I have the WORST insomnia ever. I don't get insomnia. IDK what's going on. Anywho, here's the product of said insomnia...



It's my year in fandom and otherwise (or, essentially, ONE GIANT HBO WORSHIP POST. Hahaha don't worry, there is stuff that's not, you know, military-related in this :D)

Now, because I have difficulty at times when it comes to keeping posts/picspams succinct, I've tried to limit myself to the top five in each category. It worked, for the most part. Except in the first category, but shut up. Alphabetical order.


TV

Look, I watch, and love, a lot of TV. This is all justifiable.



Arrested Development

I can't believe it took me this long to watch this show. I'm not entirely sure how I managed without it in my life.



Band of Brothers

YOU MIGHT HAVE NOTICED THAT I WATCHED THIS SHOW FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS YEAR. AND THAT I KIND OF LIKED IT. WTF who cares, I've met a lot of wonderful new friends because of it ♥ and it really is one of the best, if not the best show I've ever seen. Along with BSG and GK.

Speaking of which...



Battlestar Galactica

OMG EARTH SUCKS. And we only have, what 12 more episodes? My heart, it aches. Also? LELAND ADAMA. LELAND



Generation Kill

My latest obsession. It has such a high quota of hot blonde men that I go through sensory overload each time I watch it. Absolutely phenomenal, incredible television.



Gossip Girl

Look, this show is awesome, IDGAF.



Lost

Please raise your hand if you're glad you stuck with this show through Season 3. I love the new characters. And nearly all of the originals that are left. FARADAY. FARADAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYY



Supernatural

I'm not ashamed to say that Season 4 is blowing my mind in a good way. And OMGCASTIEL. Still the only show that genuinely makes me laugh, and cry, on a very regular basis. BOYS ♥



True Blood

This is escapist trash of the very highest order. I love it so fucking much.

Films

OK tbh I have a poor memory when it comes to films. I've seen, well, hundreds this year, one way or another, but I could remember about ten of them. Oh well. These are the top five films that I saw for the first time this year, although some were released earlier.



There Will Be Blood



Visceral, amazing film. Incredible performances all around. FUCKING KICK-ASS SOUNDTRACK (I hate the Academy so much for not giving Jonny his dues for this, ugh). You all know how good it is. I DRINK YOUR MILKSHAKE. BASTARD IN A BASKET etc etc...





In Bruges



I can't begin to explain how impressed I was by this. I really wasn't expecting the film it turned out to be, the trailers were very misleading. One of the funniest films I've ever seen, Colin Farrell is A+ in this. AND IT HAS RALPH FIENNES. And Brendan Gleeson. Absolutely blackly hysterical film.





Les Chansons d'Amour



YES I WILL BE PRETENTIOUS AND USE THE FRENCH TITLE. Such a gorgeous film, such a gorgeous Louis. Heh. I actually preferred the second half, where the characters had to deal with the events of the first. If you are one of the three people who haven't seen this film, please do.





NaPoLa (Before the Fall)



This actually came out in 2004, but I'd not heard of it before. I watch a lot of films concerning Nazi Germany, and am (sadly) a bit desensitized to them these days, but this film really struck a chord. It's a German film about one of the elite boys' schools operated by the Third Reich...and I'l just leave it at that. See it if you can, it really ripped my guts out. An exceptional film, not cliched in any way. Also has Max Riemelt in it, who is...nice to look at.





Heima



The most spectacularly beautiful film I've ever seen, in my entire life. I want to picspam it so badly. I hope the Icelandic Tourism Board paid Sigur Rós a packet for this, because it's the most incredible advertisement for the country imaginable. Blows me away each time I watch it. I even bought the edition with the commemorative photo booklet, hahaha.

I'm including both trailers for the film because they show different sides of the film, both magical. The I Gaer trailer (first) is my personal favourite, because that song is one of my favourite Sigur Rós songs.





Honourable mention:



ONLY BECAUSE I HAVE BEEN WAITING 10 FREAKING YEARS FOR THIS SHIT TO COME OUT ON DVD, OMG.

Albums

Again, they didn't all come out this year (lol one came out in 2002, I think) but these were the five albums that I listened to the most this year. If anyone wants anything, let me know, I can upload if you want.









LOL CHOPIN LOL



What pedestrian choices :D

Books

This was probably the worst year of my reading life. I used to get through one book per week for pleasure. This year, the majority of my reading time has been taken up by work-related reading (UGHHHHH). Of those books I read for pleasure, these were my favourite.



About the rise and fall of Sir Oswald Mosley, leader of the British Fascists. I didn't know much about him before reading this, but it is the most thorough and fascinating book imaginable.



Essentially a report of Eichmann's trial in Israel in the early 1960s. Without a doubt, one of the ten best books I have ever read. Historically and psychologically fascinating and important.



