My Favorite Things 2013

This year, more so than any other in recent memory, I found myself playing catch-up with last year's "best-of" that I didn't take in much from this calendar year. Basically, I haven't read, listened to or watched enough of anything to make separate lists for each ... so, here's my Top Ten Favorite Things from 2013.

1 & 2. While everyone is talking about AMC, HBO and Showtime and their popular programming, I'm interested in BBC America, which produced two of my favorite television shows this year: Orphan Black and the third season of Luther. One could not find better acting, nor more complicated and well-drawn characters. Bonus: the female characters are strong. Tatiana Maslany (playing 7 characters on Orphan Black) should have been nominated and won an Emmy, and Ruth Wilson (from Luther) is so on point as psychopath Alice Morgan, it actually makes me giddy when she shows up on screen.

3 & 4. The Death of Bees by Lisa O'Donnell and Wave by Sonali Deraniyagala. I wrote reviews of both a while back, so I won't get into it again. Simply, both are books that stay with you.

5 & 6. I have slacked the most this year in the movie department. I have seen only one movie in the theater and about a handful on DVD. My two favorite films of the year are The Way Way Back and the German film Lore. It was theatrically released in 2012, but out on DVD in 2013, so I'm counting it. Lore takes place at the end of World War II and focuses on siblings who've been abandoned by their Nazi-sympathizing parents and now must confront the harsh reality of losing a war and the propaganda they've been fed. Superb performances from a very young cast and a WWII perspective not often told. The Way Way Back also features a younger actor with potential: Liam James (in the role of Duncan). His interactions with Sam Rockwell made this movie.

7. The album that sticks out to me this year is Tomorrow's Harvest by Boards of Canada. I enjoyed many others (from artists Daft Punk, Phoenix, Local Natives, The National, Quadron, Thundercat, and Cut Copy), but this one I enjoyed the whole way through. And I got sucked in. It's ambient, but not boring.

8-11. Even though I enjoyed the above album as a whole, my favorite songs of the year were Trying to Be Cool by Phoenix, Holy by Frightened Rabbit, Diane Young by Vampire Weekend (love, love, love the ending), and Heartbreaks + Setbacks by Thundercat.

Creepy Movies for the Season

Some straight-up horror films can come off as ridiculous, so here's some suggestions for films that are just disturbing for one reason or another. Not an exhaustive list, so feel free to add to it in the comments section. What creeps you out?

Cape Fear - Depending on which version you watch, Robert Mitchum or Robert DeNiro terrorize a family. Find it in the catalog

Fight Club - The first rule of Fight Club is to not talk about Fight Club ... Find it in the catalog

Full Metal Jacket - The disturbing effects of boot camp and war on soldiers. Find it in the catalog

Lawless - A family of bootleggers defy the law during prohibition in the South. This one is probably the least creepy on the list, however there is one particular scene that I find completely disturbing - someone's throat is cut. Plus the creep factor is heightened by Guy Pearce's performance. Find it in the catalog

Murder By Numbers - Two teenage boys (a young Ryan Gosling and Michael Pitt) are suspected of murder by a cop with her own demons (Sandra Bullock). Find it in the catalog

No Country For Old Men - Hit-man Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem) uses an unusual weapon of choice to dispatch his victims. The tension in this film is palpable. Find it in the catalog

Oldboy - This Korean cult classic has a twist like no other twist. (It's been remade by Hollywood and soon to be released in theaters, starring Josh Brolin.) Find it in the catalog

Se7en (Seven) - Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman investigate a serial killer working through the seven deadly sins. The final scene is one that lives in infamy. Find it in the catalog

The Silence of the Lambs - Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) gets help in hunting down a serial killer from another serial killer (Anthony Hopkins). Find it in the catalog

Nicholas Sparks: Who Dies? Safe Haven edition.

 Disclaimer: It goes without saying, you shouldn't read this post if you haven't seen the movie and knowing the deceased party will ruin it for you.  Also, you probably shouldn't read it if you think The Notebook is one the most romantic books/ movies ever.    

There's a new Nicholas Sparks movie out just in time in Valentine's Day!.  So those of you in happy coupledom get to endure two hours of beaches, kissing in the rain, shirtless Josh Duhamel, and emotional manipulation! But lest you decide to break up with your significant other so you don't have see Safe Haven, this Nicholas Sparks movie has a twist!*  It's a thriller-- well a Sparksian-take on a thriller anyway.  It's like The Notebook as written by M. Night Shamymalan.

Premise:  Katie (Julianne Hough) flees Boston to a sunny, coastal town in North Carolina (of course) after she maybe killed a guy (or at least hurt him).  But hey, she totally had her reasons, okay?  However, a meanie Boston police detective (David Lyons) just won't let sleeping dogs lie and is trying to track down Katie.  Once in North Carolina, Katie immediately finds work as a waitress and rents a shabby chic cabin in the woods.  Even though she's trying her best to avoid all human connection (smart girl), she quickly becomes friends with her neighbor Jo (Cobie Smothers aka. Robin from How I Met Your Mother), whom no one else in the town talks to or knows about.  Katie soon finds herself falling for a handsome store owner Alex (Josh Duhamel), who lost his wife to cancer and has two cute kids.  However, because of Katie's dark past, she's not sure if entering into a relationship with Alex is a good idea.

