Best of 2022
Hey, here are my favorite movies, music, books, and other things from 2022.
Top Ten Favorite Movies of 2022
1- Hustle (Netflix)- growing up, I was always disappointed that there weren’t more movies about basketball or any movies about superheroes (Toxic Avenger counts, I guess?). Now, of course, there are way too many movies about superheroes, but still not enough about basketball. Hustle stars Adam Sandler as a basketball scout for the 76ers who discovers an underdeveloped, down on his luck, one-of-a-kind talent overseas. It’s Rocky but for basketball and I like this one better.
2- The Menu (HBOMax on January 3rd)- growing up, I was always disappointed that there weren’t more movies mocking the insanely rich and their lack of understanding/appreciation for real art. The Menu stars Ralph Fiennes as a visionary chef that has developed a distaste for the snobby clientele of his swanky, upscale restaurant located on a remote island.
3- Banshees of Inisherin (HBOMax)- growing up, I was always disappointed that there weren’t more movies focusing on the people of a small village in the lush Irish countryside during the Irish Civil War of 1923. Thankfully, Banshees of Inisherin rights this wrong. It tells the story of Padraic (played by Colin Farrell) and Colm (played by Brendan Gleason), two former best friends driven apart by the fact that Colm simply decides he doesn’t really like dull Padraic anymore. Despite this movie being the most melancholy, heartbreaking movie of the year for me, it is also really funny at times and beautifully shot all the time. Every single performance is stellar. Kid Dane would be quite happy with this one.
4-Nope (Peacock)- growing up, I was always disappointed that there weren’t enough movies about mysterious things in the sky. To be fair, there were a lot of movies about this kind of thing in the 80s/90s, but none of them also featured a side plot about a rabid sitcom ape and none of them also had thematic elements about the culture of entertainment, vanity, and family legacy. Does Nope possess these things? Yep. Kid Dane gives Nope two front teeth.
5- Cha Cha Real Smooth (AppleTV)- growing up, I was always disappointed that there weren’t enough movies about aimless twenty-somethings finding themselves over the course of 90 minutes. If I was still in college and still bought DVDs, I would proudly shelve Cha Cha Real Smooth right between Almost Famous and High Fidelity.
6- Resurrection (VOD)- growing up, I was always disappointed that there weren’t any movies about the horrors of domestic and emotional abuse told through the prism of a more traditional ghost story. Resurrection stars the brilliant Rebecca Hall and while it may not be for everyone, I recommend it for those who want a smart yet challenging thriller with well-earned twists that will leave a lasting impression.
7- Avatar: Way of the Water (in theaters) – Avatar as a story is not that good. But the characters are interesting at least, right? No. Nope. Not at all, I mean there’s a white kid with dreads named Spider, and somehow, he’s one of the more compelling characters. Still, Avatar as a visual spectacle and overall experience is something that needs to be seen in the theaters (if at all). Way of Water was jaw-droppingly incredible to just look at, to just sit back and watch, and not think about the bad story or mediocre characters or heavy handedness, or…anything. Despite all that mean stuff I was saying earlier, it was actually a nice escape for 3+(!) hours. Also, there were these whale creatures that you end up intertwining your braid with and connecting with way more than any of the main characters. I hope the third, fourth, fifth and however many more Avatar movies that get made are just about those whales.
8- Barbarian (HBOMax)- you should see Barbarian if you’re in the mood for a quirky yet truly terrifying (at times) horror movie.
9- The Batman (HBOMax)- you know what this one’s about. The opening scenes rule. That Nirvana song drop hits as hard as you’ve heard. If you were going to see this movie, you’ve probably already seen it.
10- Prey (Hulu)- growing up, I was always disappointed there wasn’t an origin story for all those Predator movies. They didn’t make sense! How was I as a seven-year-old supposed to believe that an invisible alien with all that——Okay, disclaimer here: I never actually watched The Predator movies. I am sure they were on in the background at some point in the 80s while I played on the couch with my wrestling figures. Still, I never actually like watched them, watched them as a kid. Are you kidding me? They’re way too violent and bloody. So, Prey is actually the first predator movie I ever watched, and it was awesome. What seemed like it could’ve been a dumb movie about an invisible alien slaughtering all the people was instead a well-thought-out, character driven, emotionally resonant, movie about an invisible alien slaughtering MOST the people.
