Best of 2010: Movies...

Man, I'm sorry. I really suck at blogging lately. So in an attempt to fill my January quota, I'm going to try and barrage you with overdue blogs. First up, following suit with the release of the Oscar noms on Monday, here are my top 10 movies of 2010, also known as Animation Domination.

[just a reminder to those who question my choices, these are my favorite movies of the year which I think embody the best of all categories which includes entertainment value as witnessed by last years winner, Avatar, which nudged out 2nd place Moon which had the best acting by far.]

While compiling the list of movies I've seen this year (which was probably close to 40) I must say, the competition was stiffer than I thought. They weren't the greatest movies ever, but ranking them was tougher than I thought. So as usual, here are the honorable mentions: Robin Hood, The Switch, Going the Distance, Micmacs, Get Low, The Fighter and Scott Pilgrim.

10.) Kick-Ass
Kick-Ass was one of my favorite graphic novels and I was worried they would ruin it the same way the ruined Wanted, but I was pleasantly surprised. Nick Cage didn't blow it and casting an unknown was really the only was I could get behind it. They changed very little and it ended up being almost as cool as the book.

9.) The Expendables
The movie pretty much opens with Dolf Lundgren yelling, "Warning shot!" and then shooting a guy in half with a grenade launcher. It only gets more ridiculous and hilarious after that.

8.) The Warrior's Way
Not sure if this was an manga or an anime before, but this is how movies like Street Fighter and Dragonball should have been made. It's the closest thing to a real life anime I've ever seen and I was blown away by the action.

7.) Despicable Me
The first of many animated movies on here. If you haven't seen it, do yourself a favor and cozy up with a blanket and some popcorn because this one's adorable.

6.) True Grit
I am a huge fan of the original and though they changed a few things, the Coens somehow made it better. Jeff Bridges is awesome in it and if Hailee Steinfeld doesn't win an Oscar, I'm going to punch someone in the face.

5.) District-13: Ultimatum
If you haven't seen District B-13, it's on netflix instant. Two things I love, parkour and action movies, couldn't have meshed more perfectly. This sequel was even better than the first. Non-stop action and "wtf did he just do?!"

4.) How To Train Your Dragon
This could have landed in either the third or second spot as well. There isn't a whole lot I can say about it. It's everything you want in a movie.

3.) Toy Story 3
Emotional roller-coaster. I've been waiting for this movie for a very long time and was not disappointed. I laughed, I cried, I cried, I laughed and then I bawled. What a great ending to what has to be one of the greatest trilogies of all time.

2.) The A-Team
You may be wondering how this movie got so high on my list. Well, the first time I saw it, it might have been 6th, the second time I saw it maybe 4th, but the more I watch it the better it gets. It's just a really funny perfect summer action flick. It's well paced, well thought out and surprisingly well acted. I have as much fun watching it as it looks like they had making it.

1.) Inception
Before I saw the movie, I read an review that said something to the effect of, "it doesn't matter if you hear people talk about it before you see it because you'll have no idea what they're talking about. I could tell you the whole plot of the movie and you wouldn't know what I was talking about until you saw it." That pretty much sums it up. There are a lot of theories about the ending and while I believe he wasn't dreaming, a friend of mine pointed out that the top wasn't even his totem, it was his gun. Who knows. This film an incredible work of art.

Best of 2009: Records...

The problem with doing a best albums list is that you skip over the gems that you find along the way. Plenty of albums are mediocre, but on a lot of those there is a 'perfect' song. This list is dedicated to those songs that when you hear the first time you think, "holy sh*t, this song is really good," or just that ones that make you wanna dance or sing along with in the car/shower/bar or wherever you like to sing. So here are my 10 favorite songs of this last year - some of them were on albums in my top ten but most of them are not. Some of these you may hate by now because you've heard them way too much or you never liked them in the first place. Some of these you may have never heard. This a list of my favorite songs of the year and I love them. Anyways, here they are...

10.) Sexual Healing by Hot Chip
Awesome cover of an already legendary song. It's hard to make a song this well known your own but give this a listen if you haven't heard it and see why it made the list. "I'll never be laid back as this beat was."

