Top Ten Films Of 2013..!

I don't really do these reviews at appropriate times but here's my favourite films watched last year, it's based on when I first watched them, not the year they were released. Anyway, enjoy!


To pick the top ten (and especially best five) films I’ve seen this year was incredibly difficult and much harder to select than the music! One documentary, one drama, one horror, one sci-fi and one historical drama, all with edges of comedy make the hallowed top-half…

1. District 9 (2009) – Essentially, apartheid with aliens. A genre-straddling film that is absolutely mindblowing. Sharlto Copley is astounding as he lives through seemingly endless physical and emotional punishment. You need to watch it, if you’ve not already.

2. The Times Of Harvey Milk (1984) – Just pipped to the post was this documentary of the first openly gay politician in the USA, it was revealing as it was beautiful to see the reaction from the San Francisco public when the story unfolds. Let’s just say that it doesn’t end well…

3. There Will Be Blood (2007) – Rarely, do they make the star of the film of an absolute raving psychopath, usually, they are seen as the baddy. Here, he’s right in the middle of the shot and by God, does Daniel Day Lewis make every shot count. Outstanding.

4. Zombieland (2009) - This could have been a very average film, done a million times before but the performances of the cast, including a sublime cameo by Sir Bill Murray and a hilarious script, mean that this is one of the best horror-comedies ever, in my eyes.

5. The Bling Ring (2013) – It got a critical panning but I adored this. Sophia Coppola has a matter-of-fact style of filmmaking, the kids she portrays who rob celebrity’s houses, know they have nothing to lose, borne out by the ending, which echoed the real conclusion. A sad indictment of that portion of the American rich.

6. American Gangster (2007) – The extraordinary tale of how one man became one of the biggest drug dealers in the US and ultimately, how he was brought down, Russell Crowe and Denzel Washington both excel in this epic.

7. The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets’ Nest (2009) – The brilliant trilogy concludes, it doesn’t go out lagging and spluttering though, it’s as unrelentingly heavy and moody as the other two.

8. Elysium (2013) – The ‘follow up to District 9’, is along a similar vein of a dystopian future, with technology leading to waste, degradation and huge divides. It’s also a bit more implausible with Matt Damon on a ‘Chuck Norris’ level of indestructibility!

9. A History of Violence (2005) – An undiscovered gem that packs a lot into an hour and a half, fine acting performances and the film twisting from drama to action flick, like a sudden drop on a rollercoaster.

10. Milwaukee, Minnesota (2003) – Claustrophobic small town life, a mental illness that is hinted at but not laid on thick and some darkly funny moments, all about a man who can read the minds of fish!

Lots of good films didn't make the ten this year, it seems that our choices in cinema has gone back towards the epic, such as ‘The Assassination of Jesse James by The Coward Robert Ford’ (2007), something that seems to have been deleted from Brad Pitt’s back catalogue plus Cast Away (2000), whose plane crash scene stuck with me far too long!

A couple of great documentaries just missed out, Murderball (2005), about the US Disabled Basketball team and Spellbound (2002), the polar opposite of the aforementioned jockfest, following the genuinely oddball professional Scrabble tour pros.

Plenty of comedy about too, Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa (2013) wasn’t quite classic Partridge but had its’ moments, as did Paul (2011), when it got going. Maybe I’d have enjoyed Toy Story 3 (2010) if I had been able to concentrate a bit more on Christmas Day but it gets edged out. Also unbelievably, I hadn’t seen Bill And Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989) all the way through till this year!

And what about batshit mental British drama? Ones littered with unexpected Harry Potter stars maybe? There was Mr Nice (2010), portraying Howard Marks and for the just plain nuts, there was Insidious (2010) and Oldboy (2003), enough said.

Special Mention goes to ‘Movie 43’ (2013)! Not many films feature a cat masturbating over its’ human owner, good to see boundaries are still being pushed!

Here's 2012's delicious cinematic treats - http://jeffthelion.livejournal.com/230722.html

Top Ten Albums Of 2013..!

And toddling along immediately after the previous twin-post, here's my favourite tunes of last year too, because I'm anal like that!

2013 felt like a year of singles, rather than albums, and like when the FA didn’t know who to give the Football Player of the Year to, it awarded it to someone who is consistently would have made top three or five in the poll for a number of years, Ryan Giggs.

Similarly, Frank Turner has never won my ‘Album of the Year’ prize, despite rocketing away at the top of my Last.FM chart - http://www.last.fm/user/jeffthelion - so I award consistency this year, his albums are still crackers, they just keep on being second best of the year. What’s the disgrace in that?! It’s a whole year and it’s my rankings party, so well done, Frank!

