the year in review, without much ceremony.

[duchess_of_pie]

okay, i'm feeling better. went back into work on friday--though i shouldn't have--and am currently in the draining period. i'm not sure exactly what it was, but it was a big nasty virus that raped my health and it will take some time to fully heal. i'm considering finding a nice therapy group to talk to....

but. i just got my new 2008 planner all set up and went over 2007. it's time to do a quick entertainment review:



okay, most important lists first. movies.

DUCHESS' TOP 10 FILMS OF 2007

1. once.
2. lars and the real girl.
3. no country for old men.
4. sweeny todd.
5. waitress.
6. 28 weeks later. i like zombie movies.
7. hot fuzz.
8. 3:10 to yuma.
9. the king of kong.
10. stardust. you heard me. good times.

winner by default: harry potter and the order of the phoenix. if i didn't give it top billing, i wouldn't be a true fan.

honerable mention: persepolis. technically, it has a 2007 release date. i just saw it the other night and it's fkn amazing.

(i would also like to put "there will be blood" on this list, but i haven't seen it yet. i'm sure it will make the list. if you like, you can bump "stardust" off for this.)


DUCHESS' LIST OF 10 MOVIES SHE TOTALLY WASTED MONEY ON AND WISHED SHE COULD TAKE A HUGE DUMP ON

1. sea of dreams.
2. dan in real life.
3. shrek III.
4. the host.
5. the darjeeling limited.
6. hairspray.
7. december boys.
8. 1408.
9. vacancy.
10. becoming jane.

disclaimer: the last one wasn't really that bad. but this is a worst 10 list, and i needed 10. i don't have to take a poo on it. the rest of them though, yeesh.



television.


DUCHESS' FAVORITE SERIES OF 2007


1. the office
2. flight of the conchords
3. battlestar galactica
4. lost
5. pushing daisies
6. chuck
7. mad men
8. dexter
9. survivor: china
10. 30 rock. i just started watching season 2 of this a few days ago. good stuff.





music. this category, i leave to more knowledgeable. just let me say:

best album of the year:
"neon bible" by arcade fire.

best single of the year:
"dance tonight" by paul mccartney.




books. this is based not on releases this year, but on personal experience.

DUCHESS' FAVORITE BOOKS READ LAST YEAR:

1. harry potter and the deathly hallows - j.k. rowling
2. the road - cormac mccarthy
3. the time traveler's wife - audrey niffenegger


DUCHESS' BOOKS THAT MADE HER BOOK-SHY LAST YEAR:

1. bridge to terabithia - katherine paterson
2. wuthering heights - emily bronte
3. dead until dark - charlaine harris
4. nineteen eighty-four - george orwell
5. inkheart - cornelia funke

i obviously had to do some major harry potter re-reading in the middle of the year, and some other re-reading at the end--happy novels i like to rid the taste of the ones i tried and spat out.

honorable mention: the eyre affair, for being the best book i couldn't stomach, and the first book to teach me that it's okay to stop reading if you don't like it.

Comments

[dirtyknobs.livejournal.com]

1408? Really? I thought it was one of the best King movies out there. It was almost as if the director read the original story and, you know, gave a shit about it.

Ah well.

[duchess-of-pie.livejournal.com]

well, it's nice that it was true to the source material. but i have to admit that i've always been more impressed with king on the page rather than the screen. he's usually so subtle and creepy that he sets a nice atmosphere in his stories. but the moment a film has to lean on character and conflict and action, i'm bored.

the only king film that i liked better than the book was "shawshank."

i mostly rented 1408 because of john cusack. he usually makes smart decisions. and i have to admit, i can see why he wanted to do this one. there was just something very unsatisfying about it. it ended and i was like, "that was it?"

[kellygirlnyc.livejournal.com]

You finished 'Time Traveler's Wife.' I am eager to hear your thoughts. Dye your hair red and go out for the movie. You must. :) Wouldn't that be a fucking awesome role. Whew!

[duchess-of-pie.livejournal.com]

it was a great book. beautiful and sad. i didn't quite connect with the characters though...i mean, i liked them, and i felt for them, and their love was absolutely amazing. but there was just something about it that made me feel separated from them. i think this has something to do with my imagining the author as claire. the character is obviously based on herself--red hair, bird-like, visual artist (this book was a side project!)--i met her and heard her speak, and there's something so disconnected about HER...

but yes. i really thought it was an amazing story...and executed so well.

[musiquesas.livejournal.com]

Wow, our top 10 movie lists are quite similar. I still need to see '3:10 to Yuma'. I'll add it to my queue. I too enjoyed Stardust too - what a wonderful surprise. I thought it was going to be awful.

I saw 'There Will Be Blood' this weekend and loved it.

[duchess-of-pie.livejournal.com]

stardust WAS a surprise. i'd heard so many mediocre things about it, and i'm such a non-fan of claire danes, (not to mention the fact that i hated "mirrormask") that i kept checking myself through the movie like, "wow, i'm actually really enjoying this."

i'm sure there will be TWBB on a movie screen in front of my eyes very soon...