2008 Commentary on the Year

If you’re reading this, you have stumbled upon the very first This Blog has No Title Review of the Year. Okay, the first thing I should say is that it’s not really a review in the strictest sense. It's more of a commentary on the things I have in some way or another been privy to this year. Everything is divided into categories (how very organised) such as people, film and music. Without further ado, let the review/commentary begin.

Television

Six Feet Under
They’re like a family…with a funeral home
I think we all know that Six Feet Under didn’t begin in 2008, nor did it end in 2008. 2008 was however, the year I started (and technically finished) watching Six Feet Under. It amazes me how I never watched this gem of the silver screen earlier. Created by Alan Ball (of American Beauty fame), Six Feet Under tells the tale of the Fisher family who run an independent funeral home in Pasadena. Upon watching the first episode of Six Feet Under, one could guess that it came from the same mind of American Beauty. Aesthetically, they are similar and they both have a “behind the scenes in suburbia” theme. What I think is the strongest feature of Six Feet Under is how well developed each of the characters is. All of the characters are interesting and complex. They all have moments when they are likable and moments when they are not – like real human beings. Season 1 went into depth with each of the main characters and showed their relationship with the supporting characters. Season 2 however brought the supporting characters into the picture more telling us more about them and their motivation. Superb.

Arrested Development
You know, your average American male is in a perpetual state of adolescence, you know, arrested development.
Like Six Feet Under, 2008 was simply the year I watched Arrested Development. This mockumentary documents the life of the Bluth family. In the first episode Michael Bluth (Jason Bateman), is called upon to look after him family and family business after his father is arrested and imprisoned. Arrested Development is a show that really suffers because of its timeslot. In the UK Arrested Development comes on in the very early hours of the morning on BBC2, it was only by chance that I came to watch it. Arrested Development is one of the funniest shows I have watched in a very long time; every episode can be quoted, the characters are the strangest and most abusing collection of people ever, the show is very well cast (Will Arnett, David Cross, Michael Cera) and the guest stars (Liza Minelli, Henry Winkler, Chalize Theron) are great.

Saturday Night Live
Causing “The SNL Effect” since 2007
This has to be one of the biggest years for Saturday Night Live. There are many who say it isn’t as good as it used to be, I wouldn’t know as I only started watching it this year. What I can say is that SNL has been in the spotlight more than usual in 2008. The SNL election coverage and political skits have attracted a large audience with good reason. They really did a good job. It has even been put forward that voters were influenced by Saturday Night Live. Hmmm, interesting.

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Colbert’s got nothing on him
An increasing number of people watch The Daily Show as an alternative to the news. Why? Because it’s funny, informative and Jon Stewart is the definition of charisma. Unfortunately, if you’re in the UK, the Daily Show doesn’t provide much of your news and if you relied solely on it you’d know very little about current affairs. It’s sad that despite it’s awesomeness I have little more to say about the daily show. Oh well.

The Oscars
That was this year?
They came. They went. They were presented by Jon Stewart. More coverage is in the archives.

Honourable mentions: 30 Rock, The Colbert Report, Freaks and Geeks

People

Susan Beir
And they say there aren’t good female directors around
Susan Beir’s name is one that is often mentioned by the people of Simply Syndicated. They adore her; they think she’s a righteous dude. Susan Beir is the wonderful director of such films as Brothers and Open Hearts. This year Susan Beir made her English language debut with “Things we Lost in the Fire” starring Halle Berry and Benicio Del Toro. This wasn’t considered to be her best and it was criticised by most critics familiar with herprevious work. This was my first foray into the cinema of Susan Bier and possibly because my eyes were unclouded by prior knowledge I thought it was great, largely because of Benico Del Toro’s performance. I later came to watch After the Wedding and Brothers, two breathtaking works, Brothers being the superior of the two.

