Best of Decade

[bushytop]

The step-daughter was doing this on Twitter last night and as I don't really do social media I thought I'd do it here.

Best Movie: bit of a fanboy answer but Avengers: Endgame just knocked it out of the park for me. I know Scorsese (whom I love btw) doesn't think the MCU is 'cinema' but having watched all of the MCU movies on multiple occasions... the pay-off with Endgame was just... incredible. I thought I was having a heart-attack from 'On your left.' onwards.

Honourable mentions: Green Book, Get Out, Black Swan, Wind River & Hereditary


Best TV Show: I know the final season wasn't 'perfect' (even season 7 dropped off a little) but it's hard to look passed Game of Thrones. The first 6 seasons are just as good as it gets for me.

Honourable mentions: Succession, Fargo, The Leftovers, Stranger Things, Daredevil


Best Song: Not really 'into' music much but I do like The Black Keys, so Gold on the Ceiling or Little Black Submarine... I cant spit them.

Honourable mentions: Team (Lorde), Pompeii (Bastille), Radioactive (Imagine Dragons), Retrograde (James Blake)


Best Video Game: There is already a thread going for this where I have chosen Dark Souls.

Honourable mentions: Bloodborne, God of War, Horizon Zero Dawn, GTA V, Nier: Automata

Feel free to add any fields I've forgotten to.

 

[Bada-Bing!]

1. Favourite was Inception. Honourable mention to Lion for making me blub.
2. Breaking Bad, for being so complete.
3. Too hard, will have to come back on this one once I have gone through my Spotify playlists.
4. TLOU.

 

[ncurd]

Honestly Green Book is so decidedly average/middle of the road I just get frustrated when I see it anyone's list especially when it wasn't even close to the best film about race relations is the US that year BlacKKKlansman is a far far superior film. Its just Drving Miss Daisy to me its fine but there is far more superior stuff out there.

Best Movie: I'm trying hard to compile a top 10 list, there was a lot of good. I'm giving it to Arrival not only a great film but one that questioned some beliefs I had and made me reconsider them in a new light. Honurable Mentions: Inception, Interstellar, Blade Runner 2049, Love Simon, BlackKKKlansman, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Guardians of the Galaxy 1 and 2. Probably others I'm missing....

Best TV Show: Would of been GoT had it not face planted the last episodes. Chenobyl was so outstanding I've watched it twice but will only ever be one season. Mad Men wins for multiple seasons. Honourable Mentions: Star Trek: Discover, Stranger Things, Game of Thrones, Westworld, Silicon Valley

Best Song: I am not a music affciado I'll give best album to Random Access Memories by Daft Punk

Best Video game: Joing winner The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and Mass Effect 2 I like my RPG's and both these were game changers for the genre. Honorable Mentions: The Last of Us, Red Dead Redemption 2, God of War (2018), Tomb Raider (2013), Batman: Arkham City, Batman: Arkham Knight

 

[duncanb]

Film Mad Max Fury Road.
TV. True Detective series 1
Song 7 yrs Lucas Graham
Far to old for video games as nearly 60 so add a book here The outsider Stephen King.

 

[bushytop]

Honestly Green Book is so decidedly average/middle of the road I just get frustrated when I see it anyone's list especially when it wasn't even close to the best film about race relations is the US that year BlacKKKlansman is a far far superior film. Its just Drving Miss Daisy to me its fine but there is far more superior stuff out there.

Lol at the race-relations 'gatekeeper' . As a Last Jedi fan I thought you would understand how a reaction to a film (or the other categories) is purely subjective and free from judgement. I personally loved the movie... road movies in general seem to particularly appeal to me but then there was the friendship between the two protagonists, which I thought was just beautifully done. Last of all, Viggo's portrayal of Tony Lip just absolutely BLEW ME AWAY. I'd always liked him as an actor but this one performance caused me to reappraise his whole career and go back and watch lots of his other roles (some I'd seen and some I had not).

