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The
Big YEAR END Spectacular!
Iv'e
decided to do something a little special considering it's the beginning
of a new year and all that. This is day two of two... List madness!
Where i'll present my own thoughts on the best of 2003, my top ten
picks for Music, Movies, DVD releases, and video games... Tomorrow
should hopefully see my traditional update for the week, if i can
pull it all off. Enjoy!
PS:
It's a LONG one... get yer fingers on that scroll button...
10. Kill Bill - The much
awaited 4th film by Quentin Tarantino. While it definitely lacks
in complexity in comparison to say Pulp Fiction or Jackie Brown,
it makes up for any narrative shortcomings with more flash and style
than anything QT has done before. The ultimate homage to the cheesy
kung fu and revenge flicks of the 1970's, only infused with modern
style and Tarantino's razor sharp wit.
9. Identity - John Cusak leads a great
cast in this stunningly well made thriller. Very much a Hitchcock-styled
noir piece, 10 strangers meet at a run down motel in a rainstorm,
and start dying one by one... An old tale told with a new twist.
What's the secret that brought ten strangers together? Watch and
find out!
8. Matchstick Men - Director Ridley Scott changes gears
with this intimate caper film about a neurotic conman (played with
gusto by Nic Cage) and the daughter he never knew he had (Alison
Lohman), who pops into his life at the most inopportune moment.
A beautifully done character piece, superbly acted (Sam Rockwell
gives another great performance) and wonderfully shot.
7. X2: X-Men United - Bryan Singer again shows us the
right way to do a Comic Book film. The X-Men return, this time going
up against a Military man named Stryker (Brian Cox), who plots to
start a war between human and Mutant. New X-man Nightcrawler makes
his first appearance, Wolverine goes crazy, and by the end of the
film, the X-men will be forever changed. Excellent piece of work!
6. The Italian Job - Mark Whalberg leads an excellent
cast in this remake of the Michael Caine classic caper. When his
team of thieves is betrayed by one of their own after a big score
in Venice, Charlie (Mark W.) and co. plan to get a little revenge
by stealing the score back from Steve (Edward Norton). Great direction
with minimal use of CG, a wonderful cast, and a great dialogue makes
this one of the best caper films to come out in recent years, besting
the Clooney-led remake of Ocean's Eleven!
5. SWAT
- Irish Bad boy Colin Farrell stars with Samuel L. Jackson as a
disgrased SWAT officer given another shot when the L.A. Police department
sets up a new SWAT unit. Casting shines in this one, and it never
falls into that over the top Michael Bay action territory. A real
throwback to the 80's style Cop action flicks like Lethal Weapon,
SWAT is extremely well written, with some great character development,
and when the bullets do fly, the action scenes are top notch. In
a cinematic cesspool of implausible cop flicks like Bad Boys, SWAT
shines.
4. The Last Samurai - Tom Cruise stars
as Nathan Algren, a Civil War veteran, haunted by the things he's
seen and done. He is hired by the Empire of Japan to train their
military in the use of modern weapons and tactics, and is tasked
with the elimination of the Samurai. Defeated and taken prisoner,
he begins to respect the life of the Samurai, and soon adapts himself
to their lifestyle. Cruise continues his string of brilliant performances,
and while a little bit on the "epic-by-numbers" side,
the film wows with a brilliant cast and beautiful visuals. A beautiful
piece of work!
3. Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl -
If there's one thing you can count on with a Pirate flick, it's
having a good time at the movies. Johnnie Depp stars as Captain
Jack Sparrow, eccentric pirate and former captain of the legendary
ship, the Black Pearl. The ships current crew led by the traitorous
Barbossa (played by Geoffrey Rush) are all cursed by an ancient
treasure, they become skeletons when exposed to moonlight, and cannot
be killed. Swahsbuckling adventure ensues, great direction, beautiful
effects, and a wonderful cast (Depp deserves a best actor nod for
this one!). I can't possibly see how anyone could have any more
fun at the movies...
2. 28 Days Later - British filmmaker Danny Boyle takes
the traditional Zombie film and turns it on its ear. Jim wakes up
in a hospital bed, after being in a coma for 30 days, to find the
building, and the surrounding streets completely abandoned. Eventually
he comes accross a bloodthirsty creature, which attacks swiftly
and savagely. A virus has been let loose in London, infection takes
only a second, and humanity seems on the brink of extinction. Jim
and a few other survivors, a woman, an older man and his daughter,
pack up a car and head for a military base, where it's rumored a
cure can be found. Filmed for about 9 million using digital camcorders,
this one suprizingly looks amazing, Boyle has some grat deserted
street shots and some beautiful landscapes in here, the cast all
perform admirably, and the whole film is underscored with a level
of tension and foreboding that few films ever manage to muster.