Charlie Chaplin
The only tramp I wouldn’t flee from
I never thought I’d like silent films. I like good dialogue in films and this tends to be lacking from silent ones (obviously). One day I decided to watch City Lights, I can’t remember why, it’s possible that there was no identifiable reason. I watched City Lights, and it was surprisingly good, extremely good actually. But, what shocked me more than anything else was that it was hilarious. I never thought it would be anywhere near as entertaining was it was. A few days later I watched The Great Dictator, equally awesome. I then began a rather common course of action when something interests me. I began my quest to find out as much as possible about Charlie, instead of reading (like a sucker), I watched Chaplin (1992) starring Robert Downey Jr.; Charlie was a pretty cool guy.

Barack Obama
‘Cos I got a crush on Obama
There is no way I could write about the people of 2008 without mentioning the man of the year that is Barack Obama. Despite this, this paragraph will be quit brief. Barack is awesome, he is now the next president of the United States. The following video says more than I could.



Tina Fey
Like Sarah Palin, but superior in every way and not really like her
Tina Fey Tina Fey, what does one say? Previously the head writer on Saturday Night Live (yeah boi), Fey eventually went on to create her own TV series, 30 Rock. 30 Rock may or may not be based on her experiences at Saturday Night Live. In addition to this she wrote the screenplay for Mean Girls, arguably Lindsay Lohan’s best film to date, in 2004. Fey is a literary genius and I can only wait to see what 2009 has in store.

Joss Whedon
A cult king, well, not a cult cult
This guy is just amazing beyond belief. He co-wrote Toy Story, created Buffy the Vampire, Angel, Firefly and Serenity. He also had Dollhouse on the way which looks awesome. So, why the 2008 attention? Dr Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog. It’s exactly what it says on the tin, it’s a musical web series about one Dr Horrible. My watching Dr Horrible’s Sing Along Blog (more times than I’d care to mention) caused an overwhelming desire to watch “Once More with Feeling”, for the lay people, that is the musical episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. His resulted in me watching every single episode of Buffy and Angel. Upon doing this I realised what genius Buffy and Angel is, there are some things you don’t fully appreciate when you’re seven.

Music

Peggy Sue (and the Pirates/Pictures)
Oh Peggy Sue, I don’t know what to do
I first discovered Peggy Sue (going by Peggy Sue and the Pirates) at the London iTunes festival this summer. Three acts played, Peggy Sue, Ava Leigh and The Little Ones, out of the three Peggy Sue were the best. They hail from Brighton and they play in a sort of acoustic, anti-folk style. They are very original (you don’t hear enough melodeon in music nowadays) and generally fun to listen to. I recently downloaded some of their tracks from iTunes and ordered a CD of theirs. They make a new CD every month consisting of some of their old stuff, some of their new stuff and some things by other artists that they like.



Kimya Dawson
My Mom would say, I hope some day, you get paid for being Kimya Dawson
I found Kimya Dawson partially through Peggy Sue but primarily through the soundtrack to Juno. Kimya Dawson appears on 8 tracks on the Juno Soundtracks, 5 of which are solo tracks. Kimya Dawson is of the Anti-folk genre, a genre I had never heard of until I started listening to Kimya Dawson. Kimya Dawson doesn’t have the best vocals but what she makes is amazing. Her music is so very truthful and a joy to listen to.

Film

I’ve chosen not to speak about films of the year now as I have spent a great deal of blog space this year writing bout films I’ve seen.

Literature

The Perks of Being a Wallflower
I’m finding it very difficult to remember the books I’ve read. A few weeks ago I read The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, it was a very good read. Written in epistolary form, The Perk of Being a Wallflower tells the tale of Charlie over the course of a year as he writes letters to an unknown person.

Technology

The IFC News Podcast
My Movie Podcast that isn’t Movies You Should See
This is the only podcast that I presently listen to that I started listening to this year. The IFC News Podcast is presented by Matt Singer of IFC News and Alison Wilmore of the IFC blog. Each podcast has a different topic based on an IFC news item, for instance, Mickey Rourke makes a comeback in the Wrester and they do a podcast on Notable Big Screen Comebacks.
It’s usually interesting and often funny, Matt’s moment at the end of “The Killer _____ Movie” has to be listened to.