1.Frank Turner – Tape Deck Heart (2013) – Somehow, Frank Turner’s punk infused folk songs have seamlessly shifted from playing pubs to arenas, there’s some awesome tunes on display as ever in his latest effort. Some are happy, some reflective and some just iconoclastic about religion but whatever he turns his hand to, the quality is astounding and as my Last.FM or anyone who knows me will attest, I love him!

2. Pure Love – Anthems (2013) – When I first heard Frank Carter had split from Gallows, I was fucking gutted. Then annoyed, then surprised, when I heard this rousing anthemic rock album; it’s definitely Frank Carter and not Frank Carter-lite. It’s got balls without needing to scream too much. Now, Pure Love are going to split, will the original Gallows reform? What will happen next? Who knows but I hope my ears are around to witness it.

3. Suede – Bloodsports (2013) – I was a bit non-committal about Brett Anderson’s solo output but now Suede are back together, it provides a meatier backdrop for the frontman’s angst. The calibre of songwriting throughout is very consistent, wonderful stuff and I love it when bands prove me wrong.

4. Boy Sets Fire – Tomorrow Comes Today (2003) – Containing one of my all-time post-hardcore tracks is always going to be an influence but I’d never properly listened to it all till this year. It’s fire-y while not being whiney and that’s as good a compliment you can bestow for a band occasionally described as emo.

5. Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here (1975) – A rare ‘classic’ album, am I reaching middle age?! Ha, I doubt it, this is brilliant. I love that it’s five songs long, I love that you barely notice thirteen minutes going by and I mostly love that it’s so well produced, it feels like it could have been released this year!

6. Tim Barry – 40 Miler – (2012) Raspy voiced former punk turns country-folk troubadour, seem familiar? Anyway, he differs from this year’s number one, in that it’s an American perspective and also there’s a lot more self-deprecation. And use of harmonica. Excellent stuff.

7. Of Monsters And Men (2011) – My Head Is An Animal – This album is so bloody lovely. It tiptoes a fine line of being just about the right amount of twee and floaty and the result is largely brilliant. How you follow it up will be the tricky one, like Arcade Fire after ‘Funeral’. I hope they don’t get overawed, judging by their gigs, they already seem staggered anyone is arsed about them!

8. Dan Le Sac – Space Between The Words (2012) – Having bought the CD by accident post-gig, this turned into a fantastic treat. With such a wide array of vocalists, DLS steps into the spotlight from behind SP for once and revels in it.

9. Foster The People – Torches (2011) – I really wanted to dislike them, oddly based on their videos, which made them seem like indie twats. Their music though, teeters elegantly between dance and indie and is much darker lyrically then it appears. Ace!

10. Turbowolf – Turbowolf (2011) – They sound like they’ve literally only listened to Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster and stoner rock from the 70’s! The result is trippy and also punchy, edging towards brilliance, album number two could be even better.

Boy Sets Fire – As A Nation Sleeps (2013) just missed out by virtue of the one album rule, it’s less emo and more metal while displaying updated political awareness BSF may easily have lost in their hiatus.

Also displaying his depth, Scroobius Pip – No Commercial Breaks (2006), which is a compilation of his early work plus a live album from the Royal Albert Hall, in which he jokes throughout about how weird it is to be playing there!

It’s been a strong year for electronic music, 1990’s dance has been regularly pulsing through my head but also, there’s the mash up tape deities, 2Many DJs – As Heard On Radio Soulwax – Pt. 2 (2002), which is just a masterclass of production.

Midway through the year, I heard a single by a band mixing Public Service Broadcasting films from the 1960’s and earlier with live music, they go by the not-so-snappy name of ‘Public Service Broadcasting’ and while the big single on their eponymous debut album (2013) is not representative of the album, it’s well worth a listen.

I don’t think I’ve seen a Pensioner so off their case at a gig as Peter Stampfel, during one of Jeffrey Lewis & Peter Stampfel – Hey, hey! It’s the JL & PS Band (2013)!‘s live performances in Chorlton in 2013, the fact that he’s still so joyous about making and performing new music is evident and runs through this record like veins under the skin. A song about a certain reality TV star also stands out in the memory…

The King Blues – Long Live The Struggle (2012), was the final stop on their particular musical odyssey. Not out of choice though, it is more their own fault for all copulating with each other like ferrets on heat. You could see the direction frontman Itch was heading; it was more electronic, the trajectory he’s continued with his solo project, which this comfortably manages to improve upon.

Finally, special mention goes to Shampoo – Shampoo You (1994), good old fashioned pop fun, if you can’t smile during ‘Trouble’, you need some therapy! Or maybe I do..!

And 2012's round up, for your perusal too, if you're so inclined... http://jeffthelion.livejournal.com/231072.html