thanks!

Last month I had wisdom teeth surgery and, while bedridden, made the fantastic decision to watch the first season of The OC (otherwise known as one of the single greatest seasons of television known to mankind). Before I knew it, I was digging out those gigantic cinderblock-sized 7 disc box sets from my parents house and rewatching the entire series, many episodes of which I haven't seen in years. And let me tell you, what a roller coaster ride it was. Because for as many fantastic characters and moments the series had, it had SO many awful ones as well. I still loved it all, but right now let's talk about EVERYONE. From worst to best.

55. Oliver Trask

This one is a no-brainer. Oliver is probably the worst tv character of all time. A whiny, intolerable liar who manipulates girls into being his friend because he's so pathetic. And then when they obviously don't like him romantically because he's such a weasel, he fakes suicides and ruins everyone's lives.

54. Johnny Harper

If Oliver is the worst, Johnny is quite a close second. He's almost equally pathetic, but it's possibly less excusable because as far as I know, he wasn't even diagnosed with a mental illness. Oh boo hoo, you got hit by a car and now you have to put off surfing for a little bit? Be a man, dude. Even his death was the dumbest thing ever. I'm sad so I'm gonna get wasted and climb UP THIS CLIFF and then rant near the edge of it. Johnny, ugh, nobody misses you.

53. Lindsay Gardner

I had an awful lot of hate for Lindsay as well. She wasn't violently psychotic like the last two, but she was just terrible. She wasn't cute and she wasn't even NICE. There was literally no reason Ryan should like her, but of course he did? And she constantly picked her dad that clearly didn't like her and abandoned her multiple times over Ryan who was always there for her. What a bitch.

52. Charlotte Morgan

This character was just insufferable, and totally pointless to boot. She was a con artist meant to befriend Kirsten (while she was at her rehab clinic, no less) and then rip her off, but she wasn't even GOOD at being a con artist. And no match for Julie Cooper, let's be serious.

51. Dean Hess

This guy was just creepy. It's weird when any man specifically targets a teenage student to get them thrown out, it's even worse when it's for the teenage girl he's banging to help her get more popular. Ew.

50. Matt Ramsey

After Kirsten left the Newport Group, this young "self starter" came in and convinced Sandy to help him run the company. Not only was he unprofessional (and not even good at his job), he later turned on Sandy (the most inexcusable thing a person can do) and threatened to bring him down. Sandy of course ends up saving this unappreciative douche, and he gets off scot-free.

49. Rebecca Bloom

Nobody should ever interfere with Sandy and Kirsten's marriage. GET OUT OF HERE, REBECCA BLOOM. She basically sparked Kirsten's alcoholism and ruined everything.

48. Henry Griffin

He was like... this evil oil tycoon sort of character? I didn't pay that much attention to him or his storyline.

47. Veronica Townsend

What a horrifying woman.

46. Chili

This guy is SUCH a terrible friend, it's insane. Right after his best friend breaks his leg, he leaves because he doesn't want to deal with it. Constantly gives his friend terrible advice, and basically leads to his friend killing himself. And am I crazy, or did he not even seem that upset after he died?

45. Jess Sathers

She was randomly obsessed with Atwoods, and really pretty pathetic.

44. Renee Wheeler

Lindsay's dumb mom.

43. Rachel Hoffman

A young, attractive attorney that worked at the same firm as Sandy and obviously wanted to get with him. Back of the line, Rachel.

42. Heather

She was a huge bitch, mainly because I guess she's insecure? Always gave Marissa a hard time because boys like her more. She sort of seemed like she changed the last time we see her, but really, who cares.

41. Reed

She was involved with Seth and Zach's comic Atomic County, and though she was mainly just doing her job, she still sparked a lot of rivalry between Seth, Summer, and Zach - and that ain't cool.

40. Taryn

She was the random Newp-sie who was given the most dialogue throughout the series. She was dumb, but harmless mostly.

39. Holly

uhhh this is that girl that Luke was cheating on Marissa with. You know, the one that caused her to OD in Tijuana?

