Music of 2009

Alright so here is my recap of the year in music. I got a little lazy and decided to skip writing little blurbs about each song or album so I apologize in advance...however, I did provide a neat little playlist after each list, so be sure to check that out. Anyway, feel free to share your thoughts on this years music and make any suggestions / recommendations!

Favorite Songs of 2009
Here are ten songs from the year that I just couldn't stop listening to. If you haven't heard any of these songs before, I highly suggest you check them out ASAP.

10. "Walkabout" - Atlas Sound (feat. Noah Lennox)
9. "Make Her Say" - Kid Cudi (feat. Kanye West & Common)
8. "Live Like We're Dying" - Kris Allen
7. "New Perspective" - Panic! At The Disco
6. "Two Weeks" - Grizzly Bear
5. "I've Got Friends" - Manchester Orchestra
4. "Perfectly Lonely" - John Mayer
3. "1901" - Phoenix
2. "Sleepyhead" - Passion Pit
1. "Empire State of Mind" - Jay-Z (feat. Alicia Keys)

Guilty Pleasure Songs of 2009
Here are some popular hits of this year that I am slightly ashamed of actually liking.

10. "I Love College" - Asher Roth
9. "Right Round" - Flo Rida
8. "Bad Romance" - Lady Gaga
7. "Kiss a Girl" - Keith Urban
6.. "Dead and Gone" - T.I. (feat. Justin Timberlake)
5. "Party in the U.S.A." - Miley Cyrus
4. "You Belong With Me" - Taylor Swift
3. . "I Gotta Feeling" - Black Eyed Peas
2. "Cowboy Casanova" - Carrie Underwood
1. "My Life Would Suck Without You" - Kelly Clarkson

Most Annoying Songs of 2009
If you've never heard some of these songs...do yourself a favor and keep it that way!

5. "Best I Ever Had" - Drake
4. "Hoedown Throwdown" - Miley Cyrus
3. "Birthday Sex" - Jeremih
2. "Tik Tok" - Kesha
1. "Fireflies" - Owl City

Favorite Albums of 2009
And finally, here are five albums of this year that I could listen to straight through over and over again.

5. Manners - Passion Pit

Favorite Tracks: Sleepyhead, The Reeling, Little Secrets

4. Mean Everything to Nothing - Manchester Orchestra

Favorite Tracks: I've Got Friends, I Can Feel a Hot One, Shake It Out

3. The Blueprint 3 - Jay-Z

Favorite Tracks: D.O.A. [Death of Auto-Tune], Empire State of Mind, Young Forever

2. Battle Studies - John Mayer

Favorite Tracks: Half of My Heart, Perfectly Lonely, Friends Lovers or Nothing

1. Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix - Phoenix

Favorite Tracks: Lisztomania, 1901, Girlfriend

Movies of 2009

Hey everyone, I know it's been a long time since I've updated but I'm back for good! 2009 is just about over, so I thought I would look back at this year's movies that I've seen and put a little something together. So here is a list of my ten favorite movies of the year, movies I still really need to see, movies that disappointed me, and upcoming movies that I am really excited to check out. But FIRST, let's start things off with a much more fun list:

Hottest Movie Stars of 2009

[Actresses]

5. Zooey Deschanel (500 Days of Summer)


4. Malin Akerman (Watchmen, The Proposal, Couples Retreat)


3. Rashida Jones (I Love You, Man)


2. Kate Beckinsale (Whiteout, Everybody's Fine)


1. Megan Fox (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Jennifer's Body)


[Actors]

5. Taylor Lautner (New Moon)


4. Hugh Jackman (X-Men Origins: Wolverine)


3. Chris Pine (Star Trek)


2. Joseph Gordon-Levitt (500 Days of Summer, G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra)


1. Ryan Reynolds (X-Men Origins: Wolverine, The Proposal)


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Favorite Movies of 2009

10. The Blind Side

Probably the best 'feel-good' film of the year. The Blind Side features an outstanding cast of talented actors including Sandra Bullock in possibly the best performance of her career. Though the film may come across as your typical inspirational movie, it proves to be a highly entertaining portrayal of an incredibly compelling true story.

9. Away We Go

A fantastic little indie comedy from Sam Mendes (American Beauty, Revolutionary Road) about a hilarious, yet heartfelt journey of an expecting couple struggling to find themselves. Away We Go features very impressive performances from John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph, two actors best known for their roles on TV.

