MOVIES

BEST FILMS/PERFORMANCES
American Gangster
Into the Wild
Knocked Up
Michael Clayton
A Mighty Heart
Once
The Simpsons Movie
Waitress

MUST-SEE A.S.A.P.
Atonement
Charlie Wilson’s War
Juno
No Country For Old Men
Sweeney Todd

OVERHYPED and/or DISAPPOINTING
Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
Eastern Promises
Superbad
Transformers
Year of the Dog

TV

BEST NEW SHOWS
Damages (FX)
Flight of the Conchords (HBO)
Life (NBC)
Mad Men (AMC)
Private Practice (ABC)
Pushing Daisies (ABC)
The Riches (FX)

BEST RETURNING SHOWS
30 Rock (NBC)
Bones (FOX)
Brothers and Sisters (ABC)
Dexter (Showtime)
Entourage (HBO)
Friday Night Lights (NBC)
Lost (ABC)
The Office (NBC)
Top Chef (Bravo)
Ugly Betty (ABC)
Weeds (Showtime)

GUILTY PLEASURES BUT NO SEASON PASS
Desperate Housewives (ABC)
Dirt (FX)
Men in Trees (ABC)
My Name is Earl (NBC)

ON THE FENCE
Chuck (NBC)
Samantha Who (ABC)

MOST DISAPPOINTING NEW SERIES
Back to You (FOX)
Big Shots (ABC)
Cane (CBS)
Bionic Woman (NBC)
John From Cincinnati (HBO)
Tell Me You Love Me (HBO)

MOST DISAPPOINTING RETURNING SERIES
Grey’s Anatomy (ABC)
Heroes (NBC)
The L Word (Showtime)
Rescue Me (FX)

R.I.P.
Six Degrees (ABC)
The Sopranos (HBO)
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (NBC)

LOOKING FORWARD TO 2008

Films (all of which make me seem like SUCH a guy and giant nerd)
Cloverfield
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Iron Man
Speed Racer
Star Trek
The X-Files 2

Television
Cashmere Mafia (ABC)
Eli Stone (ABC)
Lost, Season 4 (ABC)
The Sarah Connor Chronicles (FOX)
Swingtown (CBS)

So, fellow couch critics, let me know what you loved in 2007 and look forward to next year…

In other more relevant and exciting news, the cast is coming together for the new X-Files movie, which is scheduled for release in July of 2008. David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson will be joined by Amanda Peet, Billy Connolly and rapper/Pimp My Ride host Xzibit. Seriously. Ok, I’ll give him more credit. He was in Derailed, 8 Mile and Gridiron Gang, among others, so this won’t be his first big screen gig.

There is also a rumor that former Deadwood sheriff Timothy Olyphant has a role in the film, and judging from his recent appearances in Hitman and Live Free or Die Hard, I’d venture to guess that he won’t be playing good cop for the FBI.

Although the new X-Files movie was scheduled to begin filming next week, I wouldn’t be surprised to hear that the start date has been postponed due to the Writer’s Strike. The X-Files is in my Top 4 Favorite Television Shows of All Time (along with Six Feet Under, Lost and Deadwood), and I will be there on opening day for this next installment, just as I was when the first film came out in 1998. In the meantime, the unbelievably loaded 61-disc DVD box set of the entire series tops my wish list this Christmas. That was not a typo; there are 61 DVDs of episodes and extras from all 9 seasons, all for less than $250 on Amazon! However…

Dear Santa,

I am conflicted. As much as I would love to find this lovely box of sci-fi under my tree in a few weeks, the 45 brilliant men and women who wrote all 202 episodes of The X-Files will only receive a combined $8.08 in residuals per box set sold. As you know, right now those very people are on strike to receive an additional $.04 per DVD sold. And I support them every step of the way. So as much as I really, really, really want to add this phenomenal set to my collection, I will wait until the strike terms have been resolved and the scribes receive their just due. I guess you can put it on the shelf for me until next year. Thanks, daddy xmas.

Your patient friend,

- Jo