Ironically, I thought BlacKKKlansman was merely mediocre and as a big fan of Spike Lee's 'joints' it left me very disappointed.

 

[Bada-Bing!]

Big shout out for Uncharted 4 as well, for completing Nathan Drakes' story and ending it so well.

 

[ncurd]

Lol at the race-relations 'gatekeeper' . As a Last Jedi fan I thought you would understand how a reaction to a film (or the other categories) is purely subjective and free from judgement. I personally loved the movie... road movies in general seem to particularly appeal to me but then there was the friendship between the two protagonists, which I thought was just beautifully done. Last of all, Viggo's portrayal of Tony Lip just absolutely BLEW ME AWAY. I'd always liked him as an actor but this one performance caused me to reappraise his whole career and go back and watch lots of his other roles (some I'd seen and some I had not).

I think gate keeping is the wrong term there. Whilst opinion and engagement with something is subjective it is not free from judgement the whole purpose of film criticism and discussion is to engage and discuss differing opinions. Nothing actually frustrates me more than phrases like "The world would be a boring place if we were all the same" as way of shutting down conversation as opposed to opening it up.

On Green Book, I liked the movie well enough I even recommended people go watch it. However I also honestly believe without the outstanding actors in the lead roles the movie would of been completely forgotten about. It tries the 'both sides' angle which in regards to this topic there's the side that is systematically oppressed in America and the other which is not. The Fried Chicken scene is actually cringe inducing of white man telling a black man what his 'culture' is not to mention how much Fried Chicken is used as a racist trope in other pieces of work. Lastly I think they set up then ignored Tony's casual racism (where he chucks out the glasses). Its a nice film and well worth a watch but it doesn't challenge its audience in any meaningful way.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Best Movie - The Irishman, maybe some recency bias here but a Scorcese gangster flick? Has to be the winner.

Best Show - Peaky Blinders

Best Song - Virile, the blaze.

Book - Commit, Enda McNulty

 

[bushytop]

I think gate keeping is the wrong term there. Whilst opinion and engagement with something is subjective it is not free from judgement the whole purpose of film criticism and discussion is to engage and discuss differing opinions. Nothing actually frustrates me more than phrases like "The world would be a boring place if we were all the same" as way of shutting down conversation as opposed to opening it up.

On Green Book, I liked the movie well enough I even recommended people go watch it. However I also honestly believe without the outstanding actors in the lead roles the movie would of been completely forgotten about. It tries the 'both sides' angle which in regards to this topic there's the side that is systematically oppressed in America and the other which is not. The Fried Chicken scene is actually cringe inducing of white man telling a black man what his 'culture' is not to mention how much Fried Chicken is used as a racist trope in other pieces of work. Lastly I think they set up then ignored Tony's casual racism (where he chucks out the glasses). Its a nice film and well worth a watch but it doesn't challenge its audience in any meaningful way.

I ain't trying to shut down the discussion I just found your post unintentionally funny. About the fried chicken scene... and indeed all the scenes they are a product of it being a period piece and therefore is showing what that era was like and what African-Americans were facing then. And I think you're somewhat missing the point of that scene you know... there is no doubt that Tony was (however minor compared to some of the other characters in the film) racist. You can see this from the first 5 minutes of the film, when he throws the glasses from which the black handymen drank in the bin rather than washing them. By the end of the film I'd argue that, given the journey the two had been on, Tony now sees beyond race. The fried chicken scene is somewhere in the middle (both figuratively and literally) where Tony is starting to see beyond colour but is still conditioned by his being brought up in an era of cultural stereotypes.

 

[bushytop]

Big shout out for Uncharted 4 as well, for completing Nathan Drakes' story and ending it so well.

Still haven't played 4 (or Lost Legacy)... I have them in the backlog but only played 3 for this first time just before Christmas. Always enjoy them but almost always fancy playing something else.

