Colin’s Top 10 Movies Of 2016

I feel like 2016’s already starting to look not so bad right now, as a lot of what we were whining about in that (un)fateful year is still here. Also, one of the positive remnants of 2016 we’re still left with is the year in film that was, as we head into award season. Which, I don’t really have anything to say about since I avoided watching the Golden Globes – which apparently were kinda sorta culturally relevant this year – by instead spending that night seeing one of the movies on this list. And for maybe the first time I can remember, I think we’re doing these lists before any of the Oscar nominees have been announced, so how about I just get to talking about my favorite movies from last year based on their own merits?

Honorable Mentions:
Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping
Jackie
The Nice Guys

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Sean’s Top 10 Movies of 2016

How to describe this last year in movies… It was good? It’s always good, it’s never hard coming up with 10 movies that I liked a lot. This year I even had one sort-of movie in O.J.: Made in America in contention, given that it weirdly straddles the line between miniseries and documentary. I guess I’d just like to say that I didn’t like Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and that the title Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice remains a bad title. Why would you call a movie Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice? Because you’re making a bad movie.
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Top 10 TV Shows of 2016

Makin’ those movie dreams on the small screen?
It seemed impossible, the way things had been.
But along came David Chase and Tony Soprano,
and the world no longer loved Ray Barone a.k.a. Romano.
Now the world’s a confusing and complicated place,
there’s so much good stuff it’s hard to keep pace.
Don’t believe me? Check out this podcast.
It’s hard to believe how little was broadcast.

Top Ways to Listen:
[iTunes] Subscribe to T3 on iTunes
[RSS] Subscribe to the T3 RSS feed
[MP3] Download the MP3

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Colin’s Top Ten TV Shows Of 2016

I started writing this last night, just after we finished recording our top ten TV shows of 2016 podcast, kind of in the hopes that all the thoughts I’d had about 2016 TV while recording it were still fresh swirling around in my head. And then I took a break and wrote the rest tonight, feeling like yeah, what ever thoughts I’d had about these shows were a lot more fresh in my head after we recorded that podcast. So I apologize if the second half of this is a little undercooked.

But regardless of that, 2016 in TV was anything but undercooked, though I feel like there was plenty more shows I could have enjoyed from this year if I had just been a bit more diligent of a binger, but I guess I’ve just never had that in me. Also, this year was kind of a weird one for me TV-wise, since a lot of the shows from the past few years I’d really loved ended last year (meaning 2015), and so I think I was a bit hesitant to seek out new shows to call my favorites. But here are a few of the new discoveries I made this year as well as a few old favorites that managed to get even better.

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Sean’s Top 10 TV Shows of 2016

We continue to forge onward into the digital future of the television medium, and it continues to look brighter and brighter. In 2016, Hulu and Amazon both made huge commitments to creating their own shows, which, along with Netflix and newcomer Seeso, challenges HBO and other broadcast channels for the best selection of original programming. This was the year that frustrations with Comcast finally led me to cancelling cable, and I’m still quite optimistic about streaming throughout this next year and beyond.

After all, I still haven’t found the time to watch 11.22.63, Black Mirror, The Crown, and countless other shows I probably should have. Beyond my honorable mentions, there are a few others shows I’d like to shout out, starting with Agent Carter and The Grinder, both of whom were cancelled too soon. If you do start a Seeso subscription, four other shows I’d recommend are The UCB Show, Hidden America with Jonah Ray, Harmonquest, and Bajillion Dollar Propertie$, which was a nice rebound for Paul F. Tompkins after No You Shut Up! was cancelled. Also, HBO’s big comedies, Veep and Silicon Valley, were another couple of narrow misses, as was Comedy Central’s best comedy, Broad City. The Venture Bros. came back for a short, solid sixth season, that show has been going since I was in junior high. Also good: Documentary Now!, Luke Cage, Transparent.

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John’s Top Ten TV Shows of 2016

So many great shows so little time. I remember a day when I had to struggle to find good shows. A time when My Name is Earl and The Office was the most solid block of TV available all week. Times have changed. Every day we have more and more ways to watch great television. I hate to say it, but I think TV has finally edged out movies and I don’t see it ever going back. But can there be too much of a good thing? As I ponder this question why don’t you check out my list of shows that I actually watched and enjoyed.

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Sean’s Top 10 Albums of 2016

Is anything even good anymore? This last year has been a real challenge for my assumptions about myself and the world, and my inner turmoil definitely affected my media consumption. The fact that we all pay so much more attention to the news now, and the news tending to be so bad, drove me to spending a lot of time with multimedia comfort food; lots of movies and TV and old video games I didn’t have to think about too much. But music doesn’t have that escapist quality, tending often to be more reflective, as both Colin and John can tell you, which made my search for a joyous sound all the harder. This wasn’t a great musical year for me, is what I’m saying. I think a lot of albums that others would have called “great” were just “good” to me.

That being said, I do have a few honorable mentions. As always, this is a list that reflects my favorite albums based on my listening habits this last year. There are more albums that I liked and better albums that I didn’t spend as much time with, this is stuff from 2016 that I liked most in 2016. Of the five that just barely missed the cut, I Had a Dream That You Were Mine, that album from The Walkmen guy and the Vampire Weekend guy, is the one that makes me the most sad, since it would have been on all three of our lists. There are a couple Colin albums I’d like to listen to more, namely Pile by A Giant Dog and WORRY. by Jeff Rosenstock (which I foolishly ignored for too long). Where’d Your Weekend Go? by The Mowgli’s suits only nice weather listening, but “Spacin’ Out” is definitely 2016’s #1 summer jam. Speaking of jams, the title track from Big Thief’s Masterpiece is awesome. That surprise Childish Gambino release “Awaken My Love!” is cool too. Finally, Radiohead’s A Moon Shaped Pool, which deftly showed off how much Jonny Greenwood had learned doing movie soundtracks, was quite good as well.
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