Who dies?:  Alex does.  Katie kills him because she's really a crazy murderess. No, just kidding.  The truth is wayyyyy weirder.  So, it turns out the detective isn't interested in finding Katie just because she's a (possible) murderer on the lam.  It's really because he's her abusive ex-husband, whom she stabbed but didn't kill. Predictably, he catches up with her in NC and a messy fight ensues.  Alex's store starts ablaze and the evil ex dies in the scuffle.  Everybody else makes it out okay, though most of Alex's store is destroyed.

But that's not even the craziest twist!  Cue the theremin, because Jo is really Alex's dead wife. SHE'S REALLY DEAD! I know that sounds like I'm making that up.  But that actually happens!  She just wanted to make sure Alex chose the right replacement.  Now that he's happily ever after with Katie, Jo can cross over.

For more Nicholas Sparks spoilers, check out my earlier posts.   Or if I haven't totally ruined it, you can check out the book!


*Seriously though, you definitely should break up with them.  Unless you want to have to see every Nicholas Sparks adaptation for the rest of your life.  Doesn't dying alone sound more pleasant?

Dreamy Men of Masterpiece Theater

There are lots of good reasons to check out Masterpiece Theater.  It has quality shows, helps you pretend to have read classic novels like Great Expectations or Tess D'Ubervilles, and there really isn't too much else on Sunday nights (when Breaking Bad and Mad Men are off season). But best of all, it has handsome British men in period dress!  Who could ask for more?

Below we* list our favorite men of Masterpiece Theater.  Since PBS has created a  Men of Austen website, so you can rank which Austen hero is the most eligible bachelor (surprise, surprise: Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy is winning), I'm leaving them out of the running (though, Rupert Perry-Jones as  Captain Wentworth would have been my pick). 

Matthew Crawley
Found On: Downton Abbey
Played by Dan Stevens
Why we love Matthew:  Those blue eyes.  And he's the least terrible of Lady Mary's many suitors.
The down side: Matthew can be a little bit stubborn.   

Also worth mentioning from Downtown Abbey:

William Mason (Thomas Howes) looks like a younger, blonder, old-timey sibling of John Krasinski.  William is also a sweetheart and can play the piano. 

Thomas Barrow (Rob James-Collier) is terrible.  But he's gorgeous and he seems to have curtailed his bad behavior a little bit in Season 2. 

Sherlock Holmes:
Found On: Sherlock.
Played by:  Benedict Cumberbatch
Why we love Sherlock:  He's brilliant, has a great head of hair, and looks equally great in a suit or a towel. 
The down side:  His personality is a lot to tolerate on a daily (or even hourly) basis.

Also worth mentioning from Sherlock:

Martin Freeman makes an adorable Dr. Watson.  He's definitely the more marriageable one of the duo.

Magnus Martnisson:
Found On: Wallander (seasons 1 and 2).
Played by:  Tom Hiddleston.
Why we love Magnus:  He's dashingly handsome, but his longish curly hair makes him look nerdy enough to be attainable.
The down side:  Martinsson saves the day on at least one occasion, but some of the time he can be a little bit incompetent. 

Also worth mentioning from Wallander:

Kenneth Branagh is a little bit too mature to be my type, but his character Kurt Wallander seems to have a way with the ladies on show, in spite of his near constant dourness.

*All "we"s are meant in the royal sense. 

What we're listening to: Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris

Dead and Gone is book 9 in the Southern Vampire series (also called the Sookie Stackhouse novels). This series, set in Bon Temps, Louisiana, follows main character Sookie Stackhouse, a barmaid at Merlotte's Bar. Sookie is also a telepath, which means she is able to hear the thoughts of everyone around her (with the exception of vampires). Vampires have come out of the coffin to the world and have been living openly among humans for several years. After becoming friends with some vampires Sookie also comes to learn about the werewolf and shifter community. At the beginning of Dead and Gone the werewolves and shifters reveal their secret to the world on news programs and in various public areas. Sookie's boss Sam Merlotte, a shifter, changes into a collie right in front of his bar patrons; the reaction at the bar is mixed but most people appear okay with the revelation that he is a shifter.

When Sam must return home to deal with an emergency Sookie is put in charge of Merlotte's. During her time in charge she receives a call about a woman who was crucified behind Merlotte's in the parking lot. In addition to the mystery of the murder, Sookie has other worries on her mind. A couple of FBI agents hope to take advantage of her telepathic ability. Niall, Sookie's great-grandfather, also warns her about trouble. And, probably to the delight of many fans, Sookie becomes closer to Eric, partly through his own manipulations.

I am addicted to these books and think that Harris does a great job of writing characters, especially Sookie, who is a very independent-minded, funny, and down-to-earth woman.

Find it in the catalog!