38. Frank Atwood

Ryan's once abusive-deadbeat, now not-so-bad (?) dad. I find him to be so incredibly boring, and why Julie would even consider picking him over Bullit is beyond me.

37. Dawn Atwood

Terrible mother on the one hand, on the other - her abandoning Ryan caused him to live with the Cohens, which was obviously the best thing that could have happened to him. Way to go, Dawn!

36. Carter Buckley

Listen, anybody that gets in the way of the Kirsten/Sandy union is unacceptable. On the other, when he's sad he gets really wasted and listens to the Pixies, so he can't be all bad.

35. Zach Stevens

I didn't hate Zach. He was a nuisance because he was part of a triangle that involved keeping Seth and Summer apart, but he was a good looking, mostly nice guy that was pretty dorky, occasionally funny, but a lot of times boring. And damn, he made out REALLY well from the triangle - he lost Summer to Seth, but ended up getting the comic, which let's be honest is not such a terrible deal.

34. Casey

She was an overall pointless character. The only girl on the show that actually liked Johnny, and when she noticed Johnny preferred Marissa, she quickly cheated on him with his enemy to soften the blow. You go girl.

33. Dr. Kim

What a nice principal.

32. Hailey Nichol

She was sort of a mess, but at least she kept it interesting.

31. Spencer Bullit

Part time tennis instructor, part time gigolo. Also he's the big wolf on campus.

30. DJ

Ohhhhh the yard guy. Even HE knew how pointless he was. He carefully bowed out after a couple episodes.

29. Lance

The porn guy. At first he's pretty terrible, but him and Julie end up bonding over Whitesnake and he's not such a bad guy after all.

28. Brad and Eric Ward

Luke's younger twin brothers. Often doing inappropriate things like shaving each other's chests.

27. Kevin Volchok

Has his moments but for the most part is kind of just an insecure scumbag. He killed Marissa and pretty much gets away with it until Ryan tracked him down. He ends up turning himself in, the guiltttt!

26. The Nana

The Nana!

25. Neil Roberts

Summer's dad. My god he looks like Alfred Molina. And he's randomly the nicest man of all time. He wants to leave Julie after her unresponsive fugue state goes on for months, and lets her and her daughter just HAVE his house while he leaves and goes to Seattle. What?

24. Sadie

I know she was put in as a plot device, but I really didn't mind Sadie. She was randomly perfect and drama-free, but Ryan just couldn't find a way to like her the way he liked Marissa.

23. Donnie

Ryan's co-worker for like a second. Randomly brings guns to Newport parties and ends up shooting Luke. Now you can catch him on the Vampire Diaries.

22. Carson Ward

Luke's gay dad.

21. Trey Atwood

My god, he was a mess. He literally can't help but ruin everything, it's almost not his fault. Remember that time he nearly murdered his brother, but then Marissa shot him, and they were all "mmm watcha sayyy"??

20. Caleb Nichol

What an intense man. He was an impeccable businessman, but was he really? He was broker than MC Hammer when he died.

19. Jimmy Cooper

An overall nice enough guy, but really pretty pathetic. The first time he left was understandable, but he soon got into debt AGAIN (with meaner people) and showed us he was a bigger failure than we originally thought. Come on, Jim. You disappointed me.

18. Theresa Diaz

Ryan's Marissa before Marissa. Except she's strong and independent and tells Ryan she lost her baby so he won't hang around when she can see he doesn't love her. I was really happy to see she ended up being really successful. Girl power.

17. Alex Kelly

Olivia Wilde! First she was Seth's girlfriend, and that was weird, then she was Marissa's, and that was kind of forced.

16. Pancakes!

15. Princess Sparkle

14. Luke Ward

"Welcome to The OC, bitch" - Luke was an insufferable douche at first, but randomly turned into a really cool guy. Get this dude at a Rooney show and he'll show you what's up.

13. Kirsten Cohen

I think it's safe to say we all love Kirsten, she took Ryan in and treats him completely equal to her own son. Her marriage to Sandy is like THE picture of marriage that everyone should strive for. But let's be real here, she's also a bit bland. Which is how she ends up behind Captain Oats.

