Top 10 albums of 2020

Bob Dylan "Rough and Rowdy Ways"

It may be the album of an old man, but it is very evident that despite what his output has been like for the past decade or so, Bob Dylan never lost his cool. That isn't something that most rock stars of his generation can claim. In one song he name drops Anne Frank, Indiana Jones, The Rolling Stones and Edgar Allan Poe. In one sentence he mentions Liberace and Saint John the Apostle. He quotes William Blake, Shakespeare and Walt Whitman, growls "I study Sanskrit and Arabic to improve my mind" then croons that he's "falling in love with Calliope". If there were still any lingering doubt about his receipt of the Nobel prize in literature, this album shoud dispel that. It's all about the mind, the words, the poetry. Although it has a perfectly balanced mix of country, blues and rock, it's not first and foremost a musical experience but a lyrical one. There is also the inherent weight that comes with it for those of us who have been lifelong fans. Of course the crowning jewel here, the centrepiece, is the 17 minute epic "Murder Most Foul", but don't be mistaken, the rest of the album is indeed worth your time.

Einstürzende Neubauten "Alles in Allem"

Neubauten's twelfth album and their first in over five years is just as weird, artistic, cool, clever, poetic, pretentious and beautiful as you'd expect considering we're dealing with a band that creates music using bags, electrical drills, metal springs and plastic pipes alongside more traditional instrumentation. It's not as experimental and clamorous as what one is used to as an old fan, but more restrained and refined than their earlier output, and Blixa Bargeld's voice has come to sound a little like Leonard Cohen (particularly on "Seven Screws"). All in all their best work in years.

 

 

The Streets "None of Us Are Getting Out of This Life Alive"

I was under the impression that Mike Skinner had retired The Streets over ten years ago, so I was pleasantly surprised by the sudden appearance of new material, and even more so when it features an interesting mix of styles, great sampling and cool guest artists like Tame Impala and Idles, with of course The Streets' characteristic lyrics. It's great to see that the wit remains unchanged - who else could come up with brilliant shit like "She talks about her ex so much even I miss him," or "Some people drink to be interesting, some people drink to be interested," or  "Resentment, the poison I take hoping you will suffer"?

 

Brian Eno "Film Music 1976-2020"

Unsurprisingly, the chillest album of the year comes courtesy of Brian Eno, creator of ambient music, with an eclectic and truly beautiful collection of film and television music written over a period of forty plus years. One or two tracks will be familiar to Eno collectors, but it's overall a richly rewarding, arty as all that and most of all quite cozy experience. Hearing music made over Eno's whole career in one compilation, expertly mixed together, really shows what a timeless (and ageless) artist we've got in Eno.

 

 

Fiona Apple "Fetch the Bolt Cutters"

"Fetch the Bolt Cutters" is a real showpiece for Fiona Apple's prowess as a songwriter ("I Would beg to disagree but begging disagrees with me" - wow!), for her gravitas as a singer and performer, and for her great personality, which shines through every track in lots of bright, and sometimes dark, colors. This collection of avantgarde rock poetry is often arranged like cabaret numbers and recorded in an off-beat, kinda DIY way. Made as it was in Apple's home, it is the perfect album for the quarantine era of the year 2020.

 

 

Grimes "Miss Anthropocene"

Canadian alt-pop wonder Grimes may have a very child-like voice, but she displays a mature person's interest in experimentation and exploration of new avenues for musical creativity, much like on her previous album "Art Angels" (2015). The conceptual "Miss Anthropocene" includes ambient beats on "So Heavy I Fell Through the Earth," Chinese rap on "Darkseid," catchy and soulful electro on "Violence" and tantric drum & bass on "4AEM". Mostly though, it contains wonderfully weird darkwave/industrial pieces interspersed with some more radio-friendly pop ballads resulting in a perfectly balanced album and quite a fulfilling listening experience.

 

The Strokes "The New Abnormal"

The Strokes' first record in seven years is not the album you'd expect but a slower, more melancholic and more thoughtful collection of songs with a melodic style that more often than not emphasizes synthesizers over guitars. "Broklyn Bridge to Chorus," for instance, sounds like proper synthpop, whereas the super catchy "Bad Decisions" has got to be their version of '80's new wave, and "At the Door" is like a cross between Brian Eno and Wendy Carlos. A signature of producer Rick Rubin is to strip great artists down to the bare necessities, emotionally and musically, and that sure is this album's greatest strength.

