The best and worst of 2008 A brief summary of the highs and lows of this past year By Jay Schreiber ic past year has been a big one in the pop culture world: big budget flicks came out at a dime a dozen; more celebrities made fools of themselves; and CDs have been put on the endangered species list while iTunes corners the market on the way we listen to music. As the year comes to a close, we at The Other Press would like to reflect, comment, and criticize the most memorable media moments of 2008. Best Movie of 2008: With all the big budget flicks that filled our multiplexes, the one that stands out as most noteworthy is the latest installment of Batman: The Dark Knight. Partially popularized by Heath Ledger’s untimely death, the film has a definite dark side, and a wonderful story amidst a controversial series. If grim tales of death and despair don’t do it for you, check out Disney’s Wall-E, a quaint story of a robot set years in the future. The Darjeeling Limited and W. get honorable mention for being new, creative and groundbreaking without the big bucks. Worst Movie of 2008: Wow, where do I begin? Owen Wilson made a half-hearted comeback in Drillbit Taylor, while in You Don’t Mess with the Zohan, Adam Sandler proved once again that his acting capabilities are about on par with that of a lawn chair. Big budget films such as Jumper and Cloverfield had clever ideas but no real plot and failed as complete movies. Millions more dollars wasted on more explosions... NEXT! Best TV Series of 2008: This category, hands down, belongs to Saturday Night Live for their weekly episodes of bashing Sarah Palin in the 2008 election season. As if she wasn’t a joke enough, the cast of SNL pounced on the opportunity to make fun of the Republican vice president nominee, and brought back former writer Tina Fey to fill in as the air-headed republican. Worst Album of 2008: Death Magnetic hosted 72 minutes of Metallica’s ego that I'll never get back and AC/DC released another album alongside Nickleback, but does anyone really care? Honestly! Kid Rock is just another in a long line of artists (a term used very loosely) that ripped off other people’s music, but why not kill two birds with one stone and combine two songs that aren’t even yours and release that under your name? What a concept, eh? Come on Mr. Rock, it’s about time you wrote some original shit! Best Live Show of 2008: Radiohead performed amidst a stage of glow sticks during torrential rainfall at UBC’s Thunderbird stadium, and were actually very enjoyable despite the moist environment. Tom Morello played two sold out shows at the Commodore as both folksy Nightwatchman and heavy metal shred god. And The Foo Fighters played a record three-hour show at the Pacific Coliseum last March, complete with Dave Grohl’s personal catwalk into the crowd. Chloé Bach arts@theotherpress.ca Top 3 Crimes Against Music in 2008: 3) Stone Temple Pilots (who have since broken up, again) meandered into GM place for a comeback tour last fall that was perhaps enough hearing damage for the entire year and then some. 2) Amy Winehouse. Need I say more? 1) Chinese Democracy, Guns N’ Roses’ highly-anticipated “15 years in the making” album was finally released costing a total of $13 million. With the first single since the 90s, their sound is stale and can’t help but clog the airwaves. I smell another riot... Lest we Forget, In Memoriam 2008: As we say goodbye to another year, we also say goodbye to some of the fantastic people that helped entertain us over the years. This list includes Paul Newman, Bernie Mac and Charlton Heston while funny man George Carlin and rock and roll founder Bo Diddley also kicked it this past year. All will be greatly missed. Well, folks, there you have it, a brief recap of another year in pop culture. What does the future hold for us in 2009? My prediction is more for bigger blockbusters, more celebrity rehab scandals, and probably a few wardrobe malfunctions along the way. The Crime Lab: anything but criminal ,, co. s:., Paw harbour side at the north end of Denman Street, the Crime Lab is quiet and unassuming — from the outside. Don’t let this fool you. Once inside the restaurant, the atmosphere is excitingly different. With floor to ceiling windows that face Stanley Park and the north shore mountains, the Crime Lab is a perfect setting for an intimate, elegant, and sexy dining experience in Coal Harbour. Prior to its current location, the Crime Lab was located in the Vancouver Police Department’s crime lab—hence its unique name. In keeping with the crime theme of the establishment, the Crime Lab’s menu describes starters under the heading ““Misdemeanours,” soups no and salads called “Parking Tickets,” starters called “Misdemeanours,” tasting plates appropriately named “Joint Indictments,” and mains are “Capital Crimes.” The wine and cocktail menus are unique and enticing —despite interesting theme names like Post Mortem martinis and Cavity Search cocktails. Featuring dimly lit tables, a stocked bar, decorative wood panelling, and a cozy feeling, the Crime Lab is classy without being pretentious. Plus it has a beautiful patio that truly showcases stunning views of Vancouver’s magnificent landscape. Along with its beautiful waterfront view and tasty menu options, the Crime Lab is definitely worth an evening of your time.