9.) Your Love is Like a Drug or Tik Tok by Ke$ha
I apologize for putting two in the same slot but this girl is killing me. I don't know why I love her and up until three days ago I didn't even know she was white. But damn if I don't love these songs. I swear when I sing them I feel like a 13 year old girl.

8.) Big Green Tractor by Jason Aldean
This was easily my favorite country song this year. Usually I'm all about the drinking singing along country songs that are a little more upbeat, but this one got me.

7.) Young Hearts Spark Fire by Japandroids














The best song on a great album - after hearing this, I immediately bought the whole album. This was in the running for my top ten albums and just barely missed out.

6.) Exhibit C by Jay Electronica
It seems that this is the only hip-hop song on my list for the year which is strange but I guess I didn't listen to a whole lot this year. After Mos Def's new one which I thought was pretty bland, I didn't think I'd hear anything good this year until this.

5.) Bad Romance by Lady Gaga
The first time I heard this song I wanted to kill myself. Then I heard the chorus and was indifferent. Then I started to like it. Now I love it and after a brief but persuasive conversation with Other Guy's gf (heretofore known as Other Girl) I concur that she is the most unique female pop star to come around since Madonna (back when Madonna was Madonna).

4.) I'm Yours by Jason Mraz
You all know and love this song. If you don't, you did at one point and then you fell in love with it again when you saw that Asian kid on youtube rock it out.

3.) I Love College by Asher Roth
I do love college. And I love it for all the reasons that are stated in this song. Who doesn't like reminiscing about college to a sampled beat from my favorite Weezer song (Say It Ain't So)? The only thing better than hearing this song on my ipod is hearing it at a tailgate when I'm back at MSU.

2.) The Kids Don't Stand a Chance (Remix) by Chromeo
Take an already awesome song and add a really fun beat and mix it. Chromeo hit the nail on the head with this one. I'd like to thank Leadright for filling my life with this wonderful goodness.

1.) I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked by Ida Maria


















My favorite song off her album which is in my top 10. She's awesome. The song is pretty much perfect. It sounds like a summer day, windows down kind of song and Spring can't get her soon enough to see if I'm right. She kills me with this song. I should have moved her higher up on my best albums list...

Anyways, good stuff. Go big.

-M, p, z & shredder

Best of 20009: Movies...

Now that we're settling in to the new year, I'm assuming most of you overspent as much as I did and are now looking for ways to stay in and pass the time without passing over any money. Well redbox or netflix these movies if you're bored because they're all really good (or at least I think so). I was busy for the last couple weeks of 2009 so absent from this list will be anything that came out around christmas that I haven't had a chance to see yet (Sherlock Holmes, Crazy Heart etc...also I goofed and never saw Precious but I'm pretty sure that'd make the top 5). As I went back through all the movies from last year, I realized that I saw a lot. Possibly the most I've seen in any year, so this list is really full of quality films (I'm going to leave out some of my faves like Underworld and Crank 2 because most of you don't care about those movies). When I make this list I usually jot down any movie I think might be in the top ten and then whittle it down and some of this years close calls were: Julie and Julia, Zombieland, District 9, The Hangover, Paper Heart and Funny People. Anyway, without further ado....

10.) Watchmen
This one makes the top ten by the skin of it's teeth. I moved it in here because I own the 'ultimate directors cut' which really does the book justice and gets into the politics a little more which is really what fuels the story.

9.) Up
Not as strong as Wall-e but still another classic from Pixar. Those guys really know how to tell a story and have incredible pacing. I still get teary eyed every time I see that opening montage over the credits.

8.) The Brothers Bloom
I'm officially moving Rian Johnson into my short list of favorite directors. His follow up to 2005's Brick is a real gem. Not too many writer/directors have his knack for knowing exactly what they want at every aspect from colors to lighting to performance and it's nice to see someone new like this. It also helps that he had Adrien Brody and Mark Ruffalo being an awesomely hilarious pairing as brothers.

7.) (500) Days of Summer
Hard not to like a movie starring two of my favorite actors. Joseph Gordon Levitt and Zooey Deschanel killed it. Despite the bittersweet and somewhat weak ending, it still kills overall. Great movie with a cameo from my girl Minka Kelly from Friday Night Lights at the end sealed the deal.

