2011 brought us plenty of entertainment, good and bad. so we thought we would kiss it goodbye with a list of our favorite Concerts, Movies, & Events as well as a few of the ones we wish we could forget. So I’m going to keep this short and sweet and get right into it!
My Favorite Movies from 2011
Tom Hardy stars in Warrior
1. Warrior
Some called it this years fighter and yeah I guess I could see the similarities. But the two weren’t the same. Plus this is the first ever MMA movie that has been worth seeing. If you watched this movie and didn’t tear up a little. Something is wrong with you. Tom Hardy is going to be a huge star. I love love loved this movie.
Image thanks to Paramount Pictures/Marvel
2. Thor
Yep, a super hero movie is my number 2. I was a little weary of them bringing Thor to the big screen. If you’ve read the comics you know why. However I love Chris Hemsworth to death. Needless to say this one didn’t disappoint. It’s my favorite of the Avengers bunch. A nice balance of Earth and Asguard, lots of action, and lots of laughs thanks to the big headed Norse god himself. Which makes Thor one of my favorite movies of 2011, call it guilty pleasure if you will.
Image Curteousy of Summit Entertainment
3. Source Code
Director Duncan Jones did it again with this one. Easily my favorite Sci Fi movie of the year. I love Gyllenhaal to begin with, but I don’t love all his films. This one was great. For those afraid that living the same 8 minutes over and over gets redundant, it doesn’t. I wish this movie would have gotten more critical recognition. Duncan deserves some awards for his efforts.
4. The Muppets
Do I really need to explain this one? If you don’t get it, then you just don’t get it. I can’t convince you to like it. But kudos to Jason Segal for resurrecting what Jim Henson did so well. This movie is great for the kids, but big kids my age definitely appreciated it more.
Ryan Gosling stars in Drive
5. Drive
Oh Ryan Gosling, can you do no wrong? Aside from the obvious misleading trailer for this film, just about everything about it is great. It’s Ryan Goslings love letter to guys who like violent films. Sure the trailer looked like fast and the furious, but about the time Gosling is kicking some guys skull in (yes literally), you realize its so much more. I just wish I had known how violent it was when I was going to see it. The first go round, the music was a little strange, but it’s actually grown on me as well. Kudos Gosling and Refn for this little masterpiece.
6. Xmen: First Class
I know not all the Xmen movies have been kind to the audience, but this reboot of sorts was done so well it had critics including myself raving about it. If you were not a believer of the church of Fassbender, you were after you watched this. The guy just steals every scene. It didn’t fare very well in theaters but I’m unsure why. It was one of the best movies of the year, not just one of the best super hero flicks.
My least favorite films of 2011
Out of everything I watched last year, by far, Red Riding Hood was the most torturous of them all. I was really hoping for something better from Catherine Hardwicke, but the over the top performance she pulled out of Gary Oldman and the village idiot that we all could have lived with out. The film was full of flaws that made it really un enjoyable. The one thing about the film that was enjoyable, the sets. However the sets don’t carry a film, they just accompany it. That’s two long hours of my life I will never get back.
2. Green Lantern
I know lots of people like this one, but I know the kind of money they spent making it and I am unimpressed. For as much money as was pumped into this movie, I could have made a better film for that amount.
3. Sucker Punch
Ugh, I don’t know how to express how much I didn’t care for this film. Too long, too many ridiculous effects, and I really don’t care about Whore House Asylum fantasies. Just bad all around.
4. Cowboys & Aliens
Okay I know, I know, Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford, how could I have disliked it. It was just so so as far as I’m concerned. There was no real gusto to it. The previews made it look like it would be so cool, and then it was just a lot of filler.
5. Super 8
Now I know what you’re thinking, but it’s JJ Abrams and Spielberg, yeah I know. Which is exactly why I expected it to be more than just Close Encounters meets ET meets The Goonies. It was like all of Spielberg’s fell apart and JJ Abrams tried to put them back together again and ended up with Super 8. Come on guys, get original! There’s also something to be said for practicality. Your alien looked like crap. Build some models, take a note from the Jurassic Park days. So yes I’m a little bitter about the overhyped carbon copy.