Is it just more of the same (which I admit is always enjoyable) or does it take it to the next level?

 

[ncurd]

there is no doubt that Tony was (however minor compared to some of the other characters in the film) racist. You can see this from the first 5 minutes of the film, when he throws the glasses from which the black plumber drank in the bin rather than washing them.

See that is my problem they clearly set that up and I don't think they lean into that enough especially in the beginning when he initially meets and travels with Don Shirley there is barely any reaction to the fact he'll be working for a person of colour. This is someone who was wanted to throw away glasses rather than wash them, I would think someone with that much deep seated racism would have larger issues with the job at hand even if he is doing it because he needs the money. Tony doesn't grow as a character for me he is given a trait, barely bought up again kinda raised as your pointed out in the fried chicken and then becomes a staunch defender of Shirley when seeing what he's put under. I get that he's ignorant of the racism Shirley gets everyday and that drives the drama when he tried to confront it but I don't think Tony ever really evaluates or is given the opportunity to his own complicitness.

I take you point about the Fried Chicken but I still think Shirley's reaction by having him really enjoy it undercut that slightly in that Tony is demonstrated 'to be right'. Its complicated because of Shirley's character growth to a class of people he has never really belonged to. Fried Chicken just was a terrible way to go about that.

 

[Bada-Bing!]

Still haven't played 4 (or Lost Legacy)... I have them in the backlog but only played 3 for this first time just before Christmas. Always enjoy them but almost always fancy playing something else.

Is it just more of the same (which I admit is always enjoyable) or does it take it to the next level?

The game play is more of the same as 1-3 - shoot, hide, climb, solve a puzzle, collect all the trinkets, which I never manage to do as I can't find all of them. I always enjoyed uncharted for the characters, the wise cracking of Nathan and most importantly for me the story. The big set pieces in UC4 also don't disappoint. Personally I loved it. Completed it in about 20 hours, but died a lot and a good player will probably complete it in a lot less time like 12-15 hours.

I would also say the graphics, especially the facial features of Nathan, Elena, Sully compared to uncharted 1 are like night and day and show how far PlayStation has come compared to the PS3 days.

Lost legacy - again more of the same. Didn't enjoy it as much as Uncharted 4, but it's shorter and feels more like a DLC.

 

[ncurd]

Still haven't played 4 (or Lost Legacy)... I have them in the backlog but only played 3 for this first time just before Christmas. Always enjoy them but almost always fancy playing something else.

Is it just more of the same (which I admit is always enjoyable) or does it take it to the next level?

I only played all four last year (Lost Legacy didn't really grab me but I do need to finish it), its got great storytelling and similarish gameplay. Some of it rings hollow in my mind as it tried to add to Nathan's past in ways that never really there. It gives depth to him as a person but feels like retconning rather than part of what they originally wrote/planned. Especially after Uncharted 3 also did similar things you can't help but feel its a little 'why was this never mentioned'

 

[Bada-Bing!]

I only played all four last year (Lost Legacy didn't really grab me but I do need to finish it), its got great storytelling and similarish gameplay. Some of it rings hollow in my mind as it tried to add to Nathan's past in ways that never really there. It gives depth to him as a person but feels like retconning rather than part of what they originally wrote/planned. Especially after Uncharted 3 also did similar things you can't help but feel its a little 'why was this never mentioned'

I think it's how the story evolved as the games progressed rather than Naughty Dog having some grand plan as to how Nathan got to where he was. Sam Drake suddenly appearing out of no where is a classic example. Still, I thoroughly enjoyed the series as a whole.

 

[ncurd]

I think it's how the story evolved as the games progressed rather than Naughty Dog having some grand plan as to how Nathan got to where he was. Sam Drake suddenly appearing out of no where is a classic example. Still, I thoroughly enjoyed the series as a whole.

Oh that's definitely what happened, don't think they expected the first to do as well as it did.