 

Lady Gaga "Chromatica"

The somewhat overrated "A Star Is Born" may have gotten her an Oscar, but it was "Joanna" that showed Lady Gaga's strength as a singer-songwriter. Now, on "Chromatica," she returns to the kitchy, catchy, glamorous, sparkling, ambitious, boundary-pushing, genre-defining, melodious, earnest, weird and wonderful dance pop that we know and love, particularly on the Madonna-influenced "Stupid Love", the outstanding disco ballad "Sine from Above" in collaboration with Elton John, and the "Paparazzi"-sounding "911". This hits monster is indeed, as she puts it, "top shelf".

 

 

Squarepusher "Be Up a Hello"

The musical mind of UK-based Squarepusher, second only to the great Aphex Twin, is a twisted and wonderful place. His first album in a while is a perfect mix of bouncy, distorted beats, dark ambient and sneakily melodious touches. Some people may find his particular kind of glitchy, amorphous techno stressful, but for me it's the opposite, I feel quite relaxed. And somewhat invigorated. Like I've been treated to a refreshing brain massage.

 

 

 

Infected Mushroom "More Than Just a Name"

There was a time some years back when the old psychedelic trance duo masters Infected Mushroom seemed to be going in quite a different direction. Luckily for us fans they found their way back to the weird beats, complex builds, hallucinogenic layers and occasional crossovers that we want to hear. Now they've returned after two years with an otherworldly aural trip that harks back to their original sound - most of all the standout track "Infected Megamix," in which they summarize their unique brand of dance music by mixing a lot of classic material together into one truly tasty mushroom.

Top 10 limited series of 2019

Watchmen

Continuing on the subject raised in the previous list, here is another masterpiece of sort-of superheroes with a twist. Damon Lindelof's "Watchmen" is both a reboot of, sequel to and remake of the original comic book and its film adaptation, and at the same time it's neither of those things. It's an important and current drama that uses the characters and setting of a legendary comic book to reckon with institutional and historical racism, and it does so in an incredibly entertaining, well-made, poetic, artistic and thought-provoking way. As such, it's an amazing achievement, for it's proof that a comic book sensibility and style is not antithetical to handling hefty issues in a mature and respectful way. Putting the main vigilantes from the original gang on the sidelines as supporting characters and inventing new ones that exist in the world of "Watchmen," on its terms, is a really clever trick, and with the deluge of awards and accolades it received and the amount of people's end-of-the-year lists it showed up on, you can certainly say they pulled that trick off with aplomb!    

Catch 22

Joseph Heller's "Catch 22" is one of the funniest and greatest books ever written, if you ask me. Hulu's six episode adaptation doesn't have the same goofy tone, but it is equally great. The creators Luke Davies and David Michôd have certainly taken a more serious approach to the story, eschewing a lot of the wit, the silliness and the admittedly sexist humor, but I don't mind because the absurdity of the story and of war in general is still in the forefront, and that's the most important thing. I mean, the novel coined a phrase to describe an absurdly paradoxical situation, so you can't really leave out said absurdity. With great direction and superb casting - particularly Christopher Abbott as Yossarian - "Catch 22" was a real highlight of the year in television for me.   

Unbelievable

There were a lot of series in 2019 that reckoned with injustices and changes in society in very tasteful, provocative and passionate ways. "Watchmen" was one. "Unbelievable," an original Netflix series that questions and challenges most of our pre-conceived notions of rape, assault and its surrounding issues, was another. This was also a year when dramatizations of real-life crime stories became something a little more sophisticated than the usual sensationalist fare of the past. Merritt Wever once again turns in another top-notch performance, here abetted by the always effective power of Toni Collette. But it's the ground-breaking and eye-opening way the series handles its topic that stays with you and that in some way leaves you a changed person. It's quite thrilling to be able to say that of a TV series.    

Country Music

A new documentary series produced by Ken Burns is always something to behold, but his latest, a look at the history of country music, is quite spectacular. There is a century of it to cover, yet the series doesn't feel like it leaves any stone unturned, and while it's so rich with information, music and images, it never becomes too overwhelming. "Country Music" never stops being an entertaining study, and it fitted well into a television landscape that was quite enlightening in all sorts of areas - just look at most of the titles on this list! Documentaries often tend to become tedious, with too many talking heads and repetitive talking points, but like his previous work on the Vietnam War, Burns' exquisitely edited and detailed journey through music history and, to some extent, American history, is as pleasurable as can be - a real joyride.    

