End of Year Fan/Culture Meme
Your main fandom of the year?
Erm, pretty inactive this year. But yuletide was great!
Your favorite film watched this year?
Lincoln, for sure. Sheer brilliance from actors, writer, and director. Daniel Day-Lewis made me think I was watching Abraham Lincoln come back to life (not that I know what he was really like, but the film made me think I did. It was that convincing.) Incredibly strong supporting cast and Tony Kushner's screenplay sings.
Your favorite book read this year?
Jury is still out! I have several "best of 2012" lists I'm combing through.
I did enjoy Paul Tough's How Children Succeed, and am currently working my way through Hari Kunzru's Gods Without Men and Nathan Englander's What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank.
Also, re-read all of the Little House books, which I don't think I've really read since elementary school. They definitely cast a different light for an adult! Surprisingly sly, and I also now understand why in the moments when Ma halts Pa's storytelling as "little pitchers have big ears." :)
Your favorite album or song to listen to this year?
I'm really enjoying the songs on Nashville (recently released as an album), especially the quiet, folksy ones like this or this.
Your favorite TV show of the year?
I watched old favorites Big Bang Theory and Castle with more regularity, watched every single episode of Nashville, and was more or less tuned-in with Lizzie Bennet Diaries. Arrived late to the game for Parks & Rec, which I think is fun in sporadic bursts. Tried to like The Mindy Project, but it didn't take, and New Girl is sadly losing some of its charm. I want The Hour to be broadcast in the states! Also, for Homeland to be free.
Your best new fandom discovery of the year?
Lizzie Bennet Diaries. Tumblr. Gifs. Whoa.
Your biggest fandom disappointment of the year?
Cloud Atlas? Actually, I enjoyed it a lot, but wanted even more.
Your biggest squee moment of the year?
Les Miserables. Whatever, yes, that happened, needed to happen, done and over now. :)
OK, there was no way I was missing this, but after seeing it, I thought it was reasonably well done but definitely not a quintessential piece of work, as a film or as a reflection of the musical (outside of the fact that it was the musical on film). Some good ideas, some good performances, some not. Not a Best Picture contender, imho. Hugh Jackman was brave, but surprisingly unsuited at times, Anne Hathaway rose up to her big moment in a big way, and Russell Crowe was fairly bland. Nice touch to have Colm Wilkinson as the Bishop of Digne. A BIG call-out to Aaron Tveit as Enjolras, the best and most under-appreciated and under-trumpeted actor in the whole movie. Kids were exceedingly endearing. I still cried buckets.
Your biggest fan anticipations for the New Year?
1600 Penn looks AMAZING. Josh Gad + Bill Pullman as President? Yes. Maybe Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby? Kelli O'Hara is workshopping a musical of Far From Heaven, and Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty are trying to flesh out Anastasia for the stage. I don't know if it's just me, but I'm surprisingly unexcited by most of the tap. Hope the latter year will bring more!
Happy New Year!