8. I Love You, Man

Despite having a rather simple premise, the film is driven by hilarious performances from Jason Segel and Paul Rudd as well as the great supporting cast. I Love You, Man is filled with awkward situations, heartfelt relationships, hilarious one-liners, and non-stop laughs.

7. Sugar

An incredibly powerful independent film that captures the struggles of Dominican baseball players aspiring to make it to the big leagues. Sugar succeeds at being an atypical sports-flick mixed with raw human drama thanks to an outstanding breakthrough performance by its unknown star, Algenis Perez Soto.

6. The Hangover

Without a doubt, the summer's biggest surprise hit. Even without a cast of well-known actors or a previously existing franchise for support, The Hangover proved that a funny and original R-rated comedy film can still appeal to mass audiences.

5. Where the Wild Things Are

Spike Jonze's film adaptation of the classic children's book, Where the Wild Things Are is a beautifully innovative work of art. Jonze successfully maintains the spirit of the book while still adding his own artistic visions. Though Wild Things is certainly not your typical 'family film,' people of all ages can appreciate the film in one way or another, whether it's the breathtaking visuals, outstanding acting, or Max's wild and emotional journey.

4. Up

Yet another wonderful piece of work from the guys at Disney/Pixar. Much like previous Pixar films, Up includes a perfect blend of comedy, action, and powerful emotional themes and succeeds at turning a rather simple story into one incredibly heartfelt adventure.

3. Star Trek

Forget Transformers. Forget Terminator. J.J. Abrams's reboot of this classic science-fiction franchise perfectly demonstrates exactly what a summer action flick should be. The film features outstanding acting performances from its young, rather unknown cast and breath-taking action sequences that don't solely rely on massive explosions and CGI. But what really makes Star Trek an incredible film is its ability to appeal to hardcore "Trekkies" as well as those of us who are just looking for a solid sci-fi action film.

2. (500) Days of Summer

Unlike typical 'romantic comedies', (500) Days of Summer separates itself from the genre through its honest, sometimes painful, depiction of real-life relationships and its intelligently unique story structure. It strives at being both charming and witty as well as emotionally powerful thanks to the brilliant performances from its two young stars, Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. This is a fantastic little indie gem that is definitely worth checking out.

1. Avatar

Probably the most anticipated film of the year...and fortunately, it lives up to all the hype. James Cameron proves yet again to be one of the only filmmakers in Hollywood to effectively make use of an extremely large budget and ground-breaking technology. Despite following a somewhat familiar storyline, the film basically revolutionizes the possibilities of what can be done in a movie. Avatar excels all across the board from its outstanding acting performances and brilliant directing to its stunning visual effects and heart-racing action sequences. This could very well be the 'Star Wars' of a new generation.

[Honorable Mentions]
Fantastic Mr. Fox
District 9
The Informant!

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Please note: There are still a TON of critically acclaimed films that I haven't seen yet that would have probably had a good chance of making my top 10...Here is a list of some of the movies that I REALLY NEED TO SEE:

The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Up in the Air
Crazy Heart
Sin Nombre
Brothers
An Education
Invictus
Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire
Sherlock Holmes
Nine
A Serious Man
Zombieland
Julie & Julia
A Single Man

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Most Disappointing Movies of 2009
Public Enemies
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
X-Men Origins: Wolverine

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Most Anticipated Movies of 2010

10. Clash of the Titans (March 26, 2010)

Fresh off the success of Avatar, Australian actor Sam Worthington stars in this remake of the 1981 film loosely based on the Greek myth of Perseus. With Terminator Salvation and Avatar under his belt, Worthington seems to be on the verge of becoming the next big Hollywood action star.
[View Trailer]

9. Grown Ups (June 25, 2010)

A comedy featuring a stacked ensemble that includes Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, Rob Schneider, and David Spade. Basically a Saturday Night Live cast reunion (+ Kevin James...)
[View Trailer]

8. Robin Hood (May 14, 2010)

Highly acclaimed director Ridley Scott teams up with Russell Crowe yet again in an epic re-imagining of the legendary story of Robin Hood. If this film is as good as Scott and Crowe's previous work together (American Gangster, Body of Lies, Gladiator), then it is sure to be a big hit.
[View Trailer]

7. The Expendables (August 20, 2010)

A blockbuster action film written and directed by Sylvester Stallone. Features a stacked cast of action veterans such as Stallone himself, Dolph Lundgren, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jet Li, and Bruce Willis as well as Jason Statham, Mickey Rourke and 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin. With basically every big name action star of the past three decades, I have some rather high expectation for this one...let's hope Sly delivers!
[View Trailer]