Chernobyl

In the year when the phrase "fake news" was on everyone's lips, "Chernobyl" on HBO was the perfect drama series, for it revisits a time in modern history when a government actually gaslighted an entire country and quite successfully covered up one of the biggest catastrophes in recent memory. If you're too young or too far away from Europe to know anything about the real story, then this is a must-see. For those of us who remember the event, or at least have some awareness of it beforehand, this is still an incredibly well-made period piece, heavy and disheartening to watch but so solidly shot, written and acted that you can't pull away from it.  

When They See Us

Ava DuVernay's series about the Central Park Five is another entry on this list that has perfect timing and is perhaps, hopefully, indicative of a new way of producing true stories and representation on television. "When They See Us" is as heart-breaking, gut-wrenching and unsettling as they come, and it leaves you baffled, full of questions and angry for answers. Which is exactly what it wants, I believe. It leaves you wondering how deeply institutional racism is actually embedded in society, and where ever do you start digging in order to root it out? It also leaves me for one wondering how in the world the despicable Linda Fairstein could continue to work as D.A. in New York after the shameful behaviour on display here, aggressively lobbying for the condemning and incarceration of five innocent boys! Another thing it leaves me wondering is where in the world the marvelous acting from Jharrel Jerome in the role of Korey Wise (who wasn't even in the park that evening, but served the longest prison sentence) was when I last saw him in the awfully dull "Mr. Mercedes"?   

Fosse/Verdon

Another important story released in 2019 was "Fosse/Verdon" on FX. Maybe not as overtly important as "When They See Us" or as dramatically significant like "Chernobyl" or "Unbelievable," but important in that it shines a light on a hugely talented and by most people completely overlooked star, Gwen Verdon. It makes you wonder what Bob Fosse, and "Cabaret" in a way, would have been without the support and inspiration of the red-headed dancer, choreographer and performer Verdon, brought to brimming life by the supertalented Michelle Williams (who enabled some serious changes in regards to equality behind the camera in her role as executive producer on the series). It also shows that given a role that isn't a redneck or a moron or a racist, Sam Rockwell can really shine with all his versatility and experience, and give a really memorable and moving performance that'll leave you wanting more. 

The Act

With the fine, nuanced and utterly engaging performances from the two leads Joey King as Gypsy Blanchard and Patricia Arquette as her mother Dee Dee, along with the sophisticated writing and direction, Hulu's "The Act" is a great example of when dramatization is actually an improvement on documentary, of when a fictionalised interpretation of events can be more rewarding than just the facts. The true story behind "The Act" in particular is so bizarre in a way that it's almost necessary to create a fictional version of it that puts you inside the events and lets you get to know the people and where they come from in order to not be completely put off by it. Both women are great, but Arquette in particular does some of her finest work here, much better in my opinion than her turn in "Escape at Dannemora," although they both got her awards. It's also quite fascinating to consider than the monster she portrays was actually much worse in reality. But then again, reality always trumps fiction.  

Years and Years

Partly a dystopian view of the near future, partly a satire of our times with the issues being fought over in reality and the technology we live with, and also a scathing criticism of populist politicians, "Years and Years" is the excellent Russell T. Davies' latest series. As is usually the case with British television, it's all down to great stories, characters and dialogue. Davies introduces us to a large and diverse family living in Manchester, and their day-to-day struggles during major political and technological upheavals, and we're immediately hooked. Right away we get the feeling that we've known these people for years. You need a good writer for that, but also good actors, which you always get when you hire the likes of Rory Kinnear, Russell Tovey and Jessica Hynes, to say nothing of Emma Thompson, who unsurprisingly makes the biggest impression of all. Which is impressive when you consider how briefly she appears in the series. 

Sanditon

The latest period piece from one of the greatest television writers ever Andrew Davies, who has created some of the best BBC adaptations of classical literature for over thirty years now, obviously set out to make a name for itself by being a little provocative. Not something you usually expect from a Jane Austen adaptation, which is perhaps because the story "Sanditon" is based on was unfinished, or perhaps because of changing demands upon television drama, but it was nevertheless a welcome change. It may not look like much when you think about it, the little amount of sex and allusions to sex it featured, but it was enough to cause some controversy. But it's the quality of the acting, cinematography, direction and writing that makes it hit home and why it goes down as smoothly as a glass of fine wine. 