HMM. I WONDER WHY I LIKED THIS SO MUCH. Hahahaha Evan Wright has an easy, observational style of writing, and we all know that the characters provide sterling source material :D



Looking at the roots of Wagner's Ring Cycle in the Icelandic Sagas. Fascinatingly nerdy (I'm a Wagner freak so it was right up my alley).



The author travelled around Britain, looking for the last true 'wild places' out there. A little pretentious, but he encapsulates a view about man's relationship with nature that I admire. Also shows just how much of the British landscape is still wild and untouched. It kind of restores your faith in humanity. Just a bit.

Characters



Castiel

I'm the one that gripped you tight and raised you from perdition

BRB DYING.
COOLEST ENTRY TO A SHOW EVER. PWNS ALL OTHER NON-WINCHESTER CHARACTERS EXCEPT BOBBY. HOT. HAS SPAWNED A NEW BREED OF DEAN-ANGEL FIC, HAHAHAHAHA. AND OMG THAT STARE /capslock



Chuck Bass

I'm..........Chuck Bass

Shut your face, you know I had to. I'm not sure that there were any characters on TV before Chuck Bass and his wonderful, sleazy, charming, rapey self. He is INCREDIBLE.



Daniel FARADAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

We're not exactly here to....rescue....you

Or whatever the hell the line was, I don't remember. I don't remember any Dan quotes verbatim, just a general stuttery awesomeness. Heh. Anyway, is he the most loved new character on a show ever? DOES ANYONE NOT LOVE HIM AND HIS SKINNY PHYSICS AWESOMENESS? I'm not going to lie, I love him 10x more than any of the original Losties (blasphemy!!)



Ray-Ray Person

Fucking dress blues commercial man. That got so many fucking dudes. Now look at us: Trombley hasn't killed anybody, I'm half a world away from good Thai pussy, and Colbert is out here rolling around fuckbutt Iraq hunting for dragons in a MOPP suit that smells like four days of piss and ball sweat.

As I have mentioned before, one of the most important minds of our time. James Ransone knocks this performance out of the park, OMG. It's lulzy to look back to the first episode where I was like "HMM IS HE AWESOME OR ANNOYING? IDK" hahahaha I'VE SEEN THE LIGHT.



Eugene Roe

ANYONE GOT SIZZUHS I NEED SIZZUHS

Oh, my heart. The most selfless person ever, yes? I still maintain that 'Bastogne' is one of the best, if not the best, hour of television I've ever seen, and it's all down to him.

Honourable mention:



Doc Bryan

Having read the book, and watched GK about five times through now, Doc Bryan is killing me with his awesomeness. Every single thing he does just radiates fucking awesome. I'm not going to spoil it too much for people and go into detail, BUT HE IS THE KING OF BOTH COOL AND AWESOME AND HOT and that scene, in 'Bomb in the Garden' where he's looking after the kids and yelling at people, OMG. It makes me faint.

Also must give a shout out here to the following people, who I couldn't be arsed picspamming:

Buster Bluth
Lafayette Reynolds
Tobias Fünke
Rene Lenier (aka sexiest ever serial killer)
Benry
Every character in BoB (except Dike, Sobel and co)
Every character in GK (except the obvious retards)

OTPS



Babe/Roe

BECAUSE THEY KIND OF FIX EACH OTHER ♥ ♥ ♥



Chuck/Blair

LOL HET
Combined, their awesomeness could destroy Manhattan. And their hotness could power the national grid.



Colbert/Fick

The very definition of eye-fucking. WHY MUST THEY ALWAYS DO IT AT NIGHT D:
And yeah, two disgracefully hot blonde men? Of course I'll be all over that.



Colbert/Person

Mr + Mrs GK. 100% platonic love.



Winnix

The most obviously canon slash I've ever seen in my life. Just you wait for the picspam.

Honourable mention:



The wonderful yay and awesomeness that is the GK cast

And finally, to finish...

Men of the Year

Five men who have made my year, due to hotness, talent or otherwise.



ASkars

For being in both GK and True Blood. For being hot, blonde, giant and Swedish. For being obviously extraordinarily awesome and fun IRL.



Boris Johnson

I'm a Conservative, and I live in London. This was my political excitement of the year ♥ SHH ALL YOU LIBERALS



DDL

He who is the second coming, how could I forget you? You, your brown shoes and Daniel Plainview made my year.



Henry Cavill

BECAUSE HE IS TOO FUCKING ATTRACTIVE FOR HIS OWN GOOD.
And they referenced him in Gossip Girl.



Matthias Schweighöfer

German hotass of the year. LOOK HOW BLONDE AND FAIR HE IS. I know I didn't talk about him very much on here, but I saw a lot of his films and um, *enjoyed* them very much XD

And to finish off, I will make a prediction for 2009...



2009 WILL BE THE YEAR OF SAM WORTHINGTON IN THIS LJ.
And 'Inglourious Basterds', but that's already begun ♥


HAPPY OLD YEAR'S NIGHT, GUYS!!
And thanks for the fantastic 2008.