Friday 1 January 2010

Mopping up 2009's highs and lows of films, books and pop music.

Films most enjoyed (i.e. felt they were worth the money) out of 84 cinema visits, in order of viewing:-
Revolutionary Road
Bronson
Religulous
Inglourious Basterds
Broken Embraces
Julie & Julia
Away We Go
Bright Star
Paranormal Activities
Me and Orson Welles

Film least liked - 'The Boat That Rocked' (not even redeeemed by the presence of the ever-watchable Philip Seymour Hoffman.)



Book that most impressed - out of 60 books read (excluding 20 re-reads)
Khalid Hosseini's 'A Thousand Splendid Suns' - heartbreaking, shattering and mind-opening.

Book finally got round to reading - and liked a lot:-
Ruth Prawer Jhabvala's 'Heat and Dust'.

Book found most entertaining-
Augusten Burrough's 'Running with Scissors' - thanks to Breenlantern for mentioning this author whom I hadn't known till then.

Book I expected to enjoy but didn't especially - (what was all the fuss about?)
Gabriel Garcia Marquez - One Hundred Years of Solitude.

Book not expected to have liked, but did (well, quite) :-
Michael Crichton's - Prey.



Biggest pop-music revelation for me:-
Can't think of one for 2009 (not even Lady Ga Ga!) - maybe should accept I'm just getting too old.

Biggest pop-music disappointment:-
Mika's follow-up album after the sensationally good 'Life in Cartoon Motion', awash with 'tunes' from heaven.

What I'd most like to hear in 2010:-

'Scissor Sisters' delivering something as punchily brilliant as their first eponymous album, though 'Ta-DAH' is very nearly as good too. (Okay, okay - so what if I do have the hots for Babydaddy?)

Madonna renouncing wearing animal fur (It's become an unwelcome spectre at the feast whenever I hear her songs, even from yonks ago, and I've just got to have a regular dose of Madge.)

Susan Boyle coming out as lesbian - or, if not, at least getting a sensitive and sensible manager who will guide and care for her properly and with discretion.



So, there it is for last year. What will the the start of the new decade bring? One wonders and hopes, doesn't one?
......and an especially happy NY to anyone reading this.

6 comments:

  1. Happy New Year handsome. Enjoyed reading this and learning more of your taste. I have some other recommendations you might enjoy, but that would require a little trip across the pond and some alone time with me :-) Wishing you prosperity and joy in the new year...less neighbor hassles and more blogging fun! Be well, be healthy and, most importantly, be happy. I'll be watching you.

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  2. Thanks so much, Wonderboy. Reading your comment now at 8.10 a.m. has put a zing in my day. I always feel so honoured when you, who have so many, many friends, have the time to give me a little of your much-in-demand attention. Now I'll fantasise further on our spending some 'quality' time together - just the two of us alone - ah!!!!!! And an OUTRAGEOUSLY Happy New Year to you, too, you little hottie!

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  3. Happy New Year Ray :-)
    Eighty four cinema visits? I'm lucky to go once a month. I only saw a couple of those movies you listed, with Julie & Julia being my favorite. I'm pleased that you like it as well.
    Do you really think Susan is lesbian? Is that the talk there in the UK?

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  4. You too Larry. No, I've heard no real evidence that SuBo is gay, but wouldn't be too surprised if she turned out to be so. It's just that she's so often referred to here as "spinster Susan Boyle" (nudge nudge wink wink!) or I've even seen "believed to be a virgin" (not that that would prove anything either way). In the past and still occasionally now our tabloid press, if they didn't want to spell out that they thought or knew that a male celebrity or politician was gay, they'd often write "bachelor so-and-so" and leave the reader to take the hint.
    As for my cinema-going frequency, the number seems to decrease year on year - a far cry from one year in the late 1970s when I managed 201 separate visits. But thanks for your interest.

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  5. Sixty books I'm impressed! I thought I was doing well at twenty-five to thirty.

    Raybeard, a belated happy new year to you! Wishing you a year filled with lots of happiness and not much fuss.:)

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  6. Thanks so much, Kyle. And I wish every bit of the same to you - perhaps even more. (Btw Total number of books read last year INCLUDING re-reads was 81 - but then I'm not working!)

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