Top 10 Films Of 2010...

The best ten films I saw in 2010, according to me. It's interesting to note the coincidence of Toni joining a course in Documentary Production sees documentaries very prominent! As always, discuss..!

1. Paradise Lost: The Child Murders At Robin Hood Hills (1996) - An exceptionally made, researched and directed documentary of a USA small town miscarriage of justice. The convicted (two of which suffer from mental illness)'s reactions are poignant as they are unbelievable to any outsider. They all remain in prison as I type. Frightening.

2. Kick-Ass (2010) - Unrelentingly hilarious and entertaining bundled in with a strange concept and a heart of gold despite an infant being beaten up causing quite a lot of laughter in the cinema!

3. The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas (2008) - God, this film is depressing! But how amazingly good it is. The innocence of a small boy whose Dad is high up in the Nazi army triggers a series of tragic events...

4. The Shawshank Redemption (1994) - The standard this year must have been and was sensational for this brilliant tale of two prisoners to only be fourth. It is still magnificent, mind.

5. Anatomy of Chengwin (????) - One of two documentaries making the top five, a loony documentation of impromptu filming of the misadventures of Chengwin (half chicken, half penguin) on the streets of New York despite the city's authorities trying to stop this annual event, spread by word-of-mouth over the internet.

6. Four Lions (2010) - As sardonic and uncomprimisingly darkly humourous as you'd expect of Chris Morris' film debut, this comedy about suicide bombers is brilliant.

7. The Silence of the Lambs (1991) - A classic that I've overlooked for too long, Anthony Hopkins is sinister and the tension is maintained to the end.

8. Borat (2006) - Comedy that offended a whole nation of Kazakhstan! If anyone claims he is racist, you really are a Jew-chasing hick yourself! Hilarity aplenty!

9. The Human Centipede (First Sequence) (2009) - Surprisingly, this isn't the most mental film I saw this year and considering this is the crazy story of a doctor joining three people together mouth to anus, that's a bold statement. Much, much cleverer than I thought it would be.

10. The Devil Wears Prada (2006) - I am secure in my sexuality so I can put this in! A well-acted drama of how your job can eat you alive to the cost of everything, films like this don't have to be shit like Sex and the City, they really don't!

Honourable mentions to the two successors to number 7, Hannibal (2001) and Red Dragon (2002), the comedy Get Him To The Greek (2010), the original Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) which inspired so much, yet another documentary in Bowling for Columbine (2002) (even though it's not Michael Moore's best), the bizarre take on horror from South Korea, The Host (2006) and the A-Team (2010) film which outstripped everyone's expectations by not being appalling..!

Oh and for the 'so good it's bad', you just couldn't beat Mega Shark Versus Giant Octopus (2009)!

And here were last year's picks:

http://jeffthelion.livejournal.com/148978.html

And The Top 10 Albums Of 2010..!

One band per album, no mentioning of particular tracks if possible, here's my top 10 albums of the year, I don't expect to fully agree with anyone but comment about it, if you like!

1. Dan le Sac Vs Scroobius Pip - The Logic Of Chance (2010) - Could they match the erudite lyrics and exceptionally catchy beats of the first album? The answer is yes, without standing still and refusing to become a shit grime outfit. An essential album and band.

2. Gallows - Grey Britain (2009) - Like the frustration of the 2010 election and coalition government's worst moments afterwards were foreseen and distilled into 13 songs by an angry hardcore punk band before it even happened... Magnificent on record as they are live.

3. Paramore - Brand New Eyes (2009) - A near-perfect rock album (albeit with a habit of picking some of the slightly less exceptional tracks for singles!), Hayley Williams's voice truly finds itself and lyrically she becomes an adult. Maybe Satan doesn't have all the cool bands affiliated with him as Bart Simpson once claimed..!

4. Seasick Steve - Man From Another Time (2009) - Steve Wold's best and most forthright delve into his punky blues songbook. Beautiful and thoughtful at every turn.

5. B.Dolan - House Of Bees - Volume 1 (2009) - Weird, very weird, politically-aware hip hop, one song gives out all the addresses and contact details of Bhopal corporate murderer Warren Anderson all without losing the flow!

6. Lostprophets - Start Something (2003) - Lyrically and musically, this is the equivalent of Incubus' 'Make Yourself' album, that's how highly I rate it! Every track is so strong and the production is spot on, marvellous.

7. Twin Atlantic - Vivarium (2009) - A brilliantly tight EP demonstrating that we can do post-hardcore rock better than the Yanks, I can't wait for their full album this year!

8. Bill Hicks - Rants In E-Minor (1997) - The irony is that the weakest parts are the music or it would be higher. If you don't know who the comedian Bill Hicks is, go check him out immediately, no excuses!

9. Future Of The Left - Curses (2009) - Angry punk-indie with twisted and hilarious lyrics/song titles whose live show can become a bit of a comedy gig! Criminally underrated.

10. Muse - The Resistance (2009) - A return to outright brilliance after wanting to be Prince for a bit. This is incredibly brave territory for a band who are supposed to be shifting millions of records. Bellamy and co are in fact the new Queen and I love them!

Honourable mentions to some indie brilliance from The 10p Mixes' (RIP) Bedroom Sound (2008) and The Sunshine Underground's Nobody Is Coming To Save You (2010), Hole's Live Through This (1994) which was great and I only got into as I was going to see them with Toni (even though she was too ill on the night to see them herself!)

Also hearty congratulations to Biffy Clyro's Only Revolutions (2009) although they have besmirched themselves with the X-Factor debacle, Pendulum for In Silico (2008), AC/DC's solid-as-anything Highway To Hell (1979) and the insanely reliable Future of the Left for their debut Travels With Myself And Another (2007).

I must have loved 2009, 4 albums in the top 10 last year and another 7 this year with only 1 from 2010!

Here's my 2009 highlights:

http://jeffthelion.livejournal.com/149222.html