With the end of 2009 comes the end of the decade ““ the naughts, if you will. It’s been a crazy 10 years with amazing films, moving musicals, captivating television and so much more. In a digital era of CGI, iPods, Facebook, MySpace and YouTube, there have been tons of memorable moments from this decade, things you can rant to your grandchildren about in a few decades. The Daily Bruin A&E staff compiled some of its favorites from the last 10 years.
Compiled by Edward Truong, Saba Mohtasham, Alex Goodman, Rebecca Luce, Shelley Brown, Devon McReynolds, A&E senior staff.
DRAMAS
Influenced by the chilling unpleasantness of the Sept. 11 attacks, much of the arts’ tones have been characterized as just that: “post-9/11.” It’s hard to say exactly what this means ““ except that the best movies released in these subsequent years have been deep, dark and really, really good. “No Country for Old Men,” adapted from the Cormac McCarthy novel and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, was lauded for its artful suspense, terrifyingly good acting and an overall classic cinematic perfection.
Sprinkled in through this decade filled with monstrous violence and misery were the labyrinthine plots and mind-numbingly beautiful works of David Lynch and Michel Gondry (“Mulholland Dr.” and “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” respectively), although even these were filled with their fair shares of violence and misery, which might be what makes for the best dramas after all.
10. Hotel Rwanda (2004)
9. The Dark Knight (2008)
8. Children of Men (2006)
7. There Will Be Blood (2007)
6. Traffic (2000)
4. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
3. Mulholland Dr. (2001)
2. The Departed (2006)
1. No Country for Old Men (2007)
““ Devon McReynolds
MUSICALS
Anyone who thinks musical theater is old-fashioned has not been paying attention for the last 10 years. From witches and cursing puppets to musical remakes of Mel Brooks and ABBA, musical theater has come a long way from top hats and jazz hands. Satirical musicals produced unforgettable songs such as “Everyone’s a Little Bit Racist” from “Avenue Q” or “It’s a Privilege to Pee” from “Urinetown.” Musicals such as the flapper-tastic “Thoroughly Modern Millie” and the ’60s-themed “Hairspray” offered interesting retrospectives on American history. From the fantastical side of theater came productions like “Wicked,” the backstory behind the painfully green Wicked Witch of the West, and “Spamalot,” a stage adaptation of “Monty Python and the Holy Grail.” “Spring Awakening” offered a soulful take on song (not to mention sex), while “Mamma Mia!” inundated audiences with Swedish pop. Adaptations of “Billy Elliot” and “The Producers” proved the motto “when you got it, flaunt it” applies to the stage as well as to film.
10. Billy Elliot: The Musical (2008)
9. Spamalot (2004)
8. Hairspray (2002)
7. Thoroughly Modern Millie (2002)
6. Urinetown (2001)
5. Mamma Mia! (1999)
4. The Producers (2001)
3. Spring Awakening (2006)
2. Avenue Q (2003)
1. Wicked (2003)
““ Shelley Brown
TV SHOWS
The post-“Friends” television world was a scary, unfamiliar place, until Jim and Pam replaced first sitcom couple Ross and Rachel with their “Office” romance. “Arrested Development” and “Chuck,” meanwhile, were every bit as hilarious as they were underappreciated. But like most other accolades, AMC’s ’60s-themed drama, “Mad Men,” takes the top spot. And through it all, Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert matured into masters of political satire, offering more thoughtful interviews and more insightful commentary than anyone at the “real” news networks.
10. Gilmore Girls
9. Chuck
8. Family Guy
7. 30 Rock
6. The Colbert Report
5. The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
4. Arrested Development
3. The Office
2. Friends
1. Mad Men
““ Alex Goodman and Rebecca Luce
INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS
“City of God,” a terrifying, violent and uncomfortably beautiful portrayal of the slums of Rio de Janeiro was shocking and remains unforgettable seven years later. The fantastic yet twisted magic of “Pan’s Labyrinth” and “Memento” drastically contrasts with the bleak realism of communist Romania in “4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days.” And if you’re reading this as a current or former Angeleno, you have got to see “Rize,” an incredible and visually stunning documentary about dancing subcultures of Los Angeles.
