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patentdragon...being a wistful look back on film, music, sport and TV in the year just passed, and a bunch of predictions for 2012.
Film Of The Year...
THOR was a crucial element in the whole AVENGERS strategy - a film that absolutely HAD to work. A Shakespearean director, an intriguing teaser at the end of Iron Man 2, and so much background to possibly screw up...
But it all worked. Chris Hemsworth was great as the title hero, Tom Hiddlestone a revelation as his brother and arch-enemy, Loki, Asgard was presented in all its majesty... the battles were more than worthy of the character, and all his decades of heroic history. Brilliant. Kenneth Branaugh, we salute you (and the chair's apparently still open for THOR 2)!
Record Of The Year...
B-52s "With The Wild Crowd - Live In Athens GA" was just the breath of fresh air my rather turbulent year needed. I love live albums, and this is one band conspicuously absent from the hallowed ranks of those who've released live recordings. The hits and favourites are all there - "Roam", "Give Me Back My Man", "Planet Claire", "Rock Lobster", "Love Shack" - as well as newer material, such as "Funplex", and less familiar tracks(to me!) that still cut clean through the autumn gloom. Priceless!
Disappointment Of The Year...
In the final reckoning, The Redskins' 5-11 Record beats Green Lantern by a mile. GL was actually not that bad a movie, although it could have been better, but the Redskins starting with a 3-1 record, only to win two more games for the rest of the season, puts any of that film's shortcomings well in the shade. Gaining a potential franchise quarterback in the draft could have put a positive spin on it all, were it not for the Colts throwing the season to steal the Number 1 Pick...
We'll probably end up with trading for Peyton Manning, only for him to suck on his pre-retirement swansong season.
Oh, and this could have been a tie, if I included Super 8...
Dishonourable Mentions... Super 8, no full F1 season on terrestrial TV in 2012, the announcement of the closure of RAF Leuchars...
Surprise Of The Year...
TIE: Sucker Punch and ...Tintin - Secret Of The Unicorn. Sucker Punch was shredded by the critics, but what I saw bore no resemblance to the "w--kfest" they described. An original idea, well-crafted and entertaining, this multi-layered fantasy starts and ends darkly, but as a whole, it's a ride well worth taking, and which too many have missed out on because they prefered to take the reviews at face value, rather than take a chance.
I certainly took a chance with Tintin, not being the biggest fan of the books and not really finding the concept entirely to my liking, but I ended up very pleasantly surprised. Using 3D as it should be used, and featuring great performances behind the masks of performance-capture CGI (Andy Serkis, take a bow), this managed to come together as a highly satisfying package. Once again, Peter Jackson manages to sprinkle gold-dust on his works!
And finally...
Predictions...
Packers-Ravens in the Superbowl - Ravens surprise everyone with a come-from-behind victory, 26-23. Possibly overtime.
Another big year for movies. Avengers does not disappoint, but The Dark Knight Rises wins Blockbuster Season, and there's more talk of the bursting of "the superhero bubble" as The Amazing Spider-Man fails to set the world alight. Prometheus divides critics, and blows up the internet. A half-season of Doctor Who doesn't air until after the Olympics, sparking rumours of the show's demise - and grow stronger following the announcement of the imminent departure of Matt Smith.
Britain has an excellent Olympics, despite a couple of terrorist threats. The UK soccer team bombs, however, prompting calls for a return to grass-roots and the end of the dependence on foreign players in the national game. Cue talk of racism...
Repeats of the August riots are thwarted by forceful police action. Other riots due to Cameron opening his gob in ill-advised fashion about the unemployed, stemming from peaceful protests at Westminster.
Russia puts the International Space Station in serious jeopardy by losing a manned Soyuz capsule.
Obama loses the US election - and things get worse under the Republicans. They blame the Democrats...
Oh, and The Euro finally goes tits up. Labour blame the Tories. Britain, being "isolated" from the core of Europe, weather the storm better than most.
Some hacker really fucks up horribly, and his ilk become "the new bankers", as the most hated people on Earth. The hackers launch their "internet liberation" satellites, and the US military shoot them down.
The Pope says something INCREDIBLY stupid, and probably has Muslims, gays AND atheists calling for his head. As a result, a major country refuses to allow his to visit their country.