LoveFilm
Yes…yes I do
[At this point 2009 came, happy new year]LoveFilm is quite wonderful. For £9.99 a month, I can get a relatively large amount of films. From LoveFilm I have managed to see many films that I’ve always wanted to see. Good times.

The Student Room
No caps, no trainers
The Student Room is a resource I wish I discovered earlier. It’s a forum for students of all ages. It’s been a while since I’ve been an active member of a forum. The Student Room has been very helpful during my leaving university and re-applying process (which I realise I have not mentioned yet), it’s simply great. There are really helpful articles and even more helpful people. There are also these personal statement helpers who help you edit your personal statement.

And now, about me

University
It came and went
I was a student at City University for 8 weeks. During this time I became increasingly aware that I chose the wrong university. It really was my worst decision of the last few years. I have now left my university and plan to start afresh in September. My intention is to work during the year and to do some voluntary work. I shall then start university happy, not poor and possibly a better person.

Here's to 2008

Songs to Change a Life: Part 1

There are countless list of “songs that will change your life”, this is no such list, I make no guarantee that this list has any cathartic properties or that any of these songs will affect the listener in any way. What I can say is that each of these songs has some significance to myself in some way. A sort of soundtrack to my life. I'd like to put these in chronological order of the point in my life where I heard them but I'm not Rob Gordon, I lack the ability to do this.

Fat Lip by Sum 41
I’d be lying if I said Fat Lip changed my outlook on life or had a profound impact on the way I lead my life. Fat Lip was simply the first song that I ever obtained myself. It was the first song that I didn’t, in a sense, share, with others in my family. Like many, my musical taste was initially defined by the music played in house, I live in a house of reggae, jazz, soul and R&B, these were the genres I was brought up on. Fat Lip fits into none of these genres and therefore none of the music defined as good by my family. It was the first stage in my own independent music development.

Favourite lyric: “I don't want to waste my time
become another casualty of society.
I'll never fall in line
Become another victim of your conformity
And back down.”

Why does it always Rain on Me? By Travis
I’m not the most cynical person but I do often have moments where I believe that everything is going wrong and that no-one is as troubled as I am. It happens to the best of us. Why does it always Rain on Me? represents this feeling, the dismal feeling that everyone else is happier that you are.

Favourite lyrics: “Even when the sun is shinning I can't avoid the lightning”

Drops of Jupiter by Train
Drops of Jupiter is one of the rare songs where I remember not when I first heard it, but when it gained significance. It tells the tale of someone who has left to find themselves or greener pastures and then returns. Upon leaving my secondary school where the majority of my friends were I almost immediately felt like I had left them and in doing so destroyed relationships with the people I was closest to. In Stand by Me (1986), the writer says “I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone?” I often think this will be true of my friends at the age of 15 (although, technically, I think these would be more or less the same people).

Favourite lyric: “Tell me did the wind sweep you off your feet
Did you finally get the chance to dance along the light of day
And head back toward the milky way”

One Song Glory by Adam Pascal
During the course of my life I’ve wanted to take on many different occupations, lawyer, artist, writer and many more, each of which, at some point, involved creating something. This “something” would of course outlive me and me by mark on the world. This has not changed, I still feel the desire to leave something behind; I think this is a mortality thing. Ever when I no longer exist, part of me has to. Although I have almost nothing in common with Roger from Rent (I am not male, HIV Positive, a singer, a guitarist, an ex-junkie and my girlfriend didn’t commit suicide), I identify with one aspect of One Song Glory; creating this “one song”.

Favourite lyrics: “Find
Glory
In a song that rings true
Truth like a blazing fire
An eternal flame”

Sometimes you can’t make it on Your Own by U2
I’m not one for asking for help. Honestly, I hate it and my reluctance to get help accounts for a very large proportion of the problems I face. Sometimes I can’t make it on my own, despite my being fully aware of this, my actions never change.

