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Now prepare to enter my top ten, if you can handle it…

These were the hardest to choose, the last ones in that pushed all the last ones out. Such a crappy choice. But, alas, it has to be done. I’ll let them explain themselves.

Top Ten Movies
10. Amelie – These are hard times for dreamers.
I saw this and was instantly in love. I had liked Jeunet’s City of Lost Children, but this movie feels like he finally got it right. His stunning visual flair matched with an eye for imagination and he finally nocked it to the genre that no one would have predicted, the romantic. Every time I watch this I feel good, just all over good. Audrey Tautou makes me smile every time and the little individual pieces that come together to make the whole completely work for me. Eating the oysters on the chicken first, leaving photographs for someone to follow, falling in love; this movie makes life feel fun. A romantic flick that traipsed outside its own boundaries to become more than its entire genre. This is the only movie in my top ten that makes you think the best of people and know that things will always get better. From here on in there’s pretty much only the worst of society…so at least this movie stands out as a beacon that I do believe in the good of the world. Sometimes.

Top Ten TV Shows
10. Nip/Tuck
For some reason I always thought that this show would not be that good because it was just about plastic surgery, and I don’t really dig on plastic surgery. How wrong I was. I watched the first season on DVD and was just blown away. The two leads, Dylan Walsh and Julian McMahon, just completely dominate what is very well written television. They touch on issues, but at the heart we are always looking at good character work.

Top Ten Books
10. Gates of Eden – Ethan Coen
I remember seeing this book in the store and flipping out. I didn’t realise Ethan Coen had written a book, so I immediately took it to the counter and bought it, irrespective of price. I read it very quickly and really liked the fact that he was able to create short stories all of such very very different natures. He showed a versatility that I could only ever pray for in my writing. He showed me that no one need be stereotyped. I really dug how off the wall each story was.

Top Ten Comic Books
10. Marvel Zombies
I bought this series on a whim off eBay. I like comics and I like zombies, it seemed like a perfect fit. I didn’t realise how perfect till I read it. The sense of humour is what really drags me in. All of these Marvel heroes, as zombies, just casually chatting about their new undead predicament. Then the ideas just knocked me over. It was a fanboy’s dream project written by the ultimate fanboy, Robert Kirkman. I also feel that the crossover with Ash was awesome and the sequel completely lived up to it all. It’s nice to see a different idea like this get such huge recognition.

Top Ten Songs
10. Chantilly Lace – The Big Bopper – Aw, you sweet thing
This is one of the first songs I can ever remember hearing, and it also brings up one of the earliest memories I have of my father. He loved this song and used to sing it in a gigantic voice that can only ever issue forth from the adults in our childhood memories. That laugh still gets me today; so does the song.

There you have it, it can only get better…can’t it…?

Posted on March 10th, 2008 by ryan
Filed under: books, comics, life, movies, music