Top 10 new TV series of 2019

The Mandalorian

If you're a Star Wars fan and are alive in 2019, you're in for a treat. Right around the time a good Star Wars game finally came around, the Xbox One release Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Disney+ launched its streaming service with some of the best Star Wars material we've seen in years. From none other than Jon Favreau of all people. That man is now my hero! Like the titular bounty hunter from Mandalore, the TV series is impressive. It's impressive how purely Star Wars it is, at least in terms of the original trilogy, while at the same time being completely original - finally proof if proof was needed that you don't need the Skywalker saga to tell a great Star Wars story. It's also thrilling how purely Western it is, which you can see in every line of dialogue, every turn of the plot, every character and setting, and not least of all in Ludwig Göransson's wonderful score, which also contains strong hints of samurai movies. We couldn't have asked for a better christmas present from Disney.

Good Omens

This pretty spot on adaptation of Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman's popular book would originally have appeared on the list for best new limited series, but because this list is as late as it is, and because of recent developments on that front (i.e. a second season in production), Good Omens is now included here instead. 2019 started off great when David Tennant and Michael Sheen graced our screens in a textbook example of thoroughly inspired casting as, respectively, the demon Crowley and the angel Aziraphale, old friends who team up in order to stop the birth of the Antichrist and the coming Armageddon. The result is the kind of fantastical, hilarious and dark mix that you could expect even if you were unfamiliar with the original source material but had an inkling of who the writers are. And it's one of those rare instances when eight or ten episodes would actually have been justified, as the only negative thing you can say about it is that the fun is over much too soon.

The Boys

The superhero genre has now been around long enough for the emergence of a post-superhero subgenre, and as evidenced by the three entries on this list, the hottest new thing is "alternative" superheroes. In the lead right now in that area is Amazon Prime Video's satirical The Boys. I don't know if Amazon considers this their "flagship" series, but they definitely should. The level of quality in the writing, the high production values, the humor and the violence, leaves The Boys unmatched in Amazon's entire catalogue. Plus it's got something interesting to say about celebrity culture and the way big time corporations rule the world today. But perhaps the biggest reason for its huge entertainment value is the excellent chemistry between the five members of the anti-superhero vigilante group, led by Karl Urban, who has finally been bequeathed a part that makes the most of his charisma, wit and dynamic acting abilities.

What We Do in the Shadows

When you think about it, there is no outright funnier comedy on television right now than FX's re-working of What We Do in the Shadows, which originated as a little seen but widely hailed mockumentary by the brilliant Taika Waititi in collaboration with Jemaine Clement way back in 2014. The TV series, of which only Clement is credited as creator, is something as amazing and rare as never not funny, which is down to several things, like the way it retains the style and concept of the original film and the short, concise running length of the episodes. But mainly it's thanks to the three main vampires Nandor, Laszlo and Nadja and the wonderfully witty, charming and creative comedians Kayvan Novak, Matt Berry and Natasia Demetriou who play them. And the inclusion of Colin, an energy vampire who feeds on human energy by being unbelievably boring, is such a stroke of genius!

Servant

Though he's only executive producer and director of two episodes, the Apple TV+ thriller Servant has got M. Night Shyamalan written all over it. For instance, in how beautifully shot it is, in Shyamalan's favorite old place Philadelphia, with great performances from a great cast, in its great mix of dark humor and a creepy atmosphere, all in the service of an unforgettably weird plot. Shyamalan has had a bit of a return to form these last years, starting with 2015's The Visitor, though the series is technically speaking created by British writer Tony Basgallop. But maybe that's just what Shyamalan needed to get back on track, a great idea from another weird storyteller to collaborate on. Either way, the end result is deliciously strange, well-made, thoroughly entertaining and full of surprises!

The Witcher

After Game of Thrones came to its lambasted conclusion in the spring of 2019, us fantasy nerds had to put our hope on Netflix's adaptation of Andrzej Sapkowski's popular books about Geralt, the white-haired monster hunter with the impossibly deep voice, already a somewhat iconic character thanks to the famous video game series. Opinions may have varied, as they always do when there is a strong established fan base, but personally I was satisfied with the casting of Henry Cavill and found most of the eight episodes cool and interesting. Never having read the books I cannot judge it on that level, but as a lifelong lover of the genre in general I had no complaints. The Witcher delivered just what I want in a fantasy series, an elaborate world that feels lived-in, a good amount of magic and monsters, and an engaging story.

