The 2008 Gonch Awards

Yes it's that time again, a new year is upon us, but let us not forget last year. So without further ado, I give you, the 2008 Gonch Awards!

Best Picture - The Dark Knight
- Without question THE best movie of the year. It's as simple as that, but I'll elaborate anyway. While I failed to review this movie so far (and yes I've been bad about that in general), I can say with great authority that this is one of the best films I've ever seen and easily the best comic book film. Ledger's Joker was haunting while everyone else and everything was completely captivating. The movie doesn't let go until the credits roll, now that's what I call a movie.

Best Superhero/Comic Book Film - The Dark Knight
See above.

Best Special Effects - Iron Man
While I'm tempted to give this to TDK as well for their effects without almost any CGI, I still have to hand it to the IM crew for making an incredible suit on film.

Most Anticipated Film - Star Trek/X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Ok, so on one hand we have a storied franchise that sounds good on paper, but in execution, often bores the hell of people on the big screen, myself included. Honestly, Star Trek seems interesting, but too often it's slow, methodical and weak against much better Sci-Fi fare. This time though, JJ Abrams may have something that will bring back audiences. Only time will tell, as I've never been obsessed over either this or Star Wars, so I'm easily swayed to whatever. For the latter, we have another Xmen film amazingly, a Wolverine prequel. I'm all for it, and I bet it'll be hard to make another one of these that'll be anywhere near as intriguing, but the many mutants who didn't make it on screen last time get to be there. Should be fun.

Best Returning TV Show - Smallville
Call me crazy, but firing the old writers has breathed new and great life into this once-thought-dead show. Season 8 should have come sooner, but the wait has been worth it. Even though Lana has returned for a short bit, her absence has made the show better by subtraction, while the dialogue between Clark and Lois has been better than ever. Green Arrow being permanent helps, while villainy rises to an all time high with Tess Mercer, Doomsday, and the return of the unstoppable Brainiac.

Best New TV Show - ???
Sadly I failed to see almost any new show this year. Something tells me Fringe may deserve this, but I still don't know, I haven't seen a single episode yet.

Most Anticipated Returning Show - Smallville/Lost
Smallville because of how well it has done this season, minus the Lana. Lost is on a roll from last year and in its 2nd to last season, could make more heads turn as more and more must be revealed.

Most Anticipated New Show - Dollhouse
We're still waiting for this one to come on the air. Please bring Whedon back, ASAP.

Best Song - Afterlife by Avenged Sevenfold
This rocking song has an interesting intro and becomes an awesome rock anthem, plus it lasts for a good while.

Best Album - Rise and Fall, Patience and Grace by The Offspring
Great to have this band back as always, but this is a return to some really great music, one of their best efforts in several years.

Best Book - Me Of Little Faith by Lewis Black
My favorite comedian finally wrote another book. I listened to it on a long drive and it was very interesting. At times funny, but definitely an insightlful look about religion. However, the ending "play" didn't really work for me.

That's how I feel about 2008, let's see if 2009 can even come close.

The 1st Annual Gonch Awards

Hello one and all to our first ever Gonch Awards, aka the Gonchies. Is the name lame? Good, we achieved the first task at hand. The purpose of these awards to is simply give my personal opinion of the best of the year's most entertaining and interesting forms of creativity. Movies, tv, books, music, it's all here and more. Categories will be whatever springs to mind and my opinions will likely be, well whatever I want them to be. That's just how it goes. Without further ado, the 1st Annual Gonch Awards! DISCLAIMER: I have likely not experienced enough of these mediums to give a great consensus this year, so I'll do the best I can.

MOVIES

Best Visual Effects - Transformers; the staggering amount of effects needed for each transformation borders on ridiculous let alone keeping the chaos on screen intact for various battles. I can only imagine the number of painstaking nights spent working on this at ILM.

Best Comic Book Adaptation - Spider-Man 3; I wouldn't be surprised if 300 is the correct choice here but I unfortunately haven't seen it yet, so this will have to do. Mostly because it certainly beats out Silver Surfer, the usage of Venom, Sandman, and Gwen Stacey along with the new Goblin were interesting, if not at all times accurate. But in general, the series remains one of the most joyfully comic book like out there.

Best Film - ???; immediately I have to say, I doubt I've seen the best movie of the year. With that said, if I had to pick anyone movie, I'll pick the Bourne Ultimatum. It has few if any flaws, is tense and gripping with a smart, mature story that leaves one satisfied with the conclusion of the trilogy.

Most Anticipated Film - Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull/The Dark Knight; no choice but to award a tie here. Dark Knight is the safer bet to be good, but Indy holds so much cool promise for us. They could both be great, we can only hope.

TV

Best New Show - Chuck; the smart combination of action and comedy isn't seen too often but this show pulls it off deftly with heart as well. For the geek in all of us, this show speaks while melding the spy genre. A neat concept that tv needed badly.

Best Returning Show - Heroes; a slow start got moved along with the reintroduction of Sylar and Adam Monroe. It may prove better for what comes next but it's still a very enjoyable show. Smallville actually wasn't too far behind this time believe it or not, for embracing a lot of mythology including Supergirl and other Kryptonian ancestry, Bizarro, and the clear return of Brainiac.

Most Anticipated New Show - Terminator, The Sarah Conner Chronicles/Dollhouse; let's face facts, anything that involves Whedon or Whedon alum is automatically at the top of the list. Add to it that the first is a terminator tv show with Summer Glau as the machine in question and the latter is Whedon's supposed return to tv and you've got a great mix to work from.

Most Anticipated Returning Show - Lost; the promise of the end of last season with a shorter season and non-stop episodes could really start to quicken the pace and relight the show. With the flashforward last season, anything is possible.

MUSIC

Best Song - Foo Fighters, The Pretender; a strong, kinetic song announces that once again, the Foo Fighters freakin' rock. It's catchy, simple and it rocks. That's really all you need.

Best Album - Hoobastank, Every Man For Himself; the bigger album release this year was Linkin Park's Minutes To Midnight and while it's a good entry, it doesn't quite have the near perfection the previous albums garnered. Hoobastank immediately jumps into a series of inspiring lyrics and crafty chords. There's too many good songs on here to ignore.

BOOKS

Best Release - Stephen Colbert's I Am America! And So Can You; sure it's only real book I got this year, but it's quite clearly the funniest and most entertaining out there. This is good stuff from what I've read so far. A great continuation from America the book.

Best Comic Book - Buffy The Vampire Slayer Season 8; as if there was any question I would choose this. Sure I haven't read it yet but it's not like I was going to pick anything else, heh.

Got comments, suggestions, complaints? Think of anymore categories I could add? Feel free to let me know.