POP CULTURE

2004's Top Five Annoying Words or Phrases
Uno, Dos, Tres, Catorce--Bono
Chrismukkah--The O.C.
Booyakashah--Ali G
My Boo--Usher
Red Sox Nation--The media
(Sam Jemielity)

2004's Top 5 Chicago Sports Injuries
Rex Grossman's knee
Sammy Sosa's sneeze-induced back
Magglio Ordonez's mysterious leg
Brian Urlacher's internal bleeding
Mark Prior's arm and leg
(Tom Lynch)

2004's Top 5 Award Show Moments
Peter Jackson finally wins as "The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King" goes eleven for eleven at the Oscars
Bill Murray wins Best Actor at the Golden Globes and gives the best acceptance speech of the year
"Angels in America" sweeps the Emmys
Outkast takes home Album of the Year at the Grammys
Sofia Coppola becomes the first America female director to be nominated for the Oscar; claims Best Original Screenplay
(Tom Lynch)

2004's Top 5 Video Games
"Manhunt," Rockstar Games
"FIFA Soccer 2005," EA Games
"Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas," Rockstar Games
"Star Wars Battlefront," Lucas Arts Entertainment
"NCAA Football 2005," EA Games
(Dave Chamberlain)

2004's Top 5 Locations for Public Displays of Affection
Danny's Bar, 1951 W. Dickens
The CTA Yellow Line, 10am-2pm (depart from Howard, ride back and forth twice)
The International Museum of Surgical Science, 1516 N. Lake Shore Drive
Columbia College's Underground Café, 600 S. Michigan
Buckingham Fountain, dusk (Grant Park)
(Emerson Dameron)

FILM

2004's Top 5 Domestic Films
"Before Sunset," Richard Linklater
"Million Dollar Baby," Clint Eastwood
"Sideways," Alexander Payne
"Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," Michel Gondry
"Greendale," Neil Young
(Ray Pride)

2004's Top 5 Foreign Films
"House of Flying Daggers/Hero," Zhang Yimou
"Moolaade," Ousmane Sembene
"I'll Sleep When I'm Dead," Mike Hodges
"Enduring Love," Roger Michell
"The Motorcycle Diaries," Walter Salles
(Ray Pride)

2004's Top 5 Films
"Closer," Mike Nichols
"Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," Michel Gondry
"Before Sunset," Richard Linklater
"Spartan," David Mamet
"Sideways," Alexander Payne
(Tom Lynch)

2004's Top 5 Overlooked Films
"Spartan," David Mamet
"Distant," Nuri Bilge Ceylan
"Infernal Affairs," Andrew Lau, Alan Mak
"Undertow," David Gordon Green
"Maria Full of Grace," Joshua Marston
(Ray Pride)

2004's Top 5 Documentary Films
"The Five Obstructions," Lars von Trier, Jørgen Leth
"Tarnation," Jonathan Caouette
"Control Room," Jehane Noujaim
"Fahrenheit 9/11," Michael Moore
"Bright Leaves," Ross McElwee
(Ray Pride)

2004's Top 5 Leading Performances in Film
Paul Giamatti, "Sideways"
Hilary Swank, "Million Dollar Baby"
Clive Owen, "Closer"
Jeff Bridges, "The Door in the Floor"
Tadanobu Asano, "Last Life in the Universe"
(Ray Pride)

2004's Top 5 Supporting Performances in Film
Virginia Madsen, "Sideways"
Jamie Foxx, "Collateral"
Thomas Haden Church, "Sideways"
Laura Dern, "We Don't Live Here Anymore"
Cate Blanchett, "The Aviator"
(Ray Pride)

2004's Top 5 Performances in Film
Hilary Swank, "Million Dollar Baby"
Clive Owen, "Closer"
Paul Giamatti, "Sideways"
Kate Winslet, "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind"
Imelda Staunton, "Vera Drake"
(Tom Lynch)

2004's Top 5 DVD Boxes
"John Cassavetes: Five Films," Criterion
"The Film Noir Classic Collection," Warner
"The Marx Bros. Silver Screen Collection," Universal
"Fanny & Alexander," Criterion
"Stage & Spectacle: Three Films by Jean Renoir," Criterion
(Ray Pride)