12. Captain Oats

11. Che Cook

Summer's hippie BFF at Brown. Would arguably be higher on the list because it's Chris Pratt, but he did sell out Summer and get her kicked out of school. It worked out though because she got to spend the rest of the year out in Newport and got to keep Pancakes.

10. Anna Stern

I love Anna. She was the female Seth Cohen, only more confident and put together. At first it seems crazy that Seth would choose Summer over Anna, since Summer initially treated him so terribly and then was embarrassed to be seen with him... but later it becomes clear that he made the right decision. Anna's still awesome though.

9. Kaitlin Cooper

The mini Cooper! She has a lot of the same qualities of Julie, which makes her awesome. Also her relationship with Bullit is absolutely adorable.

8. Gordon Bullit

I forgot how awesome this guy is. He makes puns out of his name, has 12 sons named after cities in Texas, is an actual billionaire, and just an extremely down to earth and nice guy. He allowed Julie to string him along, because for some reason she liked Frank Atwood (barf), but I love that they show in the finale wrap-up that he stayed close to Julie and Kaitlin despite her having a son with Frank. What a cool guy.

7. Marissa Cooper

Alright here me out. I know Marissa is a pretty hated character from this show, but I've always had a soft spot for her. I've always seen her as this extremely tragic character, and for that I always wanted to root for her to succeed. Think about it though, basically every finale involved something devastating happening to her: season 1 summer finale? ODs in Tijuana. season 2 finale? shoots Trey. season 3 finale? dies. Girl can't get a break! In spite of myself, I always rooted for her and Ryan. I just did!

6. Taylor Townsend

I love Taylor. Initially she's introduced as this pathological go-getter, and well... that's what she is. But it eventually becomes endearing, and that's what you love about her. She has a french ex-husband, is an admitted stalker, and even on a terrorist watch list. She's legitimately insane, in the most adorable way possible.

5. Julie Cooper

Or Julie Cooper Nichol Cooper Roberts Bullit Atwood(?). That's every time she's been engaged anyway. Julie's the best. She's super manipulative and totally self aware to every major flaw she has. But she has a bigger heart than most people give her credit for. She's one of those characters that's insufferable when introduced, but over time becomes one of the best. Orange County wouldn't have been the same without her.

4. Summer Roberts

OK I really wrestled with numbers 4-2. Let's just say the margin between all of them is very slim, almost equal. Summer started off as a mindless Newport mean girl, and evolved into this hysterical, weird little character with such a big heart. Her relationship with Seth is of Sandy/Kirsten proportion, and next to theirs is the most stable couple throughout the series.

3. Seth Cohen

If I had made this list when I first watched the series, Seth would have been #1, no question. His neurosis and pop culture quips are a large part of what made the show so unforgettable. He basically made being a nerd cool. I also realized that Seth Cohen gave me so much new music to discover that I would have otherwise never heard of. As amazing a character as he is, Seth also had all these crazy flaws as well - like he would randomly ruin things for no reason. Like sailing off to Tahiti (but really going to Portland), and breaking up with Summer because he didn't get into Brown. These are horrible, irrational decisions - but it's part of what makes Seth Cohen so Cohen-y.

2. Ryan Atwood

I related to Ryan so much more this time around watching this series. And although the show is largely about a collection of people, it wouldn't be what it is without Ryan. What makes the show so interesting for me is often his story: the idea that if you took a smart, naturally good-natured kid out of a shitty situation and gave him a real shot - what could he really make out of himself? Sandy Cohen was willing to find out. My favorite moments in the series are watching Ryan become a permanent part of the Cohen family, watching him grow and change, and learn to deal with his first impulse which is usually to punch someone. He never squandered any of the opportunities the Cohens gave him, and in the end he adopts a "pay it forward" approach to any kid he notices may be in the same sort of situation he was in.

