Top Ten Films, Video Games, and Music Albums Of 2023
It's time again to think of this all as every medium was pretty dang packed even if not perfect. See below and as always if something obvious is missing I probably didn't have the chance to experience through / play it but happy to catch up or debate its absence wherever relevant.
Bring on the next one yet again!
Top 10 Films Of 2023 Tier:
1 and Film Of The Year.): John Wick : Chapter 4!: For truly the idea that: what other franchise has me eagerly analyzing every word on its future? What has me thinking of multiple action scenes ? what is the perfect blend of spectacle and stakes? Maybe given a boost by this may be the end... but all respect to those just below it but I really have no completes, a nigh-perfect action movie. long but keeps getting better...not like this longg then slow then gets better. Keanu and crew: you are breathtaking!
2.) Oppenheimer: For bravo to a Nolan joint once again... for making what may have been an uneventful scientific process into something riveting, important, and beautiful. For Cillian Murphy and a million other people and the test...into a different RDJ political second half. Together with Barb below it was both the meme and cinematic moment of the year helping the theaters.
3.) Poor Things: For truly being unique art. Yorgos going more Yorgos than ever before in a surreal gothic sense of which the world evolves just as much as its protagonist in a great Emma Stone but others beyond (Dafoe, Ruffalo etc).. just be nudity and how much one will laugh warned
4.) Killers Of The Flower Moon: For being a return to form for its own kind of Scorsese and its stellar Robert Deniro and Lily Gladstone in this tale of twisted protagonist-meets-antagonists.
5.) Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol.3: For being such a perfect ending to Gunn's time in the MCU as he begins a new one by capturing that tone and heartwarming sense with shiny awe and spectacle.
6.) Barbie: For being so colorful, fun, and funny kenergy and all. Mix of childlike aesthetics and humor with some smarter themes at times. Together with Heimer above it was both the meme and cinematic moment of the year helping the theaters.
7.) American Fiction: For being hilarious and heartwarming with its own lessons on race to say. Just a straight to the point good movie that surprises.
8.) Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse: For the king of its aesthetic returning just as good or even better than the first. Showing there still is value in the multiverse while setting up so much more.
9.) The Killer: For featuring St Charles IL as part of its plot! But really for such fantastic direction and ambiance from Fincher and performance by Fassbender. For just being so cool.
10.) Napoleon: For being a return to form for Ridley. With epic spectacle and perfect costuming / set production and an ever reliable Joaquin and Vanessa Kirby.
Honorable #'s 11-13's Notable Status Tier:
11.) Tetris: For even if it was a year of many other video-game based movies showing they can also be great stories too. For being the most interesting "product film" in a sea of them.. for mixing the CEO of Nintendo and being chased by agents in the USSR!
12.) The Creator: For some of the best visuals around on this whole list. For its unique world and exciting action with dark ambiance and some touching, if hammy, themes.
13.) Beau Is Afraid: For on a list of unique art being the most unique art of all. For being something that one may not necessarily like but will certainly never forget
Venturous Just Glad It Exists Niche Tier:
V.) Venture Bros: Radiant Is the Blood Of The Baboon Heart: For being a great return and just about as special / fitting as we'll ever get
Top 10 Video Games Of 2023 Tier:
1. and Game Of The Year) The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom: Even if people forgot it or view it as just a engineering simulator ... some amazing times long awaited when it first came out and i know ill be back for many more.. truly immersed me.. the fans got what they wished.
2.) Diablo 4: For being worth the many year wait of just good ol' clicking killing with seemingly endless content ahead.
3.) Pikmin 4: For proving that there really is a reason to keep this going with inventive enemies, bosses, modes and cozy ambiance with dungeons meets overworld.
4.) (Insomniac's) Spider-Man 2: For being more of a great thing that's improved.. mixing the abilities of Peter and Morales in a new way; for being the best symbiote story in a long time.
