Top Tens of the Decade

Well, it's New Years Eve and this year it's not just the last day of the year, but the last day of the decade! :O And what a decade it's been. Not too good for the world, in general, but nonetheless, a very significant one for me (though ten years is a long time, I don't know if there won't be a decade in my life I wouldn't consider significant). This decade did take up two thirds of my life after all (:O), so a large portion of my experiences, memories, good and bad, took place during the 2000s. Too much to share the ups and downs or any personal favorite moments, so I don't really feel like celebrating in any way personal, but I thought to honor the occasion, I would post some of my top tens of the decade (movies, music, and books). Over the winter break, I've been seeing these things all over the place, so I'd thought I go through mine.

I also want to start writing more and posting on this blog, even though no one reads it. But I feel like I've been wasting time looking at stuff like top ten lists on the internet (The Internet: World's Worst Distraction), instead of doing something meaningful like writing or working. One more thing: I'm not gonna be explaining my choices or anything, because I don't feel any need to prove my tastes to anyone. I simply like what I like, which is constantly changing, but it's all subjective and these just happen to be the pieces of art that have affected me emotionally. Everyone's lists will be different.... sorry for pointing out the obvious. On all the other lists I've seen, they usually say that.... What is it with top ten lists, anyways? Why do I feel the urge to rank things....

I'll start with movies:

Top Ten Films of the Decade:

1. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (d. by Michel Gondry)

2. Wall-E (d. by Andrew Stanton)

3. Adaptation (d. by Spike Jonze)

4. Amelie (d. by Jean-Pierre Jeunet)

5. There Will Be Blood (d. by Paul Thomas Anderson)

6. The Dark Knight (d. by Chris Nolan)

7. The Departed (d. by Martin Scorsese)

8. (500) Days of Summer (d. by Marc Webb)

9. Almost Famous (d. by Cameron Crowe)

10. Brokeback Mountain (d. by Ang Lee)

Other films that I love, but didn't quite make the list (in no specific order, just the order I thought of them):

Memento (d. by Chris Nolan)

Sideways (d. by Alexander Payne)

Kill Bill (d. by Quentin Tarantino)

Punch-Drunk Love (d. by Paul Thomas Anderson)

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (d. by Shane Black)

Synecdoche, New York (d. by Charlie Kaufman)

Finding Nemo (d. by Andrew Stanton)

Inglourious Basterds (d. by Quentin Tarantino)

Little Miss Sunshine (d. by Jonathon Dayton and Valerie Faris)

Once (d. by John Carney)

Top Ten Albums of the Decade:

1. From a Basement on a Hill by Elliott Smith

2. In Rainbows by Radiohead

3. Funeral by Arcade Fire

4. Oh, Interverted World by the Shins

5. Once Soundtrack by Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova (The Swell Season)

6. Far by Regina Spektor

7. Set Yourself on Fire by Stars

8. Achilles’ Heel by Pedro the Lion

9. Kid A by Radiohead

10. Figure 8 by Elliott Smith

Now, other albums I love, but didn't quite make the list (in no specific order, just the order I thought of them):

Neon Bible by Arcade Fire

The Dresden Dolls by The Dresden Dolls

Fate by Dr. Dog

Elephant by The White Stripes

We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank by Modest Mouse

Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix by Phoenix

Begin to Hope by Regina Spektor

Transatlanticism by Death Cab for Cutie

Strict Joy by The Swell Season

I'm Wide Awake It's Morning by Bright Eyes

Now, books are a little trickier, because though they're probably the strongest of these three art forms, I can listen to a cd or watch a movie a lot quicker than I can read a book. So, there are lots of movies and cds that didn't make either of those lists that I still liked, but I don't even have an "other books I love, but didn't quite make the list" books because I've only read a little over ten books from this decade. So, i have no way to rank ten other books, unless I count like Andrew Clements or Leminy Snicket books. Also, I don't really care for Harry Potter, so he's not on this list. Sorry. :P Also, just to clarify, I have read way more than 20 books this decade, but only about 15 of them were released this decade (which is what I'm ranking). Most of what I read came out a long time ago (though usually in the 19th century). Sadly, looking at this rather weak list, none of these books compare to my favorites (FitzGerald, Salinger, Yates, Vonnegut), except for my number 1. My top five, I actually think is pretty strong, even though I'm always complaining about how there's no good literature anymore. Certainly better than anything I've read from the 80s. I also haven't read The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Klay, The Kite Runner, or The Story of Edgar Sawtelle yet, so I'm sure any of those three could have made it on here. Also, I'm only doing fiction, so two of my favorites (Marley and Me and Manhood for Amateurs) couldn't make it. Wow, that was long. Anyways, here was go:

Top Ten Fiction Novels of the Decade:

