Well, we’re now in the middle of December. It’s almost the end of the decade. Oh my God. Time moving too fast for me.
I am so not ready to do best/worst lists of the decade. Plus, I am not ready to do best/worst lists of 2009.
At least other people can make a Top 10 for tv list (and Time’s James Poniewozik made his list); I can’t say that I would do it, since I’ve been terribly remiss with a lot of tv lately, as I’ve become an increasing PBS snob with a YouTube attention deficit disorder. (well, I’ll catch up, eventually). I really should get on the “Mad Men” bandwagon; so wasn’t on the “Battlestar Galatica” bandwagon (but that was the 2009 thing of the year with its last season); and was more or less entertained by “Glee” (which is strangely inconsistent with odd storylines – yes, looking at you, fake pregnancy plot). I should have gotten more into watching “Better off Ted” (where their Ted’s blurting “I love you” to a woman on a first date was ridiculously reminiscent of Ted of “How I Met Your Mother” (as noted in the threads of Alan Sepinwall’s tv blog – geez, what’s with the needy Teds of tv?).
I would certainly put “Community” and “Modern Family” as good stuff of 2009. And, “Lost” – what a season.
Television Without Pity has a nice feature on the inconsistent disappointing stuff of 2009 (yes, “Glee”; glad that I’m not the only one sorry about “The Unusuals”; yeah, I’m a little pissed that “Fringe” is on Thursday; and how the “Cupid” remake sorely lacked chemistry; and “Smallville” — see below — how is it that it’s still alive?). I lost hope in “House” and “Heroes” a long time ago, but 2009 kind of hit the nail for me for both shows.
Time’s Techland posting by Peter Ha on “Top 10 Worst Superhero Movies of the Decade.” I did not watch all the movies on that list, but I will agree that watching that Superman movie left a very unhappy feeling in me.
Then again, I’m not a big Superman fan and I’m among the many who are amazed (sickened? stunned?) that “Smallville” is still on tv (I like Tom Welling, really, I just think “Smallville” as a series outlived the purpose of exploring pre-Superman Clark Kent).
Meanwhile, I’m not a comic book reader, so I was kind of amazed that Dick Grayson actually did take on the Batman mantle (so no more Nightwing? really? or, of course, just another passing on of a mantle…) and that Bruce Wayne isn’t dead and will be back in 2010 (of course not; no one in comic books ever really die). Plus, really, are the people of Gotham not realizing that there’s a new guy in the Batsuit? Someone rather acrobatic like, say, an ex-Boy Wonder? To think that the people of Metropolis don’t realize Clark Kent and Superman look alike.
I am kind of terrified that the (apparently really psychotic and murderous) son of Bruce, Damian (?! – as in “The Omen”?!) is the latest Robin. Yeesh. Just my opinions; I could be wrong. It has dramatic appeal, I guess, based on this interview with the mind behind the new Batman and Robin.
Best Sci-Fi films of the decade, according to Techland… well, I might agree on “Wall-E” and “Star Trek” (the J.J. Abrams 2009 movie). I might even agree on “Children of Men” (ok, I haven’t seen it yet, but I read the book and I like Clive Owen…). But, “A.I.”? “Minority Report”? “Solaris”? (well, George Clooney’s in “Solaris,” so maybe I’d watch it, but still…). shrug. To each his/her own, I guess.
Are Christmas cards still worth sending? Well, I still plan on sending them, to the people for whom I have addresses anyway.