Yes, it's been a while since I posted the End of the Year Awards, or the "Endies" as we grew to call them around here, but then it's been quite awhile since I've posted anything at all. I'm not going to bother to come up with excuses, since, as the proverb goes, like assholes, everyone's got one, and all of 'em pretty much stink.
Be that as it may, it's been one year most people are content to get the hell out of the way, if only to step into another potential grinding wheel that will be 2009. Sure, like any other year, 2008 had its ups--at least we got a new president--but mostly downs for the average American, at least (hell, if you were a republican, the new president probably wasn't even an up, but if you were a republican, you were a lot busier deluding yourself about the state of affairs to begin with, if you ask me). As far as pop culture goes, it was pretty much a grab-bag typical of other years: a decent amount of cool things (actually a pretty good year for movies), a decent amount of un-cool things (like Guns 'n' Roses finally releasing Chinese Democracy and absolutely no one giving a shit (or maybe that's actually a cool thing). So let's gather up the round table of this year's winners and "losers" in the grand game of pop culture, and let's see who grabs our selections for this year's "Endies" awards, shall we?.
Movie of the Year
We are thrilled to give this year's film selection to Juno, while not by any means a perfect movie, still a damn great one, with very believable performances by all (especially Jason Bateman's even though his role is smaller), and absurdly clever writing. Yes, a lot of people got down on aspects that made the notions of teenage pregnancy and adoption seem light-hearted, and some of those criticisms are legit--since the film made it seem a bit too much like "everything comes out okay in the wash" . But even tackling this theme in any way comedic is difficult enough. Too often merely bringing up teenage pregnancy automatically hearkens to overwrought melodrama the likes of which only the Lifetime Network is willing to handle (brecch), so kudos to Diablo Cody for even realizing the fact that, among all the crap that ensues in that maelstrom of emotional and physical awfulness there is a lot of shit that can be laughed at. And Junois, without a doubt, a very fucking funny film. I'm also glad the Academy Awards showed a little bit o' ball-sackage enuph to give Cody the nod for Best Original Screenplay (normally, they'll be content to show their "daring" by nominating you, then go back to playing it safe and pick some overly ornate thing that takes place in Europe or something to try to prove how sophisticated they are--holocaust movies are perennial favourites, of course).
Best Actor in a Film
A lot of people are going to pulling for Heath Ledger in this year's Awards season, and damned if I'd argue that much about it, even though I don't think he'll win too many, since it's not likely that the hoighty-toighty side of the awards-givers will want to credit a younger actor who checked out in somewhat seedier circumstances, much less give too much credit for a somewhat cartoony role in a comic-book genre movie. I say to hell with all that, he deserves the credit.
But he's still not my pick this year. For reasons involving how Ichoose to arrange the rules concerning Endies selections, this year's winner is Daniel Day-Lewis for his role in There Will Be Blood. Day-Lewis, of course, won last year's Oscars and wouldn't be in the running for this year's awards in the mainstream, but that's not the same way we select things here on "Dreaming Life" (we didn't catch the movie until the new year, so it's eligible for us in as an '08 pick).
But let's talk about yet another titanic role for Daniel Day-Lewis, who doesn't work often, but seems only capable of picking the most meaty roles when he finally does come out from under his rock. He won an Endie for his previous role in Scorsese's The Gangs of New York and this year's work is definitely along the same lines, a little bit over-the-top, but in that grandiose Orson Welles-like fashion that still muther-fucking triumphs, dammit. Indeed, this is likely to prove at least one of, if not the Citizen Kane-performances of the 21st century. His character is at once wholly understandable, while thoroughly dastardly. He's a truly horrible human being, yet you still wind up siding with him agains the smarmy, chicanerous fakery of the bible thumpers in the film who he subsequently knuckles under to, and ultimately triumphs over (in his own sick way). And anyone who has seen the movie will never forget (and oft repeat the line) "I drink your milkshake!"
Best Actress in a Film
Again, a nod to Juno for Ellen Page's role in the titular role. She's got smart-ass adorability, knee-hugging vulnerability, the necessary mix of too smart for her own good, and too dumb for her own good (or at least, ultimately much more emotionally needy than she would care to realize or admit) for a teenage character to be in this much of a pickle and still be completely sympathetic. A lot of what works about the character is, of course, the result of the script, but Page's work with the role is top-notch, and its wonderful to know Page potentially has years to only get better. We can only hope she keeps picking roles as good as this one, so she doesn't crawl up the shitty-movie-gutter-pipe that so many younger actors can wind up in (see Ben Affleck).
