the front yard. Your defense is to plant sunflowers to catch sunlight. You catch the sunlight to plant even more plants, such as plants that shoot snow peas...at the zombies! Some plants eat the zombies...etc. Catch enough sun, and plant the plants in strategic places to keep the zombies from getting into your house and eating your brains. Couple of things, this game is way longer than you think! Some levels are at night! And eventually, the Zombies will get smarter, and try to attack you from the back yard as well! Just try it! This is the ONLY Zombie game that will be rated E for everyone. The violence is only implied. There is no guts and gore in this game. Just crazy Zombies that sometimes show up with pole vaults and traffic cones on they're heads! Now that I finally got an i-phone, I got that version as well. The game is good on both systems, but the touch screen does give you and advantage!

 

TV Show

 

Lots of good new shows hit this year. Only want to mention two of them!

 

 

Blue Bloods is a new cop drama that follows The Reagans, a family of cops and lawyers who have been in the "family business" for many years. Tom Selleck really shines as The Commissioner of New York who has to put his duties as a father and his duties as Commissioner in the same line on a daily basis. Former New Kid on the Block Donnie Wahlberg steels the show every time as a former marine, served time in Fallujah, but refuses to talk to shrinks. Danny is an old school cop, who is not afraid to cross the lines between justice and human rights when lives are at risk. The likes of witch often get him in trouble. The show deals with similar no win situations you would see in a typical CSI or Law & Order, but it deals with one family's perspective. Most of the episodes deal with a traditional "Sunday Night Dinner" where most of the issues are either discussed as a family, or dismissed by Tom Selleck who is head of the table!

 

 

I used to watch the old Hawaii Five-O as a kid, so I made a point to catch the new series just out of curiosity. Other than the original theme, and character names, it is a completely different show than the original, and one of the best reboots in the history of television!

 

The premise:

 

Navy Seal LT. Steve McGarrett comes home to Hawaii to bury his father and investigate his murder. The Governor Pat Jameson offers Steve a Job as head of an elite task force that can investigate high profile crimes with no strings attached and no red tape. McGarrett finally accepts and begins to assemble his rag tag team of cops as he sees fit. This show's charm is the cinematography which is similar to CSI Miami, and it's whit! There is a definite love/hate relationship between the two main cast characters McGarrett, and Detective Danny Williams formerly from New York, who HATES Hawaii and is there only to be close to his daughter from a previous divorce. In most shows Danny "Danno" Williams steels the show with some rant or quip thrown in McGarrett's face. The best scenes are when they are in a car together on a mission and just start arguing about something. It is very similar to the arguments between Jules and Vincent from Pulp Fiction. Hawaii Five-O is very fresh and entertaining. One of the best first season premier of shows I have seen since the first CSI.

 

Best Album:

 

Again, I listened to a lot of last year's stuff. However I stumbled upon one gem I want to mention.

 

 

You know... at my age....I got really sick of Rap Music. I think I fell out around the time that Biggie Smalls, and Tupac were attacking each other. And then They both died. And what seemed to me as a wrestling show, was no longer funny. When I was in high school. We had a lot of fun watching NWA and Ice Cube take turns crapping on each other. By the time I graduated, and joined the Navy, they were back doing songs together. It was a warm feeling.

 

In early 2000 When "The Marshall Mathers" album came out. I was entertained. I was shocked and amazed that Dr. Dre had found a white guy that could rap, and made a star out of him. I was even more impressed with the way Eminem crafted his rap styles. I got bored with rap because it was always about who had the fanciest cars, the most money, biggest houses...etc. Here was Eminem. A White guy who talked like a black guy, and made fun of famous people. He didn't take himself seriously, but man he could twist words around like it was nobody's business. We had not had a successful white rapper since House of Pain, or the Beastie Boys. Eminem was not gangster either. He was just who he was. White Trash who got lucky. We all loved him. We hated him. And we laughed when he was at his worst.

 

His **** is legendary because as a white rapper he could put thousands of sylables into a rap song and make it sound cool. He was ripping on Insane Clown Posse, and even Moby. It was just damn funny.

 

Problem is, Marshall Mathers is kind of an *******, and admits it. However, he made a successful movie detailing the some of the exploits of his life as an up and coming Detroit rapper. The result of which is 8 Mile. Which in my opinion is the movie "Rocky" if you replace boxing with Rap music.

 

So Eminem first had the "Slim Shady EP" which only hardcore fans bought. Most people bought "The Marshall Mathers" album which made him a star. Then they bought the huge follow up album "The Eminem Show" which had even more huge hits. Then there was the "Encore" ep followed by a hiatus between 2005 and 2008. Eminem periodically joked about being addicted to pills. Apparently he sobered up. Being an ******* or not, it is refreshing to here a rapper either white or black admit to being addicted, and admit to making mistakes. It gives me faith, that rap is not just some fly by night outfit.

