The Most Reptastic of 2007

Like any young man who read Nick Hornby’s High Fidelity in their formative years, I’m a huge fan of lists. So I’ve gone through 2007 with a fine-toothed comb to create these definitive lists of the most Reptastic films, albums, songs, TV Shows, books, athletes, and sports scandals of 2007. We (the Royal we) here at Reptastic encourage you to share your own personal best ofs for the year as well (and yes, the above graphic is a Reptastic original creation).

Top 5 Movies of the Year:

5. Knocked Up
4. Michael Clayton
3. Once
2. Das Leben der Anderen (The Lives of Others)
1. No Country for Old Men
This was a close race, with some exceptional films this year offered for consideration. Das Leben der Anderen, released last year signaling the possible emergence of a German cinema that could extend beyond its borders, The Lives of Others was a deeply felt film exploring the effects of the East German Secret Police or Stasi. Amid critical praise and numerous awards abroad, the movie came to America, defeating Pan’s Labyrinth for the Best Foreign Film Oscar and finding a small adoring public in the US and finding its way to a close second on my list of the best movies of 2007.

The top spot belongs to the searing Coen Brothers classic, No Country for Old Men. With a strong story and even stronger performances by Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem, and Tommy Lee Jones, No Country stood out as the finest film of 2007. You can read my full review here: No Country for Old Men

Top 3 Albums:

3. Radiohead – In Rainbows
2. Peter Bjorn and John – Writer’s Block
1. Arcade Fire – Neon Bible

Radiohead returned to form with an unexpected album, Peter Bjorn and John charmed with fantastic Nordic pop, but top honors belong to Arcade Fire, whose sophomore effort proved exceptional. Neon Bible, the blistering follow-up to 2004’s Best Album of the Decade, Funeral, was fantastic. Whereas Funeral was an inward looking album, focusing on the aftermath of loss, Neon Bible projects outward, pointing an accusing finger toward religion and corporatism. Arcade Fire transcends the ironic common among popular indie bands with an earnest and emotion that’s refreshing. Add to the equation a fantastic live show and Arcade Fire more than confirmed its excellence in 2007.

Top 3 Books: (B/c I rarely read books in the year they’re actually released; this is just my favorite three I read this year)

3. All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy
2. Extremely Loud Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
1. Into the Wild & Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer

Top 10 Songs:

10. “Society” by Eddie Vedder
9. “Ocean of Noise” by Arcade Fire
8. “Flathead” by The Fratellis
7. “1234″ by Feist
6. “No Emotion” by Idlewild
5. “Lake Michigan” by Rogue Wave
4. “Nude” by Radiohead
3. “Paris 2004″ by Peter Bjorn and John
2. “Intervention” by Arcade Fire
1. “All My Friends” by LCD Soundsystem

It’s a song that’s seeps into your soul over its seven-plus minutes. The pulsing piano riff carries you through the song as the lyrics paint a picture of late nights, illicit substances, time passing before you realize and the friends who are present through it all. “All My Friends” by LCD Soundsystem is a triumph of songwriting.

Top 10 Stories that Rocked Sports

10. Plight of disabled former NFL players exposed giving the league and its union a black-eye
9. Marion Jones finally admits to using steroids and is stripped of her Olympic Gold Medals
8. Don Imus calls Rutgers women’s basketball team “nappy-headed hoes.”
7. Pacman Jones’ series of offenses leads to him being thrown out of the NFL for a year.
6. Michael Rasmussen thrown out of the Tour de France a few days before he was poised to win it
5. Barry Bonds breaks Hank Aaron’s Homerun Record under the cloud of steroids, and is later indicted for lying to a Federal Ground Jury.
4. Roger Clemens named in the Mitchell Report, forever tainting his sterling legacy.
3. NBA Referee Tim Donaghy pleads guilty to involvement in gambling ring and possibly fixed NBA games
2. Michael Vick sentenced to 23 months in Federal Prison for his involvement in a dog-fighting ring
1. Sean Taylor Slain

It was a year of scandal in sports, from the Bonds indictment and the Mitchell Report to Tim Donaghy’s disgracing of the NBA and Don Imus’ disgracing of himself. However, the most vitriol was aimed squarely at Michael Vick for his bankrolling of Bad Newz Kennels, an illegal dog-fighting ring. While I don’t condone Vick’s brutality toward animals, it was fascinating watching people passionately rail against Vick. Those who took to the streets to get all in a tizzy over dogs are the same people who sit on their hands while Americans continue to die in Iraq, countless children go without health insurance, and the lower class is pushed further down by schools that fail them and the drug trade which grips them. It’s a terrible day when we’ve lost so much perspective in this country that we begin to care more about animals than our fellow Americans.

I hope the people I mentioned above truly recognize that all of the other stories which rocked sports are merely a pittance compared to the passing of Sean Taylor. Nothing can prepare you for the death of someone so young. Earlier in his life Sean Taylor wrestled with demons of his past, so when he was shot by intruders in his Miami home last month, many believed his past had revisited him with tragic consequences. In truth, the incident was far more tragic, considering he had appeared to those who knew him to have truly turned over a new leaf in his life, only to have it cut short by a senseless act of violence. RIP Sean Taylor #21.

Top 3 Athletes:

3. Roger Federer
2. Roger Federer
1. Roger Federer
I figured I’d give him a slot on the list for each major he won this year. He’s simply the most dominating athlete in the world, you can read his official coronation as Reptastic Sportsman of the Year here:Roger Federer

Top 3 TV Shows:

3. Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares (BBC Version)
2. The Wire
1. 30 Rock

The Wire is the most important television show ever made and its fourth season, which focused on the failing school system in Baltimore was another fantastic volume to the best show ever made. If you’ve never watched The Wire, you need to drop what you’re doing, go grab Season 1 and get yourself hooked.

Despite my love of The Wire, this Fall’s emergence of 30 Rock as one of the best sitcoms of the decade leads me to put them tops for 2007. Tina Fey has crafted a witty, funny, charming, irreverent comedy which she has coyly interjected with sly social and political satire. For my 30 Rock Show-tracker go here:30 Rock

Top-3 Television Ads

3. Snickers – “Mechanics”
2. Zune – “The Ballad of Tina Pink”
1. Wii – “McGregor”

SNL Sketch of the Year

“I Ran” Featuring Andy Samberg, Fred Armisen and Adam Levine of Maroon 5. It’s a hilarious send-up of the Iranian President’s visit to NY. Samberg delivers once again, proving his Digital Shorts are the best thing SNL has done in a decade.