Note: I had this whole thing where I was going to do a bunch of “best of” lists at the end of 2006. I know, it’s an extremely novel idea which I am in the process of patenting. I never finished this project, however, and I have had this damned post sitting on my server, waiting to be posted since December. I am tired of it being there, so I am now putting it up for your enjoyment. Here we go:

Before last week, I was prepared to write off 2006 as a terrible year for films. Then, out of the blue, I was blindsided by a movie that may rank among the best films I’ve ever seen. A few days after that, I saw a film by one of my favorite directors that restored my faith in the artistry of film. Although I was not excited by a lot of movies this year, the films that made it to the top were extremely impressive. The undisputed best films I saw this year are, as follows:

10. The White Diamond - This movie holds the dubious 10th place position only because it was actually released in 2004. If I had seen it when it came out, it might have taken the top position for the year. It’s a really extraordinary documentary by Werner Herzog, the guy who directed Grizzly Man and a bunch of other films that I haven’t seen but I pretend I know something about because film buffs are supposed to know about them, i.e. Aguirre, the Wrath of God and Fitzcarraldo.

The White Diamond is a documentary about an expedition taken to Guyana by Dr. Graham Dorrington, in which Dr. Dorrington uses a hot-air balloon to explore the canopy of a rain forest. Dr. Dorrington is as fascinating a character as Timothy Treadwell from Grizzly Man, only slightly less totally insane. Herzog begins the film by discussing the history of zeppelins, making the claim that the Hindenburg disaster killed the idea of gas-powered airships despite their legitimate advantages over airplanes. It’s an interesting thought … why are airplanes the only option for air travel when there’s another technology that works just as well, if not better? This point is pretty much abandoned after the first 10 minutes, but it’s an idea that really stuck with me.

What I really love about the three Herzog documentaries I’ve seen (My Best Fiend is the third–a fascinating film in its own right) is the way he includes himself and the filming of the documentary into the movie. As a director, he seems open to follow whatever interesting story might come along during the course of filming. He never lets the viewer forget that he is watching a filmed version of events, yet he doesn’t necessarily seem to be inventing anything. He creates a very strange, intriguing, and often hilarious sense of reality. I’ve heard complaints from people who’ve watched Grizzly Man that it “seems fake.” It definitely does, but I would argue that that’s exactly what Herzog was trying to achieve. The White Diamond has the same strange feeling of unreality, but it’s completely fascinating from start to finish.

Note: This is as far as I got in my original post. Do you see why I didn’t want to continue? That’s a lot of pressure, describing every movie I saw this year in that kind of detail. I can barely remember what I ate for breakfast this morning. (more…)

Of course, you are all wondering what I was into this year. And like a kindhearted grandpa with a bowl full of Pepto Bismol-flavored candies, I am here to give you what your greedy little goblin hearts desire.

Let’s start with music, shall we? And a caveat: the following list is partly bullshit. It’s bullshit, because I am a gentleman of not inconsiderable age (31) who realizes he is teetering on the age of irrelevance. There are plenty of bands that won acclaim in the year-end lists that I have not heard. I no longer have the inclination to seek out every band with a little buzz behind them and listen to their records obsessively until I am able to spew back large chunks of their lyrics and write meaningful paragraphs detailing their unique and powerful abilities to add something new to the long, repetitive history of three-chord pop songs. Many of these records, I haven’t even listened to more than three or four times apiece. Some of them were not even released this year.

Instead of calling these the 12 best albums of the year, let’s say they are the 12 albums that I either liked the most or fully intend to like the most, given the possibility that I will someday have the time to sit down and really enjoy them the way that God has intended. If you are willing to accept all of these conditions and are still interested in my opinion, then please, read on.

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