Favourite Lyrics: “You don't have to put up a fight
You don't have to always be right
Let me take some of the punches
For you tonight”

End Titles by Thomas Newman (The Shawshank Redemption Soundtrack)
I think that part of enjoying this score is knowing the film in question and knowing how this particular score was used within the film. This score is present at many different parts of in the film, it is at the beginning, it is in the middle and it is at the end. It initially sounds sombre and depressing and eventually transforms into an uplifting piece. This reflects the life of the films main protagonist within the film; he goes from incarceration to freedom. This score makes me feel as though whatever awful things may be occurring, I have the ability to get through them.

Forever Young by Youth Group
I know Youth Group didn’t initially sing Forever Young, I simply prefer their version to the original (ooo, blasphemy). Within most us of is a desire to not grow up, Forever Young represents this perfectly.

Favourite Lyrics: “Forever young I want to be forever young,
Do you really want to live forever?”

L’Accordeoniste by Edith Piaf
When I went through what I call my Edith Piaf phase, I just listened to the music not really knowing what the songs translated to or what they meant. L’Accordeoniste sounded pleasant, the sort of song you’d do a jaunty dance to, unfortunately, it is not a pleasant song, ‘tis quite sad really. Learning what L’Accordeoniste was about caused it’s advancement onto this list. L’Accordeoniste is about a prostitute who falls in love with an accordion player who goes to war and doesn’t return. I don’t identify with the song but the way this saddening tale it told to a jaunty tune sticks with me.

Favourite lyrics: “Elle a envie de chanter
C'est physique
Tout son être est tendu
Son souffle est suspendu
C'est une vraie tordue de la musique”

This is the Greatest and Best Arguement in the World

I'm not a fan of Dr Who, I never have been. I've always considered it to be inferior to most of the shows I watch. This belief of mine fuelled and debate with a friend of mine quite recently on Facebook. I think it's an alright read.

For the privacy of those involved, the name codes featured on the blogs of Rae Charles and Agent M/ Auntie Mina will be used. This argument is between myself (Super Saph) and Agent M/ Auntie Mina.

Super Saph: You were watching Dr Who?

Agent M: Yup

Super Saph: NERD ALERT! NERD ALERT!

Agent M: If you're gonna criticise Dr who, I'm gonna catch a case with you

Super Saph: Bring it!

Agent M: NERD ALERT? There is nothing nerdy about watching Dr who it is a very intellectual program. So u wanna start a war? Don't make me get the Dr's screw driver

Super S: Sorry, I laughed so hard I forgot to breath

Agent M: WHAT? Are you mocking me and Dr who? Buffy does not even measure up to Dr who. Buffy is below there while Dr who is wayyy up there (Context: a previous phone conversation featured me talking about the awesomeness that is Buffy)

Super Saph: You know what? I will watch the highest rated episode of Dr who and then write an ESSAY about why it is not better than the best episode of Buffy

Agent M: Fine, I know you would not write more than 6 words, Dr who is better than Buffy

Agent M's status update: Dr. Who was great ( I got a double bill) [Super Saph] please find it in your heart to STOP hating.

Super Saph: Oh please! How long have you been a Dr Who fan? I really didn't know this

Agent M: Since the middle of last year, but it wasn't as great as it is now, I got really into it the beginning of this year

Super Saph: Nerd! One of us! One of us! Gobble, gobble, one of us!

Agent M: I am not a nerd, NEVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In response to the status update

Super Saph: I think you should realise that I haven't said one bad thing about Dr Who. All I said saw that it's a nerdy show, that's not an insult, most shows that have developed cult status such as Dr Who, Star Trek, Buffy and Freak and Geeks have done so because of their nerd following, there's nothing wrong with that. On a side note, Dr Who pales in comparison to Star Trek, Star Trek, Buffy and Freaks and Geeks, Battlestar Galactica and most other cult shows - there's my insult

Agent M: It is SOOOO much better than those crappy shows you just mentioned. How can you say that it pales in comparison? At least Dr who has variety he is a time lord who travels through time those crappy ones always do the same thing over and over again. I mean don't the ppl of battle whatever get out of the spaceship for some air gosh. Anyway as I said Dr. Who is of great intelligence and i would love to one day become one of his accomplices (wow i should have written that in my personal statement)

The Bear: Ok sapphire

Agent M: And Saph, watching Dr Who does not make you a nerd. It makes you an interesting person. Watching battle star whatever on the other hand makes you the king or queen of Nerdom (new country)

E.G: Dr. Who is pooo

Agent M: E.G we are no longer friends loooooooooool

Bay Leaf: All the shows u mentioned are crap!! lmao!! Accept it! Write that on ur personal statement Mina lol!