This is one of the most unique and finely crafted thrillers to come
along in ages, as far removed from your typical zombie film as it
gets.
1. Lord of the Rings: Return of the King - The epic trilogy
is at last complete. Peter Jackson's mammoth undertaking has been
the recipient of unadultered praise pretty much since its inception
in 2001, and deservedly so. This epic trilogy is easily one of the
most finely crafted cinematic works ever, not in the last 10 or
20 years, but ever... Perfectly cast, beautifully filmed, wonderful
effects, and about as good an adaptation of a book deemed unfilmable
as anyone can ask for. Return of the King avoids making too many
changes to the source material, and suitably ties up the series
in style... truely magnificent, and without a doubt the best film
of 2003!
10.
The Lion King -
Disney usually does quite well with their collector's editions,
and the Lion King is no exception. While i'm not the biggest fan
of the film, i have to give kudos to the treatment it's been given
on DVD (i would expect no less from the 2nd highest grossing animated
feature of all time). The extras are a little on the kiddie side,
but the film's picture quality is amazing! Special mention must
be given to the 5.1 track specially mastered for Home Theatres (they
call it Disney Home Theatre surround), this thing is a monster to
listen to... very nice work from the mouse house here... i hope
they do this some more...
9.
SWAT
- A great action film gets a damn solid video transfer with little
in the way of authoring problems that i could detect and an excellent
5.1 track! (one of the best i've heard). Extra materials includes
a great look at the weaponry used in the film complete with live
fire demonstrations and some solid if a little promotional behind
the scenes stuff... pretty well stocked, one of the best single
disc releases of the year!
8.
Bad Boys II - a suprisingly good film (if a little out
of whack in the final act) gives us a damn nice 2-disc set. Great
selection of trailers on the first disc, wonderful picture and sound,
and an awesome extensive production diary on the second disc makes
this one a winner.
7.
Battlestar Galactica: The Complete Epic Series
- This is how you package a classic TV show! All 20-odd episodes
remastered with a competant if not excellent 5.1 audio track. The
picture has been cleaned up considerably without making the show
look too modern, and the selection of extras, including deleted
scenes, commentary from the old stars, extensive behind the scenes
material, and some great retrospective stuff is all relevant to
the show without being promotional garbage. A VERY well done set!
6.
Cowboy Bebop: The Movie - An incredibly strong film carries
this disc a long way... combine that with solid extras, including
some great trailers for this and other anime features, a great 5.1
track presented in both english and Japanese, some comprehensive
behind the scenes material, and one of the nicest transfers i've
seen on an anime release.
5.
Finding Nemo
- Disney always does well with its PIXAR releases, thus it's no
suprise that this DVD is extremely solid stuff... The sound and
picture are flawless, as good as it gets on DVD. The extras are
solid, but typically juvenille, yet there are some great bells and
whistles here like the fully animated fish tank and the casts little
jabs when you leave a DVD menu idle for a little while... good stuff!
4.
Black Hawk Down: Deluxe Edition -
One of my favourite films of the last decade really got the 4 star
treatment this year. The deluxe edition contains the same transfer
and soundtrack as the original release (which was top notch), but
contains no less than three commentary tracks, and two discs full
of supplemental materials, including a three hour(!) making of feature
which is just fantastic, two seperate televised documentaries about
the real events, a Q&A session with the director (the always
engaging Ridley Scott) and the cast... and just so much more...
a great DVD, one of the best!
3.
The Adventures of Indiana Jones - It's Indiana-Freakin-Jones
on Freakin-DVD! What more do you need? How about a 2-hour plus making
of featurette devoted to the the three films? Interviews with the
cast reflecting on the films? Documentaries focusing on stunts,
sound editing and music? Remastered picture which looks like a gazillion
bucks and fills an entire disc for minimal compression? Awesome
5.1 tracks on each film? Still not enough? Well there's no hope
for you then...
2.
Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers Extended Edition
- While director Peter Jackson may not consider these the definitive
versions of the films, fans have been gobbling up his "extended"
versions of the first two films, and with good reason... The first
set, and now this one, are easily the finest examples of a DVD set
devoted to a single film in existance... they are the hallmark of
quality, perfect audio and video second to none, and an extensive
collection of supplemental materials spread accross 2 discs in the
form of appendecies... These comprehensive documentaries cover every
aspect of making each film, and take a long honest look at what
went on behind the scenes without ever getting promotional or congratulatory...
There's also a mammoth commentary track for the film which contains
a boatload of participants, and the stellar DTS track! This was
very nearly my number one pick if not for...
1.
