Some Year End Lists

2022 was a wild year, and I want to recap it. It had ups and downs, it had some wonderful art moments and some outrageous political ones. There is no better, click-baity way to recap it all than with a dumb little few top 10- or 5- lists.

That’s it, that’s all I got for an intro. So let’s dive right in.

Actually, quick disclaimer. These lists are in no way objective. These are entirely based on my perspective, what I’ve seen, and how I feel about things. So feel free to drop your own lists below and tell me how dumb I am.

Top 10 Movies of 2022

So, some quick disclaimers here. I am yet to see most award season movies, with Banshees of Inisherin being a huge “haven’t seen it yet” omission for me. I will be catching up on movies soon and potentially starting a movie-centric podcast. If you want to follow along with my updated rankings and reviews, follow me letterboxd at brycefilms7.

Anyways, onto the as-is ranking.

10) Scream- 3.5

I love all the Scream movies and this is probably the second or third best one. Radio Silence is an exciting directing duo, this movie is both fun and scary, and the twist really worked for me.

9) DC League of Super Pets- 3.5/5

I might catch some flack for this one, but I told y’all this list was subjective. I am an absurdly huge DC fan, with a giant collection of comics and I loved the reverence this movie paid to those comics. The art style was fun, there was legit heart, and I laughed my ass off a few times.

8) Avatar the Way of Water- 3.5/5

I honestly hate the first Avatar, but this is a masterclass in pacing and plotting. Just a complete and well thought out movie with almost no faults.

7) Everything Everywhere All at Once- 3.5/5

This will be a lot of people’s number one and for good reason. There is an absurd amount of heart and creativity here, with some legitimately heartbreaking and touching moments throughout. I didn’t think it was as funny as most, but just about everything else worked for me.

6) Hustle- 4/5

My blackmark as a film snob is that I love just about everything Adam Sandler does. Obviously the likes of Jack and Jill and Ridiculous 6 suck, but just about everything else works for me. Especially his dramatic stuff. After his excellent turn as a gambling addict in Uncut Gems, he gave what I view as another powerhouse performance in a film about basketball, so basically my biggest weakness.

5) Three Thousand Years of Longing- 4/5

I’m still so depressed that this movie bombed. George Miller returned to cinemas with a gorgeously shot love story about the passage of time and the eternal nature of love. It’s heartfelt, interesting, and an all-around great time.

4) The Batman- 4/5

This movie’s first trailer has had Nirvana’s “Something in the Way” stuck in my head since January. This shit just ruled in every way and it’s my second favorite big-screen Batman flick ever.

3) Elvis- 4/5

I thought I would hate this movie. I generally hate biopics and I also don’t care for Baz Luhrman, but this was great. The bombast worked well to tell a deeply saddening story about how one man can eat away at another through deception.

2) Nope- 4.5/5

Jordan Peele simply does not miss and I’m so happy he is basically getting studio carte blanche to make dope ass movies. Nope was, in my opinion, his best work yet and I can’t wait for more.

1) Glass Onion- 4.5/5

Rian Johnson has made one of the best anti-capitalist pieces of art in recent memory and he accomplished this by accurately portraying billionaires as egomaniac idiots. This is fun, thought provoking, hilarious, and a well-done mystery. Simply elite.

Top 10 Albums of 2022

I’m often asked, “What type of music do you listen to?” My answer is usually the same, “Honestly, whatever makes me feel the worst at that particular time. Oh also hip hop sometimes.”

I’m not really a music critic or anything, but I listen to music or podcasts for at least like 8 hours a day so I at least have some takes. My homie Alex is gonna kill me for this.

10) Midnights by Taylor Swift

A disappointment after dropping two of the best albums of the 21st century- folklore and evermore- but I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t know every word to like five songs.

9) So Much Wine by Phoebe Bridgers

While I think there was only one new song on this album, I still cried like twice so I gotta give it props.

8) The End So Far by Slipknot

I haven’t truly loved a Slipknot album since Iowa, but this scratched a very specific itch in that the angry music was, appropriately, very angry.

7) Her Loss by Drake & 21 Savage

21 Savage might just be my favorite feature artist of all-time. His personal albums rarely do it for me, but this is basically a whole album of him being the feature and every single song hits.

6) The Batman Score by Michael Giacchino

I listen to a lot of scores, especially when I’m writing, and I think this was my favorite of the year. Giacchino is working his way up the all-time composers list and this might be my favorite of all his work.

5) Ramona Park Broke My Heart by Vince Staples

I love Vince Staples and his ability to mix easy listening with bangers is something that always impresses me. This is one of my most listened to albums of the year for sure.

4) Diaspora Problems by Soul Glo

A fascinating mix of hip-hop, punk, and metal, Diaspora Problems is a tough listen thanks to its political and social subject matter, but it all worked for me and it is a true righteous scream of anger.

