Movies of 2009

Last year, I watched 10 movies at the cinemas, down from 16 the previous year. I think I must be getting pickier about what I see, because none of them was a disappointment, even if some were flawed.

Watchmen - Okay, this movie was flawed, as flawed as its characters. But I did enjoy the experience of watching it unfold on the screen, apart from looking away every few minutes at some unnecessarily graphic violence, and being outraged at how the ending was gutted of impact. (No, seriously, I did enjoy most of it.) Though I am disturbed at the vast amounts of merchandise flooding the market, as though these guys are the equivalent of Spiderman. Missing the point.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine - The only good thing about this movie was Gambit. Fortunately for me, that was enough.

Star Trek - A fun science fiction action movie. But nothing about it displayed the spirit of what Star Trek means to me. They may as well have filed the serial numbers off.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - Things are getting almost as dark as they can be. A satisfying instalment in the series.

Coraline 3D - An enjoyable adaptation of the book. Gorgeous animation, especially the enchanted garden.

Ponyo - One of the most gentle and charming Ghibli films ever.

Up - One of the best Pixar movies so far. Beautiful, warm, funny, moving. Also made me cry like a baby throughout the first ten minutes.

Capitalism: A Love Story - If you like Michael Moore, you'll probably like this movie. If you don't like him, you're not going to change your mind watching this. I fall into the former camp, so I found it quite fascinating to see him turn his sights on capitalism, especially in the wake of the global financial crisis.

Detroit Metal City - A movie about a young musician who wants to make sweet pop songs, but instead is stuck in a satanic death metal band, playing a demon lord alter ego. Sometimes hilarious, sometimes disturbing.

Where the Wild Things Are - Definitely not for kids. But it perfectly captured the intense emotion and and bewilderment and powerlessness of childhood.

Television of 2009

What I've been watching the past year.


( My top recommendations )

( My other favourite shows )

( My biggest disappointments )

Books of 2009

In 2009, I read 27 books:

20 were fiction
7 were non-fiction
18 were novels
2 were collections
0 were an anthology
14 were by authors I had read before
13 were by authors I had never read before
3 were first novels in a series
7 were other novels in a series

( Highlights )

Comics of 2009

In 2009, I read 83 volumes of graphic novels.

Series I continued to enjoy:

Fullmetal Alchemist
Hikaru no Go
Slam Dunk!
Bleach

Series I discovered for the first time:

To Terra
Oishinbo

Standalones I enjoyed:

Castle Waiting

Musicals of 2009

Guys and Dolls - All star cast, and classic songs. However, the title song should have been a showstopper but wasn't, perhaps limited by the ability of those particular singers. But "Luck Be a Lady" and "Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat" were still entertaining.

Chicago - Everything a musical should be. Big, bold, brassy songs, great singing, fantastic comic timing, and impressive athleticism, especially from the two leads. Sizzling and sexy. Highlights included "When You're Good to Mama", "Cell Block Tango", and "Class".

Avenue Q - One of my favourite musicals, with some incredibly catchy songs, my favourites including "What Do You Do with a BA in English?", "It Sucks to Be Me", "There's a Fine, Fine Line", and "I Wish I Could Go Back to College". I was very impressed with the ability of the puppeteers to play more than one character simultaneously on stage.

Wicked - This is one musical best seen live on stage, for the magnificent sets and costumes, and also because much of the story is told through dialogue rather than song. The songs themselves are all right, with the standout being "Defying Gravity" (but what a standout!), and I am also fond of "I'm Not That Girl" and "For Good".

Mamma Mia - I generally prefer dramatic musicals to fluffy ones, but hey, who doesn't love ABBA? And they had all my favourite songs, plus others I was not yet familiar with.