Entertainment Roundup for 2009

As I do at the turn of every year, posted below is the list of movies, stage shows, books, and graphic novels I've taken in over the past year.

The usual caveats apply: included among the movies are films I saw in a theater as well as those I caught on DVD, on cable (usually uncut), and online, such as through Netflix or Hulu. Most are the first time I've seen them but a few are revisits (I've asterisked those).

Having a full-time job with young children somewhat limits my ability to go out to see first run movies—or at least it's made me a lot more selective. But I must also admit that as I've gotten older and have less time to spend seeing films, I'm more interested in being entertained than going outside my usual comfort zone. That means seeing comedies and dramas rather than violent action pics (being the scaredy cat I am, horror is right out). I still always enjoy a good indie or foreign film.

While there was no film that stood out as the absolute best or a personal favorite (I do think there is a distinct difference), among those films that made a strong impression are: Downfall; Inglourious Basterds; An Education; Watchmen; Star Trek; Up in the Air; Julie & Julia; (500) Days of Summer; Fantastic Mr. Fox; The Great Buck Howard.

So without any further ado....

FILMS
Edmond - IFC (1/4/09)
Paths of Glory - TCM (01/10/09)
Battleground - DVD (01/11/09)
Slumdog Millionaire (01/19/09)
Curb Your Enthusiasm Season 7 (02/17/09)
Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project - Hulu (02/27/09)
The Fighting 69th* (03/01/09)
Helvetica (03/01/09)
Golden Boy - TCM (03/01/09)
Burn After Reading (03/14/09)
Eagle vs. Shark - DVD (03/21/09)
Watchmen (03/23/09)
Monsters vs. Aliens (03/28/09)
Hamlet 2 - DVD (03/28/09)
Outsourced - Netflix (03/29/09)
An Ideal Husband* - Netflix (03/29/09)
Zack & Miri Make a Porno (04/06/09)
Role Models (04/07/09)
The Stewardesses - DVD (04/18/09)
Danger: Diabolique - DVD (04/18/09)
Star Trek (05/10/09)
Glory Road - TNT (05/13/09)
Downfall - DVD (05/20/09)
Quantum of Solace - DVD (05/20/09)
Valkyrie - DVD (05/24/09)
Fanboys - DVD (05/25/09)
Transformers - DVD (05/31/09)
Up (3D) - (06/07/09)
13 Rue Madeleine (07/08/09)
Ice Age 2 (07/28/09)
Julie & Julia (8/9/09)
G-Force (8/10/09)
My Son, Edward - TCM (8/15/09)
The Notorious Bettie Page - IFC (8/24/09)
Ponyo (8/30/09)
Middle of the Night - TCM (8/31/09)
The Magnificent Ambersons - TCM (9/1/09)
Mr. Skeffington - TCM (9/2/09)
(500) Days of Summer - (9/7/09)
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (10/4/09)
An Education (10/11/09)
Astro Boy (11/11/09)
Fantastic Mr. Fox (11/27/09)
The Great Buck Howard-NetFlix (11/27/09)
Brideshead Revisited-Netflix (11/28/09)
Pirate Radio (11/29/09)
Prisoner of Zenda*-TMC (12/08/09
Made - IFC (12/10/09)
Up in the Air (12/12/09)
The Mouse that Roared - TCM (12/13/09)
Inglourious Basterds (12/14/09)
No Time for Comedy - TCM (12/12/09)
The Hangover - DVD (12/29/09)
The Princess and the Frog (12/31/09)

THEATRE
Singin' in the Rain (03/22/09)
Spamalot (07/10/09)
Cymboline the Puppet King (07/9/09)
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (8/15/09)
August: Osage County (10/16/09)
Mary Poppins (11/13/09)
Actors Gang-Peewees Save the Holidays (12/13/09)

BOOKS
Schulz and Peanuts by David Michaelis (04/28/09)

GRAPHIC NOVELS/COMICS
Dear Billy
Secret Invasion (9/20/09)
Laika (10/3/09)
Blazing Combat (10/26/09)
Asterio Polyps by David Mazzuchelli (12/31/09)