Doom Patrol

Now for the second entry in this list that takes the superhero genre into a truly weird place, Doom Patrol on DC Universe (and HBO Max). I wouldn't fault you for asking yourself if this is truly a show about superheroes, for Jane with the sixty-something different personalities in her head, Rita Farr, the old Hollywood has-been who melts when she gets stressed, Larry Trainor, the former pilot who is possessed by an electrical entity and constantly wrapped in bandages, Cliff Steele, a race car driver whose brain was transplanted into a metal body after an accident, are really more freaks of nature than heroes. But isn't that the whole point of Doom Patrol? I think so. It is surprising how brilliant this series is, coming as it did off an incredibly lacklustre and much more inferior superhero show, but it's also surprising and somewhat unusual to see something that dares to be this weird and silly, while at the same sneakily getting you hooked on its characters and their somewhat moving arcs. That's great TV right there!

His Dark Materials 

Finally Philip Pullman's magical and wonderful book series gets the adaptation it deserves. It's nice to be around at a time when television production has the means to visualize a world this fantastical, with all those "daemons" and that steampunk-ish alternative Oxford setting. And Iorek Byrnison, the armored polar bear, of course. Much can be said about the inherent quality and value of Pullman's story, and much probably has been said, especially considering how rare female protagonists are in a genre that has long been woefully underpopulated with role models for young girls. But I would rather focus on the excellent casting of Dafne Keen as Lyra "Silvertongue" Belacqua - the little firecracker who wowed us all in Logan in 2017 feels born to play the part. She's got just the right amount of strength, smarts and charisma to carry it. And with the always excellent Ruth Wilson as her villainous mother and the versatile Lin-Manuel Miranda cast against type as Lee Scoresby, she's got great support indeed.

The Umbrella Academy

And now for the third and final alternative superhero show on this list, The Umbrella Academy on Netflix. Though the first season takes a little time to get interesting, the overall impression leaves me for one wanting more - a lot more! I love the cast and the chemistry between them, in this makeshift family of adopted foster kids brought up to be superheroes, which is in itself such an unusual and fascinating idea! I also love the conceit of a secret government that exists outside of the real world and makes sure that people don't defy the laws of nature. Most of all I really love the idea of number five, "The Boy," with the mind of an old man trapped in the body of a thirteen-year-old boy. I mean, you've got to forgive a new show with such a lot of potential and such high ambitions for being a little uneven in its first attempt, don't you?

Carnival Row

Apparently, Amazon Prime Video's Carnival Row was originally intended to be a feature film, but I think it's a good thing it was expanded into a series, because there's so much to uncover in this kinda gothic, kinda steampunk, urban fantasy world. It's also a great example of how interesting it can be when the fantasy genre is used to tell stories about the real world, to symbolize actual problems and work as both escapism and metaphor, in this case creating a version of Britain where mythical creatures like fairies and fauns have migrated to the human world and thereby created a lot of tension. Admittedly, the symbolism isn't subtle in the least. No, Carnival Row tackles complex modern and classic issues like war, class, migration, integration, racism and sexism in a very overt and head-on way, while simultaneously managing to squeeze in a great political conspiracy plot and a well-written and well-acted love story as well. Bravo!

 

Top 10 movies of 2019

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Quentin Tarantino's tenth film is his best work since 2009's "Inglourious Basterds." Maybe that has something to do with the story, where he uses his revisionist style to tackle the Tate murders, placing Brad Pitt's heroic stunt man Cliff Booth and Leonardo DiCaprio's overworked western star Rick Dalton in the path of the Manson family on that fateful night in 1969. Tarantino's script and direction is glowing with inspiration, as are all the actors' inputs. It's also because of the subject matter, an era of Hollywood that is a gold mine both for Tarantino and us regular movie buffs. His films used to be criticized for glorifying violence, but since "Inglourious Basterds" he's worked around that by making sure that all the (always exaggerated, sometimes comically over-the-top) violence in his films are only directed at people that deserve it, like nazis, slave owners and, now, filthy hippie murderers. Clever.  