5.) Super Mario Bros Wonder: For being so dang packed full of a flood of new ideas / level design / charm. For finally moving past "New Super Mario Bros"
6.) Star Wars: Jedi Survivor: For being an even bigger, better, more epic and refined sequel while still offering more of the great thing.
7.) Mortal Kombat 1 : For being an even bigger, better, more epic and refined sequel while still offering more of the great thing and taking out what didn't work while homaging the great.
8.) Warioware: Move It! : For being a blast to play with friends and family and reminding of the greats.
9.) Super Mario RPG Remake: For bringing back the legend that started it all and resolving license IP right disputes at long last with a bit of newness.
10.) F-Zero 99: For being a fast and furious take on a classic and technically bringing back a legendary series.
Honorable #'s 11-13's Notable Status Tier:
11.) Dead Space 1 Remake: For bringing back the legend and not breaking what doesn't need fixing.
12.) Avatar: Frontiers Of Pandora: For being Far Cry Primal in space with an big blue cat person touch. For the gorgeous jungles.
13.) Starfield: For all of its promise that lays within if one willing to invest.. and the potential of improvement in the future like its peers.
Old News But Big Part Of My Year:
- God Of War Ragnarok: The only full narrative game I beat during this calendar year after starting it last year and since then with so many amazing times in post-game and now just starting into very fresh / relevant Valhalla patch content so surely it will continue into next year and beyond !
Top 10 Music Albums Of 2023 Tier:
1.) and Album Of The Year.): Gorillaz - Cracker Island: For capturing that unique feeling with a truly new album at long last again even if it was yet again known singles. Legendary collaborations (Favorite Song: Skinny Ape)
2.) Yves Tumor - Praise A Lord Who Chews But Which Does Not Consume(Etc): For evolving their sound even more into a perfect mix of smooth , moody, rocking, and elaborate.. and quite a live show. (Favorite Song: Ebony Eye)
3.) 100 Gecs - 10,000 Gecs: For being catchy and hilarious (those beats!) and quite a live show: (Favorite Song: 757)
4.) Metric - Formentera II . For taking the existing awesome things and pushing it to new heights of feels and grooves (Favorite Song: Go Ahead And Cry)
5.) DJ Shadow - Action Adventure: For being so smooth. (Favorite Song: A Narrow Escape)
6.) King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard - PetroDragonic Apocalypse (Etc) (shoutout to their
The Silver Cord this year too but preferred this! ): For being so brutal (Favorite Song: Supercell)
7.) Oliver Tree - Alone In A Crowd. For taking it back to roots while remembering what changed along the way: (Favorite Song: Essence)
8.) Gum - Saturnia: For being so groovy (Favorite Song: Race To The Air)
9.) Boygenius - The Record: For truly an indie supergroup of angst (Favorite Song: Satanist)
10.) Travis Scott - Utopia: For Travis being a take on Kanye-like when technically no streaming or even device release qualifies here(Favorite Song: Circus Maximus)
Honorables #11-13's:
11.) Lil Yachty - Let's Start Here: For being so different , groovy, and rock inspired ( Favorite Song: The Black Seminole)
12.) Killer Mike - Michael . For breaking out of RTJ into as good or better. (Favorite Song: Scientists And Engineers)
LOLLLest: 13.) David Liebe Hart / Tragic Club - Good Morning Have A Good Day. For making something that's DLH yet somehow awesome prog at the same time (Favorite Song: Good Morning Have A Good Day title track)
LOLLEST THAN LOL IRL FRIENDS Tier:
14. Tim Perez - Shadowboxing Behind The Fieldhouse: AYO GOOD JOB FOR SHREKYE (Favorite Song: John McEnroe)
15.TIED: Doc.K - Belladonna (Favorite Song: Far Fetched.. transcendental!) / Kid Neptune - Between Two Rovers (Favorite Song: Somewhere else.. epic!) / Sickardi - Me Myself And
Island (Favorite Song: Clouds..happy rocking!)
Onwards we go!