Alien Quadrilogy - Wow! What a massive boatload of stuff...
this would take months to sift through! 9 discs dedicated to 4 films...
you do the math! Beautiful design work throughout, gorgeous packaging,
and extra materials which focus on every aspect of each film from
inception to public response... Then there are the remastered films...
Included are two versions of each film! I've never seen a collection
more complete than this one... Very easily one of the best sets
of all time!
There
you have it... 2003 was a phenomenal year for DVD, and there are of
course other discs i'd love to give props to... but alas space is
limited and the choices have been made...
10.
Beyond Good and Evil - There was a big deal made about
nintendo's lates Zelda game this past year, and while i really don't
want to sell it short, Beyond Good and Evil trounces it in just
about every way. Beautiful graphics and a gigantic world to explore
married to a deep storyline and wonderful characters makes this
one a winner!
9.
Medal of Honor: Rising Sun
- Electronic Arts has been producing awesome World War II games
under the Medal of Honor banner for a while now, but Rising Sun
is the first to take us into the pacific campaign fought against
the Empire of Japan. The Pearl Harbor attack opens the game and
is simply jaw-dropping. A lot of sneaking through jungles follows,
but it's never tired or repetetive, and the co-op and multiplayer
modes are a great addition... It'd probably rank a few points higher
if it were only a little longer.
8.
Need for Speed Underground - As close as it gets to a
Fast and the Furious video game for the time being. Top notch control
and beautiful graphics combined with a deep customization system
allowing you to tweak the visuals of your ride to the nth degree
add to the fun!
7.
Socom II US Navy Seals - Sony and developer Zipper Interactive
improved on the already great SOCOM in just about every way for
the sequal... the multi-player is a thing of joy, the graphics have
been cleaned up considerably, and the single player game is much
more in depth. This is one intense experience, especially when you
hop into a game with 15 other players who really know what they're
doing and use the usb headset/voice support to it's fullest. There
is simply no better online experience at the moment.
6.
Legacy of Kain: Defiance - The Legacy of Kain storyline
finally reaces something of a conclusion, and man what a conclusion
it is! This is more of a story driven experience than anythig else,
and i can really only recommend it to people who've at least played
the previous games in the series.
5.
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time - Wow! This is how
to re-invent a classic franchise for current generations... The
"rewind time" angle works so well, the game looks beautiful
on any console, the sound, the storyline, the whole package is just
excellent!
4.
Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner - There are some games
that come out of the pipe and just grab a hold of you and don't
let go until the credits roll. ZOE 2 was one such game this past
year. This thing is just eye-meltingly beautiful, with a fantastic
storyline and animated cutscenes to go along with it. Pitch perfect
control, wonderful voice acting, and some boss battles that'll really
test your mettle, this game is truely classic!
3.
Freedom Fighters - this is one of those titles that really
came out of nowhere and beat me in the jaw! Heavily stylized, Freedom
Fighters tells an alternate history tale in which the still alive
and VERY powerful Soviet Union invades New York City, and a resistance
movement pops up to fight back. You command a squad of up to 12
men in some of the most intense firefights i've seen in videogame
form...everything is easily accomplished with a stellar control
layout, and the graphics and sound keep you more than entertained
for the duration of this awesome shooter.
2.
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
- Every so often there are those games which come along and become
instant classics, KOTOR is easily one of those. It tells a story
set some 3,000 years before the start of Episode 1, a time when
the Jedi order was embroiled in combat with a mysterious force called
The Sith, and it tells the story very well... It's a PC gamer's
RPG crossed with the slightly more gentle world of Console RPG's
with fantastic results, and it's easily one of the two best games
of 2003!
1-
Castlevania: Lament of Innocence - At long last, a Castlevania
game wich takes the series into 3d and succeeds in a huge way. Brought
to us by the same team responsible for Castlevania Symphony of the
Night for the PSone (often heralded as best game of the series),
Lament of Innocence takes the traditional 2d gameplay and exploration
of it's PSone cousin into the third dimension and tells the origin
story of the Castlevania series. This thing is perfectly executed
to the smallest detail, it looks beautiful, sounds beautiful, and
controls like a dream. It's also easily my fave game of 2003!
10. Metallica - St. Anger - The latest from Metallica,
and first real album since the lackluster "Reload" sees
the band do a complete 180, from melodic radio rock to all out aggro-metal
(or whatevrer it's called this week). The change is neither good nor
bad really. Suffice it to say this is not your daddy's Metallica,
or the Metallica i grew up with anyway... it IS a solid and aggressive
album from a band long deemed to old to rock.
9. I Mother Earth - Quicksilver Meat Dream -
I Mother Earth are one of those bands that came out of the gate,
ran and won their first race, and then just kind of drifted away.