2004's Top 5 DVDs
"The Rules of the Game," Criterion
"The Leopard, Luchino Visconti," Criterion
"The Office Complete Series," BBC
"Scenes From a Marriage," Criterion
"The Battle of Algiers," Criterion
(Ray Pride)

Top 5 Film Soundtracks
"Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" (Hollywood Records)
"I Heart Huckabees" (Milan Records)
"Garden State" (Sony)
"Wicker Park" (Lakeshore Records)
"Before Sunset (w/Before Sunrise)" (Milan Records)
(Tom Lynch)


MUSIC

2004's Top 5 Rock Records
The Thermals, "Fuckin' A," (Sub Pop)
Mosquitos, "Sunshine Barrio" (Bar None)
Venomous Concept, "Retroactive Abortion" (Ipecac)
Jarvis Humby, "Assume the Position" (Hard Soul)
Mclusky, "The Difference Between Me and You Is That I'm Not on Fire" (Too Pure)
(Dave Chamberlain)

2004's Top 5 Not-Rock Records
The Streets, "A Grand Don't Come for Free" (Vice)
Dizzee Rascal, "Showtime" (XL)
Roni Size, "Return to V" (Thrive)
Various Artists, "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Fault Special Edition Soundtrack" (Interscope)
Danger Mouse and Jemini, "Ghetto Pop Life" (Lex)
(Dave Chamberlain)

2004's Top 5 Records
Iron & Wine, "Our Endless Numbered Days" (Sub Pop)
M83, "Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts" (Mute U.S.)
Sufjan Stevens, "Seven Swans" (Sounds Familyre)
Elliott Smith, "From a Basement on the Hill" (Anti)
Styrofoam, "Nothing's Lost" (Morr Music)
(Tom Lynch)

2004's Top 5 Rock Shows
Sun Kil Moon at Park West
Ted Leo and the Pharmacists at Hideout
Pixies at Aragon
Mum at Logan Square Auditorium
Magnetic Fields at Old Town School of Folk Music
(Tom Lynch)

2004's Top 5 Records
Kanye West, "The College Dropout" (Roc-A-Fella)
The Streets, "A Grand Don't Come for Free" (Vice)
The Killers, "Hot Fuss" (Island)
DJ Danger Mouse, "The Grey Album" (bootleg)
Franz Ferdinand, "Franz Ferdinand" (Sony)
(Brian Hieggelke)

2004's Top 5 Dance Music Records
Various Artists, "Trax Records: 20th Anniversary Collection" (Trax)
Derrick Carter & Mark Farina, "Live at Om Records" (Om)
Ben Watt, "Buzzin' Fly Volume One" (Astralwerks)
Kaskade, "In the Moment" (Om)
U.N.K.L.E., "Never, Never, Land" (Global Underground)
(Brian Hieggelke)

2004's Top 5 Nights Dancing Out in Chitown
Freaky Flow and Flipside (with DJ Hype, SS and MC GQ), July 24 at the Metro
Heather at Smart Bar, August 13 at Smart Bar
Gabe Palomo and Chris Liebing, September 16 at Smart Bar
Regis, September 25 at Café Lura
Jeff Mills, November 6 at Vision
(Mary Susan Littlepage)

2004's Top 5 Musical Breakout Acts
Kanye West
Franz Ferdinand
Scissor Sisters
Keane
The Killers
(Sam Jemielity)



BOOKS

2004's Top 5 Books
"The Memory Theater Burned," Damon Krukowski (Turtle Point Press)
"Colors Insulting to Nature," Cintra Wilson (Fourth Estate)
"How We Are Hungry," Dave Eggers (McSweeneys)
"The Confessions of Max Tivoli," Andrew Sean Greer (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)
"Happy Baby," Stephen Elliott (McSweeneys)
(Tom Lynch)

2004's Top 5 Nonfiction Books
"The Great Influenza: The Epic Story of the Deadliest Plague in History," John M. Barry (Viking Books)
"Bobby Fischer Goes to War : How the Soviets Lost the Most Extraordinary Chess Match of All Time," David Edmonds, John Eidinow (Ecco)
"Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim," David Sedaris (Little, Brown)
"A Chance Meeting: Intertwined Lives of American Writers and Artists, 1854-1967," Rachel Cohen (Random House)
"Chronicles, Vol. 1," Bob Dylan (Simon & Schuster)
(Tom Lynch)

