2004 Year in Review
Jan. 3rd, 2005 11:21 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kilroyHere's the complete media list for this year, complete with ratings. Final count: 123 movies, 36 books. Still well over my goals, but lower than historically usual largely due to a large number of television series consumed.
Oh, and a word about the movie ratings: the numbers are not indicative.
"6" means "worth watching clips from." A six has perhaps two scenes worth watching.
"7" means "workmanlike." A seven is worth watching at least once, and is basically everything it should be given its genre and premise. A seven isn't surprising or exceptional, but it gets the job done.
"8" means "good." Pretty much self-explanatory here; an eight is the kind of movie you tell your friends they should watch, but not one that you jump up and down over.
"9" means "excellent." These are the really, really good movies; the ones you force your friends to watch, and buy the ridiculously comprehensive special edition DVDs for. Generally a nine is a movie that involves a lot of involuntary noises from the audience.
"10" means "perfect." Literally, I cannot think of a way to make a 10 better. Obviously, very, very few movies get this rating from me.
Oh yeah, and "BM" stands for "Bad Movie," "JA" means "Japanese Animation," and "HK" means "Hong Kong-style action movie." "AFI" is for movies from the AFI Top 100 list. "PASS" means I just couldn't finish the movie. I tried.
01.01.04 Porco Rosso (JA 9/10)
01.03.04 Ocean Waves (JA 7/10)
01.04.04 Best in Show (7/10)
01.07.04 The Cat Returns (JA 9/10)
01.08.04 Only Yesterday (JA 7/10)
01.10.04 Jesus Christ: Vampire Hunter (BM 9/10)
01.12.04 Nausicaa (JA 7/10)
01.12.04 My Neighbors, the Yamadas (JA 8/10)
01.14.04 Pom Poko (JA 7/10)
01.20.04 Pitch Black (7/10)
01.24.04 Death Race 2000 (BM 9/10)
01.30.04 Monster (8/10)
01.31.04 Master and Commander: the Far Side of the World (8/10)
02.04.04 Lost in Translation (10/10)
02.05.04 Mystic River (8/10)
02.10.04 Cape Fear {1961} (7/10)
02.12.04 Better Luck Tomorrow (7/10)
02.15.04 Les Triplettes de Belleville (8/10)
02.21.04 The Twins Effect (HK 8/10)
02.23.04 The Seventh Seal (6/10)
02.27.04 Seabiscuit (9/10)
02.28.04 City of God (8/10)
03.03.04 Comic Book: the Movie (8/10)
03.07.04 Miracle Mile (BM 6/10)
03.12.04 Intolerable Cruelty (8/10)
03.12.04 The Hours (9/10)
03.18.04 The Princess Blade (HK 6/10)
03.19.04 Killing Time (5/10)
03.21.04 The Relic (8/10)
03.24.04 The Howling (6/10)
03.25.04 The Avenging Fist (HK 6/10)
03.27.04 Fireworks (8/10)
03.29.04 The Long Kiss Goodnight (7/10)
04.02.04 Black Cat (HK 5/10)
04.02.04 The Angry Red Planet (BM 8/10)
04.02.04 Robo Vampire (BM 8/10)
04.03.04 Carnosaur (BM 7/10)
04.03.04 Eye of the Serpent (BM 9/10)
04.04.04 The Rundown (8/10)
04.10.04 Heroic Duo (HK 7/10)
04.10.04 Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (9/10)
04.11.04 The Manchurian Candidate (AFI 9/10)
04.11.04 Ripley's Game (7/10)
04.13.04 The Touch (HK 7/10)
04.16.04 Kill Bill, Vol. 2 (9/10)
04.17.04 My Lucky Stars (HK 6/10)
04.17.04 Reservoir Dogs (7/10)
05.03.04 Infernal Affairs (HK 9/10)
05.08.04 Dogville (10/10)
05.15.04 Van Helsing (6/10)