The Irishman

Martin Scorsese's career is one of the most influential of the last fifty years, making him one of the most important film makers of the 20th century. His latest epic "The Irishman" is kind of a return to form for Scorsese, and also a perfect cap on decades of big time film making. A lot has been written about the role of women in "The Irishman," and the success or failure of the digital de-aging of the actors, but I find no flaws in either aspect. This is after all a story told exclusively by an unreliable narrator, the Irish mobster hit man Frank Sheeran, whose claim about killing Jimmy Hoffa has been a subject of dispute in real life. On some level, the whole film works like the ramblings of an old thug looking back on his life, the family he didn't understand, his history of violence that is sometimes believable, other times not. Robert De Niro and Al Pacino do the best work they've done in years, and "The Irishman" is above all a funny movie. Not a comedy, but Pacino plays Hoffa with gusto and subtle humor and De Niro's oafishness is often hilarious. But that's the greatness of Scorsese's mobster movies, just look at "Goodfellas," "Casino" and even "Mean Streets" - he's always allowed you as a viewer to have a good time in the company of his violent, reprehensible underworld characters. I believe that's a key to the success of those films.   

Uncut Gems

In 2017, I lauded Josh and Benny Safdie's gritty thriller "Good Time" as a masterpiece with its intense acting, its score and its visual style that was reminiscent of American movies from the 1970's. Well, I might as well have been talking about "Uncut Gems," a stressful, race-against-the-clock, sordid slice-of-life about a gambling addict's final days trying to retrieve a precious jewel while being hounded by debt collectors. Adam Sandler has proven before that he can act quite well dramatically, but what he does here isn't that far removed from a bizarre and kinda menacing sketch. "Uncut Gems" is uncomfortable viewing - painfully entertaining and endlessly fascinating.   

Knives Out

2019 was a good year for funny movies, as evidenced by the three funny movies on this list. You can tell that everyone involved in Rian Johnson whodunnit masterpiece "Knives Out" had a good time. It's a riveting film, thoroughly entertaining from start to finish, with a proper twist and a good example of how important a well-written screenplay is. If you got a script as good as this, that's really all you need. That's why every performance feels so inspired, same as every other part of the film making. And credit to Johnson for casting almost all of his actors against type, especially Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Michael Shannon and Jamie Lee Curtis. Although ostensibly a parody of and homage to old school, Agatha Christie-like murder mysteries, "Knives Out" is also sneakily a very political film in what it has to say about immigrants in the Trump era.  

The Man Who Killed Don Quixote

If you aren't familiar with the facts, it's taken Terry Gilliam thirty years to realize his dream project. Finally, with the help of its star Adam Driver, the film was completed and released and it's better than I ever could have anticipated. It's wonderful to see how Gilliam-esque it is; the childish fantasy of "Time Bandits" and "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen" is in it, but it is also evidently made by a seventy-nine year old film maker, particularly in the way Driver's character is an obvious alter ego for Gilliam. For the first time, he has put himself into his movie, doesn't that finally earn him the sobriquet of auteur?

The Lighthouse

In "The Lighthouse," Robert Eggers brings the same meticulous attention to period detail and artistic sensibility that he did to his debut "The Witch" in 2015. So what we get is a visceral portrayal of cabin fever and 19th century insanity presented with stunning black and white cinematography, an unusual aspect ratio that emphasizes the weirdness and the claustrophobia, historically accurate and at times incredibly lyrical dialogue spoken by two actors acting their balls off, topped off with hallucinatory images and eery effects that are very gothic, very Edgar Allan Poe, very psychological and theatrical. All in all brilliant, with all the aspects you need to make a film of superb quality.  

Toy Story 4

Who would have thought Pixar could ever surpass "Toy Story 3" back in 2010, both in terms of technique and story? Well, not me, that's for sure. But the latest, perhaps last, sequel's animation is truly jaw-dropping, to the point where I found myself occasionally forgetting that I was watching an animated movie. As befits the world of "Toy Story" it's got cute new characters, especially Forky, who only wants to be put in the trash where he thinks he belongs, plus the welcome return of Bo Peep, last seen in "Toy Story 2," in a surprising new action movie role. On top of all that, it's got the kinda fascinating villainess doll Gabby Gabby and her henchmen, a pair of sinister-looking ventriloquist dummies. All in all, "Toy Story 4" is not only an entertaining adventure for all the family, but also a moving and thought-provoking story about growing old and losing your relevance in a world that's changing fast.  