2004's Top 5 Books by Chicago Authors
"The Devil's Highway: A True Story," Luis Alberto Urrea (Little, Brown)
"My Life Among the Serial Killers: Inside the Minds of the World's Most Notorious Murderers," Helen Morrison, Harold Goldberg ((William Morrow)
"Kinki Lullabye," Isaac Adamson (Perennial Dark Alley)
"The Encyclopedia of Chicago," James R. Grossman, Ann Durkin Keating, Janice L. Reiff, eds. (University of Chicago Press)
"Hairstyles of the Damned," Joe Meno (Punk Planet Books)
(Tom Lynch)


ART

2004's Top 5 Photography Shows
Stasys Eidrigevicius at Thomas Masters Gallery
"Advise and Dissent" at Flatfile Gallery
Nathan Baker at Heaven Gallery
Maria Ponce at Metalworks Gallery
Lalla A. at Schneider Gallery
(Michael Weinstein)

2004's Top 5 Gallery Shows
Tart at Klein Art Works
Maio Xiaochun at Walsh Gallery
Gaylen Gerber at Donald Young Gallery
"Solo Show/Solo Soul"at Vedanta Gallery
Robert Davis & Michael Langlois at Monique Meloche Gallery
(Michael Workman)

2004's Top 5 Personal Space/Art Collective Shows
Black Market Editions by Red76
Shane Huffman at Inigo Manglano-Ovalle's studio
Nathanial Rackowe at Garden Fresh
"The Free Walking Project" by Bonnie Fortune and Mike Wolf
Jason Robert Bell at Suitable
(Michael Workman)

2004's Top 5 Shows at Chicago Institutions
"Zhou Brothers: 30 Years of Collaboration" at the Chicago Cultural Center and the Elmhurst Art Museum
"Gene(sis): Contemporary Art Explores Human Genomics" at the Mary and Leigh Block Museum of Art
"Between Past and Future: New Photography and Video From China" at the David and Alfred Smart Museum and the Museum of Contemporary Art
Dan Peterman at the Museum of Contemporary Art
"Fine Words Butter No Cabbage: Whitewalls 26th Anniversary Exhibition" at the Hyde Park Art Center
(Michael Workman)

2004's Top 5 Public Art Projects
Millennium Park in the Loop
Richard Deacon at Navy Pier Walk
Lee Tracy at the Cook County Administration Building
Haymarket Memorial in the West Loop
"The Chicago Ravioli Project" by Temporary Services and Tasty Productions
(Michael Workman)


STAGE

2004's Top 5 Stage Productions
"Blue/Orange" directed by David Cromer (Northlight Theatre)
"Omnium Gatherum" directed by Jason Loewith (Next Theatre)
"Leonce und Lena" (The Hypocrites)
"Yellowman" directed by Chuck Smith (Next Theatre)
"Big Time" directed by Steve Scott (Eclipse Theatre)
(Nina Metz)

2004's Top 5 New Plays
"American Dead" by Brett Neveu (American Theater Company)
"One Arm" adapted by Moises Kaufman from a film script by Tennessee Williams (Steppenwolf, About Face & Teutonic Theater Project)
"A Human Interest Story (or The Gory Details and All)" by Carlos Murillo (Walkabout Theatre)
"Sin: A Cardinal Deposed" by Michael Murphy (Bailiwick Repertory)
"San Valentino and the Melancholy Kid" by Nathan Allen (The House Theatre)
(Nina Metz)

2004's Top 5 Set Designs
The theater-as-sauna designed by Brian Sydney Bembridge for "The Pool of Bethesda" (Umalleniay Productions)
The cramped-elegant dinning room (in pink!) designed by Matthew J. York for "Omnium Gatherum" (Next Theatre)
The knickknack-strewn apartment designed by Robert G. Smith for "The Fastest Clock in the Universe" (A Red Orchid Theatre)
The disheveled suburban living room designed by Jacqueline Spencer for "The Weatherman" (Sansculottes Theater Company)
The stark and vaguely surreal classroom designed by Jimmy McDermott for "The 4th Graders Present An Unnamed Love-Suicide" (The Hypocrites)
(Nina Metz)



(2005-01-03)

about Newcitychicago | about Newcity magazine | advertising | privacy policy | FAQ | employment