05.29.04 The Day After Tomorrow (6/10)
06.01.04 Underworld (5/10)
06.03.04 21 Grams (9/10)
06.04.04 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (9/10)
06.11.04 Men Suddenly Wearing Black (HK 9/10)
06.12.04 Chronicles of Riddick (8/10)
06.18.04 House of Sand and Fog (7/10)
06.19.04 Zatoichi {2003}(7/10)
06.19.04 The Terminal (9/10)
06.26.04 Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze (BM 10/10)
06.27.04 Paycheck (6/10)
06.30.04 Spider-Man 2 (8/10)
07.02.04 Knightriders (7/10)
07.03.04 Battle Royale II (HK 7/10)
07.03.04 Lifeforce (BM 6/10)
07.04.04 Laserblast (BM 8/10)
07.06.04 The Exorcist (8/10)
07.08.04 Four Rooms (6/10)
07.08.04 Ocean's 11 {2001} (7/10)
07.10.04 Jade (7/10)
07.10.04 Les Diaboliques (8/10)
07.11.04 Leaving Las Vegas (8/10)
07.11.04 Death to Smoochie (8/10)
07.12.04 King Arthur {2004} (5/10)
07.23.04 Casino (7/10)
07.24.04 Ringu (9/10)
07.27.04 Fahrenheit 9/11 (9/10)
07.29.04 Hellboy (8/10)
08.01.04 Big Fish (8/10)
08.03.04 Out of the Past (8/10)
08.03.04 Daredevil (3/10)
08.04.04 The Parallax View (6/10)
08.05.04 Irreversible (PASS)
08.06.04 I'll Sleep When I'm Dead (6/10)
08.07.04 A Touch of Zen (HK 5/10)
08.08.04 The Human Stain (9/10)
08.10.04 The Lathe of Heaven (7/10)
08.11.04 Albino Alligator (6/10)
08.12.04 The Prophecy (8/10)
08.14.04 Alien vs. Predator (6/10)
08.27.04 Hero (HK 8/10)
09.05.04 The Shipping News (8/10)
09.05.04 Spartan (7/10)
09.11.04 The Postman Always Rings Twice (6/10)
09.15.04 Knockaround Guys (7/10)
09.16.04 God of Cookery (HK 8/10)
09.20.04 Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (8/10)
09.25.04 Starship Troopers (6/10)
09.27.04 Treasure Hunt (HK 6/10)
09.30.04 Hard Eight (8/10)
10.08.04 Home Fries (7/10)
10.09.04 Two if By Sea (7/10)
10.11.04 Triggermen (7/10)
10.19.04 Breaking Away (9/10)
10.19.04 Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence (JA 7/10)
10.23.04 Punisher {2003} (6/10)
10.24.04 The Keeper of Time (PASS)
10.27.04 The Weathering Continent (JA 6/10)
10.31.04 People I Know (6/10)
11.02.04 Timeline (6/10)
11.06.04 The Incredibles (8/10)
11.21.04 The Butterfly Effect (8/10)
11.25.04 Alexander (6/10)
11.27.04 Shrek 2 (6/10)
11.27.04 Finding Neverland (9/10)
12.09.04 Riverworld (7/10)
12.12.04 The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain (8/10)
12.12.04 The Brotherhood of the Wolf (8/10)
12.18.04 A Series of Unfortunate Events (9/10)
12.20.04 The Bourne Identity (8/10)
12.21.04 Ocean's 12 (8/10)
12.24.04 Spanglish (9/10)
12.25.04 The Pink Panther Strikes Again (8/10)
12.27.04 The Life and Death of Peter Sellers (8/10)
12.28.04 Closer (7/10)
Tens this year: Dogville and Doc Savage: Man of Bronze. Both of which I'm sure would get me in fights with practically anyone. Also Lost in Translation, which I think most of my friends would agree to.
Hawksbill Station, Robert Silverberg
The Secret Songs, Fritz Leiber
Jem, Frederik Pohl
Wolfsbane, Jac Rayner (Dr. Who)
Dark Progeny -- Trading Futures (8 books)
Homegoing, Frederik Pohl
History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters, Julian Barnes
Wild Cards, George R.R. Martin (ed)
Worlds, Joe Haldeman
A Canticle for Leibowitz, Walter M. Miller Jr.
