Category Archives: Best Of

The Best Movie Performances of 2023

ENSEMBLE IN A COMEDYAsteroid CityOnce again, Wes Anderson beautifully integrates longtime collaborators (Tilda Swinton, Jason Schwartzman) and newcomers (Tom Hanks, Margot Robbie) into his largest ensemble yet. Whether inside the story or out of it – in a context I … Continue reading

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The Best and Worst Movies of 2023

2023 was a truly great year for cinema, the best since 2019. We got so many gifts, even if those weren’t reflected in the top-grossing movies of the year. Read on as I celebrate my favorites. 10. Past Lives (dir. … Continue reading

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The Best TV Performances of 2023

As I mentioned earlier, the strikes this summer and fall didn’t actually give me time to catch up on new shows I’d heard good things about. Instead, I watched a lot of movies and plenty of older TV. So this … Continue reading

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The Best TV Shows of 2023, Part 2

COMEDY SHOWS & SPECIALS I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson (Netflix)The sketches had a meaner edge this season, but they were no less hilarious or memorable. That Robinson has cemented himself as a meme king hopefully means we’ll … Continue reading

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The Best TV Shows of 2023, Part 1

The strikes of the Writers and Actors Guilds cut off the supply of new shows (and that’s good… withholding labor to get a fair contract is the right thing to do), but it didn’t matter. It still felt overwhelming to … Continue reading

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The Best Songs of 2023

Below are my top 50 songs of the year, plus a bonus track that’s among the year’s best, but not really available anywhere. Check out the Spotify playlist here. Blur – “The Narcissist”boygenius – “Not Strong Enough”Brother Marshall and the … Continue reading

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The Anniversary Albums Project: Best of 2023

1973 Pink Floyd – The Dark Side of the Moon Led Zeppelin – Houses of the Holy Stevie Wonder – Innervisions Marvin Gaye – Let’s Get It On Sarah Vaughan – Live in Japan Bruce Springsteen – The Wild, the … Continue reading

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The List: Top 10 ‘Mr. Show’ Sketches

Mr. Show with Bob and David ended 25 years ago this week. The cult favorite only lasted for 30 episodes and rarely got the attention it deserved. But thanks to DVDs, reruns and (eventually) streaming, the innovative series got its … Continue reading

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The List: Top 10 ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’ Episodes

Brooklyn Nine-Nine premiered 10 years ago this week. The cop comedy was definitely hilarious right out of the gate, but it fixed its minor issues early on to become one of the most reliable sources of laughter for the rest … Continue reading

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The List: Top 10 ‘The X-Files’ Episodes

The X-Files premiered 30 years ago this week. While I was a latecomer to the series, it quickly became one of my favorites. No matter how ridiculous the case, there was something indescribably wonderful about the partnership between Agents Mulder … Continue reading

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