1. Sandy Cohen

This was no question in my mind. Sandy is the best tv dad of all time. First off, how many rich people would actually adopt a troubled 16 year old child? He can actually solve any and every problem and understands that people need to work through the bad to make the right decision for themselves. He loves bagels and lounge singing. He plays by his own rules, and always does the thing that's right instead of the thing that's easy. Sandy Cohen is a role model. Everyone else take notes.

Here's a list of ten movies I feel bad about enjoying. Oh wait, no I don't.

10. Never Been Kissed (1999) OK, this is one where I actually have no idea how to explain or even understand what makes me like it so much. It's one of the more forgotten in that awkward late 90s slew of romantic comedies. I don't even like Drew Barrymore all that much, but I love her in this movie. The little Josie Grossie. If I were the sort of person that did things like this - I would create an entire tumblr account dedicated to the obscene faces Drew Barrymore makes throughout life - this movie particularly, but yowza.

9. Rocky 4 (1985)

Drew Barrymore rom-coms aside, I don't think this one needs any explanation. To this day, I believe Ivan Drago is the scariest opponent/villain not only of the Rocky franchise, but of all sports movies. The montages are fantastic, with the training montage being the most memorable. Literally whenever I work out, I will think of Stallone scaling a mountain. Whether I want it to or not, it's gonna happen. All my best workout playlists have Hearts on Fire and No Easy Way Out. Stallone is brilliant.

8. Saw (2004)

To clear this up I'm gonna go ahead and say this applies to only the first Saw. I don't have the same appreciation for any of the sequels, although I did enjoy Donnie Wahlberg being Donnie Wahlberg in the second one. This movie is just absurd. I remember seeing this in theaters, completely fascinated by the descent of Cary Elwes into madness to the point where I would be in hysterics. After he cuts off his foot and crawls over to Leigh Whannell and whisper/cries "I'll come back for you" with that little nod - that's it, I'm done. I also get a huge kick out of Danny Glover as a cop with a purpose. I've seen this movie an embarrassing number of times.

7. Can't Hardly Wait (1998)

This is another overlooked late 90s movie. At its core, it's mainly just a dumb/funny movie with a lot of awesome people scattered throughout. Nothing more or less than that. Also this description of a human being is one of my all time favorites:

6. Happy Gilmore (1996)

Adam Sandler before he started to lose his goddamn mind. Billy Madison might actually have funnier quotes overall ("If peeing your pants is cool, consider me Miles Davis" "I AM THE SMARTEST MAN ALIVE" Plus that entire speech featuring "I award you no points, and may god have mercy on your soul") but Happy Gilmore was the movie that I related to as a child. Well, as much as a child could relate to an angry hockey player that sucked at hockey and was inexplicably great at golf. I swear I probably watched this movie once a week for like two years. Carl Weathers. Overall fantastic.

5. Teen Wolf (1985)

You can try and find one, but no fault existed with Michael J Fox in the 1980s. The guy had a pretty banner year in 1985 between this, Back to the Future, and Family Ties. This is such an overlooked 80s comedy. It's maybe more adorable because he's so short, so here's this little werewolf strutting around school, and he's super popular now because of this. It's weird, I'm a fan. Now it sucks because most people associate Teen Wolf with that dub step show on MTV.

4. Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989)
hell, even Bogus Journey (1991) if we're gonna get really weird with it

First one is classic. This role might permenantly define how people view Keanu Reeves, but he's amazing in this. I will always defend Keanu regardless of popular opinion. Not just in this movie - he's obscenely underrated. As far as these movies - second one definitely lacks from the first, but I'll still say it's a good one. If I were to try and explain the plot to someone I would probably say it involves robot versions of themselves sent from the future to kill their human selves. They then have to defeat Death in a battle of wills, but it's mainly just stuff like Battleship and Twister. They defeat Death, become best friends, and start a band that saves humanity. It sounds amazing because it is amazing.

3. any Schwarzenegger movie

This one shouldn't need any explanation either. My personal favorites are Predator, Kindergarten Cop, Terminator 2, and Commando - but really the man has the capacity to improve a movie by any significant margin just by existing in it.