 

On "Recovery" he raps about being sober, he actually apologizes to his fans for his last two albums. His tongue twister ways don't stray from formula and his jam with pop girl turned rock star Pink is to die for. The rest of the album is just pure fun!

 

Recovery shows Eminem growing up, taking responsibility and not being afraid to admit it. I don't remember the last time I heard this in a rap album. But I will say this. It makes me willing to give Slim Shady another shine at the spot light!

[Sabretooth]

Movie

 

As much as I loved The Social Network and Inception, Black Swan was unnerving, gritty, deeply human (and yet inhuman) and the ending was terrific. Also, it had Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake. (Okay okay I liked it best because it said "Directed by Darren Aronofsky")

 

The Rest:

2. The Social Network

3. Inception

4. Tere Bin Laden

5. Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame

6. Udaan

7. Solanin

8. Shutter Island

9. Peepli Live

10. Kick-Ass

 

Album

 

The Knife In Collaboration with Mt. Sims and Planningtorock - Tomorrow, in a Year

(I owe my ears to the eminent and respected Samuel Dravis)

 

While the rest of the tracks are good, Colouring of Pigeons is the stand-out track. I can't stop playing it once it stops, and it's probably the only track I have over 10 minutes that makes me want to do that. It always seems to get over before you know it. And Karin Dreijer Andersson's voice is <3.

 

The Rest:

2. HALCALI - Tokyo Groove

3. ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION - Magic Disk

4. Sotaisei Reiron - synchroniciteen

5. Girls Dead Monster - Keep the Beats!

 

Game

 

Very disturbing to just think about, Amnesia is survival horror at its... survivaliest? Very well-polished for an indie game, genuinely terrifying and decidedly niche - qualities that make it the most memorable game for me this year.

 

The Rest:

2. Mass Effect 2

3. Alpha Protocol

4. Fallout: New Vegas

5. Call of Duty: Black Ops

 

Anime

 

The Tatami Galaxy

 

An abstract art style and a deeply personal setting make it easily relatable, the intelligence (and postmodern structuring) make it my favourite anime this year, with the snappy and original humour and all-round coolness. Bonus points because of the Borgesian, Kafka-referencing finale arc.

 

The Rest:

2. Angel Beats!

3. Durarara!!

4. Arakawa Under the Bridge

5. -

[Boba Rhett]

While not necessarily released in 2010, these are things I discovered in 2010.

 

Movie: I didn't see much new this year. Based on what I saw though I enjoyed The Book of Eli quite a bit despite the last 15 minutes. I would very much like to see Inception and based on what I'm seeing in this thread, I would be sorely remiss if I do not soon do so.

 

 

Game: Borderlands. So much fun in Co-op I can barely stand it.

 

Runners Up: are Mass Effect 2 and Star Craft 2.

 

WORST GAME OF 2010: ALAN WAKE. Holy crap, I just, I, I don't even know how to put into words how much I loathe this game.

 

Show: The Community. Simply amazing writing. Haven't laughed this hard in a long time at a television show.

 

 

Runner Up: The Walking Dead. It's a show about zombies and it's sweet.

 

Music: There was good music released this year?

[GeneralPloKoon]

Well come to think of it I don't think I have played any games from 2010, and I don't really listen to music so I can't comment on those. I'm gotten to be mega cheap when it comes to games, I don't like spending over $10 on one game. That doesn't mean I don't get newer games though, it just takes me longer, $40-$60 bucks for a new game is ridiculous in my eyes. There is so many old games I've always wanted to play and missed the first time around so nowadays I'm trying to catch up on the past. Most new games don't interest me anyways(although I do hunger for the likes of RDR, Dead Space, and Mass Effect 2).

 

Favorite Movie: Toy Story 3 - I got emotional as my childhood slapped me in the face. Being a Pixar nerd its no surprise how much I loved this movie.

 

Runner-ups: Alice in Wonderland and Iron Man 2

 

Favorite TV Show: Doctor Who Series Five - A new logo and new Doctor! Plus the genius of Stephen Moffat has Doctor Who dominating for a long time to come in my eyes. I can't see Doctor Who never being my favorite TV show. There is just so much I love about it. RTD's era was great, Moffat's just might be the best.

 

Runner-ups: Warehouse 13 Season Two and Legend of the Seeker Season Two (from episode 7 onwards)

 

I did play alot of games this year, the majority of which were pre-2010 titles. Except for maybe Lego Harry Potter I can't remember if I played anything from 2010 or not. I might of actually and just forgot.

[TiE23]

Uhhh... Found some music that was pretty good that came out in 2010 that I just found out these first few days of the year.

 

Tame Impala - Innerspeaker

Sample: The Bold Arrow of Time (Funky and surprisingly good **** from Australia)

 

Maps & Atlases - Perch Patchwork

Sample: Living Decorations (Catchy)

 

Wolf People - Steeple

Sample:

(Sounds like the 60's)