As we all begin to wave goodbye to 2009 the only thing we can do is start thinking about all the cool stuff coming down the pike in 2010. I realize that there are bigger fish to fry than pop culture news, but as we wait for the problems of the world to begin healing themselves this is the stuff that gets us through the day. I took a look at all the goings on in film, comics, music and TV to get a sense of the future and I have to tell you, there is a lot of really awesome stuff to look forward to. I’ve managed to get it down to 25 things that are revving my engine for 2010. Dig it!
25. The Book Of Eli: Denzel Washington walks a post-apocalyptic Earth with a book that holds the fate of mankind in it. Chasing him is a Road Warrior style gang led by Gary Oldman. I’m digging this because I want to see Washington as an action hero, Oldman back to being a nut job and of course watching Mila Kunis fight in tight pants is a guarantee I’ll show up!.
24. Piranha 3D: Killer man eating fish movie remade from a classic B-Movie and then coated with 3D goodness? What reason would I have for NOT loving this?
23. New Deftones: I’ve always been a hot and cold fan of the Deftones. Some of their stuff I love and some I don’t. However with the band scrapping what they had recorded with bassist Chi Cheng before the accident that still has him in a coma and start anew peaks my interest. Drawing from that kind of pain could result in some amazing music.
22. Dillinger Escape Plan: Like these guys or hate them they’re always good for something outside the box. I wasn’t as big a fan of their last release but Dillinger still kept me guessing, a move few bands can pull off. Whatever the new album sounds like it’ll no doubt take me by surprise.
21. A Nightmare On Elm Street: I hate remakes and I’ll probably hate this one. My interest is mainly to watch Jackie Earle Haley as Freddy Krueger and to see if the makeup really looks as much like Pizza The Hutt from Spaceballs as the photos make it seem.
20. Flashforward: All of the world passes out for a few minutes and sees their own future. The show centers on an FBI team trying to put together what happened and why. A whole lot of people have been sleeping on this show (pun fully intended), which is a mistake. Flashforward has done an outstanding job of keeping their show interesting without being convoluted. I’m hoping it brings in enough viewers in 2010 to warrant being kept on the ABC line up because I can’t wait to see where it goes.
19. V: Mainly I’m interested to see how much worse this plodding, boring, annoyingly self-centered remake can get before the producers send the Super Model aliens back to planet of Cocaine & Watercress Salads.
18. Clash Of The Titans: I’m excited for this remake because it’s such a crisis of conscience for me. The original movie about Perseus’ quest to stop the Kraken by cutting of Medusa’s head is one of my favorites. That movie is all about the Ray Harryhausen stop motion animation and this new one is all CGI. I want to hate it on that alone but yet it looks so damn good I can’t. I need this crisis solved so I’ll have to be one of the first on line.
17. Iron Man 2: I wasn’t a huge fan of Iron Man mainly because it struck me as the longest episode of American Chopper ever (all they did was build the suit). However I’d be a liar to say that Whiplash and the possibility of War Machine doesn’t jazz me a little. I’m also interested to see what happens afterwards, as it seems excitement about Thor; Captain America & The Avengers films is either waning or hitting snags. Will Iron Man 2 be successful enough to secure those other films?
16. Jonah Hex Movie: Josh Brolin is too pretty and too melodramatic to play the ass-kicking cowboy from Weird Western Tales. Megan Fox can’t do anything but stand there and look hot plus metal demigods Mastodon are doing the soundtrack? This sounds like a bad car accident where I’ll feel awful but still have to see it.
15. New Radiohead: Unlike their hipster cool-affected worshippers I don’t think Radiohead constantly turns out genius. However not having put out anything new since 2007 combined with liking the single frontman Thom Yorke put on the New Moon soundtrack makes me curious. Perhaps these guys will get away from making albums that sound like they don’t care anymore and get back to what made their record “The Bends” one of the best albums ever recorded.
14. Image Comics 2010: The end of 2009 brought a lot down on Image Comics as they released their first epic crossover Image United, which doesn’t end until 2010. Once it’s done what will the aftermath be? Will the new Spawn stay Spawn or will Al Simmons return? Outside of that what could the next year bring for Walking Dead and will the Viltrumite War finally happen in Invincible? Then there’s Chew (which I hate) but seems to have a strong audience. Will it continue to be a big deal for Image Comics?
13. Fringe: One of the best shows on TV hands down just keeps getting better. If you haven’t watched the show you should catch up on season 1 and the first part of season 2 during the hiatus. A combination of X-Files and The Outer Limits, Fringe has constantly delivered solid stories and characters while still building the overall arc of an upcoming war between our Earth and one from a parallel dimension. I’m hoping in 2010 more people watch so the looming shadow of cancelation is removed once and for all.