Record of the Year
Admittedly, there seem to be fewer and fewer records that I deem worthy to acquire in the last few years. A lot of that is probably a combination of my increasing age, and the still-volatile change that's undergoing the music industry as a whole. As an older adult, I must, by necessity, concede my place as a main consumer and understander of popular music to a younger and more devoted audience. That is the natural progression of things. Pop music, as a whole, does not devote its energies to reaching someone of my demographic, so it becomes my responsibility as a listener to scope out other places to get my gradually graying ya-yas out. The flip side of the matter is that the music worl in general has gotten ever-more-fragmented, loosely (dis)organized, and all the more difficult on which to get a read on. I don't know if musicians at all truly release "albums" or "records" per se with any kind of thought of it as a complete product, or if we'll see the inevitable development of musicians releasing "single" solely in the on-line format, or what. What we know is, no musician really carries with them any sort of a zeitgeist, at least not the way musicians are currently reaching audiences. And for that matter, I don't know how much audiences truly invest in music or musicians anymore. To most younger audiences, it's simply one more option in an entertainment vista which must give an ADD sufferer fits of both ecstasy and aggravation.
In short (too late) music is possibly simultaneously too easy to acquire, and too difficult to get any sort of a read on. It's somehow become both too obscure and too disposable. Too fragmented, and too transparent. Does anybody follow what I'm trying to get at with this point? Ha Ha.
Still, I do have a pick for Record of the Year (finally). My pick is the Soundtrack to the Motion Picture Film Once. And I'll tell you, look around for more of Glen Hansard's work in both the Frames and the Swell Season. The writing is, well, it's probably a bit more skewed towards a slightly more mature audience, sure, but it's very thoughtful, very melodic, very emotional...hell, it's just good. At times, it's just plain heart-rending (especially if you've seen the film the music accompanies, but even if you haven't...) and if nothing else, still very original.
Breakthrough of the Year
I gotta say, I think every other year, I've given this award to musicians, but this year, I asked myself "Why the hell should this award be strictly for musicians." So, similar to how I've broken that barrier with other awards recipients in previous years, I've broken that wall down with this one in selecting Russell Brand for his absolutely hysterically over-the-top role as Aldous Snow, the blissfully oblivious-to-the-point-of-enlightened rock star in Forgetting Sarah Marshall. To be frank, he's hardly even acting. If you've witnessed Russell Brand outside of this role, he's pretty much that manically out-there and funny. That can be a danger to a career, obviously, since people can get sick of your antics real fast if it becomes no more than a one-trick pony (see Jack Black). But a more fitting actor for a more fitting role in a more fitting movie I haven't seen in a while.
Fare Thee Well...
The award dedicated to a figure who will no longer be sharing their work with us, at least for the indefinite future. For a long time, I gave this one to musicians all the time also, then I hit a streak of people who died--a bit morbid even I was finding it, I admit as well. This year, we're breaking the mould yet again, and giving the award to Ric Flair, the greatest professional wrestler of all time, who this year gave his farewell performance at WrestleMania against Shawn Michaels, while being inducted into the WWE's Wrestling Hall of Fame the same weekend.
I admit, this is purely a dorky guy's selection, but anyone who spent any time watching any wrestling over the last thirty years knows who Ric Flair, the high-stylin', profilin', jet-flyin', kiss-stealin', wheelin' dealin' greatest performer in the sport today is. While his latter years weren't quite up to the snuff of his prime (hey, the guy was in his fifties, give him a break), nobody could ignore that not once did he give less than 100 % at every opportunity. And in his prime, he was one of the most infuriating, dramatic and simultaneously likeable and hateable in ring performer. To say that his promo work outside of matches is still the gold standard even today (the guy can work a microphone like no one else, which is why I still think you may seem him return in a managerial capacity someday). So, sadly, we must turn the line of girls away; Space Mountain is now closed, even if they all want to take a ride.
Glad to See 'em Go...
I've softened up a little over the years, and usually struggled to pick an artist or performer I'm actually glad won't be staining our memories any more with their presence. Usually, my selections for this one turn out wrong down the long run (see Britney Spears, who, like a bad rash, keeps showing up over and over again).
This year I have no shame, and no regrets for selecting O.J. Simpson. As a Buffalonian, we once worshipped this sacrilege (some idiots in this town manage to continue with the "O.J. is Innocent" rap). I'm glad, even if his past sins were somehow pardoned, he's not getting away with his more recent ones. If he comes out of prison alive, he'll be a broken-down old piece of shit with barely a few years left to live out his misery. I'm glad, you murdering, misogynistic waste of a meat-puppet. You say you're sorry all you want. You're right: sorry meaning said, not contrite. If there is a hell, I'll be going there too, but I promise you'll be at the far wing where the hardcore scumbags go, and I hope I get to watch you rot there.
TV's Must Watch Show
I have to say, while the old-school networks have gotten more and more diluted with shitty reality TV and really, really bad over-worked game shows that were invented back in the '60s, television viewing as whole has probably gotten better, as long as you keep looking around. This year, I'm giving the pick to HBO's Entourage which took things in a little bit of a different direction for its fourth season. Instead of making sure movie-star Vincent Chase and friends kept coming out of their quandaries all rosy and smiley-faced, instead he suffered through legit bouts of career failure, decimated self-confidence, existential burnout, what have you. He even skulked back home to Queens for a quick respite to try to make some sense out of himself. And while the characters are often critiqued for being too broad and meat-headed (especially Kevin Dillon's Johnny Drama), we have to remember how much A to B has to be crossed within a 26 minute episode, so give the guys a break after all. I for one couldn't make it through one episode this year without one good, noisy laugh-out-loud moment; and that's normally the space I save for watching The Office.