Honorable Mention: Glass Onion (Netflix)
Still Need to See: White Noise (Netflix)
Coolest Straight Up Action Movie About Perilous Things Happening in Vehicles Moving Way Too Fast: Ambulance (Amazon Prime)
Second Coolest Straight Up Action Movie About Perilous Things Happening in Vehicles Moving Way Too Fast: Bullet Train (Netflix)
Johns Family 2022 Family Movie Power Rankings
1- Strange World (Disney+)
2- Lightyear (Disney+)
3- Bad Guys (Netflix)
4- Sonic 2 (Paramount Plus)
5- Chip & Dale Rescue Rangers (Disney+)
Best Sports Doc: The Redeem Team (Netflix)
Best Goldblum Unbuttoned Shirt: Jurassic World: Dominion
Best Marvel Movie: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Worst 3 Movies of 2022:
26- Spiderhead (Sorry, George Saunders!)
27- Dr. Strange & the Multiverse of Madness (Sorry, 90’s X-Men Theme Song!)
28- Rise (Sorry, Giannis!)
Six Movies I saw for the first time in 2022
1- The Night House (2021) – also starring Rebecca Hall!
2- Poltergeist (1982)
3- Licorice Pizza (2021)
4- Spider-Man No Way Home (2021)
5- Kurt Vonnegut: Unstuck in Time (a documentary- 2021)
6- Videodrome (1985)
Top Ten Albums of 2022
1-Bleed Out- The Mountain Goats
Favorite Songs: “Training Montage” / “Mark on You”
2- 40oz to Freedom- Joyce Manor
Favorite Songs: “Don’t Try” / “Gotta Let It Go”
3- Havasu- Pedro the Lion
Favorite Songs: “Making the Most of It” / “Teenage Sequencer” / “Own Valentine”
4- Asphalt Meadows - Death Cab for Cutie
Favorite Songs: “Rand McNally” / “Foxglove Through the Clearcut”
5- Nothing’s Real so Nothing’s Wrong- Kevin Devine
Favorite Songs: “Albatross” / “Hell is An Impression of Myself”
6- Quitters- Christian Lee Hutson
Favorite Songs: “Rubberneckers” / “State Bird”
7- Cruel Country- Wilco
Favorite Songs: “I Am My Mother” / “Tired of Taking It Out on You” / “Bird Without a Tail”
8- Mr Morale & the Big Steppers- Kendrick Lamar
Favorite Songs: “Count Me Out” / “N95”
9- Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You - Big Thief (also wins best album title)
Favorite Songs: “Time Escaping” / “Sparrow”
10- The Forever Story- JID
Favorite Songs: “Raydar” / “Bruddanem”
Honorable Mentions: Wild Pink, Pusha T, Smidley, Alvvays, Pool Kids, The Wonder Years, Bartees Strange, Pup, Oceanator, Camp Cope
Best Out of Nowhere Debut Album: Bummer Year by Good Looks
Best EP: Daylight by TW Walsh
Best Concerts
1- Turnstile at the Pageant on 10/19 with Wes
2- mewithoutyou final show (for me) at the Red Flag in St Louis on 6/25 with Major and Tyler
3- The National at ST Louis Music Park 9/17 with Taylor
4- The Gaslight Anthem in Chicago 9/26 with Caraway, Gabe, Matt, Joe, and Taylor
Best TV Shows
1- Better Call Saul
2- Atlanta
3- Severance
4- Andor (possibly the best Star Wars thing since Return of the Jedi?)
5- The Rehearsal
6- The Marvelous Mrs Maisel
7- Reservation Dogs
8- Righteous Gemstones
9- The Bear
10- Barry
Honorable Mentions: The Patient, Obi-Wan, Abbott Elementary, Station Eleven, She Hulk (I only watched the first couple then the Daredevil ones but those were good), Dave (I think the second season aired in 2021, but I loved binging those first two seasons and I’m stoked for the new one)
Best Reality Shows:
1- Survivor (Paramount Plus / Hulu)- I have a lot of Survivor takes that I will save to bore someone with the next time they briefly mention they also watch Survivor.
2- Love Is Blind (Netflix)- Listen, I know this show is shallow and represents the worst of us, but few things are more fun than watching this show with Stacy and crap-talking all the people on it. You make a hundred seasons of Love Is Blind and we will watch 100 seasons of Love Is Blind.
