Top Ten Entertainment Experiences Of 2007

2007 was pretty lopsided for me in terms of where my quality entertainment experiences came from. It was a phenomenal year for video games. Perhaps the best single year of new releases for the medium since 1997, if not better. Conversely, there just wasn’t much there in terms of great music. Some solid releases, sure, but nothing that remain etched in my mind as transcendent. Live shows definitely resonated better for me than the album experience did. For sports, I’ll preface my conclusion by saying that I only regularly follow the MLB, the NFL, and the NBA. Besides the lone entry on the list, there were no other truly memorable moments for me this year. Television was fairly solid, despite the writers strike putting a damper on my mood late in the year. Comics had some pretty high moments, and also some pretty “meh” ones as well. Finally, 2007 was just not my year for movies as I wasn’t motivated to seek out much other than the obvious films. While some were fairly entertaining, I just couldn’t argue for their inclusion on this list over the items picked.

Without any more ado, here’s my top ten entertainment experiences of 2007:

10. Patriots vs Ravens 12/3/07 (Monday Night Football)

I’ll start by declaring that I am neither a Patriots nor Ravens fan. That being said, this game still gave me near heart attacks at several different points near the end. The sheer amount of fortuitous events for the Pats in this game could not have been better written in a work of fiction. There were about a half a dozen ways for the Patriots to lose the game in the last two minutes, but shockingly, none of them happened. Rex Ryan’s ill-fated timeout. The pass interference penalties. The miraculous fourth down scramble by Brady. Jabar Gaffney’s improbably go-ahead touchdown catch with seconds remaining. Kyle Boller’s subsequent hail mary pass that was two yards shy of a touchdown. I said at the time, if the Patriots don’t lose this one, they’re not losing any of them. Sorry Jon Kitna, but THIS is God’s Team.
9. Lost Season 3

I’ve always maintained that Lost is at its best when it delves into the supernatural. After a disappointing six episode “mini-series,” Lindelof and Co. really kicked it into high gear for the remainder of Season 3. The introduction of Jacob. The revelation that there are inhabitants of the island even older than The Others. The mindblowing season finale that completely took me by surprise because I was not expecting it. Season 2 felt at times meandering and lost (ha) as to what direction to take. Not so with season 3. Settling on a finite end for the show is one of the best things to happen to the show as it allows for the creators to plan out in exquisite detail the journey they are taking us on. The only other thing that would be better would be getting this show on HBO/Showtime and totally cutting loose. I can only wish.
8. Battlestar Galactica Season 3

I powered through the entire Battlestar Galactica series this year for the first time. All I can say is, “Why the fuck haven’t I seen this until now?” The show is simply amazing with its tackling of heavy-handed themes from politics to religion to racism to abortion to genocide. Not to mention it’s still got good ol’ fashioned pew pew spaceship fights and love triangles as well. This is the space-opera genre at its finest, folks. Season 3 was definitely more cohesive than season 2 (hm, I’m noticing a trend here.), with the last few episodes being positively amazing. Apollo’s courtroom speech gave me goosebumps like no other TV show has in years. The season finale’s revelation was the healthy shot in the arm it needed to earn my undying devotion to the show. Bob Dylan, a cylon? Who saw that coming?
7. The Arcade Fire 4/26/07 (Spreckels Theatre, San Diego)

I never gave Funeral a fair shot a couple years ago because I dismissed the band as hipster wanking material. Neon Bible almost met the same fate with the incessant hype it was getting via the intarweb and word of mouth. However, I gave the album a few listens and enjoyed it. Not the most amazing thing ever, but enjoyable nonetheless. Seeing the band live, though, was a completely different story. This is a band that needs to be seen live. Most indie rock bands put on serviceable, if uninteresting shows. The Arcade Fire puts on everything but. The raw energy and soul that exuded from the band that night at Spreckels was palpable. You could just feel the energy of the crowd melding with the band’s and your own into a truly transcendent experience. The stage of the tiny theater could barely contain all the members of the band, let alone the primal life-force that emanated from the speakers. Few things in life are as rewarding as seeing a band at the pinnacle of their game with your best friend in a small, beautiful theater. This was one of them.
6. The Sinestro Corps War