 

[bushytop]

See that is my problem they clearly set that up and I don't think they lean into that enough especially in the beginning when he initially meets and travels with Don Shirley there is barely any reaction to the fact he'll be working for a person of colour. This is someone who was wanted to throw away glasses rather than wash them, I would think someone with that much deep seated racism would have larger issues with the job at hand even if he is doing it because he needs the money. Tony doesn't grow as a character for me he is given a trait, barely bought up again kinda raised as your pointed out in the fried chicken and then becomes a staunch defender of Shirley when seeing what he's put under. I get that he's ignorant of the racism Shirley gets everyday and that drives the drama when he tried to confront it but I don't think Tony ever really evaluates or is given the opportunity to his own complicitness.

I take you point about the Fried Chicken but I still think Shirley's reaction by having him really enjoy it undercut that slightly in that Tony is demonstrated 'to be right'. Its complicated because of Shirley's character growth to a class of people he has never really belonged to. Fried Chicken just was a terrible way to go about that.

And this is where subjective interpretation comes in I guess... I felt Mortenson's portrayal (if not his lines) did actually show his characters evolution. This is taking into consideration that Tony Lip was a 50's Italian American, who while a real person was much in the mould of a character out of Goodfella's. Any personal growth, no matter how huge would in my opinion be displayed subtly and in an understated manner.

It is what it is though, some people (I'd imagine possibly of the older variety) will love it... some people may take offence. The way the world is going though, you may feel well positioned in what is and isn't deemed offensive within the public zeitgeist right now... but if you're anything like me, when the next generation starts getting offended by the things you think are acceptable (not that Tony throwing glasses out due to being used by a black person is acceptable, but a filmmaker using this as a vehicle to express dramatic change from 'wrong' to 'right' and the vagaries in between is fine imho) you will remember this discussion and maybe see it differently, maybe not.

 

[bushytop]

I think it's how the story evolved as the games progressed rather than Naughty Dog having some grand plan as to how Nathan got to where he was. Sam Drake suddenly appearing out of no where is a classic example. Still, I thoroughly enjoyed the series as a whole.

Spoiler alert

 

[Bada-Bing!]

Spoiler alert

oops. Sorry Bushy.

 

[bushytop]

oops. Sorry Bushy.

Lol it's all good, was only joking as I'd already heard he turns up anyway.

 

[big ginger 8]

Prefacing this with 10 years being a long time, certain things I wouldn't have experienced and others I've forgotten. This would probably be completely different if I did it tomorrow. I also have a hard time separating books in a series so if a majority of a series was published in the 2010s I won't differentiate

Best Movie: Nightcrawler
Honourable mentions: Dunkirk, Joker, Logan, Calvary, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Best Show: Game of Thrones
Honourable mentions: Watchmen, The Good Place, The Good Wife, The Handmaid's Tale, Fargo, Orphan Black, Young Justice, Barry, Mindhunter - actually way too many to mention

Best Song: Good Boy - Sample Answer
Honourable mentions: Love the Way you Lie (Eminem ft Rihanna), Redbone (Childish Gambino), Lazurus (David Bowie), Runaways (The Killers)

Best Book: Stormlight Archive (three books so far, the only ones I'll put from Sanderson because the man is so prolific I'd be listing books for the next decade)
Honourable mentions: The Wheel of Time (already went against what I just said, all the WoT from this decade were co-written by Sanderson), A Dance with Dragons, The Sheriff of Babylon (Tom King), The Big Short (Michael Lewis)

Best Podcast: Serial
Honourable mentions: Not Another DnD Podcast, The Adventure Zone, Stronger by Science, My Dad Wrote a Porno

Best Game: Red Redemption 2
Honourable mentions: Red Redemption, GTA V, Witcher 3, Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, Skyrim

EDIT: Forgot the Arkham games for honourable mention

Edit edit: forgot Worm by John McCrae aka Wildbow brilliant 'book' but also shows the rise of new media this decade.