World of a Thousand Colors, Robert Silverberg
Daggerspell, Katherine Kerr
Big Fish, Daniel Wallace
The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch, Philip K. Dick
Swordspoint, Ellen Kushner
Darkspell, Katherine Kerr
Men at Arms, Terry Pratchett
Soul Music, Terry Pratchett
Mask of Loki, Roger Zelazny and Thomas T. Thomas
This is the Way the World Ends, James Morrow
Goodbye, Columbus and Five Stories, Philip Roth
World's Best Fantasy and Horror 1999, ed. Windling and Datlow
A Fire Upon the Deep, Vernor Vinge
Interesting Times, Terry Pratchett
Archangel, Sharon Shinn
Strata, Terry Pratchett
Jovah's Angel, Sharon Shinn
Maskerade, Terry Pratchett
The Alleluia Files, Sharon Shinn
Finds of the year: Sharon Shinn and Katherine Kerr. Read them. Really.
Excel Saga (26 25-min eps)
Crest of the Stars - Banner II (39 25-min eps)
Singing Detective (6 1-hour eps)
B5 Season 3 (22 42-min eps)
Infinite Ryvius (26 25-min eps)
Noir (26 25-min eps)
Witch Hunter Robin (26 22-min eps)
B5 Season 4 (22 42-min eps)
Red Dwarf Series III & IV (12 25-min eps)
The 10th Kingdom (1 6-hr miniseries)
Six Feet Under, Season 1 (13 1-hour eps)
Last Exile (26 22-min eps)
B5 Season 5 (22 42-min eps)
Haibane Renmei (13 25-min eps)
Family Guy Season One thru Three (50 22-min eps)
Firefly (15 42-minute episodes)
Oz, Season One (8 55-min eps)
The Twelve Kingdoms (26 22-min eps)
Oz, Season Two (8 55-min eps)
Oz, Season Three (8 55-min eps)
Twin Peaks (7 55-min eps)
Ultraviolet (6 50-min eps)
Farscape, Seasons One thru Three (66 42-min eps)
Everything here was really good, except maybe for Ultraviolet, Twelve Kingdoms, and Infinite Ryvius. All highly recommended.
Oh, and a word about the movie ratings: the numbers are not indicative.
"6" means "worth watching clips from." A six has perhaps two scenes worth watching.
"7" means "workmanlike." A seven is worth watching at least once, and is basically everything it should be given its genre and premise. A seven isn't surprising or exceptional, but it gets the job done.
"8" means "good." Pretty much self-explanatory here; an eight is the kind of movie you tell your friends they should watch, but not one that you jump up and down over.
"9" means "excellent." These are the really, really good movies; the ones you force your friends to watch, and buy the ridiculously comprehensive special edition DVDs for. Generally a nine is a movie that involves a lot of involuntary noises from the audience.
"10" means "perfect." Literally, I cannot think of a way to make a 10 better. Obviously, very, very few movies get this rating from me.
Oh yeah, and "BM" stands for "Bad Movie," "JA" means "Japanese Animation," and "HK" means "Hong Kong-style action movie." "AFI" is for movies from the AFI Top 100 list. "PASS" means I just couldn't finish the movie. I tried.