Well out of no where comes their fourth studio album, which is definitely
a departure from their older stuff... What was once a straight up
alternative-rock act has added elements of electronica and other
TOOL-style synthesized wierdness... the result is still very much
an IME record, but with some added depth to the sound which really
adds another dimension without destroying the skill and precision
this band has had with their songwriting and instruments from the
get go.
8. A Perfect Circle - Thirteenth Step
- Master of the Musical macabre Maynard James Keenan returns with
his (not a side project) "other" band to give us a healthy
dose of aggressive yet melodious goth-tinged rock. A Perfect Circle
seem to be the more straight-laced and musical of Keenan's bands,
which actually sets them a notch above TOOL in my book. Thirteenth
step is every bit the better of their albums as well... take the
melodies and Harmony of Mer De Noms, the subject matter, the atmosphere,
and cank the whole works to eleven and you'll get some idea... all
around fantastic stuff...
7. Anthrax - We've Come For You All -
I make no bones about my Metal heritage, if anyone asks, i am quick
to inform them that, yeah, throughout the 80's and 90's i was every
bit the metalhead. Anthrax have always featured prominantly in my
collection, and thankfully after an extended absence these guys
have returned with perhaps the single best album i've heard fom
them! The chops here are as good as it gets, skillful guitar work,
amazing drumming, and a collection of top notch arena rockers.
6. Iron Maiden - Dance of Death - The
GODS of metal have returned! Dance of Death is easlily the single
best metal album of 2003! The skill and precision these guys show
in each and every aspect of their music is bewildering... and they
rock like nobody's buisness... Dance of Death, crummy cover notwithstanding
is about the single best album these guys have done in over 15 years!
5. Sarah McLachlan - Afterglow - Sarah
McLachlan returns from a self-imposed exile with her first album
since 1998. It's good, very good, but it's your typical Sarah disc...
if you like her music, particularly the "Fumbling Towards Ecstasy"
album, then this one will be as much up your alley as it is up mine...
The best word i can think of to describe it would be "soundful".
Very solid work!
4. Pearl Jam - Lost Dogs - Pearl Jam are
about the best band in music today, there, i said it... They've
proven themselves to be so much more than the sum of their Seattle
beginnings, they are an american based arena-rock band in the same
vein as The Who or maybe Led Zeppelin... Lost Dogs is a 2-disc collection
of B-sides and rarities, many of which i'm sure many of their fanatic
folowing haven't even heard. These aren't your typical throwaways,
these tunes run the gamut from great to downright fucking awesome...
a MUST HAVE for any Pearl Jam fan, also a great album to throw on
just about any time and let ride for some good background tunes...
3. Jeff Greene - Time to Heal - The best
way to describe this debut album from Newfoundland musician Jeff
Greene would be Canada's seminal singer songwriters Blue Rodeo meets
early album Tragically Hip crossed with a hint of John Mellencamp,
and that wouldn't be TOO far off. Jeff wrote and performed most
of the instruments with a few guest musicians. The result is a solid
folk/country/rock hybrid that's a solid collection of tunes from
start to finish. Being an indie album it could be a little tough
to track down... click the ad to your left if you're interested...
2. Sloan - Action Pact - Solid Rock n
Roll! That's about the only way to describe the latest offering
from this Canadian rock quartet. From start to finish, Action Pact
throws us a collection of party rock complete with some buzzsaw
guitar riffs, arena rock choruses and pounding toe-tapping rythm.
Timeless!
1. Sam Roberts - We Were Born in a Flame
- There's something about this singer/songwriter that just grabs
hold of the listener and beats him into submission! Sam Roberts
writes about the single catchiest tunes imaginable, and playes them
out with a surgeon's precision, and yet there's this garage band
feel, this "just jamming around" feel that soaks the entire
album in some kind of a magic vibe that just has you stomping your
feet in unison. This is not radio rock as many would have you believe,
though it has certainly infiltrated the airwaves... this is Bob
Dylan by way of John Lennon singer songwriter groove at it's best,
and brought to the next phase of evolution. Sam is an innovator,
and this album (his first full length effort) is one of those discs
that comes along once in a while and just makes you its bitch! It's
easily in my eyes the album of 2003, and has actually taken up a
high spot in my "best of all time" list...
found
a cute little quiz online, answer a few questions and they tell
you which Finding Nemo character you are. Turns out i'm Dory, which
is cool enough i guess, she had me laughing my ass off in the movie...
kind of sucks that i'm a blue female fish though... the lesbian
part is kinda cool i guess...
props
to Kev over at Notanywhereland
for digging this up.
Last updated January 1st, 2003
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