2. The Cable Guy (1996)

I will go on record to say this is one of the funniest movies of all time. And I stand behind that statement, I really do. Whenever I watch it, I will laugh at least 90% of the entire goddamn thing. I guess this movie could be off-putting to some because it truly is Carrey at his most obnoxious - but from start to finish, this movie never quits. I guess we're playing prison rules.

1. The Karate Kid (1984)

If we're being honest with each other here, this shouldn't even be on this list. This is a fantastic movie, a classic coming of age/underdog story that should be honored from here until the end of time. But what can I say, it doesn't seem to garner a fraction of the respect it deserves so here it is. This movie sets the 80s standard for bullying, unorthodox teaching methods, and one liners. It's actually a perfect movie, I've probably seen it close to 400 times.

Let's see... 2012 seems to be jam packed with good stuff. The last year I can remember that had so many great films was 2007 maybe? A month ago I wrote about my top ten most anticipated, you can check that out here if you're interested. Here's ten more for good measure.

20. 2 Days in New York - August 10

Truthfully this movie, from teasers and trailers anyway, doesn't seem like it's actually going to be that good. It sort of feels like a recycled formula Julie Delpy loves implementing into all of her movies. But honestly, what can I say - I love that crazy French bitch. I feel like a huge part of the reason 2 Days in Paris worked so well was large in part to Adam Goldberg, who won't be appearing in this one. But at the end of the day this:

is maybe up there with my all-time favorite scenes. If that's the sort of thing she's capable of churning out, this one's worth at least a shot.

19. Seeking a Friend for the End of the World - Now playing

I know this one is already in theaters, but I haven't seen it yet. I'm actually pretty bummed because general consensus of this movie so far is not promising. It's weird, I like Steve Carell, and I want to like his movies - but I end up hating most of them. This one caught my attention after this trailer was released. Steve Carell is at his best when he's sad and pathetic, but in a funny and endearing sort of way (see: Little Miss Sunshine). This seemed in a similar vain, plus they use Talking Heads in the soundtrack. Whether I want it to or not, that's always gonna help sway my vote.

18. Gangster Squad - September 7

I know I'm in the vast minority with this one, but I generally tend to not give a shit about gangster movies. Very few really knock me to the floor... or "get my goat" so to speak (if anyone actually still speaks like that). Then again, I will watch *anything* with Ryan Gosling in it. He can improve the quality of a film at least 70% without breaking a sweat, so that's always a factor. Also, whatever - the trailer hit me with the right amount of intrigue. There's one scene in the trailer, however, that I feel could have been a great moment in the film if you weren't expecting it: when they shoot up the movie theater. Why ruin that in the trailer? Dumb broads.

17. Savages - July 6

Oliver Stone is a weird guy. For every movie he makes that I like, he makes six that I couldn't care less about. I feel like it's time he made one I like, and this may as well be the one. It feels like it's gonna be a little fun, a little explode-y, a little weird, a little sexy, and an overall good time. Aaron Johnson has dreads, John Travolta gets thigh stabbed, Blake Lively is one hot momma, but who is Taylor Kitsch? I have no idea who he is.

16. On the Road - couldn't find release date. But I though September-ish for some reason?

I've only ever read the first half of On the Road. You're probably supposed to read it in high school, but I went to a public school that assigned us stupid books instead of literary classics. Ethan Frome is, to this day, one of the worst books I've ever had the displeasure of reading - and we spent 3 months analyzing it. Frome bitterness aside, I throughly enjoyed the first half of On the Road. I have no idea why I stopped reading it, I think I just was reading multiple books at the time and it got sidelined for some reason. Either way I'm very intrigued to see an adaptation. From the trailer, it looks damn pretty. Pretty people and pretty landscapes.