E.G: Awwww mini, I'm sorry but it is the truth it is a boring old granny programme, sept my nanny does not even like it HAHAHAHAH, get in to PRISON BREAK, its on tonight 10.00 on sky one, its the BESTTTT WOOOOO, Love You MiNIE X X XX XX X X X X

Jimi: Dr who is wank, Heroes is the shit

Agent M: E.G prison break is dead now. I mean they are out of prison now so why is it still on? Wasn't the whole concept to get out of prison. We want a new show. Next, and trust me when i say your granny records it and watches it when u guys are not there.
Leanne kiss my arse, even tho your comment made me laugh.
Jimi, Heroes is the shit but dr who is not wank. YOU ARE!

Bay Leaf: The best shows of this century are Heroes and desperate housewives

Agent M: I bet all of you who are condemning Dr. Who would love a ride in his Tardis.

Super Saph: And now for my comeback;
Not one of the television shows I have mentioned does the same thing repeatedly unlike the "alien of the week" series Dr Who. This is something Star Trek used to do back in 1966, it has grown out of this since then. Dr Who however, is older than Star Trek and is yet to learn, what does that say? Back to the "same thing" issue, Battlestar Galactica had a complete change in the structure and subject of the show between the original series and the new one and there is a new theme and various story arcs between each season. Freaks and Geeks did something new with each episode (it's not a Sci-Fi show). Buffy is another show that constantly changed, the same thing never happened repeatedly. And, for the record, the people often get out of their ships in Star Trek and Star Trek: DS9 wasn’t even set on a ship. Watching a TV show, regardless of what it is (except QI of course), does not make you an interesting person. What is interesting is the extent to which you can analyse and find deeper meanings with television shows. You used Battlestar as an example so I'll go with that. Battlestar Galactica is not just about people in space, very few Sci-Fi shows are. Battlestar Galactica hosts a range of philosophical issues and when it boils down to it, it about religion and faith. Mina, the fact that you have taken what I have said so seriously, and have argued so much serves only to prove that you are indeed a nerd, get over it.

Bay Leaf: Sorry Mina, Sapphire kicked ur arse!! Lol

Agent M: You mean Buffy does not always fight vampires? Really Saph?.
Alien of the week. Yeah, because they are always trying to destroy the earth and Dr. who is always trying to save it. And he doesn't even get a thank - you from doing so.
Battlestar Galactica IS a show about ppl or aliens whatever in space. Every time I'm channel surfing they are always in the ship thingy controlling something. Philosophical issues like what: 'The controls are down, we are finally going to die'. Or 'We are heading in to an astroid belt and there's nothing we can do about it'. At least Dr. Who's Tardis locks on to the nearest center of gravity.
Maybe faith, but religion?
Dr. Who is such a good story. It shows how one man just wants to bring peace everywhere by fighting intergalactic forces that are evil. And he saves the Earth so many times.
AND I AM NOT A NERD (I have been called that this and last week due to various reasons and i'd like to say I so am not)

Agent M: Bay Leaf before you make your little comments read the next piece you cow monkey fish

Bay Leaf: she still won but it was close, u were funny though.

Agent M: Kiss my arse Bay Leaf. Ain't no competition anyway. its a matter of opinions

Bay Leaf: Well, sapp had a stronger opinion, Dr Who is 4 kids and grannys who don't know any better lol!