6.) Good Hair











Chris Rock killed it. This was one of the best documentaries I've seen in forever. It was funny, insightful and really really really good. This needs to be at the top of everyone's must see list for documentaries.

5.) Away We Go
As some of you may know, I hate Sam Mendes. I think his characters are boring, bland and one dimensional. That said, it took a screenplay written by one of my favorite writers, Dave Eggers, to get him to make a movie I love. I hate The Office, but John Krasinksi is great and Maya Rudolph killed it.

4.) Fantastic Mr. Fox












Wes Anderson. What more can I say? He's the bees knees. It seemed like he rushed through Darjeeling Limited (not just the pacing but the writing as well), but this move moved really well and I thought Clooney did a great job as Mr. Fox.

3.) Star Trek
This movie was awesome. Action packed and a great reboot of a franchise that had gotten really old, stale and dated. You do not need to be a Star Trek fan, nor do you need to see a single episode or any movie of any Star Trek series. This really stands on it's own and I've watched it with a few people now that have gone in skeptical and come out on my side. Rent it or buy it but definitely watch it and watch it again. A good sound system/tv is a plus for this.

2.) Moon



















Sam Rockwell completely dominated every other performance by any actor I've seen this year. The story is great, the acting is off the charts and the special effects are incredible considering the budget. It comes out on dvd very soon so add this to the top of your netflix queue. Seriously. You won't be disappointed.

1.) Avatar
This might be a little fresh in my memory, but really, it was the best movie going experience of my life. Not as good a 'film' as Moon, or a few others, but seeing it in IMAX 3-D really makes this an event. This sort of transcends movies and makes it more of a show or a spectacle than anything. James Cameron, as of today, officially has the number one and two highest grossing movies of all time. He hit 1.13 billion with this and Titanic is sitting high on that iceberg at number one, practically untouchable at 1.8+ billion which is insane. I think this movie can over take it considering it's only been out for 3 weeks but another 700 million is a pretty lofty goal.

So there it is. The best of 2009. Check them out. If you disagree, let me know. If I missed something, please let me know.

Go big.

-M, p, z & shredder

oh ps - here is a list of some of the worst movies of 2009. Try and avoid if you haven't already made my mistake...

Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day, Observe and Report, The Informant, Transformers, Wolverine

Top 5 Shows...

With the fall season pretty much in full swing I figure it's time to post my favorite shows of the fall thus far and I must say that this season has been full of surprises. With the anticipation of tomorrow's premiere of 30 Rock, I can hardly contain myself. Never in all my blogging years have sitcoms so fully dominated the list. Without further dilly dallying, here it is:

5.) Cougar Town / Modern Family

So obviously these shows aren't the same, but as they come on the same day, same channel and in a row, I don't really feel bad putting them together. They really would have had their own spots if not for Glee. If you read my blog at all you know I'm not a huge fan of sitcoms and find them to usually teeter somewhere between bad and Two and Half Men (heinous), but these shows are great. Cougar Town is co-created by Bill Lawrence who also helmed Scrubs (which explains the comedy style) and Modern Family is just flat out funny. Check them out on Wed on ABC (or on Hulu like the rest of us who don't watch tv).

4.) Glee

Love this show. You either love it or hate it and if you don't know anything about it go on Hulu and watch the season premiere and either you'll love it or hate it as well. I saw Lea Michelle in Spring Awakening (worst musical I've ever seen) and think she's pretty much the bomb, though her screen acting leaves you waiting until she hones her skill.

3.) Monk

If you haven't seen this show by now, you're either not interested or don't like it. But this season is the final season and it's going out with a bang. The episodes are hilarious and they are hopefully leading up to a 2 or 3 part season finale where Monk finally finds out who murdered his wife and he can be at peace.

2.) 30 Rock

Possibly the funniest show in television history. I'm not speaking in superlatives. Tina Fey is ridiculous. She's my hero and inspiration (and I've kind of met her). If you haven't seen the show ever, or only a couple of episodes then, like so many other things in life, go on Hulu and make your life better. For those of you with netflix, hop on and watch season 3 in full on instant view. The only reason this isn't number 1 is because I've been watching my number 1 longer and it means more to me sentimentally (but not by much at all - in fact this is insanely close).