Best Live Performance of the Year
I gotta admit, the older I get, the fewer shows I make it out to, and I blame it on an assortment of things (but work and general laziness are probably the prime factors). Used to be a time there wasn't almost a week that went by I wasn't going to see someone play. But that lifestyle is saved for the twenty-somethings after all, and I am no twenty-something anymore. It also should not be neglected to mention that a lot of bigger shows no longer grace the shores of Buffalo anymore, so one has to do more picking and choosing of club shows and outdoor events to try to make up for the fact that HSBC Arena or Darien Lake Performing Arts Pavillion stand empty a whole lot more often.
I still did see a somewhat respectable number of shows for a man my age, and so the winner for this year's award goes to Ron Hawkins for his July 5th Performance at Gateway Park in North Tonawanda, NY.
Yes, don't I give this guy props almost every year? Aren't I getting just a little redundant. So, maybe guilty as charged there. But, while his activity has waned over the years, and he really only does a few shows a year, they are almost always some of the best shit you'll experience. Ron also doesn't settle for any one kind of show anymore. Sometimes he'll go mellow and acoustic, playing by himself, sometimes he'll break out the "rock band" format with Mark Hansen on drums and Dylan Parker on bass. And, sometimes, like this show, he'll also add other dimensions, with other musicians sitting in, whether it be cello, saxophone, violin, et al.
Suffice to say, Hawkins' catalogue is varied and extensive enuph to get away with this, and always quite successfully. It also doesn't hurt that in these parts, you've got enuph goobers like me, who've waded worshipfully through his career over two decades now (brrrr) who know the songs well-enuph to make most shows a rather spirited sing-along.
Mein Gott, I need a life.
Page Turner of the Year
I realize a theme is surfacing somewhat this year, with my pick of Brian Fritz's Between the Ropes, a book about the history of pro-wrestling's evolution through the '90s and into this decade. But what more can I admit. The past year or so, I've been big into the history of sports entertainment, even stretching all the way back to wrestling's post-war development of the National Wrestling Alliance that pretty much made modern wrestling what it is today.
Fritz, who is the main host of a lively, informative two hour weekly show on Florida's ESPN radio, focuses on the transformative past 15 years, which metamorphosed the wrestling world from a huge, glittery, cartoon-fest '80s era, to an equally huge, gritty, obscenity-fest '90s era, and its aftermath. Current sports-entertainment has been on a downward slump for a while, mostly the result of many companies now swallowed up into one megalithic World Wretling Entertainment; the departure of most of the previous era's mega-huge superstars, and, not the least, the rising dominance of Mixed Martial Arts hogging the pay-per-view buck of audiences (it should be noted, on Fritz's radio show itself, almost half the airtime is now devoted to UFC and other MMA topics, instead of actual sports entertainment- style "wrasslin'").
While I wish Fritz had spent more focus on what's gone awry for the industry (and better what remedies could be possible), the fact of the matter is, both fans and promoters aren't altogether certain of all the intangibles causing this effect. Be that as it may, I still had a hell of a time regaling the heydays of ECW, WCW, and the modern attempts by TNA to generate a legitimate rival to Vince McMahon's media empire.
Artist of the Year
She's the main brain, and the main face of NBC's sorely overlooked 30 Rock and she somewhat accidentally resurrected Saturday Night Live from cultural irrelevance for a couple of months (even if it was only for the first ten minutes of each week, and she wasn't even an official cast member anymore). Yes, we're giving the Artist of the Year award to Tina Fey this time, you betcha. What probably cinched this pick for me was her unadulterated admission that there was no way she could keep up the Palin impression if the McCain ticket actually won the Presidential / VP election. Nothing shows comedic smarts better than realizing a horse actually can get kicked after its dead, and just how funny that isn't.
But I'd also point out that Fey's creative direction of 30 Rock is miles better than any of the stuph she did when she actually was a cast member (and head writer) of SNL. And while lots of people seems to talk about this little show that could, the ratings prove not a lot of people are actually watching. My advice is, do it. DVR it, whatever. While it's not quite as "smart" as The Office, let's be realistic and remember that show isn't really quite as "smart" as too many hipsters try to make it out to be (but it is still pretty great). The other key factor is, 30 Rock isn't really trying to be as "smart" to begin with, but instead (successfully) goes for the oddball middle-brow vibe. And yes, Fey is not the single-handed force behind what makes the show so great, since Alec Baldwin (probably the greatest all-time repeast guest on SNL) is the guy most responsible for the show's hilarity.
Nonetheless, Fey is still the main brain behined the operation, and deserves the accolades for getting Baldwin to play Frack to her Frick.
Now, if we could only get her work in film to be close to this good, we'd get a chance to pick her for this award a little more often.
That's it for the Main Awards this Year. I'll be posting the "Honourable Mentions" in the future--right after I find my notes to them again...blargh.
