This is something that I have been planning for some time. Instead of being and following the normal blogging style of showcasing and loudly declaring every single thing out in the pop culture world, I'll just comply them as a wrap up for the month. After all, I just love compilations.
This format is pretty much for anything and everything, similar to what Entertainment Weekly does with its own top ten. It highlights some of the high points and the most interesting and/or entertaining things I had taken in and consumed to great satisfaction. It could be an entire movie or that one extra in that one scene. A television episode, a Youtube video, a MMA fight. Anything.
So let's kick it off.
1. Dead Island Trailer
Quite possible the best short film of the year. I have never heard of the video game until this release of this trailer, which doesn't accurately show the game in action. Instead, we have an unique and extremely sad short story of a vacationing family. With its Memento-like editing and its beautifully haunting music, you have a film that has made several videogamers cry.
2. Community, "Advanced Dungeons & Dragons"
This television show has been firing at all cylinders this season with some truly great episodes. One of the latest had the group in a mirrored version of their Christmas episode: Stuck mentally in a fantasy world while also being physically restrained in their study room. Having the characters playing D & D might be easy fodder for sitcom crap but the show brings real humor and characterization to the proceedings. Big props to the excellent sound mixing and the outrageously hilarious "sex" scene. Huzzah!
3. Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds
This had me hyped up for quite some time. Though it sadly not totally amazing and groundbreaking as the second one, Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is still a lot fun with great fan service. The Ghosts and Goblins stage was the true highlight for me.
4. A.V. Club's Batman: The Animated Series
Though it almost fell apart when the original writer was fired for faking a review, A.V. Club's discussion of the landmark 90's animated series has moved on with Oliver Sawa and his interesting take of the Batman mythology. Though I could have gone with his excellent look at the "Two-Face" two-parter, I instead thoroughly enjoyed his dual review of a truly horrible episode ("I've Got Batman In My Basement") with the award-winning and often considered best episode of the series, "Heart of Ice".
5. Archer, "Pipeline Fever"
This was the month I finally watched Archer for the first time and I have been hooked ever since. "A Going Concern" was an entertaining office romp with Jeffrey Tambor reuniting with Jessica Walter, but I enjoyed "Pipeline Fever" more with its great chemistry between Aisha Tyler and H. Jon Benjamin and its satirical take on modern environmentalism. Plus, it callbacks to old Burt Reynolds movies and Where the Red Fern Grows.
6. The entire discussion of a Robocop statue in Detroit
Waste of money or saving a city? At least people are now interested to travel to Detroit now. Not to mention the global nerdom that will flock to it.
7. The Great Gatsby - NES video game
I hate the book but love this Super Mario Bros/Castlevania take on it. The cutscenes are truly the best, especially the ending sequence. A very short game, four levels, that doesn't overstay its welcome.
8. Birdemic: Shock and Terror released on DVD
This DVD release truly deserves an overlong clapping scene.
9. Supercomputer Watson on Jeopardy!
Entertaining three episode series on the classic game show. Two of the best Final Jeopardy rounds ever, with Watson naming Toronto as a U.S. city and Ken Jennings quoting The Simpsons.
10. Strikeforce / M-1 Global: Fedor vs. Silva, 2/12/11
A great MMA card from the often very problematic number two MMA promotion. Though the Fedor Emelianenko-Antonio Silva fight wasn't what I wanted. Fedor's then-possible retirement speech certainly was shocking.
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