the rest of 2007 best of

FILM
Best Movies

1. Zodiac—David Fincher shows restraint and directs one of the best films of his career. Quiet, subtle, and deep.
   
2. Sweeney Todd—Tim Burton’s usual eye for amazing visuals is once again rejoined by plot, and the result is his best film since Beetlejuice.
   
3. The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters—Surprisingly engaging, with frightfully strong characters.
   
4. No Country for Old Men—The Coen Brothers finally ignore mainstream standards and once again put out a brilliant film.
   
5. The Darjeeling Limited—Lilting, playful, and nowhere near as depressing as The Life Aquatic. Visually stunning.
   
6. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford—Perhaps the best looking film of the year, and Brad Pitt kicks ass.
   

Not Opened in the Area Yet, Salivating Over:

• There Will Be Blood

Horrific Disappointment:

• Spider Man 3—Five plot lines inadequately shoved into one film, and it doesn’t work. Also, why in the hell would you give Spider Man a happy ending? His whole character note is that his life sucks.

TV

1. The Shield, season 6—Took the intensity of season 5, ramped it up, and made it downright creepy.
   
2. House—Still fresh…the best mainstream television program today.
   
3. Dr. Who (repeats)—Brilliant sci-fi. Why doesn’t America produce characters this deep? I’m stuck on season 2, but it has been amazing.
   
4. Life on Mars, season 2—There has been no quality drop at all since the marvelous debut. Now, can we sabotage the upcoming American David E. Kelley-produced version?
   
5. Torchwood—Not at the Dr. Who level, but close.
   

COMICS

1. Docktor Sleepless—The “shrieky girl” segment was the best writing I’ve seen in years…in any medium.
   
2. Powers—Consistently brilliant and still working out issue one plotlines.
   
3. Fell—Sadly in hiatus, but it’s always brilliant when it comes. Issue one is available online, for free.
   
4. Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 8—It’s early, but this is still as solid as the show.
   
5. Desolation Jones—This is only low because it’s been stalled for so long on issue 8…but that issue is one of the best things ever.
   

REASONS I HAVE FOR HOPE FOR 2008

• New Drive-By Truckers album!
  
• New Gary Louris album…AND an album with Mark Olsen!
  
• The Shield, final season
  
• Synecdoche, New York...a new movie starring Phillip Seymour Hoffman, written by Charlie Kauffman!
  
• Spike Jonze adapting Where the Wild Things Are!
  
• More Desolation Jones! Finally
  
• It could only be better than 2007