10. Rize (2005)
9. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007)
8. The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
7. 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (2007)
6. Memento (2000)
5. Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)
4. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
3. Mulholland Dr. (2001)
2. Amores Perros (2000)
1. City of God (2002)
““ Devon McReynolds
INTERNET VIRAL VIDEOS
What was life like before YouTube? The video-sharing Web site revolutionized the online entertainment world with short clips about animals, babies and toddlers. Late ’80s one-hit wonders and strange musical performances flooded e-mail inboxes and Facebook walls worldwide. This list is a strange, funny collection topped off by a bizarre webcam recording of a young woman’s singing and table dancing experience gone horribly wrong.
10. Chris Crocker’s “Leave Britney Alone” (2007)
9. Kittens inspired by kittens (2007)
8. Evolution of dance (2006)
7. Numa Numa (2006)
6. Star Wars Kid (2003)
5. Charlie the Unicorn (2005)
4. Charlie Bit My Finger (2007)
3. Rickroll (2008)
2. David After Dentist (2009)
1. Scarlet Takes a Tumble (2008)
““ Edward Truong
TV MOMENTS
We’ve done and seen a lot of growing up in the last 10 years … Well, we’ve seen a little at least. A truly historic presidential election took place, and most of us participated in it for the first time in our lives. We finally saw Jim and Pam go beyond flirting at the reception desk on “The Office.” And we continue to witness the ups and downs of live television.
10. Jon Stewart bites back on CNN’s “Crossfire” (2004)
9. Janet Jackson suffers from a “wardrobe malfunction” during her halftime show at Super Bowl XXXVIII (2004)
8. Adrian Brody plants a big one on Halle Berry at the Oscars (2002)
7. Tom Cruise declares his love for Katie Holmes on Oprah’s couch (2005)
6. Jim and Pam share their first kiss on “The Office” (2006)
5. Kanye West steals Taylor Swift’s moment at the MTV Video Music Awards (2009)
4. Tina Fey makes her first appearance as vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin on “Saturday Night Live” (2008)
3. Kanye West says “George Bush doesn’t care about black people” on live TV during a charity telethon with actor Mike Myers at his side (2005)
2. Former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani appears on “Saturday Night Live” after 9/11 to tell America that it’s OK to laugh (2001)
1. Barack Obama is announced the president-elect (2008)
““ Saba Mohtasham
COMEDIES
From your feel-good family comedies to bromantic (sic) comedies, it’s been a pretty funny decade. Whether it’s the witty dialogue of “I Heart Huckabees” or simply the ridiculous situations some of our favorite characters get themselves into such as those of Seth and Evan of “Superbad,” these films continue to be go-to places when we are in need of some laughs. But only one comedy made America think in a shocking (and very nice) way.
10. Finding Nemo (2003)
9. Meet the Parents (2000)
8. My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002)
7. Super Troopers (2001)
6. Wedding Crashers (2005)
5. I Heart Huckabees (2004)
4. Superbad (2007)
3. Napoleon Dynamite (2004)
2. Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)
1. Borat (2006)
““ Saba Mohtasham
BLOCKBUSTERS
We’ve needed a lot of escapist entertainment these last 10 years, and Hollywood responded in top form. Daniel Craig revitalized the James Bond franchise, Pixar helped us find both Nemo and our childhoods, and Heath Ledger set a new standard for comic book villains. Even “Twilight” deserves mention, for shamelessly yanking at the heartstrings of hopeless romantics everywhere.
10. Twilight (2008)
9. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
8. Star Trek (2009)
7. Finding Nemo (2003)
6. Gladiator (2000)
5. Quantum of Solace (2008)
4. The Departed (2006)
3. The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
2. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
1. The Dark Knight (2008)
““ Alex Goodman