12 January 2013

My Best of 2012: FILMS

I propose that 2012 be forever known as year of the Duplass Brothers especially and also Mark Duplass. KILLIN IT, these guys! In chronological order of my viewing:

MARS was pretty fun and strange and come on now a cartoon Duplass in space are you kidding me, how can you go wrong? It was made in 2010 but only reached my eyes in January 2012.

SAFETY NOT GUARANTEED was GREAAAAT. It was nice to see Aubrey Plaza smile a tiny bit more than usual and Duplass with that hair and clothes and serious face and when he is running? Haha so good! And the other characters were even enjoyable even if a little cliched. I really enjoyed every second of this and didn't know what to expect as an ending which seems unusual but it was exciting.

YOUR SISTER'S SISTER. Easily my favourite film of the year, hands down. I saw it twice in the cinema and I'd do it again, dammit. I don't even know what to say about it I just loved all of it. There is something about that Rosemary DeWitt's face, hey, I cannot look away. And Emily Blunt's cute little accent and Duplass' bumbling without being a nonce about it and just the whole story and the characters and that bit where he is all "I am emotionally at best precarious and at worst a cripple" oh maaaaan. MAN. You done good, Lynn Shelton.

Speaking of Lynn Shelton, I finally got around to watching HUMPDAY which obviously was also great. I mean this is a list of the best things I watched in 2012 so obviously it is going to be great. It's from 2009 and who knows why it took me this long to get around to, it just did. "Humpday. Is. Great!" I believe was the review from TFid and dude was not lying. Fun! Where is Joshua Leonard these days?

AND THEN... Duplass Brothers' JEFF WHO LIVES AT HOME Geez Louise. Was this actually released in 2011 I didn't think so but the internet says otherwise. Maybe Australia got it a year late? Well who cares. How repetitive is this post by now? I feel like all I am saying is THIS WAS SO GREAT but really these guys are just unstoppable. I'm not a huge Ed Helms fan I don't know why really I suppose I am indifferent, he's fine, but Jason Segel is just so charming no matter what. I remember him having good physical comedy in this, too, with the hiding and running into things maybe? Anyway what a nice film. NICE. I get a feeling those Duplass' are just such nice dudes.

And even though it is now 2013 while I write this, tomorrow I am watching DO-DECA-PENTATHALON and I am 100% certain it will be super great. Suuuuuper Great, Can't Wait!

Duplass Brothers, I love you. 

ps for the record other films I enjoyed in cinemas: Seven Psychopaths, Argo, Damsels in Distress, Dark Horse, Melancholia, Moonrise Kingdom, Take This Waltz, Young Adult. Plus at home: Diner, Friday Night Lights, Martha Marcy May Marlene, The Descendants. And also soooo many documentaries, maybe I will write about them another time.

7 January 2013

MY BEST OF 2012: Music

I cannot compile a list of favourite albums at all hey, what is that about? Nothing blew me away. Was this year quiet or have I forgotten how to get into something? Who knows but here is a random assortment of things I enjoyed.

Oh remember when you first heard and saw Azealia Banks and how fun 212 was? Good times! Well this just in, it is still really fun. I would say this can stay a favourite of 2012 but the rest of her didn't stick that well with me. Well 1991 was okay but then Fantasea was annoying. Also internet fights come on now. Anyways. It is all mostly this video. Still excellent.


Along these same lines (HOW GOOD IS THAT SINGLE AND VIDEO AND OMG LOVE HER but then the rest of the stuff I am not as psyched about) can go Losing You by Solange. Although the rest of her EP is better than the rest of Banks'. And she is farrrrr more likeable. But I'll probably just keep Losing You on a playlist and forget the rest eventually, hey, no point hiding the truths here, internet. Watch this video again for the hundredth time though, you won't regret it.


The Frowning Clouds are some youngins from Geelong who supported Black Lips earlier this year and they were/are GREAT and also they're on this great Nuggets Cover Album which is a freaking delight, and turns out they even have an album out from a few years ago who knew? Why don't I own this already?
Please note how excellently 60s this record cover is in every way
Actual albums/EPs from 2012 that I enjoyed at least 60% and maybe up to 90% but none 100%

  • Cat Power - Sun
  • Boomgates - Double Natural
  • Deep Sea Arcade - Outlands
  • Kishi Bashi - 151a
  • Grizzly Bear - Shields
  • Courtney Barnett - I've got a friend called Emily Ferris
  • Howard Kremer - Have A Summah

Oh okay turns out there were quite a few albums released this year I liked. There you go, that was my top picks, good work, music! Oh the Paul Kelly one I know is good too but I haven't given it the solid time that it deserves. Also I should probably listen to the Tim Rogers one (I forgot about it) and also Tame Impala (apparently) but I have not. "Marry me!" - Maeby Funke. Sidenote: LastFM tells me I mostly listened to Jay Z & Kanye, followed by Arcade Fire and Those Darlins.. which is no surprise to me, whats it to you?

PS Meanwhile, just quietly, Best Coast were disappointing on two levels: I saw them live and it was not great, and then the second album too was not great. Booo! Get better again soon, Best Coast! I still love the first album, lets pretend the second one didn't happen.

FIFTY 2012

I guess here is my standard fifty great things of the year although to be honest I struggled once I hit about 35, the end of 2012 had all kinds of bullshit, hey. Fknnnnnnn. So. WOO LETS GO!

  • The McLarson Wedding
  • New friendz
  • Instagram
  • Have A Summah by Howard Kremer
  • Havin an actual Summah
  • SUMMAHFEST at TFids
  • BECK at Harvest good lordy
  • Bonnie Prince Billy in that nice old theatre!
  • Emoji
  • Family visits
  • SO MUCH MARK DUPLASS
  • Many films at MIFF
  • Black Lips especially the Bad Kids singalong
  • Attica dinners
  • Halloween Tinies at the door "eyeball eyeball!"
  • Birthday in Hobart
  • Perth BeachesTM
  • Whooch & Tooch
  • Courtney Barnett
  • Fancy Hanks
  • KANYE Ridiculousness at Sidney Myer Music Bowl
  • Cowgs 30th Party
  • Road Trippin, Tasmania
  • Baseball! #goaces #lolz
  • #goeagles
  • In The Pines
  • So much going to the zoo
  • Rumi BBQ Sunday
  • Babies to be! Special shoutout to lil Tronno.
  • Some genius putting a trampoline at the flats across the road
  • Merry Brucemas
  • Dunsborough weekend & wedding
  • First Dog Ruins Christmas
  • Hoo-Haa
  • Kumail Nanjiani at Melb Comedy Fest
  • Tammy-Lee
  • RUNOUTOF (tumblr & tweets)
  • Magnolias Late Night Live!!!!!!! Christmas Special!
  • Bon Iver at Sidney Myer
  • RYRY solo
  • Watching all those twilight films it is funnier in hindsight I guess
  • Beatrixxxxxxx
  • Splits & associates moving to melbourne
  • Mumblefest with Leonie & Jess
  • The Frowning Clouds
  • Breaking Bad
  • NicNat's instagram
  • Crabby's Crabinet
  • Steven Brody Stevens #ENJOYIT
  • That feeling of finally getting over bad stuff
OH OH WAIT I FORGOT SOME
  • MONA
  • GIRLS (the band) at the Corner
  • Ira Glass Live!
  • Country victoria drives for furnitures and nonsense
  • Steve Frykholm talk and exhibition!! (cue loveheart eyes emoji)
  • Liam Ryan's stand up comedy show!