Category Archives: Best Of

The Best Film Performances of 2022

Ensemble in a DramaWomen TalkingTrying to single out a performance here is a fool’s errand, because what makes the movie so powerful is each individual’s grief, frustration and determination revealing themselves throughout. Another clear example of why the Oscars need … Continue reading

Posted in Best Of, Film | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Best and Worst Movies of 2022

10. Avatar: The Way of Water (dir. James Cameron) and Nope (dir. Jordan Peele)Is this cheating? Maybe. But in a cinema landscape dominated by disposable blockbusters, Cameron and Peele delivered big-budget films made to last. Both are films about family, … Continue reading

Posted in Best Of, Film | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Best TV Performances of 2022

Ensemble in a Comedy Series Abbott ElementaryMany comedies take a while to find their footing and figure out the balance of their ensembles. Not Abbott. It joins a rare club – whose members include Arrested Development and Brooklyn Nine-Nine – … Continue reading

Posted in Best Of, Television | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Best TV Shows of 2022, Part 2

COMEDY SHOWS & SPECIALS Documentary Now! (IFC)One of the only shows on the air that feels like it’s tailor-made to my overlapping nerdy interests. Documentary Now! continues to deliver spot-on absurdist parodies of obscure documentaries, solely because IFC’s parent company … Continue reading

Posted in Best Of, Television | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Best TV Shows of 2022, Part 1

If you thought we had hit “Peak TV” (a term coined by executive John Landgraf nearly a decade ago), you were wrong. With 600-plus scripted shows airing in 2022, there was absolutely no way to keep up. But I still … Continue reading

Posted in Best Of, Television | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Best Songs of 2022

Another year of not caring about new music has gone splendidly. Sure, I checked out some of the bigger albums (like Beyoncé’s Renaissance) but for the most part, I’m only listening to individual tracks. Were their some important and/or exhilarating … Continue reading

Posted in Best Of, Music | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Anniversary Albums Project: Best of 2022

New music has lost a lot of hold on me over the last few years. And four years ago I decided that instead of trying to keep up with it all, I’d look back at music history and listen to … Continue reading

Posted in Best Of, Music | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Every Episode of Seinfeld, Ranked in Tiers

I recently finished a rewatch of Seinfeld on Netflix, so I figured I’d do something I haven’t done in two years: I’ll rank every episode in tiers. Some rules: Nothing in Season 1 is up to the highs of the … Continue reading

Posted in Best Of, Television | Tagged | Leave a comment

20 After 20: 2001

Thanks to the world getting to some place approaching normal in 2021, I went back to the activities I loved that didn’t cause me to stay cooped up. Alas, that meant I didn’t devote as much time as I should … Continue reading

Posted in Best Of, Film | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Best Film Performances of 2021

Ensemble in a Musical or ComedyThe French DispatchUnlike some great ensembles who feel like real families or friends, what’s great about The French Dispatch is how terrific each performance is despite limited interaction and screen time. Some actors feel like … Continue reading

Posted in Best Of, Film | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment