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5. Dillinger Four- CIVIL WAR (Late Spring)
If Against Me, whose upcoming release appeared earlier on the list, is my second favorite band then these guys are numero uno. After what seems like an eternity Minneapolis ’s own punk prodigies are back with their second release on Fat Records. It’s been over half a decade since their last album but I think it’s safe to say you can expect more of the same from D4 (i.e. super clever lyrics and power punk pop that makes you want to turn it up until your ears bleed).
4. Spiderman 3 (May)
Growing up I was more of an X-men fan then a Spidey fan. I think I always felt like Spidey was just too damn good and that he didn’t have any darkness to him. My opinion changed drastically when I picked up the issues where he changed to the black suit. Not only was it one of the great stories in Spiderman history but the ending spawned one of the greatest modern comic book villains. Now Sam Rami is bringing that story to the screen. Rami had always said that he didn’t like the black costume or Venom but I’m guessing that was all subterfuge to confuse the media and fans. The trailer looks great and Topher Grace is perfectly cast as Eddie Brock. I’ll be curious to see how Rami is able to pull off so many storylines at once as it appears we get Sandman (Thomas Hayden Church cashing in on that Sideways fame), more Green Goblin Jr. (the ever brooding James Franco), and the introduction of Spidey’s true lady love Gwen Stacey (the ethereal Bryce Howard) into his relationship with MJ (the bored looking Kristen Dunst). Spiderman 2 was an amazing movie and this one could either top it or take the franchise back a step if Rami can’t juggle all these balls.
3. Harry Potter & the Deathly Gallows (Summer)
Three years ago you could count me as a Harry Potter playa hater. The idea of reading about some little kid wizard and his zany adventures did little for me and the horrible first movie only strengthened my resolve. Eventually though I succumbed to peer pressure and read the first book and then the second and so on. By summer of 2005 I was all caught up and salivating over the final book. If you put all the magic crap aside, Potter is actually one of the best coming of age stories I’ve ever read (Judy Blume would kill to write this stuff). I’m sure there are scholars out there who can write much better then I on all the metaphors that JK Rowling uses in the books so I’ll leave it to them. Final chapters in an ongoing tale are always problematic. Will she kill Harry? Will she answer every dangling question that’s been left from previous books? I’ll say no and no, but the thing about this series is that you haven’t been able to figure out where it’s going next and that’s probably reason number 1 why this hardened critic has embraced Harry and his crew.
2. (tie) Kenneth Branaugh’s Hamlet on DVD (2007)
There are certain films that you see in your life that can affect not only your mind but your body after you see them. I remember seeing Hamlet on the glorious 70MM screen at Uptown Theater in Minneapolis and literally walking out feeling more alive then I had ever felt both physically and mentally. Only two films since then have left me that way since: Requiem for a Dream and Children of Men (more on that over the weekend). Anyway Hamlet quickly jumped into my top 10 list of all time but the DVD release has been tied up in all sorts of legal muckity muck for years. Thankfully Warner Brothers has finally seen the light of day and are not only releasing this triumph but cleaning it up as well. From the acting, to the cinematography, to the art direction, Hamlet is a true masterpiece. Oh, and the writings not bad either.
2. (tie) Twin Peaks : Season 2 on DVD (April)
My second favorite TV show of all time finally finishes its run on DVD. The first season came out about 4 or 5 years ago in a great set that included some fun extras and most importantly, a cleaned up picture and soundtrack. Up until that release the only Twin Peaks available was on a sub par VHS set that literally looked worse then if you saw it in the 90’s on a TV with rabbit ears. Anyway after the first release sold very well, everyone anticipated the second season would arrive shortly. Well we waited and watched the rights to the show be passed from studio to studio, year after year. Paramount finally landed the rights last year and has worked with David Lynch on new transfers to make the second season look better then ever. For me the second season of Twin Peaks was when the show hit its high as we were allowed as an audience to focus on something other then Laura Palmer’s murder. The season 2 finale ranks as one of the best episodes of television ever thanks in no small part to the multiple cliffhangers that remain to this day unanswered. The only thing that could top this is if there was some kind of a new season to my favorite show of all time but since it’s off the air that would never happen…right?
1. Buffy the Vampire Slayer- Season 8 (March)
Lost, 24, Heroes, these are shows that excel in my favorite television genre, the mythology drama. Still while I think it’s a great time for TV I find myself thinking everyday, for at least a moment, about Buffy the Vampire Slayer. No show has ever produced more memorable moments for me then this one. I thought that when it went out, it went out on top and in fitting fashion yet I still longed for more. Now my prayers have been answered as we are given Buffy Season 8. Ok yes it’s a comic book but please don’t stop reading. This is not some comic book that is meant to supplement the existing Buffy lore, this is how Joss Whedon envisioned the 8th season of Buffy if the actors and network had wanted to continue. Whedon is running this book just like he did every season of Buffy. He’s written the first story arc and will oversea the rest of the season while handing off the daily writing chores to his Mutant Enemy writing staff and a who’s who of comics’ best writers. Whedon has said that like the breaks between previous seasons, season 8 will pick up about 6 months after the destruction of the Hellmouth. The new season will explore Buffy’s new role as den mother to a whole world of slayers and will feature all the characters we know and love. At one point Whedon talked about doing a series of movies following the end of season 7 but lack of money from the studio and a demand for money from some cast has rendered that option obsolete, so while a comic book season can never be the equal of a live action one, we’ll take what we can get.
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