1.) Psych

Best show on TV. Barely. This season started out pretty slowly - I wasn't very impressed with the first couple episodes but since then it's really taken off. I'm a little upset at how little screen time both Maggie Lawson and Rachael Leigh Cook have had, but other than that Gus has been hilarious this season.



Anyways, that's it. Go watch all of these shows instead of wasting your time with your friends, or reading, or volunteering or working. Go big or go home.

-M, p, z & shredder

Best of 2008: Movies

This is late, but with award season in full force I thought it high time to get this list out there. So here is my top 10 movies of the year. It's been a very great year as far as movies go and this summer's blockbusters hold an unusually high number of spots on this list. With new summer hits coming out this year like Transformers 2, Watchmen, Wolverine, G.I. Joe, Dragonball, Fast and Furious, Harry Potter and a bunch of sweet non-blockbusters, I can only hope this year is as good as last.

There were an alarmingly number of good movies this year, which is how I am sure 2009 is going to be weak. Noticeably absent from the list is The Dark Knight. There is kind of a lot of controversy about how good it is and as I have yet to see it in I-Max to get the full effect, I'm not going to include it in my list. I think I've expressed my opinion on it enough. You have all seen it and can make up your own mind as to where it belongs. If I were to rank it, it would be somewhere toward the middle. No higher than 4 and no lower than 8. Anyways, here is the top 10.

10.) Be Kind Rewind
I love Michel Gondry. Easily the most creative and imaginative director in our generation. I can't think of anyone who uses so much and creates such imaginary realities, yet somehow stays grounded and does not turn into preposterous.

9.) Son of Rambow
If you haven't seen this, netflix it asap. It about two kids who want to remake their own version of Rambow and how their friendship evolves. It's pretty great.

8.) Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Woody Allen is on a roll lately. He took Scarlett Johansen, who I don't particularly like and I think is very over rated in both looks and acting chops, and make her into someone I like. First Match Point, then Scoop and now this. Penelope Cruz is at her best and I would completely understand if any girl were to ever leave me for Javier Bardem.

7.) Iron Man
My favorite summer movie. Maybe not as good as Batman Begins but definitely better than TDK and really is set up to have a better sequel than TDK did with the addition on Mickey Rourke and Don Cheadle.

6.) Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist
Michael Cera can seemingly do no wrong. How long will it take before he bores me is another question, though if he keeps making good choices like he has been, I don't see it happening. The pairing with Kat Dennings worked great and thank god this movie had a soundtrack that lived up to it's name.

5.) Milk
If not for Mickey Rourke, Sean Penn wins the Oscar. He was so good. The whole cast was really great. I thought James Franco really got into his role and made me forget about the disaster that was Pineapple Express.

4.) Gran Torino
As if the movie wasn't going to be good enough, Clint Eastwood took the movie to Michigan and filmed it about 45 minutes down the road from my parents house. Classic Eastwood. He still manages to be more of a badass in his 70s than I will ever be in my lifetime.

3.) The Wrestler



This movie was great. It's not getting enough hype. Aside from the performance of the year (okay maybe it's tied with Sean Penn), the story was great as well. The soundtrack was a pleasant surprise as well, I didn't know anyone but me still lived for 80s hair metal glam rock. Not to mention what I think is the best original song for Bruce Springsteen.

2.) Wall-e




















You've all seen it by now I'm sure. Will Disney-Pixar ever make a bad movie? Even Presto, the short film at the beginning, was better than some movies I've seen.

1.) Slumdog Millionaire




















What more can I say. If it hasn't made it to a theater near you, give it another week before you decide to drive an hour to the closest theater. It's still expanding and last week opened in 3,000 more theaters. Keep an eye out for this. My pick for best film of the year.

Anyways, the worst movies of 2008 will be posted next. As always, go big or go home.

-M, p, z & shredder

tell 'em what to watch: Trust Me (TNT @ 9 or 10pm.) I've been looking forward to this series premiere for a while. I'm not a huge fan of shows on TNT but I love Tom Cavanagh and the story looks original and like a great replacement for the dreadfully bad Grey's Anatmoy. I think I'm quitting that show.