01.01.04 Porco Rosso (JA 9/10)
01.03.04 Ocean Waves (JA 7/10)
01.04.04 Best in Show (7/10)
01.07.04 The Cat Returns (JA 9/10)
01.08.04 Only Yesterday (JA 7/10)
01.10.04 Jesus Christ: Vampire Hunter (BM 9/10)
01.12.04 Nausicaa (JA 7/10)
01.12.04 My Neighbors, the Yamadas (JA 8/10)
01.14.04 Pom Poko (JA 7/10)
01.20.04 Pitch Black (7/10)
01.24.04 Death Race 2000 (BM 9/10)
01.30.04 Monster (8/10)
01.31.04 Master and Commander: the Far Side of the World (8/10)
02.04.04 Lost in Translation (10/10)
02.05.04 Mystic River (8/10)
02.10.04 Cape Fear {1961} (7/10)
02.12.04 Better Luck Tomorrow (7/10)
02.15.04 Les Triplettes de Belleville (8/10)
02.21.04 The Twins Effect (HK 8/10)
02.23.04 The Seventh Seal (6/10)
02.27.04 Seabiscuit (9/10)
02.28.04 City of God (8/10)
03.03.04 Comic Book: the Movie (8/10)
03.07.04 Miracle Mile (BM 6/10)
03.12.04 Intolerable Cruelty (8/10)
03.12.04 The Hours (9/10)
03.18.04 The Princess Blade (HK 6/10)
03.19.04 Killing Time (5/10)
03.21.04 The Relic (8/10)
03.24.04 The Howling (6/10)
03.25.04 The Avenging Fist (HK 6/10)
03.27.04 Fireworks (8/10)
03.29.04 The Long Kiss Goodnight (7/10)
04.02.04 Black Cat (HK 5/10)
04.02.04 The Angry Red Planet (BM 8/10)
04.02.04 Robo Vampire (BM 8/10)
04.03.04 Carnosaur (BM 7/10)
04.03.04 Eye of the Serpent (BM 9/10)
04.04.04 The Rundown (8/10)
04.10.04 Heroic Duo (HK 7/10)
04.10.04 Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (9/10)
04.11.04 The Manchurian Candidate (AFI 9/10)
04.11.04 Ripley's Game (7/10)
04.13.04 The Touch (HK 7/10)
04.16.04 Kill Bill, Vol. 2 (9/10)
04.17.04 My Lucky Stars (HK 6/10)
04.17.04 Reservoir Dogs (7/10)
05.03.04 Infernal Affairs (HK 9/10)
05.08.04 Dogville (10/10)
05.15.04 Van Helsing (6/10)
05.29.04 The Day After Tomorrow (6/10)
06.01.04 Underworld (5/10)
06.03.04 21 Grams (9/10)
06.04.04 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (9/10)
06.11.04 Men Suddenly Wearing Black (HK 9/10)
06.12.04 Chronicles of Riddick (8/10)
06.18.04 House of Sand and Fog (7/10)
06.19.04 Zatoichi {2003}(7/10)
06.19.04 The Terminal (9/10)
06.26.04 Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze (BM 10/10)
06.27.04 Paycheck (6/10)
06.30.04 Spider-Man 2 (8/10)
07.02.04 Knightriders (7/10)
07.03.04 Battle Royale II (HK 7/10)
07.03.04 Lifeforce (BM 6/10)
07.04.04 Laserblast (BM 8/10)
07.06.04 The Exorcist (8/10)
07.08.04 Four Rooms (6/10)
07.08.04 Ocean's 11 {2001} (7/10)
07.10.04 Jade (7/10)
07.10.04 Les Diaboliques (8/10)
07.11.04 Leaving Las Vegas (8/10)
07.11.04 Death to Smoochie (8/10)
07.12.04 King Arthur {2004} (5/10)
07.23.04 Casino (7/10)
07.24.04 Ringu (9/10)
07.27.04 Fahrenheit 9/11 (9/10)
07.29.04 Hellboy (8/10)
08.01.04 Big Fish (8/10)
08.03.04 Out of the Past (8/10)
08.03.04 Daredevil (3/10)
08.04.04 The Parallax View (6/10)
08.05.04 Irreversible (PASS)
08.06.04 I'll Sleep When I'm Dead (6/10)
08.07.04 A Touch of Zen (HK 5/10)
08.08.04 The Human Stain (9/10)
08.10.04 The Lathe of Heaven (7/10)
08.11.04 Albino Alligator (6/10)
08.12.04 The Prophecy (8/10)
08.14.04 Alien vs. Predator (6/10)
08.27.04 Hero (HK 8/10)
09.05.04 The Shipping News (8/10)
09.05.04 Spartan (7/10)
09.11.04 The Postman Always Rings Twice (6/10)
09.15.04 Knockaround Guys (7/10)
09.16.04 God of Cookery (HK 8/10)
09.20.04 Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (8/10)
