Well here in NZ we’re going to finish this stupid year today. While we are COVID free this has still been a year of plentiful escapism through art and media. So I thought that throughout the day I’d count down my 25 favourite things I watched, read or played this year.

This year I made it my goal to watch as many classic movies I hadn’t seen before. The kinda movies that everyone says “what? You haven’t seen...” The Alien films was number one on that list and man I don’t know what took me so long.

I absolutely adore this franchise and that freakish black monster. My love mainly includes the first two films but also extends to external material like Alien Isolation and Dead Orbit. The original Alien in particular quickly shot up to top 10 films of all time.

Super glad I got into this series finally. The dark existential terror that this franchise exudes is just right up my alley. Mix that with evil corporations, great female action heroes and retro future technology and it’s a match made in heaven for me.

Keeping on this horror rampage I gotta mention Resident Evil. @DaveShevlin is a name that’s gonna come up a lot in this due to the sheer volume of great things he’s gotten me into this year and at the top of that long list is RE.

I started with RE2 remake after seeing Daves enthusiasm for Capcom and RE and instantly fell in love. Evil Dead style b movie comedic charm was not what I expected from these games but it’s a big part of the appeal to me. They’re just really fun, dumb games.

Yet they remain terrifying. I’ll never forget my early encounters with Mr X or my first foray into the sewers. I immediately scooped up every bit of RE I could and eagerly started playing through the rest of the series. I’ll probably detail all that in a future thread.

Star Wars the Clone Wars was a formative show for me. It grew up with my generation and told more complex and darker stories as I matured. It taught me so much about the horrors of war, politics, loyalty and morality. It’s very important to me and I’ll cherish it forever.

So it’s return early in the year was easily my most anticipated thing of 2020. While I have my problems with it, especially those first 2 arcs it largely fulfilled and exceeded my expectations. Better animation than ever before, looking and sounding just like how I remembered it.

And what a finale. Such an emotional rollercoaster that displayed what made me love this show. The final season closing out like it did really feels poetic as I move forward with my studies at university. It’s like saying goodbye to an old friend as you move on and grow up.

Another animated series that ended this year that was certainly an emotional experience was Bojack Horseman. I only got into this show about a year ago and mostly binged it in the lead up to this final season, which is a terrible idea. That’s gonna wreck your emotional state

But this final season was some of the best TV I’ve ever seen. It’s the kinda show that just keeps throwing in unique and creative episodes that just make you marvel at what can really be done. The ways in which I was connected to these goofy talking animals is unreal

I laughed I cried and then I REALLY cried. Bojacks final curtain call was a perfect goodbye to a show unlike any other and I’ll always miss it.

Bringing it back to good ol cinema, I’m talking the entire filmography of the Coen Brothers. Yeah this is kinda cheating but I couldn’t pick just one movie.

I know it’s not a hot take but these guys make incredibly good movies.

They’ve been one of those directors I’ve wanted to check out for a while. So I’ve watched a bunch of their stuff throughout the year like The Big Lebowski, True Grit and No Country for Old Men. I just totally vibe with their directorial style.

The variety that they’re able to display between each movie is crazy, bouncing between hilarious and witty comedy and harrowing and violent thrillers. They’ve easily become one of my favourite filmmakers and I’m looking forward to seeing more of their work

Bout time I mentioned a comic and no comic had me eagerly awaiting each issue this year like Guardians of the Galaxy by @Al_Ewing. Anyone who knows me knows I adore Marvels cosmic universe. It’s such a vast and deep part of the MU that is hardly utilised enough

These worlds and characters hadn’t been used in a big way in a while.!This run was just the shot in the arm Marvel cosmic needed, giving us excitement for the cosmic corner that many hadn’t felt since the DnA days.

It’s so fun with a brilliant art team who constantly make it a feast for the eyes. It’s massive in scope while examining these characters intimately, making sense of their decades of shared history. An absolute masterwork in superhero storytelling. Hats off to everyone involved.

Street Fighter! Oh look @DaveShevlin got me into yet another Capcom franchise. I’ve joked with him that I’m becoming a Capcom Convert and that’s becoming increasingly true.

I’ve always wanted to get into fighting games. I just love the aesthetic, animation, art style and character designs but I’ve struggled to really enjoy the gameplay outside of stuff like Injustice and Smash Bros. Not till Street Fighter till it finally clicked.

