Tops for 2005: Song and Film Picks

Songs

"Gold Digger" by Kanye West — If you don't start getting down when you hear the "Now I ain't sayin' she a gold digger" line, you either don't have a pulse or your hip is broken. This funny, insanely catchy and universally acclaimed track is certainly the top song of 2005.

"Boulevard of Broken Dreams" by Green Day — Leaving Dookie and the five-finger knuckle shuffle behind, Green Day has transformed itself into one the most important bands of the '00s. The American Idiot album is monumental and this single is rock at its best.

"Mr. Brightside" by the Killers — I'm not going to brag that I had their album from day one (read: June 2004) but I'm glad everyone and their grandmother now loves "Mr. Brightside" and the eye-liner wearing stud who sings it, Brandon Flowers.

"Sugar We're Goin' Down" by Fall Out Boy — Emo music is at its best when it combines sugary pop hooks with an undercurrent of hardcore bitterness underneath. With lyrics like, "I'm just a notch in your bedpost / But you're just a line in a song," it just goes to show that although high school may be over, you can relive the pain every day.

"Hollaback Girl" by Gwen Stefani — Hey, if ladies feel empowered by hearing Gwen Stefani say "sh*t" three dozen times, then who am I to argue with them? While the appeal for the rest of us may remain a mystery, one thing is clear, this sh*t is B-A-N-A-N-A-S.

Films

"Batman Begins" — Yes, it's not what would traditionally be named Best Picture, but this film is as close to perfect as possible. Spot-on casting, powerhouse performances, great story, great direction and great production. "Does this thing come in black?"


"Cinderella Man" — Although it came and went rather quickly in theaters, it is without a doubt a masterpiece courtesy of Ron Howard and star Russell Crowe. I hope it finds a home on DVD and at the Oscars because nothing less is deserved.

"Wedding Crashers" — Vince Vaughn. Owen Wilson. Will Ferrell as a "funeral-crasher." There is absolutely nothing not to like is this side-splitting summer hit. Although the movie fizzles in its final third, it's roll-in-the-aisles funny before that.

"Kingdom of Heaven" — Although it was a bust at the box-office, this swords and sandals epic reveals a real depth with repeated viewings. An under-appreciated performance by Orlando Bloom and a show-stopping one from Edward Norton also make it one of the year's best.

"Star Wars Episode III" — A "Star Wars" film that captures some, if not most, of the magic of the original trilogy? Yes please! Probably the darkest of all six movies, Episode III follows the transformation of Anakin Skywalker into Darth Vader in a great movie that not even George Lucas' script could mess up.