Super Saph: Mina, something is becoming increasingly clear to me and that is that YOU HAVE NEVER WATCHED ANY OF THE TV SHOWS I AM TAKING ABOUT! No Buffy doesn't just fight vampires:
Seasons 1 & 2-vampires and demons
Season 3- the mayor
Season 4- a kinematically redundant, bio-mechanical demonoid
Season 5- a god
Season 6- a witch (also serving as an exploration... Read More of addiction)
Season 7-the source of all evil
You have proved me right, I quote you, "Alien of the week. yeah. because they are always trying to destroy the earth and Dr. who is always trying to save it." This is highly simplistic - every show I mentioned is more complex than this, and the fact you haven't said that the Dr Who has any duality proves me right. Science fiction is not supposed to be simplistic, it always serves more than 1 purpose. Science fiction is an existential metaphor that allows us to tell stories about the human condition. Isaac Asimov once said, "Individual science fiction stories may seem as trivial as ever to the blinded critics and philosophers of today, but the core of science fiction, its essence, has become crucial to our salvation, if we are to be saved at all." Star Trek was made to confront issues surrounding racism, Battlestar was designed to talk about religion and terrorism, Buffy is technically about the trials an tribulations faced when growing up.
Mina, faith and religion go hand in hand. Battlestar Galactica is essentially about the opposing beliefs of monotheism and polytheism. Battlestar focuses on many issues such as what make us human and whether religion should be trusted or followed. Tell me, does Dr Who have any such issues? Also, there are NO aliens in Battlestar Galactica.
Seriously though Mina, have you watched any of the TV shows you are taking about?

Agent M: So who is Battlestar for? Ppl that don't have friends? Surely not coz saph watches it and she has friends so don't be ignorant, William watches Dr Who, Liradonna too.

Bay Leaf: WILL THIS EVER END??

Super Saph: Never!!!!!!!! This argument is going in my blog

Agent M: I see. But Dr. who does have such issues. like todays episode. A species divided into 2 that started fighting each other. they were created by the same being "the creator" but they still fight and they were trying to get to the temple to get the new world solution (long story) but there are such issues. And Dr Who's daughter even dies because of the beef (yes he did have a daughter).
If there not any aliens then the beings sure do look like aliens or is that star trek (excuse my ignorance).
Saph believe me when i say i have tried. Those half terms back in the day, when there was nothing to do during the day so you watch day time TV, Battlestar, star trek and buffy was on. I don't know if they we on during the same period but i have tried and then i get bored or disinterested (so i used to watch charmed, will and grace and maury instead hehehe)

Agent M: It is not an argument. it's a difference of opinions. Arguments make it sound like beef. we are just trying to say why our shows are great.

Super Saph: Hmmm, your example sounds like an analogy for conflict within mankind. Dr Who may actually have duality, touche. Give me more examples like that and perhaps I shall respect it more.
Really, there are no aliens in Battlestar.
Battlestar isn't daytime TV. It can't come on before the watershed. Can we conclude that you don't know what you're talking about, only joking. Can we conclude that as you have never managed to get through these shows, you're not really in the position to say certain things about them. You can't judge a show you've never watched, believe it or not, I've watched episodes of Dr Who, I wouldn't speak ill of it if I hadn't.
Is this the end of this chapter?

Agent M: Nope.
What is the point of watching the end of something you don't have interest in? If i lose interest in the middle of it there's no point in finishing it because there's gonna be the same outcome. It has to grip me from beginning throughout the middle and then to the end. So whats the point of wasting time when I could watch something else?
Oooo there was a Jane Austin episode. That was good, in fact they are going to show it 2moro again but I'm going to bed now. Because of this i have hardly done any learning (I did some while watching the good dr)

Agent M: Sorry did I say Jane Austin. I meant Agatha Christie!

Super Saph: As I said before, I can tell which episode would be the best for you to watch.
"what is the point of watching the end of something you don't have interest in." I'll answer that with the following "How can you judge something that you haven't seen" - This is what this argument has come down to. You cannot conclude that the shows I have mentioned are bad as you haven't watched them. Can you acknowledge this?

This concludes the argument thus far, jolly good stuff