Best of 2008: Music

So here, much delayed, is my best of 2008 music selection. There were a lot of albums that came out last year they I played to death. Due to the recession, this was also probably the least amount of albums I've bought in a year in the last decade. Regardless, I still tried to listen to as much as I could and without further ado, here is my top 10 albums of last year. As always, this is a list of the top 10 albums that I've heard. I can't judge what I haven't listened to, so if you think something out there deserves to be in this top 10, let me know the album and I'll give it a listen, tell you my taste is superior to yours and call it a day. Seriously though, I love to hear new music and if you know of something I should be listening to, drop me a line.

Anyways, here it is. Artist: Album followed by release date and why it's on my list. All of these albums can be found on iTunes. You can listen to a sample of all these albums, so at the very least, give a listen to my favorite songs.

10.) The Last Shadow Puppets: The Age Of The Understatement
May 06, 2008. Brits really know how to rock and I can't seem to get enough of that young, british post-Strokes sound. Best song on the album is, "Time Has Come Again"

9.) MGMT: Oracular Spectacular
January 22, 2008. Great group with their own unique sound. MGMT seems to be kind of in with the hipsters which sucks, but don't let that deter you from it. I'm sure they're over this by now and onto something hipper. Best song on the album is either "Electric Feel" or "Pieces of What"

8.) She & Him: Volume I
March 18, 2008. Zoey Deschanel sounds great when produced and backed by Matt Ward. Her voice is so unique but at the same time so familiar and nostalgic. Best song on the album is a cover of "You Really Got A Hold On Me"

7.) Jason Mraz: We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things
May 12, 2008. Great summer album. I'm sure you've all heard it, but my favorite song on the album is the wildly popular hit, "I'm Yours"

6.) Girl Talk: Feed The Animals
I don't remember the official release date for this album. He posted it on his website as one of those "choose your own price" things. I clearly chose to pay $0. Not that it isn't worth it, but if I can't pick up the cd in a store, I really don't want to pay money for a digital copy of something. It pretty much made me dance my way through the summer and is now making me robot my way through the winter. My fave is 'No Pause" Mixing Eminem with Yael Naim is pretty amazing.

5.) Weezer: (The Red Album) [Deluxe Edition]




















June 3, 2008. Still not quite capturing the brilliance of the mid 90's but it's the best effort from the group since the Green Album in early '01. A couple of the tracks remind me of Pinkerton which almost brings a tear to my eye. My favorite song flip flops depending on my mood as with any album by one of my two favorite bands. Currently it's "Pig" but last week it was "The Angel and the One" The Deluxe Edition contains 5 songs not in the regular album version, all of which are pretty great.

4.) Taylor Swift: Fearless




















November 11, 2008. Her followup to her self titled debut album is not quite as good, but it's pretty damn close. She's all grown up now (18) and her lyrics are a little less optimistic than the ones she wrote at 15. The album is a but more 'serious' and is less about summer love and more about heart aches and the like, but she does it so well. I love all the songs on here but if I'm forced to choose I might go with "Forever and Always" which is actually a joke and a play on words about how one of the Jonas brothers (I still don't know who these f-ing kids are) broke up with her over a phone call that lasted 23 seconds (I saw her talk about it on Ellen).

3.) Bon Iver: For Emma, Forever Ago




















February 19, 2008. Great album from start to finish. Now that Elliott Smith is no longer around to depress me and uplift me at the same time, I have Bon Iver. They're really not half as depressing as he is, they just have a similar sound. It's part Elliott Smith, part Modest Mouse and all awesome. I didn't have it last spring but it feels like a great album to listen to as the snow melts and you start to see some green poking out of the ground. My favorite song right now is "Skinny Love" or "Re; Stacks"

2.) Rivers Cuomo; Alone II - The Home Recordings Of Rivers Cuomo



















November 24, 2008. This album has a special place in my heart. Where recent Weezer albums have failed me, Rivers' solo releases have re-instilled my love for music. As with the 1st volume, it is a bunch of songs that Rivers has written and recorded by himself over the last 15 years. This second batch of unreleased songs is better than Volume 1 in my opinion and shows a lot more of himself. The liner notes alone are worth it as he has written almost a small novel inside about how he came to write all the songs and how he recorded them and his state of mind at the time when he wrote them. My favorite song has also become my anthem for the coming year, "My Day is Coming."