6. Date Night (April 9, 2010)

An action-comedy starring Tina Fey and Steve Carell. Also features appearances by Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, James Franco, Ray Liotta, Mark Ruffalo, and Kristen Wiig. Can't wait to see some great comedy chemistry between Fey and Carell, two of my favorite comedy actors.
[View Trailer]

5. Iron Man 2 (May 7, 2010)

Robert Downey Jr. reprises his role as Tony Stark in the sequel to the 2008 blockbuster hit. Gwyneth Paltrow also returns as "Pepper" Potts and is joined by Mickey Rourke, Scarlett Johansson, Don Cheadle, Sam Rockwell, and Samuel L. Jackson. Let's see if they can top the success of the first Iron Man and keep the hype going for The Avengers film planned for 2012.
[View Trailer]

4. Shutter Island (February 19, 2010)

Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio team up for the forth time in a row in this dark, psychological thriller. This will be Scorsese's first feature film since The Departed in 2006. I'm really excited to see Scorsese's take on the horror / suspense genre.
[View Trailer]

3. Toy Story 3 (June 18, 2010)

Tim Allen, Tom Hanks, and the rest of the gang reprise their roles in the third installment of the Toy Story series. And of course, it will be in 3-D this time...Let's just hope it will be just as good as the first two (though that is not an easy task at all).
[View Trailer]

2. Inception (July 16, 2010)

A sci-fi action thriller directed by Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight, The Prestige, Memento). Stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Marion Cotillard, Ellen Page, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Here's to hoping this will lessen our anxiety for the next Batman film...
[View Trailer]

1. Alice in Wonderland (March 5, 2010)

Tim Burton's highly anticipated interpretation of a classic fantasy novel. Mia Wasikowska plays the role of Alice, alongside Johnny Depp as The Mad Hatter, Helena Bonham Carter as The Red Queen, Anne Hathaway as The White Queen, and Crispin Glover as The Knave of Hearts. This is by far the film I am most excited to see in 2010.
[View Trailer]


Well that's all for now guys. Feel free to share your thoughts on the films of 2009 or films you are excited to see next year! Please check back soon for my 'Best (and Worst) Music of 2009 list.'

Favorite Movies of 2009 (so far...)

Now that we are well over halfway through the year and well into the summer season, it seems like a rather appropriate time to reflect on some of the films that I have seen this year so far.

Before you read this list, please note the following things: 1. I am not a professional movie critic. 2. Out of the hundreds of films that have been released this year, I have really only seen about 15-20.

With that said, here is my list for 'My Five Favorite Films of 2009...so far'

5. I Love You, Man

Despite having a rather simple premise, the film is driven by it's hilarious performances from Jason Segel and Paul Rudd as well as the great supporting cast. I Love You, Man is filled with awkward situations, heartfelt relationships, hilarious one-liners, and non-stop laughs.

4. Away We Go

A fantastic little indie comedy from Sam Mendes about a hilarious, yet heartfelt journey of an expecting couple struggling to find themselves. Away We Go features very impressive performances from John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph, two actors best known for their roles on TV.

3. Up

Another wonderful piece of work from Pixar. Much like previous Pixar films, Up successfully executes a perfect balance of comedy, adventure, and powerful emotional themes that probably go right over the heads of children.

2. The Hangover

Without a doubt, this summer's biggest surprise hit. Even without a cast of well-known actors or a previously existing franchise for support, The Hangover proved that an original R-rated comedy film can still appeal to mass audiences.

1. Star Trek

Forget Transformers. Forget Terminator. JJ Abrams's reboot of the classic sci-fi franchise is by far the best action film of the year. Unlike other summer blockbusters, Star Trek's action sequences don't soley rely on the use of large explosions and computer generated effects. The film features outstanding acting performances from it's young, rather unknown cast (specifically Chris Pine as James T. Kirk and Zachary Quinto as Spock). But what really makes Star Trek an incredible film, is it's ability to appeal to hardcore "Trekkies" as well as those of us who are just looking for a solid summer action film.

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There are still a ton of critically acclaimed films that I have not seen yet that would have probably had a good chance of making the my top 5...here is a list of some of them:

Movies That I Haven't Seen Yet (But really want to...)
(500) Days of Summer
The Hurt Locker
Sin Nombre
Moon
Sugar
Goodbye Solo
Sunshine Cleaning
Coraline
Two Lovers