15. The Great Gatsby - December 25

Ok this one is a bit of a wild card. Baz Luhrmann is another weird one. Again, probably in the minority, I genuinely like his 1996 version of Romeo and Juliet. It's weird, it's over the top - but I enjoy it. Remember Paul Rudd in that movie? So anyway, once again Luhrmann casts DiCaprio - this time as Jay Gatsby. Woah, that sounds awesome. Then we have Tobey Maguire as Nick Carraway. For the past ten years I haven't been able to associate the guy with anything but Spider-Man but ok, I'll allow it. Carey Mulligan as Daisy - ok great, love her. Then the trailer came out and it was so bizarre. It has Jay Z songs and glitter falling from the ceiling. Looks like we may get a couple of classic DiCaprio freak outs, but those are always welcome. Anyway this could be good, it could be awful. Let's find out together!
side note: look at DiCaprio! 2 movies on Christmas Day??

14. Little Birds - couldn't find release date. But I though September-ish for some reason?

My god, I am such a sucker for coming of age stories. I truly am. They are my vice. Girls that are trying to find their place, and as a result they are depressed and lay underwater in the bathtub. This girl, Juno Temple, appears in another movie on my other list this year: Killer Joe. So I don't know who she is yet, but apparently she's worth looking out for.

13. The Perks of Being a Wallflower - September 20

Again, this movie totally fits into that coming of age vice. 15 year old me read this book and angstfully related, now 24 year old me is curious to see the translation on screen. I also thought it was interesting that the guy who wrote the book not only wrote the screenplay, but also directed the movie. Now, this could obviously be a fatal mistake for the adaptation - but whatever, I'm in.

12. Safety Not Guaranteed - Now playing

This movie is also in select theaters, not playing near me yet, but hopefully soon. Unlike Seeking a Friend, this one actually has had a pretty glowing reception so far. I remember hearing the premise for this movie awhile back, and though I found the meme funny, my first reaction was basically: really? In spite of this initial reaction, I couldn't help but find myself wanting to know more about it. Overall it just seems like such a different and original concept. Very excited.

11. Seven Psychopaths - November 2

"A struggling screenwriter inadvertently becomes entangled in the Los Angeles criminal underworld after his oddball friends kidnap a gangster's beloved Shih Tzu"
That plot, along with that cast, along with Martin McDonagh who did In Bruges (his brother is pretty fantastic also - The Guard was one of the best of last year, even if nobody seemed to notice it): what more do you need?

With the release of Moonrise Kingdom this week, it made me realize exactly how long I've been anticipating a lot of the movies that are about to drop this year. I have to say, I think most of my favorite working directors are releasing movies in 2012, and I couldn't be more thrilled. These are the ten I'm kinda buggin over:

10. Argo - October 12 As far as I'm concerned, Ben Affleck as a director is 2 for 2 so far. I loved Gone Baby Gone and The Town. Basically that's enough to leave me interested in whatever else he works on until he forces me to believe otherwise. It was when the trailer dropped, however, that I really got on board. I originally had a totally different idea of what this movie was when I heard the concept, but now it kinda seems like a bizarre anti-heist movie. Does that make any sense? No. Also, Bryan Cranston.

9. Looper - September 28 Brick is one of my favorite movies definitely of the last 10 years, maybe of ever. This has a refreshingly crazy plot to get me more excited. I feel like I could do without the weird facial prosthetics they put on Joseph Gordon Levitt, but my god I'm kinda loving his Bruce Willis impression.

8. The Dark Knight Rises - July 20 Eh. Not sure this one needs that much explanation. In addition to being another (final) Chris Nolan/Christian Bale Batman movie, it adds Tom Hardy, Joseph Gordon Levitt, and Anne Hathaway into the mix. Lets do this.

7. The Amazing Spider-Man - July 3 I have to say I didn't know what to think about this one for awhile. I remained indifferent towards it for a long time, until the full trailers started getting released and it made me realize Andrew Garfield is kind of a perfect Peter Parker. Unlike Tobey Maguire, who definitely had the awkward nerd part down, he also has the charisma required of a goddamn super hero. Not to mention I'm pretty interested to see what Marc Webb is gonna do with this. I obviously loved 500 Days of Summer, but that's a slightly different movie. Lastly, always a good selling point: my girl Emma Stone.