And now I’m getting better, learning how to properly play and best my opponents. The fun and vibrant characters, the crazy responsive movement and controls. I’m having a blast playing these games and I gotta thank Dave for putting up with my rants and petty frustrations.

I’ve been a big fan of the boys at @AuntyDonnaBoys for a long time and was ecstatic when they revealed they’d made their very own Netflix show with Aunty Donna’s Big Ol House of Fun.

I imagine a lot of my followers won’t know who these guys are. They’re a hilarious Aussie comedy group who have a massive backlog of great skits and videos on their YouTube channel. Just a comedy goldmine.

Their first season I just absolutely powered through and it’s a delightful breath of fresh air in a chaotic year. The absolute funniest thing I’ve watched this year and it’s not close. Do yourself a favour and check it out on Netflix. It’s insane in the best possible way.

I didn’t start playing Red Dead Redemption 2 this year but I finished it this year. I’m a PC player so I got to it a little late but man what a game. I’ve got my problems with it for sure. It’s often repetitive and incredibly linear missions being a big one.

But I’ve never been as attached to a games cast of characters before. It’s such an engrossing experience where just sitting around a campfire with the main cast is a fun experience. But it’s also just so incredibly well written and acted and it just felt like a second life

Arthur Morgan has come into the running for my favourite fictional character. As someone who suffers from chronic illness certain elements of his story affected me in ways I had never felt before. A constantly enjoyable and powerfully moving experience. Love my cowboy game

If you know me you’ll know I adore Doom Patrol in all its forms. Season 1 last year was absolutely incredible and everything I could have wanted in an adaptation. It shouldn’t be a surprise that I loved season 2 as well.

The introduction of Dorothy into the cast worked really well and gave the season a great focus on parenting and the trauma that can come with that and from that. It also meant that this season was more character focused with less emphasis on an overriding plot.

That’s somewhat of an issue especially since this season didn’t even really end but really these characters are so endearing that just watching them develop is enough to satisfy. Larry’s attempts to reconnect with his family and forgive himself is what makes this show great.

Not to mention all the great fun stuff from the comics like Red Jack, the Candlemaker, Doctor Tyme and the sex men. It’s just such a fun show and it’s really clear that everyone involved is having an absolute blast making it. Deserves to be way more popular than it is.

I’m a big fan of westerns especially those by Sergio Leone so it’s surprising that I only saw Once Upon a Time in the West this year. It’s considered by many to be Leone’s magnum opus and I can see why.

It’s not as quirky as the Dollars trilogy but that just gives it an entirely different flavour. It’s a swan song to the golden age of the Western. A final ride out into the sunset for Leone and that idea carries through to every aspect of the films design.

The excellent casting of Henry Fonda as the villain for instance is one of the most inspired casting choices of all time and totally sells you on this world without heroes. Not to mention the incredible score by the late great Ennio Morricone. Just an absolute masterpiece

My game of the year this year is Hades. Rouge Likes I’ve always wanted to get into more than I have. I’ve enjoyed my time In stuff with Spelunky but the way that Supergiant does it just works for me.

The thing with Hades is that it’s concept is so ingrained into the narrative. Each time you die you get stronger and you and learn from your mistakes same as Zagreus. It’s such a smart design decision that means that each death is never frustrating, but oddly rewarding.

It also helps that it plays like a dream with fluid controls and simple combat with leagues of depth. Throw in a gorgeous art style, funny writing, some of the most hype music in a game ever and you’ve got yourself a modern indie classic.

I’m a big fan of old John Constantine. Everyone’s favourite chainsmoking, occult piece of work. There have been a lot of great runs with this character so it speaks volumes how the latest run by @sispurrier and @olmancampbell might just be the best

An absolutely stunning book that took me aback every issue. It’s just one of those books that has such a dream team that feels like it was perfectly suited for this specific character. It returns to the dark, grimy and seedy underbelly of the Hellblazer of yore.

Bolstering some of the most delightfully twisted and terrifying images I’ve seen in a comic in a long time. There’s so much happening on every page that it’s staggering. Spurrier weaves such a great tale and it deserves all the praise it’s gotten. A shame it’s gone too soon