The Beach Bum

Matthew McConaughey stumbling around the beaches of Florida, often with a drink, spewing sex poetry, is the best stoner comedy since "The Big Lebowski." McConaughey's Moondog is a fascinating character - he's a representation of Buddhism in a way, particularly in his disinterest in wealth and materialism. Like in the way he inherits a fortune after his rich ex-wife's death and accidentally sets it on fire, all the while laughing his stoned ass off. But he's also got the assholishness and devil-may-care attitude of someone like Hunter S. Thompson. With "The Beach Bum," Harmony Korine shows a lighter, more comedic side than what we're used to (as does McConaughey), but it's just as avantgarde and weird as all of his previous films, and that turns out to be a winning combination of moods and concepts.

El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie

In 2019 we had several highly satisfying sequels to famous TV series. First there was "Deadwood: The Movie," then the "Downton Abbey" film, and then, quite unexpectedly, "Between Two Ferns: The Movie" on Netflix. But the best TV show-cum-film was "El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie," which served as an epilogue to the TV series that finished in 2013 and finished Jesse Pinkman's story in a very gripping and pleasantly justifying way. What Vince Gilligan has done to make it as good as it is is he's given the film as much attention and passion as he did with the series, so it feels like a proper part of "Breaking Bad," albeit one that is slightly more cinematic and conclusive. As a fan, I'm thankful Gilligan spent as long working on it as he did, perhaps that's the reason it feels so complete.

Avengers: Endgame

The follow-up to 2018's "Avengers: Infinity War" suffers from the same flaws as "Star Wars IX: The Rise of Skywalker," which is basically that it feels a bit rushed and not adequately thought through and worked out. Even with its three hour running time. But how can you summarize the year in film 2019 without including the finale of one of the biggest franchises and film series of the past ten years? What began back in 2012 with Joss Whedon's "The Avengers," although I think it began even further back with "Iron Man" in 2008, has now concluded, and what an epic conclusion! It's impossible not to shed tears at the death of Tony Stark, a really touching and superbly acted scene, particularly in the context of the character's sacrifice to bring back peace and all those that were lost in the previous film. The end of Captain America's story arc was equally touching. Maybe it isn't the best part of the twenty-some movies in the MCU, but it's a hell of a way to go.

Top 10 horror films of 2019

DOCTOR SLEEP

I've been praising Mike Flanagan for years now, at least since 2016's "Ouija: Origin of Evil", and I'm not about to stop with his wonderfully scary, heart-breakingly tragic and exquisitely beautiful adaptation of Stephen King's "Doctor Sleep." Both a great adaptation of King's novel and a great sequel to Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining." I especially admire Flanagan for not using visual effects to cast the film with digital renditions of the original cast from "The Shining," but simply using new actors who are vaguely similar. That to me says something about the film maker's respect for his audience. I have not seen the theatrical version of "Doctor Sleep"; my appreciation is based upon the 28 minutes longer director's cut. This is the version I recommend, and in my opinion even a single minute less of this masterpiece would diminish it.

IT CHAPTER TWO

2019 was a good year for Stephen King fans. Not only were we treated to the two films on this list, "It Chapter Two" and "Doctor Sleep," but there was a decent adaptation of "Pet Sematary" and Netflix presented an interesting Stephen King/Joe Hill adaptation called "In the Tall Grass." The second season of Hulu's Stephen King homage "Castle Rock" that premiered in October was even better than the first. The second part of "It" does not quite reach the level of the first part from 2017, however, but even though it is a little bit inferior, the story, the characters and the style of Andy Muschietti's vision is still a gift for us horror nerds. Also, one cannot but applaud the casting of James McAvoy, Jessica Chastain, Bill Hader and James Ransone (some of those casting choices were actually based on the wishes of the younger actors) as Bill, Beverly, Richie and Eddie respectively.

COLOR OUT OF SPACE

The degree of insanity, grotesqueness and weirdness that Richard Stanley's psychedelic body horror "Color out of Space" reaches truly does justice to H.P. Lovecraft's work. I'd like to think that if Lovecraft saw this, he would be very pleased with what Stanley has achieved, and that's largely due to the fact that the South African film maker, whose career took a nosedive after the failed attempt to make "The Island of Dr. Moreau" in 1996 (see the 2014 documentary "Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey of Richard Stanley's Island of Dr. Moreau") is a true visionary. He has not only delivered a suitably poetic and creepy interpretation of Lovecraft's story but also somehow managed to get a great performance out of Nicolas Cage, something of a rare achievement nowadays.

