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Looking back
So, okay, I'll join in the retrospecitve. Some bests of 2000...
Music: I didn't get a whole lot of new music in 2000. Mostly I was buying DVDs
instead. :-) Although many bands I already love came out with new records.
Some of my favorites are (in no particular order):
Peter Gabriel - Ovo. I probably like the soundtrack version better than
the studio version, but they're both pretty amazing.
Scholars & Fools - eponymous. Just discovered this band from Portland
last week. If you like Jonatha Brooke, check 'em out.
November Project - (bootleg) the new incarnation of October Project. Not quite
as lush as the old sound, but still striking and evocative.
Jim's Big Ego - No Place Like Nowhere. Probably the subtlest record yet
from the Ego trio. Witty lyrics, funky grooves, and charming princes.
David Wilcox - What You Whispered. Stripped down music brings due focus on the
striking lyrics; this is up to his usual standards.
Monk - O. Genius.
Dar Williams - The Green World. Lots of fun, light humor, touching emotions.
Films. Not the best year ever for film, I must say, but there have been
a few highlights.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Far and away best film I saw last year.
Haunting, gorgeous, majestic. Very melodrama, but hey, there's a place
for that. :-)
Fantasia 2000. I was kind of dreading this one, but I found it to be a most
worthy continuation of the original idea. Gorgeous, clever, and fun,
only the choice of somewhat pedestrian pieces and the cloying
interstitials detract from the overall genius of it. The Firebird alone
should win an award.
Titus. I think this is technically a 1999 film, but I didn't see it until Feb.
Extremely stunning, visually, with standout performances and truly
gruesome subject matter.
Almost Famous. You almost forget how good this is, it's done with such a deft
touch. Frances MacDormand once again shows she's one of the best actors
around, and the lead does a great job turning a potentially cliched
'coming of age' story into something special.
You Can Count on Me. solid performances and a tender approach make this slice
of life a glimpse into something special. Didn't really deal with faith
well, though.
X-Men. So much better than it could have been. Still flawed (Sabretooth is
supposed to be *smart*!), but still thoroughly enjoyable.
Dinosaur. I hesitate to mention this one, because the script was *so* bad, but
it looked *so* gorgeous. I wish they had filmed it like a nature film,
and just had *all* the dinosaurs grunt and roar. The plot would have
been just as comprehensible, and we wouldn't have been subjected to lines
using the word "jerkasaurus".
Nurse Betty. Strong performances, and some interesting themes about fantasy,
reality, and the interaction between the two.
Shanghai Noon. This was fall down funny, as well as having some touching
moments dealing with prejudice and working across it.
Billy Elliot. Strong performances and a wicked sensibility raise this rather
familiar story to new heights.
Honorable Mentions: Love's Labors Lost, High Fidelity, Frequency, Chicken Run,
Bamboozled, Best in Show, Erin Brokovitch.
Still need to see: Croupier, O Brother Where Art Thou, Quills, The Eyes of
Tammy Faye, The Cell, The Original Kings of Comedy, Dancer in the Dark,
House of Mirth, Girlfight, Pollack, Shadow of the Vampire, State & Main,
Traffic, Cast Away, Wonder Boys, Hamlet, Winter Sleepers.
Some of the worst (that I saw): Mission to Mars, Reindeer Games, U-571, Shaft,
The adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle. Of course, there were a lot more
that looked *so* bad, like Battlefield Earth, I didn't even bother. :-)
Welcome to the new millenium!
--
Don Smith Robotic Optical Transient Search Experiment
dasmith at rotse2_physics.lsa.umich.edu http://xte.mit.edu/~dasmith/
"The disgust and fear that physics stimulates in some people is rivaled
only by their feelings towards cockroaches." - Mario Livio
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