EDitorial ± 18-Dec-2000

Things You May Have Missed

Apart from the Radio Times, another favourite thing of mine around December time is the sudden rash-like appearance of those end-of-year lists. Events went slightly over-the-top 12 months ago, what with the millennium (remember that?) and the glut of best albums/books/films ever recorded/written/made, but they're back to a reasonable level this year, IMHO.

One category that's always of interest to me is albums of the year. I've already bought Select and Q magazines for their choices. Q tends to sit on the fence a little by picking their 50 best albums but in no particular order, bar alphabetical. Among the chosen artists this time are Coldplay, Doves, Foo Fighters, Muse, Primal Scream and Radiohead. I can vouch for all of these, should my opinion count for anything.

And the first tree in the green wood
Later this week sees the Christmas edition of the NME. BTW, did you know that the New Musical Express and Melody Maker are merging as from next year? Heard that on the wireless the other day. Anyway, for the past few years I've gone out and bought the NME album of the year (since I don't usually have it). From memory, previous winners have included Sugar, Bjork, Spritualised, and Beck. So there. Can't say I've been disappointed by any of of these.

That's enough about sound. Time for some moving pictures:

Saturday night at the movies
Who cares what picture we see?
— The Drifters
Even if Ben E. King wasn't too discriminating, I am. So yet another list I watch out for is Empire magazine's "Top Ten Movies Of The Year". And here they are:
  1. Magnolia
  2. American Beauty
  3. O Brother, Where Art Thou?
  4. Toy Story 2
  5. Being John Malkovich
  6. The Insider
  7. Erin Brockovich
  8. Billy Elliot
  9. Three Kings
  10. Gladiator

I wish I say something about these, but (cue violin) I don't get out as much as I used to. I'll keep this list close by me for my occasional trips to Blockbuster during 2001.

If You Take Away With You Nothing Else
Total Film, Sight & Sound, Premiere:

  1. maybe Christmas doesn't come from a store,
  2. maybe it means a little bit more
  3. (with apologies to Dr Seuss)
Be seeing you! Oh, and have a top Christmas, won't you?

Ed