MIDSOMMAR

Ari Aster's new film follows quite closely on the success of "Hereditary," one of my favorite horror films ever made. "Midsommar" opens with the same kind of horror in relation to personal trauma and family tragedy as in "Hereditary," then it gradually evolves into a very different kind of film. "Midsommar" belongs to a category that is usually known as folk horror (although I would also classify it as psychedelic horror, and you could arguably call it a slasher), which includes the classic "The Wicker Man" from 1973 and "Apostle" from 2018. The common denominator is a sinister cult that practices human sacrifices, in this case in Sweden (although shot in Hungary) and with kind, smiling hippies, which makes the sociopathic violence even more freaky once it erupts. "Midsommar" is nightmarish in a quite different way from "Hereditary" and not as terrifying, yet it is no less of a gem, thanks to Aster's intuition when it comes to emotional horror, his direction, the wonderful acting and the beautiful cinematography.    

WOUNDS

Babak Anvari, who made a huge impact in 2016 with "Under the Shadow" about a creepy haunting in war-torn Iran, returned in 2019 with a scary movie that is almost greater than his debut. "Wounds" takes a look at insanity and frightening events surrounding a contagious obsession with holes, particularly open wounds. It's as weird as it sounds, blending psychological horror with body horror, two sub-categories that are arguably very closely related. With only two movies under his belt, Anvari is now someone to look out for.

THE LODGE

An interesting trivia about Veronika Franz's and Severin Fiala's psychological indie horror "The Lodge" is that it's a Hammer Films production. Personally, I didn't even know Hammer Films was still in production. Another interesting thing about it is that without any monsters, demons, ghosts or supernatural killers, it manages to be really creepy. Thanks to creepy music, a creepy doll's house, creepy unexplained things happening to emotionally vulnerable people in an isolated location. Yet another interesting thing about it is that the way it intersects grief, trauma and horror reminds me of Ari Aster's "Hereditary". Don't expect the usual horror entertainment full of jump scares and stuff. This is a serious movie, folks, with serious subject matters. We need that kind of stuff too.

SCARY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK

2019 was a very good year for horror movies, and André Øvredal's "Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark" has got it all! Truly a mixed bag of goodies for horror nuts - everything from scarecrows to haunted house to body horror to walking dead/vengeful spirits to spiders to a creepy insane asylum. Like all family-friendly horror movies it's also got a gang of nerdy kids fighting a supernatural entity. In today's climate, with "Stranger Things" and "It," that's a sure-fire way to success. I couldn't say how a movie with so many horror tropes works, but somehow it's wildly entertaining!

CHILD'S PLAY

Horror remakes are dodgy matters, and when it comes to such a classic character as Chucky, who was so immortalized by Brad Dourif in the whole film series from 1988 onwards, there's an even greater risk of sacrilege. Going in to this remake of "Child's Play," which also serves as a reboot of the film series, one is at first sceptic about how anyone could fill Dourif's shoes, but Mark Hamill does a pretty amazing job, which is no great surprise, he is a terrific voice actor after all. This version removes an essential part of the character, that of the doll being possessed by the evil spirit of a murderer. Here, Chucky is instead the result of a factory setting that has been tampered with, which gives the film a sci-fi edge and kind of a funny, interesting metaphor of our smartphone era. Whether we will get an entertaining and long-lasting series out of this remains to be seen, but I'm up for it.

GIRL ON THE THIRD FLOOR

A simple and effective haunted house movie - perhaps not the most original ever made, but like a lot of good indie horrors, the devil's in the details; creepy stains, rotten holes, wall sockets leaking obscenely, an oddly shaped ornament, a distorted door bell, a marble rolling down the stairs. And I wouldn't mind seeing CM Punk in a movie again, he has a certain way about him that at times reminds me of Bruce Campbell in the "Evil Dead" film series. 

ANNABELLE COMES HOME

Although not as great as 2017's "Annabelle: Creation," the third part in the film series about the world's creepiest possessed doll is still a pretty entertaining horror movie, with effective jump scares and some quite creepy ghosts. Who knew that this spin-off of "The Conjuring" was going to evolve into something almost on par with said horror film series by James Wan, particularly considering its inauspicious first outing, "Annabelle" from 2014. The best part of "Annabelle Comes Home" is that it takes place during one afternoon, which gives the film an immediate feeling of suspense that is proficiently sustained throughout.