Best of 2006

[Eliza McLaren]

Alright, so it's a bit late in the month for this, but a bunch of us came up with our favorite movies, albums, and tracks from 2006. Here's our list. Please add to it...

Best Movies of 2006 (in no particular order):

Superman Returns, Directed by Bryan Singer
Recommended by Monica Robles: "Brandon Routh had big shoes to fill by following Christopher Reeves as Superman. Fortunately, he was a natural and he revitalized the classic tale for a new generation of fans. The movie kept its momentum with action and character development. Watch this movie because Kevin Spacey makes a devious Lex Luther, because the young kid in it is adorable, and because the style of the movie stays faithful to the original. Keep an eye out for thought-provoking religious parallelisms."

The Departed, Directed by Martin Scorsese
Recommended by Paul DiComo: “This movie has an amazing story and great acting throughout. My favorite of the year.”

Notes on a Scandal, Directed by Richard Eyre
Recommended by Eliza McLaren: "Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett deserve many awards for their acting in this complex drama. Notes on a Scandal is a truly terrifying movie and, without any reserve, my favorite of the year."



Little Miss Sunshine, Directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris
Recommended by Kendall Ludwig: “Everything about it was great, from the acting to the screenplay to the crazy-pageant-stripper-dance-number. And it features one of the most believable dysfunctional families I ever seen captured on film.”

Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, Directed by Larry Charles
Recommended by Patrick Chrobak: “Funniest. Movie. Ever. Wah-wah-wee-wah"


Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Directed by Adam McKay
Recommended by Matthew Polk: Favorite movie of 2006. A good movie, not a great movie but pretty funny and it was the first movie we watched in our new house. That makes it an easy favorite for the year.


Clerks II, Directed by Kevin Smith
Recommended by Patrick Knight: “Any movie that can disparage JRR Tolkien, have a dance number, a donkey show and try to bring back racial slurs, yet have an R rating is ok in my book. Clerks 2 revisits some of the same themes, with the trademark snarky slacker cast as, the original Clerks did a decade ago but with a bigger budget and some maturity.”

Best Albums of 2006 (in no particular order):

Under the Iron Sea - Keane
Recommended by Justin Bright: “Keane’s second album has such emotional lyrics and beautiful melodies. It’s much better than the first.”

The Crane Wife - The Decemberists
Recommended by Eliza McLaren: “This albums is their best album yet. Indie rockish, great lyrics, great guitar, and catchy melodies. You’ll be singing along on your first listen.”

Broken Boy Soldiers - Raconteurs
Recommended by Kendall Ludwig: “Jack White is a genius, and even though these guys can’t replace The White Stripes, they don’t really need to. This album is soulful and raw, but has a seamless quality to it. There isn’t one weak track on the whole album.”

Wolfmother – Wolfmother

Band of Horses – Everything All The Time

Sia – Colour the Small One

Thom Yorke – The Eraser

Clipse – Hell Hath No Fury

Cedars – Another Season


Best Singles of 2006 (in no particular order):

Here It Goes Again – Ok Go
The song is awesome, but the video makes it.


My Love – Justin Timberlake
Another one with a video worth watching.


Insistor – Tapes N’ Tapes

Promiscuous Girl – Nelly Furtado

Snakes on a Plane – Cobra
Try to listen to this without dancing…it’s impossible.

Crazy – Gnarls Barkley

Black Swan – Thom Yorke

World Spins Madly On – The Weepies

Hospital Beds – Cold War Kids

[TroyD]

Justin Timberlake? Are you kidding me?

Talladega Nights? Matt needs to REALLY lay off the hash pipe. I'm guessing DEI didn't make urinalysis one of the conditions of employment. ;)

BDT

[Shizelbs]

I guess everyone is entitled to their opinions.

[zombie boy 2000]

Nice, refreshing angle on albums of the year. Demi will be pleased to see you included the Decemberists...

I'd like to include:

Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not - Arctic Monkeys
The Back Room - Editors
Switzerland - Electric Six
Drum's Not Dead - Liars
and...
Invisible Invasion - The Coral (released in 2005, but still the most played in 2006 at my abode:D)

[Demiurge]

The Crane Wife - The Decemberists
Recommended by Eliza McLaren: “This albums is their best album yet. Indie rockish, great lyrics, great guitar, and catchy melodies. You’ll be singing along on your first listen.”

RIGHT ON!!!!!!!! :D :D One of the best bands around for the past 5 or so years now.

Check out Colin's old stuff in Tarkio if you get the chance.

Band of Horses – Everything All The Time

Cedars – Another Season

Also 2 top notch choices.

[markmarc]

Movie:
The Queen
Album:
Donald Fagan- Morph the Cat
Television Show:
Boston Legal and Two and a Half men
Book:
1776 by David McCullough
Game of the Year:
Boise St. over Oklahoma
Politician:
All those that didn't run again!!!

[audiobliss]

Whao. You mean you can put Borat and Talladega Nights on a Best Movies list but not even mention Casino Royale, Pursuit of Happyness, Deja Vu, or The Good Shepherd? Wow. Remind me not to take movie recommendations from you!!

[ESavinon]

2006 must have been a very slow year creatively .

[Demiurge]

Whao. You mean you can put Borat and Talladega Nights on a Best Movies list but not even mention Casino Royale, Pursuit of Happyness, Deja Vu, or The Good Shepherd? Wow. Remind me not to take movie recommendations from you!!

Psst...it's a collective list from a bunch of people.

[audiobliss]

And I don't think I'd listen to any of their recommendations! :p :D

[ninerbj]

pass that hash pipe

[PolkThug]

Crazy Bitch - Buckcherry

[TennesseeOutlaw]

DJ Tiesto - International DJ of the Year

Best Song - Weird Al Yankovich "White and Nerdy"

Best Movie - The Departed

[aaharvel]

Album: Sigur Ros - Saeglopur (Ambient music made to the sound of garbled Icelandic vocals) Other works: Crash, Vanilla Sky

Song: The Saints Are Coming - Green Day/U2 (Collab)

Book: Dispatches From The Edge: A Memoir of War, Disasters, and Survival - Anderson Cooper

Film: I'll get back to ya on that after I see Babel this weekend.