09.25.04 Starship Troopers (6/10)
09.27.04 Treasure Hunt (HK 6/10)
09.30.04 Hard Eight (8/10)
10.08.04 Home Fries (7/10)
10.09.04 Two if By Sea (7/10)
10.11.04 Triggermen (7/10)
10.19.04 Breaking Away (9/10)
10.19.04 Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence (JA 7/10)
10.23.04 Punisher {2003} (6/10)
10.24.04 The Keeper of Time (PASS)
10.27.04 The Weathering Continent (JA 6/10)
10.31.04 People I Know (6/10)
11.02.04 Timeline (6/10)
11.06.04 The Incredibles (8/10)
11.21.04 The Butterfly Effect (8/10)
11.25.04 Alexander (6/10)
11.27.04 Shrek 2 (6/10)
11.27.04 Finding Neverland (9/10)
12.09.04 Riverworld (7/10)
12.12.04 The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain (8/10)
12.12.04 The Brotherhood of the Wolf (8/10)
12.18.04 A Series of Unfortunate Events (9/10)
12.20.04 The Bourne Identity (8/10)
12.21.04 Ocean's 12 (8/10)
12.24.04 Spanglish (9/10)
12.25.04 The Pink Panther Strikes Again (8/10)
12.27.04 The Life and Death of Peter Sellers (8/10)
12.28.04 Closer (7/10)
Tens this year: Dogville and Doc Savage: Man of Bronze. Both of which I'm sure would get me in fights with practically anyone. Also Lost in Translation, which I think most of my friends would agree to.
Hawksbill Station, Robert Silverberg
The Secret Songs, Fritz Leiber
Jem, Frederik Pohl
Wolfsbane, Jac Rayner (Dr. Who)
Dark Progeny -- Trading Futures (8 books)
Homegoing, Frederik Pohl
History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters, Julian Barnes
Wild Cards, George R.R. Martin (ed)
Worlds, Joe Haldeman
A Canticle for Leibowitz, Walter M. Miller Jr.
World of a Thousand Colors, Robert Silverberg
Daggerspell, Katherine Kerr
Big Fish, Daniel Wallace
The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch, Philip K. Dick
Swordspoint, Ellen Kushner
Darkspell, Katherine Kerr
Men at Arms, Terry Pratchett
Soul Music, Terry Pratchett
Mask of Loki, Roger Zelazny and Thomas T. Thomas
This is the Way the World Ends, James Morrow
Goodbye, Columbus and Five Stories, Philip Roth
World's Best Fantasy and Horror 1999, ed. Windling and Datlow
A Fire Upon the Deep, Vernor Vinge
Interesting Times, Terry Pratchett
Archangel, Sharon Shinn
Strata, Terry Pratchett
Jovah's Angel, Sharon Shinn
Maskerade, Terry Pratchett
The Alleluia Files, Sharon Shinn
Finds of the year: Sharon Shinn and Katherine Kerr. Read them. Really.
Excel Saga (26 25-min eps)
Crest of the Stars - Banner II (39 25-min eps)
Singing Detective (6 1-hour eps)
B5 Season 3 (22 42-min eps)
Infinite Ryvius (26 25-min eps)
Noir (26 25-min eps)
Witch Hunter Robin (26 22-min eps)
B5 Season 4 (22 42-min eps)
Red Dwarf Series III & IV (12 25-min eps)
The 10th Kingdom (1 6-hr miniseries)
Six Feet Under, Season 1 (13 1-hour eps)
Last Exile (26 22-min eps)
B5 Season 5 (22 42-min eps)
Haibane Renmei (13 25-min eps)
Family Guy Season One thru Three (50 22-min eps)
Firefly (15 42-minute episodes)
Oz, Season One (8 55-min eps)
The Twelve Kingdoms (26 22-min eps)
Oz, Season Two (8 55-min eps)
Oz, Season Three (8 55-min eps)
Twin Peaks (7 55-min eps)
Ultraviolet (6 50-min eps)
Farscape, Seasons One thru Three (66 42-min eps)
Everything here was really good, except maybe for Ultraviolet, Twelve Kingdoms, and Infinite Ryvius. All highly recommended.