6. Killer Joe - June 29 I'm a little embarrassed to say I really didn't know anything about this movie until I saw the trailer a couple weeks ago. It kind of gives me the same vibe as Drive (which as far as I'm concerned, was the best last year had to offer). Matthew McConaughey seems hell bent on erasing that Kate Hudson rom-com grave he's dug for himself over the last decade, and this very well may be the movie to do it. We also have a little Emile Hirsch action, which is always nice, and a little Thomas Haden Church action, which is always AMAZING. Also William Friedkin directed this - same guy who directed The Exorcist and The French Connection (my god how old is this gentleman?)... so the guy might know a thing or two about a thing or two.

5. The Master - October 12 You can really just leave it at PT Anderson. I will follow this man into the dark.

4. Cosmopolis - (playing festivals, no official release date yet) THIS. Has an amazing 80s vibe, reminds me of a weird combination between Patrick Bateman and Chuck Bass. Vintage Cronenberg. I'm on board. By the way, I absolutely love the casting of Robert Pattinson in it. It feels like a fuck you in some way, although I'm not totally sure to who.

3. Prometheus - June 8 Sometimes it can feel like if you've seen one space movie, you seen most space movies. They can be quite formulaic. This one doesn't even seem to venture that far outside that formula, and yet it somehow still seems new and interesting. It's difficult to explain. Also who edited all the trailers for this movie? They're amazing, and the music gives me chills. Fassbender (who's become a favorite of mine in the last couple years), Noomi Rapace, Stringer Bell, hell.. even Charlize Theron. Oh yeah, and Ridley Scott. Probably worth checking out.

2. Django Unchained - December 25

I don't care what anyone says, I am a big Tarantino fan. Tarantino slave movie was all I needed to hear. Sold. I also feel like DiCaprio will be absolutely perfect as a villain in this. There's no trailer yet, but that's OK. Do it up christmas day.

1. Moonrise Kingdom - May 25 You probably need a very specific personality to enjoy a Wes Anderson movie. His five non-animated movies so far are among my all-time favorites, with my favorite probably being The Royal Tenenbaums. A movie which in my opinion perfectly balances laughs, heartbreak, and an honest look at the relationships between friends and family. How they can build you up and break you down. Wes has had quite an impact on me. It's kind of like seeing an old friend. I dunno, it's good to have him back.

This is without a doubt the nerdiest thing I've ever done. In honor of the final weeks of LOST, I wanted to look back on some of the scenes that made the series so great (that coupled with my insatiable pretentious need to do lists). I will truly be sad when this series ends. Never before has a tv show made me think more about... well, anything this much. So, ok, join me on my seriously dorky look back at Lost:

5. Desmond Calls Penny

Desmond is without a doubt one of Lost's all-time badass characters. In addition to having the best catch phrases (and an awesome scottish accent), his story with Penny is one of Lost's most compelling. There's a good chance the fourth season episode "The Constant" is my favorite of the series. Suffering from conscious time traveling (that's literally the only way I know how to describe it) - Desmond must find a "constant" - something or someone of importance to him in both time periods so that he can merge the two timelines. After a longtime estrangement with Penny, Desmond seeks her out in 1996 and begs her to answer a phone call he will make 8 years from then. Definitely one of Lost's most heart swelling moments.

4. Charlie Hanged



Throughout the length of this series, I've had the most mixed feelings towards Jack. I've had my ups and downs with him, however at this point in the sixth season - I can honestly say Jack is my favorite character. The qualities which had once occasionally annoyed me, are the same qualities that I now love about him. His evolution throughout the series has been absolutely fascinating. We originally think of him as just the natural leader, until it is revealed that he actually has a desperate need to fix everything and everyone. This scene from the first season remains one of his best, as he wills Charlie back to life by sheer force after refusing to accept defeat.