1. Life of Pi by Yann Martel

2. Choke by Chuck Palahniuk

3. The Road by Cormac McCarthy

4. Rant: An Oral Biography of Buster Casey by Chuck Palahniuk

5. The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

6. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon

7. The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

8. Lullaby by Chuck Palahniuk

9. The Breif Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz

10. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

And there we go. That's everything. I don't watch enough TV to do a top ten of that. Maybe a top five. (Arrested Development, The Office, It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia, The Daily Show). Damn, 1 short. Well, there's four anyways. I wish you a Happy New Years. (It was so weird yesterday, I was on the phone with Apple trying to figure out computer problems and at the end the lady, who was being really flirty, told me not to drink too much on New Years Eve, and I wasn't sure if I should say that I was 15 or just laugh and say I wouldn't.... so instead I said "You too." :I She also told me that she met her husband on AOL 16 years ago. Then, she said "Can you believe that? We've been together 16 years!" And, again, not really knowing what to say, I just said " Wow. That's impressive.") Anyways........... I've been stalling way too long. I have to get back to work. Adios and Farewell.

"Ain't Misbehavin'" Review

I forgot to post this a while ago.

Review of ATC’s Production of “Ain’t Misbehavin’”

by Marc Hansen

ATC’s revival of the classic Fats Waller musical “Ain’t Misbehavin,’” which won 7 Tony awards back in its heyday, is fantastic. The play does a magnificent job of bringing you back to the swinging, jazz filled 1920s. By the end, you really feel like you’ve just spent the night in a different era. Featuring 30 of Fats Waller and others hits, “Ain’t Misbehavin’” hits all the right notes.

“Ain’t Misbehavin’” isn’t a typical plot-driven play and as someone who loves stories, a great one would’ve only made it better, but a bad one could have also brought it down. The production is, instead, a collection of songs detailing the rise of Fats Waller and a tribute to the black musicians of the 1920s and ‘30s who were part of the Harlem Renaissance in New York City. There’s not much to dislike about “Ain’t Misbehavin’” (named after the Fats Waller song that opens the show) and it remains perfectly enjoyable, even without a plot. Besides, having a story only would’ve taken away from the production’s greatest accomplishment - the wonderful atmosphere it creates. Through the use of music, light, set design, and costumes, “Ain’t Misbehavin’” takes you to a new world, and makes you forget your own.

The stage has been transformed to look like a ‘40s nightclub with a disco ball and a piano that impressively moves around the stage. The ladies’ elaborate gowns only add to the illusion that we actually are in a ‘40s club and the way the light is used to create mood is incredible. The lights are perfectly dimmed in slow ballads, where you feel like just closing you eyes, curling up with a loved one, and letting the music take you in, but during the bright, jumpy swing numbers, the lights are bright and dramatic, more representative of the music’s poppy exuberance. Credit also has to go to the jazz musicians that give the production its playful energy. After all, what would a Fats Waller musical be without musicians that do its composer justice? Luckily from Darryl G. Ivey on keyboards to Thomas A. Fries on drums the band members are all top notch.

The cast is similarly excellent, from Angela Grovey’s spunky wit to Christopher L. Morgan as the charming goofball. And though they all have boisterous voices, Ken Robinson’s ability to hold a note stands out, as he proved in “Honeysuckle Rose.” Rebecca Covington and Aurelia Williams round out the cast, and while Covington has an undescribable, but immediate likeability (she even does a piece where she sings bad, in character), Williams, or the character she played, is a little too over the top. Either way, her loudness was mildly annoying.

But really, the star of “Ain’t Misbehavin’” is Fats Waller, himself. It’s his playful energy and sense of ethnic pride that seeps through the performances. It’s everywhere, in the hilarious “Your Feet’s Too Big,” about dumping a woman because of her overly large feet, in the literally jumping Act 1 Finale “The Joint is Jumpin’” and in the ode to pianos “Handful of Keys,” in which the quintet cleverly sing like a piano (Robinson’s low bass note boops to the others’ high note bops). The production’s wit and energy is infectious, and it’s impossible to leave without a smile on your face. There’s always a certain joy in the meaningful plays that really get at something deep, but sometimes, as “Ain’t Misbehavin’” proves, it’s just nice to sit back and be entertained.

The only misstep in the songs is Morgan’s drawn out “The Viper’s Drag,” in which Morgan flaunts off his muscular physique as he seduces the crowd. Morgan just didn’t work for me as the bad-boy sexy type, especially after he had already been established as a lovable goofball, a la Clark Gable in It Happened One Night. That slight misstep was quickly forgiven though with the beautiful harmonies between the cast in the moving “Black and Blue,” by far the best performance in the production. Though you might think this would be likely to put the audience to sleep, because it’s so calming, the opposite is actually true. It’s so startingly good that we’re more awake than ever, and ready for the finale.

The production truly takes you back to a different time, a place you may not have even known about, but believe me, you’ll be glad to have taken the journey. Buying the soundtrack just wouldn’t be the same, because you’d miss out on all the crazy hijinks, the humorous facial expressions, and the pure, raw electricity from the actors playing off the audience. “Ain’t Misbehavin’” may not have a plot, but that’s only because its job is to transport you back to the era, and let you create the story for yourself.

Overall Grade: A-