1.) Vampire Weekend: Vampire Weekend




















January 29, 2008. I remember a friend of mine sent me a link to them about a week before the album came out. I loved it and the next week went to the store and bought the album. After the first time I listened to it I told my brother it was going to be the best album of the year. Obviously I was right. This is one of the greatest albums I've heard in a long time. I'm sure you've all heard it by now and can agree, at least that it's one of the years best. "A-Punk" still stands out as my favorite song on the album.

As always, go big or go home.

-M, p, z & shredder

oh ps- I've decided that tonight is make or break for Grey's Anatomy. It has gotten out of control. It's so bad now it's unbelievable. The only thing that would make sense is if Izzie drops dead because of a huge brain tumor. Otherwise Brown Guy is right, it's just some crazy chick who runs off to masturbate with a ghost.

This Summer's Best...

So this was a pretty successful summer as far as movies go. There were some misses, but overall I kept going back to the theater week after week and was not disappointed. Now that Labor Day has come and gone, the summer blockbusters are also sadly done. We will have to wait until next year for what could possibly be even greater than this year, with the new Harry Potter, Transformers 2, Watchmen (!!! I hope...), G.I. Joe, Dragonball, Akira (maybe?). Too many to name but it could be insane. Before I can look ahead to next summer, I have to reflect on this one. The best movies of the summer. Another top 5 list...a couple honorable mentions are Hancock (I continue to believe that Peter Berg is one of the best working writer/directors) and Step Brothers which was hilarious. Much funnier than the two other big budget comedies, Pineapple Express and Tropic Thunder.

#5 Hellboy 2
Great follow up the the first one. I thought the story was great but really, it was the visuals that did it for me. It might be one of the most imaginative, colorful, alive atmosphere I have ever seen on film. I have seen some great special effects before, but Del Toro is a master at them and really gave this movie every thing he had.

#4 Hamlet 2
Just barely got in before Labor Day, but this movie was hilarious. Not actually a sequel to Hamlet, but about a guy who writes a musical called Hamlet 2. Steve Coogan is hilarious throughout and the rest of the cast is just as funny though I can't help but wish my boy David Arquette had more lines. Probably the most fulfilling comedy of the summer. Definitely should be this years little Indie that could. Go see it! It's still expanding into more theaters and should be out for a while.










#3 The Dark Knight
I know, I know... #3? But the more I see it, the more I like Batman Begins better. Don't get me wrong. I loved the movie. I think Heath Ledger gave one of the greatest villain performances (or any performance for that matter) of our generation. He was The Joker. It was crazy good. But the story had so much going on, and yet not a whole lot at all. I thought they could have almost made two different movies out of this. I think the Two Face story line suffered a little bit because of the need to end that one and The Joker. No need to explain or recap, I'm sure you've all seen it at least once. I loved this movie, but it wasn't the best of the summer.


















#2 Wall-e
WaaaAAAAAAllll-EEeeee, indeed. What a great movie. In my book this is an oscar contender for best movie, not just best animated. It was great. Kind of amazing actually. If you haven't seen it, it might be playing in some theater near you. Go see it. Pixar continues to blow me away with great movies. I actually can't think of another studio that only puts out classics every time they release something. It's insane. Great characters, great story, great everything.




















#1 Iron Man
My favorite movie in forever. I was so hyped for this movie it was almost impossible to live up to my expectations, but somehow it surpassed them. It was perfect. I could have had a little better final battle, but I can't complain. The rest of the story was amazing. It held true to the comic even though it updated a little. I thought Terrance Howard could have done a little more to be like James Rhodes but hopefully he'll have that chance in Iron Man 2. Much better story and acting than The Dark Knight. I thought Robert Downey Jr. was as much Tony Stark as Heath Ledger was The Joker. Probably not an Oscar nod for Jr. but it was still something special. It comes out on dvd in a few weeks so if you never saw it in theaters, pick it up on dvd.

