Tyler Anderson

At the end of every year people make lists, so I thought I’d take a chance to discuss the list of the things that made me happy in 2009. These are the things that stood out from the crowd in ways that are simply incredible. From movies to music to the latest in technology, here are your Top 10 of the Year.

1. Dollhouse

By far one of my lowest lows of the year was the day that I heard this show was canceled. Joss Whedon’s latest and, in my opinion, greatest project, Dollhouse was one of the most original premises that I’ve seen in years. The show centers around a new technology that allows people’s brains to be wiped and replaced with “imprints”, or new personalities and skill sets. The places that provide this service are called “Dollhouses” and their “actives” are sent out on missions with these imprints. The show focuses on the morality of such a technology and potential dangers of how such technology could affect the world if it ever got out. I’m not doing the show justice with this simplistic description, but I’ll be writing a post on the show and its intricacies later. Just know that if you haven’t been watching, you should be.

2. Boneshaker

This book was a simply incredible adventure. I’m a big fan of steampunk and zombies, so the combination of the two in a novel with such unique characters was a real treat. Great, engaging writing that you just don’t see enough of these days.

3. (500) Days of Summer

I’ve never looked forward to a movie as much as I did (500) Days of Summer. It’s like the film was made specifically for me. Zooey Deschanel plays the intriguing character of Summer Finn, who has just moved to LA. However she’s not the direct focus of the movie. She’s the focus of the protagonist, Tom Hanson, who is played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Tom is a greeting card writer who has always been looking for the “One”. When he meets Summer at his job he’s sure that she’s meant for him. What ensues is an offbeat romantic comedy that has you laughing one minute and bawling the next. The film was directed by Marc Webb, who previously directed music videos for such songs as “Move Along” by The All American Rejects and “Teenagers” by My Chemical Romance. His  previous experience shows through beautifully in the film, which includes a dance number. The movie is perfection in every aspect, from the colors to the wardrobe to the acting and shooting. If you haven’t seen it yet, you should definitely check it out ASAP. You’ll have a blast, I guarantee it.

4. Frightened Rabbit

I had never heard of Frightened Rabbit before this past spring, and the majority of their work wasn’t released in 2009, I know. However the group from Manchester stood out to me this year with one song: “Swim Until You Can’t See Land”. The single came out last month and is a musical and lyrical beast. Oh, don’t get me wrong, it’s not that fast paced, and not that loud. In fact, it’s laid back and quite soothing. However if you look below the floating guitar and the relaxing vocals of frontman Scott Hutchison, you find the lyrics to be philosophical in focus. My favorite line is from the refrain, which asks the question “Are you a man or are you a bag of sand?” It’s a question about one’s self. Are you a person who will just sink or will you put up a fight and keep swimming? Have a listen to the song and check out the equally laid-back music video at the link below:

Frightened Rabbit – Swim Until You Can’t See Land

5. Daniel Faraday (Jeremy Davies)

Lost will forever be on my Top 10 list. It’s my favorite show of all time and never fails to please. The series will be sorely missed when it concludes next spring, but for now we still have one last season to enjoy. Earlier this year we went on a trip in the past and the future with the castaways, jumping from the 70s to current day on the island. Through it all, I was completely focused on one of the most interesting characters on the show: Daniel Faraday. Jeremy Davies did an amazing job playing the neurotic scientist, an archetype which I always immediately love (see Fran Kranz’s character Topher Brink in Dollhouse). His character was a reluctant leader, a man with all the answers that he didn’t want, and (spoilers!) his death was the most regrettable in the series since Charlie drowned in Season 3.

6. The Mellow Show Skit

Now I’m not a big watcher of SNL, as I feel the quality in the show has taken a nosedive in recent years. However this year the show has seen a rise in funny content, with great skits like An Immigrant’s Tale and Gardening Tips From A Man Who’s Afraid of Plants. However the skit that stood out to me was The Mellow Show. Andy Samberg plays a great Jack Johnson and guest star Joseph Gordon-Levitt (there he is again!) does a great job channeling Jason Mraz. The skit hits its comedic heights when Dave Matthews comes out playing Ozzy Osbourne. It’s really a must-see. I can’t do it justice here.

5. Google

Moving briefly away from entertainment and on towards technology, Google was a HUGE standout this year. For everyone who believes that Google will take over the world, well we’re right in the middle of that coup. The company’s Android OS has taken off in a big way, and services like Google Voice and Google Wave are becoming increasingly more popular. Not to mention all of the other tidbits of news surrounding the company, like their in-progress destruction of the GPS industry with their native Android navigation app, and their new visual search called Google Goggles. In addition to this, Google has come out with more updates to their Chrome browser, adding extension support and a somewhat limited Mac version of the browser. Oh, and one can’t forget the upcoming Chrome OS that Google is situating to take over the netbook industry. If you’re paranoid about the privacy about your information, you better start breaking out the tin foil hats, because Google is only going to get bigger.

8. Android

Sure, Android is from Google, but the “little phone OS that could” really deserves special mention in this top 10. Sure, the OS hasn’t reached the level of iPhone killer yet, but it’s rapidly filling the gap. With more than 20,000 apps in their marketplace and 60% of them free, it’s not hard to see that Google’s experiment has become a full-fledged titan in the mobile industry. With the release of the hugely successful Droid and Droid Eris phones on Verizon’s network, and news of the Nexus One pouring out of Google’s HQ, 2010 looks to be an exciting year for mobile computing.

9. The Hangover

Sure this movie starts off with the overused flashback story type, and is fairly predictable as far as stories go: four guys travel to Vegas for a bachelor party and only three wake up in the room the next morning, with the groom mysteriously missing. The remainder of the film is a joyous romp through the events of the previous night as the three struggle to find their friend. Despite having a fairly typical storyline, every aspect of this movie is executed with such grandeur and polish that it stands head and shoulders above any other comedy this year. The soundtrack is perfectly selected for the film, with songs that fit exactly with the mood of the film. It’s truly a joy to follow this ragtag trio as they attempt to remember the events of their rampage the night before. If you haven’t seen this film yet you’ve either been living under a rock or figured this movie wasn’t for you. If it’s the latter, then you were wrong, and should give this brilliant film a look.

10. Dexter’s Season 4 Finale

If you’re behind on Dexter or plan on watching the show at any time in the future you should probably stop reading now with the knowledge that the finale of the 4th season of this amazing series contains one of the most shocking moments on television this year. We’re going to be going into spoiler territory here with number 10 on the hit list.

Are those behind the curve gone now? Good, because despite my love for Dollhouse I have to say that the best television moment of this year was the death of Rita. It breathed new life into a series that I foolishly worried would become too formulaic and predictable. I can’t even imagine Dexter without Rita there, and what about the children? Dexter’s their father now. How will he handle being a single Dad with a passenger as dark as his? And the imagery of Dexter’s baby sitting in the same situation that created the monster that created him was pure brilliance, and just shows how brilliant this show’s writers are. This turn of events was completely unexpected to me and I imagine most people who watched the finale. It leaves so much open for the future of the show that I’m still awestruck at its brilliance.