A Royal dies.
Film Of The Year...
THOR was a crucial element in the whole AVENGERS strategy - a film that absolutely HAD to work. A Shakespearean director, an intriguing teaser at the end of Iron Man 2, and so much background to possibly screw up...
But it all worked. Chris Hemsworth was great as the title hero, Tom Hiddlestone a revelation as his brother and arch-enemy, Loki, Asgard was presented in all its majesty... the battles were more than worthy of the character, and all his decades of heroic history. Brilliant. Kenneth Branaugh, we salute you (and the chair's apparently still open for THOR 2)!
Record Of The Year...
B-52s "With The Wild Crowd - Live In Athens GA" was just the breath of fresh air my rather turbulent year needed. I love live albums, and this is one band conspicuously absent from the hallowed ranks of those who've released live recordings. The hits and favourites are all there - "Roam", "Give Me Back My Man", "Planet Claire", "Rock Lobster", "Love Shack" - as well as newer material, such as "Funplex", and less familiar tracks(to me!) that still cut clean through the autumn gloom. Priceless!
Disappointment Of The Year...
In the final reckoning, The Redskins' 5-11 Record beats Green Lantern by a mile. GL was actually not that bad a movie, although it could have been better, but the Redskins starting with a 3-1 record, only to win two more games for the rest of the season, puts any of that film's shortcomings well in the shade. Gaining a potential franchise quarterback in the draft could have put a positive spin on it all, were it not for the Colts throwing the season to steal the Number 1 Pick...
We'll probably end up with trading for Peyton Manning, only for him to suck on his pre-retirement swansong season.
Oh, and this could have been a tie, if I included Super 8...
Dishonourable Mentions... Super 8, no full F1 season on terrestrial TV in 2012, the announcement of the closure of RAF Leuchars...
Surprise Of The Year...
TIE: Sucker Punch and ...Tintin - Secret Of The Unicorn. Sucker Punch was shredded by the critics, but what I saw bore no resemblance to the "w--kfest" they described. An original idea, well-crafted and entertaining, this multi-layered fantasy starts and ends darkly, but as a whole, it's a ride well worth taking, and which too many have missed out on because they prefered to take the reviews at face value, rather than take a chance.
I certainly took a chance with Tintin, not being the biggest fan of the books and not really finding the concept entirely to my liking, but I ended up very pleasantly surprised. Using 3D as it should be used, and featuring great performances behind the masks of performance-capture CGI (Andy Serkis, take a bow), this managed to come together as a highly satisfying package. Once again, Peter Jackson manages to sprinkle gold-dust on his works!
And finally...
Predictions...
Packers-Ravens in the Superbowl - Ravens surprise everyone with a come-from-behind victory, 26-23. Possibly overtime.
Another big year for movies. Avengers does not disappoint, but The Dark Knight Rises wins Blockbuster Season, and there's more talk of the bursting of "the superhero bubble" as The Amazing Spider-Man fails to set the world alight. Prometheus divides critics, and blows up the internet. A half-season of Doctor Who doesn't air until after the Olympics, sparking rumours of the show's demise - and grow stronger following the announcement of the imminent departure of Matt Smith.
Britain has an excellent Olympics, despite a couple of terrorist threats. The UK soccer team bombs, however, prompting calls for a return to grass-roots and the end of the dependence on foreign players in the national game. Cue talk of racism...
Repeats of the August riots are thwarted by forceful police action. Other riots due to Cameron opening his gob in ill-advised fashion about the unemployed, stemming from peaceful protests at Westminster.
Russia puts the International Space Station in serious jeopardy by losing a manned Soyuz capsule.
Obama loses the US election - and things get worse under the Republicans. They blame the Democrats...
Oh, and The Euro finally goes tits up. Labour blame the Tories. Britain, being "isolated" from the core of Europe, weather the storm better than most.
Some hacker really fucks up horribly, and his ilk become "the new bankers", as the most hated people on Earth. The hackers launch their "internet liberation" satellites, and the US military shoot them down.
The Pope says something INCREDIBLY stupid, and probably has Muslims, gays AND atheists calling for his head. As a result, a major country refuses to allow his to visit their country.
A Royal dies.