Anyways, I'm out. You probably don't agree but I've seen about every movie worth seeing this summer (though I lived in Michigan for most of the summer so I missed some indie releases that I feel would have made this list like Son of Rambow or The Promotion). Well, that's it. Go big...

-M, p, z & shredder

oh ps - Entourage ruled last night. I like where it's headed. I was worried after last season but it seems to have gotten back on track. Also that new series True Blood is awesome.

Top 5 Sitcoms...

As many of you know, I hate a lot of sitcoms. They are generally very cliche and made for people who know nothing about comedy or writing. The one thing missing from television for many years now has been a really good sitcom. One that brings people in week after week. Remember how good sitcoms used to be and how many there were? Seinfeld, The Simpsons (stopped being funny in 2000), Friends, Night Court, Murphy Brown, etc. Pretty much every show from the 90s that people remember was a sitcom. So I decided I would rank the best sitcoms of this millennium. This is limited to shows that are 30 minutes long and are true sitcoms, not amazing shows that are also funny (Entourage, Weeds etc.) Also this is shows that primarily aired during this millennium, for example Friends doe not make the cut because it started in 95 or something. Anyways, here it is.

5.) Curb Your Enthusiasm 2000-Present
Larry David is hilarious. That's pretty much al you can say. I don't have cable so I don't get to watch this show anymore but I still watch the dvds and it is ridiculous how funny it is. The entire cast is perfect and it has grown so much and changed so much that it's kind of surprising it's still funny. A lot of times characters change and get older and move on from what was funny (Friends) that it starts to suck after a while but in it's 8th year, it is still pumping out very funny dialogue and new material which is mind boggling.















4.) Futurama 1999-2003
Not counting the new unreleased dvd movies, Futurama was an amazing show. The characters are so complimentary to each other that it really is kind of perfect. Everyone fulfills a role that is necessary but at the same time hilarious. There's not one person on the show who is everyone's favorite (possibly Bender) and I think that is really what works for it. When you have over 5 characters all being hilarious, the show is bound to be amazing.

3.) Family Guy (Original Episodes) 1999-2003
The new episodes are not funny. After it was cancelled the magic was lost. I haven't seen the movie but I've heard bad things. The original 4 seasons though were perfection. It came around during the perfect time because The Simpsons was starting to lose it's magic and Futurama wasn't doing so great. It reinvigorated the cartoon comedy and really brought a lot of Simpsons fans back to being funny again. I remember phasing out quotes from the Simpson's and instead quoting Family Guy.















2.) The Office (UK Version) 2001-2003
This is pretty much where it would be in my all time greatest sitcoms, not just in the last 8 years. It's truly perfect. The reason I still can't bring myself to watch the american version. I hear it's actually good, but how can you try and emulate perfection? You're only going to come up short. It had the greatest story arc of any sitcom ever and really the greatest ending special to a series. It's amazing how good shows can be and how untarnished their legacy when they're not dragged through lame season after lame season. The Simpsons could have been a great if not for the last 9 seasons. Friends could have done it if not for the last 3. To go out on top, and to choose to do it rather than get cancelled is pretty extraordinary.











1.) Arrested Development 2003-2006
It's time came much too soon. The best ensemble cast in a sitcom ever. Everyone was perfect. A lot of times in sitcoms people get pigeon holed into their character like in Friends (could I be any more pigeon holed). Or other times we can lose sight of the character for the actor like in Seinfeld, sometimes I saw the real life Jerry and not the character in the show. But Arrested Development was almost real. As if they weren't actors but really themselves. For every single take of every single episode. It's amazing really that it was cancelled and shows like 2 and a Half Men are still on the air. I hope the movie that is being discussed actually gets made. It would be tragic if I never got to see what happened to the Bluths...

Anyways, you can dispute whatever but you're wrong. These are the best. Go big...

-M, p, z & shredder

oh ps - it's going to be 78 today. Degrees. 78 degrees. In Michigan. In mid-April. Can anyone say 'melting-ice caps.' Please reduce, reuse and recycle! I love the weather but like Joni Mitchell said, 'I don't care about spots on my apples, leave me the birds and the bees. Please."