31 December 2009
favourite ip of 2009
Its the end of something, which makes it right about time to post a list of various IP I liked at different intervals during said time frame. Its a shame that you get to the end of a year and post up a list of other peoples acheivements and work instead of your own , but by the time I realised this I’d already written the post. And to be honest a list of my year would be a bit dull, but that’s something for me to work on for 2010. (p.s. I do get round to explaining why I have included a picture of the 2008 re-released Badlands at some point)
MUSIC: These are the songs that made me turn off my Last.fm scrobbling to save face from the fact that I often just listened to them on repeat.
You Are the Blood: Sufjan Stevens – So very epic and beautiful. The original Castanet’s version, which is less epic is equally amazing (if not slightly more so).
Converging in the Quiet: Crystal Stilts – I don’t care if they’re a photocopy of Jesus and Mary Chain or My Bloody Valentine, for now that’s how I like them. (and yes 2008, I know, I know)
Golden Phone:Micachu and the Shapes- I wish the world would burst into the choreographed dance routine it does in my head whenever this comes on my iPod
Fuse:Hudson Mohawke - Panpipes have never sounded so good. No that’s not right, in fact pan pipes have never sounded good before this.
Rusty Nails: Moderat – do I have to keep putting little explanations, or can I just put the track down cause I like it and leave it be?
GAMES: I only invested in a games console released this side of the 2002 quite late in 2009 so this was never going to be a console heavy list. But considering how uninspiring a lot of the console titles can be maybe its more appropriate this way.
Time Fuck: Online – Very surprised that such a simple stylish puzzle game can evoke the same creepy fear in me as Cronenberg and Lynch films. I’m equally as surprised that i made it through the Baal level without sending my laptop out the window.
Canabalt: Online/ iPhone - With even less narrative than TF this unbelievably simplistic and addictive game (that i think all of 2% of the population are still yet to play) was still one of the most atmospheric I’ve played this year.
Rhythm Heaven: DS - I ended up with this by surprise, and I still resent it for the fact that I *thought* I had good rhythm… clearly not. Lovingly eccentric and dangerously time sucking.
Eliss: iPhone - One of the first games on the ipod touch that roped me in when Rolando had surprisingly failed to do so. I love the simplistic design and use of the iPhones capabilities, and especially the fact that anyone observing you play tends to have no idea what it is that you’re doing.
Minor Battle: ? I only played this briefly during Indiecade in LA, and was saddened to not see it re-appear at Game City. Such an entertaining and creative mix of virtual and pervasive play, that i don’t think I’ve seen before.
TV: Almost none of the new shows out this year have managed to hook me, but this always takes time with TV I guess. But its still sad to feel like you’ve not yet filled the gap of the great shows which seem to forever be falling like flies.
Pulling - Only remembered at the last minute that this special one off episode came out this year. So sad to see Pulling go when duff like My Family and Outnumbered linger round the BBC like bad smells for years. But maybe there is still hope.
Friday Night Lights: Series 3 – This series allowed me to breathe a sigh of relief that the debacles of series 2 were things of the past as the focus moved back from clichéd soap opera story lines to just genuinely effecting character writing.
Caprica: PilotI’m not adding the final series of BSG here, don’t get me wrong I still heart it, but it was a let down, where as Caprica gave hope for an evolved continuation of an intelligent and inventive sci fi series.
Misfits: Series 1 -The premise of ASBO kids with super powers sounded cringeworthingly bad (hence why I watched it), but I’m glad that this proved to be more than the sci fi skins mash up I was expecting and proved that we don’t always have to make do with shonky BBC sci fi (excluding Ashes to Ashes).
The Thick of it: Series 3 -No one swears so colourfully and elaborately as Armundo Iannuchi. And it was only when faced with the prospect of loosing him that I realised how much I’d fallen for Malcolm Tucker.
Films: I’ve already done my film list for the year over on the Soda Pictures website, but I want to add three additions which weren’t included for obvious reasons…
A Serious Man -I’m glad I managed to squeeze this in at the last minute. So darkly funny, I alwyas prefer this side of the Coens to their ‘Burn After Reading’. Its the subtle moments of humour I find the funniest, such as when the stoned son grasps his cup too early during the Bahmitvah.
Whip It - Although its not out till April I caught it in LA this year so again I’m allowing it here. Like Twilight did last year, the film spoke to the 13 year old girl in me. Why wasn’t I cool enough to sneak into a Roller Derby team when I was a teenager?
Badlands- and finally my favourite discovery of 2009, is a film that came out in 1973, was re-released in 2008, so has no real bearing on 2009 aside from the fact that this was when I watched it. I love how apethetic Spacek is at the end of the film towards her lover, no fear, passion or love just plain indifference – what a perfect ending.
