2004: A cultural rewind

Many critics fear the idea behind the top ten list. Why, they -- who are paid to watch and write about movies for a living -- moan, "Why must we boil our favorite films into an arbitrary top ten list? What is the purpose of "ten" anyway? Why were they the 'Ten Commandments?' Why were there 10 amendments in the Bill of Rights? And more important, why were there ten seasons of 'Friends'?" \nI have to say, I agree with their whining. A top ten list really is arbitrary -- which is why I highly recommend all critics and cultural writers break out of the box and rewind the culture to view it as a whole. Plus, opinions and viewpoints can change with time and often do change with time, as I often discover hidden gems months later. Mine often shift with new screenings, such as hidden independent or foreign gems that are lost among the social brouhaha. \nBut at this juncture, with 2004 fresh in my mind, here's the best and worst of 2004.\nBest movie of the year: Director Michel Gondry and writer Charlie Kaufman tackle romance, memory loss, humor, and everything upside-down in the superb "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," which, due to its early release date, will be unjustly and unfairly snubbed by the Oscar committee.\nNine other stellar movies of 2004, to round out the top films of 2004: "The Aviator," "Garden State," "I Heart Huckabee's," "Collateral," "Kinsey," "Saved!," "The Incredibles," "Kill Bill, Vol. 2," and "Ocean's Twelve."\nMovies I hear are good, but haven't actually seen yet: "Million Dollar Baby," "House of Flying Daggers," "Hotel Rwanda," "Closer," "Finding Neverland," and a slew of independent features.\nFunniest movie: "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy."\nBest documentary: "Super Size Me."\nBest sequel: "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban."\nMost overrated: "Spider-Man 2" and "Team America: World Police."\nMost underrated: "The Terminal," Steven Spielberg's exercise in subtlety\nTwo movies lots of people loved, but I found at best to be hyped, artless, mediocre and disappointing: Mel Gibson's bloody confessional "The Passion of the Christ" and Michael Moore's ugly polemic "Fahrenheit 9/11."\nA good movie that wasn't THAT good: Alexander Payne's wine-sipping, midlife crisis road trip film "Sideways" is definitely worth admission price, but does not deserve to be hailed as the best movie of the year.\nA bad movie that wasn't THAT bad: Zach Snyder's remake of George Romero's "Dawn of the Dead" was campy enough to roll your eyes at while drawing a smile across your face.\nThe worst movies of the year (that I actually sat through): The unbelievably unfunny and sophomoric "Napoleon Dynamite"; the treacherously long "Troy"; the hollow and lifeless "Garfield"; the mindless drone "The Stepford Wives" and "The Manchurian Candidate," Jonathan Demme's shameful remake of the sharp 1950s political thriller of the same name.\nFour great musical albums, in order: Green Day's American Idiot, Modest Mouse's Good News For People Who Love Bad News, Wilco's A Ghost Is Born and Franz Ferdinand's self-titled debut.\nMost welcomed musical anthology: John Mellencamp's Words & Music.\nSongs stuck in my head: Modest Mouse's "Float On"; Green Day's "Holiday" and "Boulevard of Broken Dreams"; Loretta Lynn and Jack White's "Van Lear Rose"; Mark Knopfler's "Boom Like That"; Mick Jagger's "Old Habits Die Hard"; Norah Jones' "What Am I To You?"; Ryan Cabrera's damn "On The Way Down" and Queen's "I Want To Break Free," revived by Coca-Cola's C2 commercial campaign.\nBest book of the year: "America (The Book): A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction," written by Jon Stewart and various other members of "The Daily Show."\nBook I have no intention of reading, ever: Bill Clinton's gargantuan autobiography, "My Life."\nMost satisfying DVD set: "Seinfeld" Seasons 1 & 2 and Season 3.\nBest of the year in television: "The Daily Show's" election coverage; the WB's surprisingly compelling coming-of-age show "Jack & Bobby"; Ken Jennings' 74-day winning streak on "Jeopardy!"; the first presidential debate; FOX's "Arrested Development"; David E. Kelley's lawyer spin-off "Boston Legal" and, as always, the ever brilliant "South Park," whose satire only grows stronger as the series goes longer.\nMost welcomed stage exit: "Friends," "Frasier," and Craig Kilborn as the host of "The Late Late Show."\nTV show I just can't get into: "Desperate Housewives."\nTV channel I still wish I getting: HBO.\nMost overplayed TV moments: Howard Dean's Iowa caucus concession speech scream; any George W. Bush malapropism; the Pacers/Pistons brawl; Janet Jackson's nipple during the Superbowl; anyone who said "I'm Rick James, bitch!" to me expecting a laugh.\nMost shocking TV moments: Abu Graib prison photos; James McGreevey reveals himself to be "a gay American" and steps down as governor of New Jersey; the Boston Red Sox come back from a 3-0 deficit to beat the New York Yankees for the American League Pennant (winning the World Series was nice, don't get me wrong, but it wasn't as entertaining or suspenseful as beating the Yankees.)\nBest commercial: For its double-shot espresso drink, Starbucks hires 1980s band Survivor to sing the theme song (a parody of their hit "Eye of the Tiger") of a low-level corporate worker.