3. Juliet Down the Pit



I was hoping I could find a clip of the full scene, complete with Jack dropping the bomb. It's a classic Lost conundrum of a character having to make a major decision based entirely off a gigantic leap of faith (which in turn will have extreme consequences). The last time he was on the island, the man of science had mocked John Locke's sentiments on destiny, backing his belief that everything can be explained logically - there is no such thing as fate. This time around, Jack is now ready to believe that setting off this bomb is his destiny. He can't explain why, but he is sure this is what he has to do. This sequence of events leads to the death of Juliet (one of my all-time favorite characters), and a heart wrenching exchange between her and Sawyer before she falls.

2. The Hatch Lights Up



I'm pretty sure this scene, next to the "Don't tell me what I can't do!" from Walkabout, undoubtedly solidified my love for this show. John Locke is one of the most pitiful characters I've ever heard of. He is a man of faith, he believes in destiny, he wants to see the good in people, and everyone shits on him ALL THE TIME. The next time you ask yourself why nothing ever seems to go your way, please consider John Locke. This scene, featuring an outrageous performance from Terry O'Quinn and accompanied by a fantastic score, is one of the most heartbreaking scenes of the series.

**I want to also do an honorable mention on the scene from season 2 when Desmond contemplates killing himself before he hears Locke pounding on the hatch and turns the light on. I love that, in a way, they both saved each other that night - but neither has any idea.

1. WE HAVE TO GO BACK!



This was it. This was when Lost became something completely different entirely. I'm not sure any moment in a movie or a tv show has shocked me more than this revelation. The show had been following the formula of flashbacks throughout the first three seasons, in it's third season finale we are shown a very dark time in Jack's life. He drinks way too much, is addicted to oxycodone, and has a sexy beard. He's so miserable he's at the point where he wants to kill himself. In the final scene of season three, we learn that these flashbacks are not actually from the past - but rather they are what becomes of Jack's life after he leaves the island. I seriously almost threw up from shock when I realized what was happening.

I seriously hate finding old notebook/diaries that I used to write in when I was younger. They're not so much cute to read as they are just overwhelmingly mortifying. I only started actually having an ok personality around the time I hit college (and it ain't even that great now, amirite?). Before all that, I was a pretty awkward/unfunny individual. So back on topic, every once in awhile I'll stumble upon some old notebook I used to write in and it's always a cringe-worthy experience trying to flip through it. I used to have a terrible habit of starting a short story and then get about 4-5 pages in and just stop. You flip to the next page and there's just a different story there, but sometimes I'll just draw a big X at the bottom of the page - what I can only take to mean "hmm... this isn't working".

To give you a sample of the type of shit that used to actually come out of my brain, I recently found one particular notebook from 1999 (making me about 11 years old at the time).

Here's a letter-inside-a-story that I wrote for a short aptly titled "Paradise Island":

Dear Ms. Smith,

We would like to inform you about a new discovery in fun. It's called Paradise Island. It's where kids that are around your age can stay for summer vacation, but then you come back in time for school to start. The best part is it's absolutely free. Included is a map of how to get there and for any other information please call 1-800-Paradise-Island. Thank you.

Sincerely,
Martin McGrath
Manager and Founder of Paradise Island

I included a MAP showing you how to get there. A DISCOVERY IN FUN? I'm talking about it like it's SCIENCE! New development in cancer research? No. But we've figured out how to make fun MORE FUN. Other little things I enjoy: the founder made himself a manager, the phone number is about 7 digits too long. Not to mention how bizarre it is that this Martin McGrath character is offering free trips to young girls.

I also found another unfinished short story about this band that was really "popular" (whatever that means?). To make up for the story being terrible, I managed to come up with the most hardcore band name ever: Dragon Rage. So of course after I read the story, I totally looked Dragon Rage up to see if a band with that name actually exists. And the answer was more than I ever could have imagined:

Dragon Rage on Myspace

And I would assume that this is exactly what the Dragon Rage I dreamed up in my head would be like. Their about me: "We are the band Dragon Rage. We are the next great thing to happen to the world of music. We are currently not making any songs or albums. We are sorry for the inconvenience. We will be up and running as soon as we can."