Best concerts of 2011
The Sick Puppies perform at Trees
1. The Sick Puppies
This Aussie break out band has had lots of radio success this past year, thrusting them into the spotlight. We checked out the trio at Trees and were incredibly impressed with the talent they all posses. When you go to see these guys you still get a show. Which is a feat in small venues like you’ll find in Deep Ellum.
Marc Broussard performs at the House of Blues
2. Marc Broussard
This cajun soul man never puts on a bad show. From the first time I saw him in 2005 to the last show I was at in 2011 his energy has done nothing but gone thru the roof. He’s still got it and he’s willing to prove it to you.
Graham Colton performs at Lola's
3. Graham Colton
Okay, scenario is, it’s a rainy wet night in Fort Worth. We just lost the world series game six after several extra innings. The crowd is pissed about the loss, you were supposed to perform hours ago and are going on late. How would you handle it? Graham took it with a grain of salt and still put on the same kind of show he would have for a packed house. Which is why he gets a spot in my best shows of the year.
Worst concerts of 2011
1. Warped Tour
Why do I torture myself every year with this one. Most of it is just loud bands that don’t know how to play a chord if someone begged them. Every now and then you will find a diamond in the rough. But its rare and its about a ratio of 1 in 15 bands. Making the day almost an utter complete waste of time, sweat, and effort. Yet kids still flock to the show every year so that is how much my opinion really matters.
2. Gavin Degraw/ David Cook
Okay first thing I want to say about this, is these are two of my favorite musicians. Do not get me wrong, I love them to death. I love their live shows. I just did not like them touring together. Yes at a glance it looked like a dream show. But I realized quickly how short each guys set would actually be, and that bummed me out. An hour in and Gavin is just warmed up and having to wrap up. Same thing with Cook and oddly enough to two guys don’t exactly have the same sound or fan base. It’s gotta be hard to get up there and play to an audience that is only half filled with your fans. The energy these guys deserved from the crowd just wasn’t making its way up there. Okay with all that said I still love these guys and their live show, just separately. Sorry boys, forgive me for putting you in my worst list.
Best Events of 2011
Stan "The Man" Lee
1. Dallas Comic Con
Leonard Nimoy, Carrie Fisher, Thomas Jane, Stan Lee, do I need to keep going? I love the comic con, yep, I’m a girl who loves the comic con. I love the costumes people wear, I love the Q&A answers the celebs give to silly questions, I love the art, I love it all. To me it’s one of the most fun events of the year. Sure I’m a little biased because the event manager is a friend of mine. But that aside, I still would put this in my top events.
2. Texas Rangers Fan Fest
It’s kind of like comic con for Baseball fans. Including all the excitement of Q&A’s, Autograph Signings, and fun events for the kids. It’s a great opportunity to try and meet all the big players including Hamilton, Kinsler, and even Nolan Ryan. They do it every year, and it’s just getting bigger and better.
Carl Edwards and Kurt Busch racing for position.
3. Samsung Mobile 500
2011 was the first time that they tried the saturday night race thing here at TMS, my favorite part of the whole ordeal, was that the race didn’t eat up my entire weekend. I’d say it’s a winning strategy. Eddie did good with this one. My only beef with the spring race is that it overlaps the Dallas Film Fest, so by the time it’s all said and done I feel exhausted! But it just makes me thankful the race again is on a saturday.
Favorite Interview
Taking the cake for 2011 has to be the Anna Kendrick round table we did. She’s so comfortable and well spoken, we all felt at ease talking to her. If you ask me, she has quite the future ahead of her.
The Honorable mention for interviews has to go to Graham Colton who had the idea to do our interview on a stroll back to the venue he was playing that night. It looks a little like paparazzi style, but that’s okay, it’s’ definitely my most lo fi interview of the year.
Stay tuned for our list of Concerts, Movies, & Events that are a must in 2012.