3) SPIRITS by Nothing More

Nothing More simply never misses. Every song they’ve ever released does it for me. This album falls a little short of their last, but it is my top rock album of the year for sure.

2) Heroes and Villains by Metro Boomin

I cannot help but love this album even though I know it’s not high art or anything. It’s full of perfect hoop music and sometimes that’s all it takes to win me over.

1) The Forever Story by JID

Another album that nicely mixes fun and energetic beats with some heavier subject matter. JID might be the best in the game right now and this album has been my pick for best of the year since the first time I heard it.

Top 5 Moments That Make Me Seethe

In the immortal words of Cosmo Kramer and George Costanza;

“Do you ever rage?”

“Well, not recently. I seethed. I seethe all the time, constant seething.”

Let us seethe.

5) Elon Musk Buys Twitter

The worst part of Elon Musk buying Twitter hasn’t been anything he has actually done to Twitter, but more that he has made such an obvious ass of himself but his stans will still do whatever it takes to call him the smartest man alive.

4) People Don’t Know How to Watch Movies Now

Media literacy has been on a strong downward spiral for a long time now and it is never more obvious than in any film discourse. People missing obvious themes, projecting weird narratives onto the plot, or people just not engaging with the actual text of the film, it is all prevalent and all annoying.

3) Everyone Throws a Fit After Every Game

The best part of being a sports fan is drawing sweeping conclusions after every game right? No? Well you could’ve fooled me.

2) Continued Rise of Scammers and Grifters

The internet will always produce scammers and grifters, trying to make money off of little kids, but this year has been the most frustrating to me. People have started spreading misogynistic information directly to pubescent teen boys, which fuckin sucks.

1) The General State of the World

I wanted to make a whole list of bad things, but it got too depressing even for me.

Top 10 WSU Basketball Moments

I’m a hoops guy, so let’s talk about hoops moments that made me smile.

10) Cougars Sign Kymany Houinsou

This one is just for Jeff Nusser and I, but Houinsou rules so hard.

9) Mouhamed Gueye Returns

Gueye returning felt great in the moment, but it also felt like our staff still had some control after the nerves set in with some early transfer portal entries.

8) Charlisse Leger-Walker Takes the Leap

Charlisse is currently in the midst of the best season a WSU athlete has had since Klay Thompson’s junior year. Her taking this much of a leap after already being great is a testament to her work ethic.

7) Mike Flowers’ Senior Night

Flowers was only here one season, but he was a consummate Coug and his senior night represented so much more. His parents had both passed and you could see the love in both his and Kyle Smith’s eyes as they embraced. Onions all around.

6) Ula Motuga Sends It to Overtime Against UW

WSU Women’s Basketball was full of clutch moments last season, and Motuga’s shot to send a home Apple Cup to overtime was absolutely one of the best.

5) WSU Home Postseason Win Against Santa Clara

WSU getting any postseason wins after a decade of absence would’ve been cool enough, but getting a home win against a team with a future lottery pick was even sweeter.

4) Krystal’s Game Winner Against UCLA

One of the most fun victories I’ve ever witnessed a WSU team have was WSU’s home win over UCLA. A close game came down to an offensive rebound that got an And-1 from the senior.

3) Efe Abogidi Jumps Over a Dude

The NIT was truly a blast and no moment topped Abogidi’s dunk against SMU. WSU got an SCTopTen moment for the first time in what felt like ages.

2) Will Burghardt’s 3

I’m honestly not sure I’ve ever heard Beasley louder than when the walk-on senior hit a three to put WSU up more than 20 over a defeated looking Oregon team.

1) Senior Night Upset

WSU WBB’s biggest, tournament clinching win last season came against #8/7 Arizona at home. It was senior night, everyone cried before the game and we all cried after too. Unforgettable.

Top 5 Coug Things to Look Forward to in 2023

Let’s end the year with some optimism.

5) Reuben Chinyelu

We all decry the current lack of depth at the big spot and how no one on this team can seem to get a bucket in the post. Enter Chinyelu to solve our problems and make us smile.

4) New Offensive Coordinator

I don’t know much about football, but getting a cool young OC seems pretty hip and funky fresh if you ask me.

3) Senior Year Charlisse

Charlisse Leger-Walker is already looking like a first team All-Pac-12 player, but her senior year will be a chance for her to make a legit push to be a top 5 pick in the WNBA draft.

2) Volleyball Still Rules

Our volleyball team is probably the easiest one to root for here at WSU. Coached by a former Coug, this team has been a pillar of success and they are a staple of the community at this point.

1) Transfer Portal Shenanigans

While some might deride this aspect of modern college athletics, I’d like to offer a different perspective; don’t! Enjoy the fact that the portal allows us to bring in dope dudes like Michael Flowers, Daiyan Henley, and Jabe freakin Mullins.