The ultimate story of good versus evil. The Sinestro Corps War made me glad I read comics, because this was the pinnacle of superhero storytelling in 2007. Imagine if Michael Bay did Star Wars with an unlimited budget, and you have an inkling of what made this story so awesome. Heroes reborn, villains triumph, people die, philosophies change. Sinestro Corps had it all. While the story is self contained, it rewards the fans who have been there for the long run as well. Geoff Johns has firmly cemented himself as one of the best superhero writers in comics today and may very well be the only DC creator whose work I buy sight unseen. He’s that good, kids.
5. Portal

PC gaming had fallen into a rut. Virtually all new releases can be easily lumped into a preexisting genre or archetype. What a breath of fresh air Portal was then. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the first game in the “first-person puzzle comedy platformer” genre! I expected Portal to have some novelties within, but was completely ill-equipped to experience a game so unique. Playing the game ran me through the gamut of emotions from oooohing at my notion of physics being thrown out the window, to laughing out loud at GLaDOS’s en(dis)couraging comments, to cursing at failing a jump, to being terrified at just what the hell was really going on. Best of all, the game can be finished in about 3-4 hours. Good news for those of us who don’t have time to play through a 10-40 hour epic. At the end of the day, though, any game that can get us to fall in love with an inanimate gray cube with little hearts is certainly a winner in my book.
4. Rock Band

I’ve had several disparate groups of friends over for some Rock Band get-togethers and each time there has not been a single person who has disliked it. There’s just something innate about being a rockstar that transcends the boundaries of “real” gaming and music ability. Rock Band offers the best way to experience that with your friends without anyone being a true rock star. Forget the Wii or board games or “conversation”, Rock Band is the ultimate party game and the pinnacle of house party entertainment.
3. Bioshock

Roger Ebert be damned, Bioshock is the best evidence this year that video games can be art. No other entertinament experience in 2007 matches Bioshock in terms of art direction, atmosphere, philosophical critique, and plot. Creative director Ken Levine and his brilliant team over at Irrational Games(now 2k Boston) have brought to life a 1950’s dystopian underwater community with alarmingly immersive properties. Spawning a deluge of critical essays and discourse, Bioshock has been mulled over like a classic piece of literature. When was the last time you thought about the philosophies of Ayn Rand outside of a lecture hall? Bioshock is a true achievement in interactive media that will inspire creators for years to come.
2. Halo 3

I don’t think I’ve put as much time into a game as I have Halo 3 in 2007. Over 800 online matches in a couple months. That’s somewhere between 60-100 hours, folks. The campaign is not what we’re looking at here. While it’s fun to play it cooperatively with a buddy or three, it pales in comparison to the pure exhilaration that is competitive multiplayer. I used to play first-person shooter games semi-professionally, namely fast-paced shooters such as Unreal Tournament and Quake. For years I have yenned for an experience that matched the pure adrenaline that those games used to bring out in me. Halo 3 is the closest thing to the glory years of playing with the best in the world at Quake 3 that I’ve experienced. Bungie has created the benchmark for online matchmaking that has yet to be matched. Playing with friends has never been easier and more fun on any platform. And it’s friends that truly make this game. I’ve played with friends and coworkers I haven’t seen in months and have had loads of fun doing it. World of Warcraft is the 21st century golf? Please. Tell me, would you rather prance around with your colleagues bopping rabbits dressed in a robe? Or would you rather stick them with a plasma grenade from 25 yards away as you cackle maniacally in their headsets?
1. Super Mario Galaxy

Entertainment perfection.In a year of banner releases, no other entertainment experience manages the pure unbridled joy that Super Mario Galaxy embodies. Full of “Oh shit! No way!” moments, this is an experience that will bring a smile to your face every time you pick up the wiimote. Perfectly balanced whether you are a gaming newbie or a slayer of worlds, everyone can derive some sort of happiness from Galaxy and feel accomplished doing so. No game mechanic is overused, no matter how awesome. And let me tell you, there is little about this game which is not awesome.