3-Last Chance U: Basketball (Netflix)- I don’t agree with a lot of what he’s doing but I tell you that I would run through a wall for Coach John Mosley.
Shows I Started But Have Yet to Finish*
1- Rings of Power
2- House of the Dragon
3- 1899
4- Winning Time
5- The Sandman
*I will likely never finish these shows
2022 Ranking of BOH Restaurant Staff Saying “Yes, Chef!” in TV or Film:
1- The Bear
2- The Menu
The Bear outranks The Menu in this prestigious category since in The Bear it seems like the BOH Staff and the Head Chef are all on the same level and more of a team, while in The Menu it seems like more of a subservient, monarchy type thing and I don’t like that as much.
Best SNL Host- Jerrod Carmichael
Best Limited Series: We Own This City
Best Rewatch: The OC, Ted Lasso
Johns Family 2022 Family Cartoon Power Rankings
1. Bluey
2. Big City Greens
3. Owl House
4. Sonic Prime
5. Amphibia
Video Games I Played on the Nintendo Switch:
Ninja Turtles Shredder’s Revenge
Lego Star Wars the Skywalker Saga
Pokémon Arceus
Zelda: Link to the Past
No Man’s Sky
Top Ten Favorite Books I Read in 2022--
1- Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner (2021)
A heartbreaking memoir about Zauner's evolving relationship with her mother as she slowly dies of cancer. Zauner, who releases music under the moniker of Japanese Breakfast, is a 1 of 1 writer who utilizes all 5 of your senses to put you right there in every scene. This can be tough for someone who has lost a significant loved one, but I found it incredibly cathartic and moving. It stirred up feelings and memories of my mom that I thought had been gone for years. It made me cry in a sad way at times, happy way at others, but all of the tears brought relief.
2- Sea of Tranquility by Emily St John Mandel (2022)
Emily St. John Mandel is the newest entry into my Favorite Authors of All Time Tier. She's 3 for 3 with Sea of Tranquility, The Glass Hotel, and, of course, Station Eleven. I will read anything she puts out just as I will seek out and savor the few books she's put out that I haven't read yet.
3- Liberation Day by George Saunders (2022)
A shorter collection of stories than I would like, but again, I loved them all and look forward to re-reading this book in the coming years. My favorite stories were Mom of Bold Action, Love Letter, and My House. Having read all of Saunders published works more than once, I really feel the influence of Buddhism, inner-peace, and true forgiveness for everyone everywhere all the time lurking at the margins of these pages, which some may find tiresome, but for me, it all helps me, reminding me to be more patient, curious, and more open to my fellow humans and life itself. Which saying that may make it seem that there is no challenge or edge to Saunders work and that couldn't be further from the truth. I think those things are there too. While reading his stuff, I find myself looking inward, interrogating these parts of myself that I don't like as much. I also find myself smiling and being thoroughly entertained. Any other year this would be an easy best of the year pick for me and maybe in time, it will be.
4- Devil House by John Darnielle (2022)
My least favorite of Darnielle's three published novels, but it's still so effing awesome. It took me back to the eighties and nineties of my youth, when my friends and I would make forts and clubhouses anywhere we could, setting boobie-traps and telling scary stories to (and about) ourselves. Also, this book has the coolest cover and interior design.
5- White Noise by Don DeLillo (1985)
The best book I read about marriage and how scary it can be to raise a family and grow old in the modern world. Despite being published almost forty years ago, all of it felt like it was written yesterday. I know it's ranked #5 here but I truly loved this book too.
6- The Nineties by Chuck Klosterman (2022)
Klosterman is another one of my favorite writers. Nonfiction can be so dry and boring to me at times, but not the way Klosterman writes about it. I've long since discovered that he can write about anything from obscure hair metal bands to the Clinton saga to the earnest joys of watching VH1 and I'll love every word of it.
7- A Court of Thorns & Roses by Sarah J. Maas
Stacy's coworkers have been going on about this (YA?) fantasy series for months, leading to me buying it for Stacy on her birthday this past August. A few weeks passed, Stacy eventually started it and I watched as she went through the stage of "It's alright" to "It's pretty good" to "I'm really digging this" to "Oh, my God, this book is everything." She's since devoured the next 3 books and is trying to savor the fifth (and for now) final book available in the series. It's been over a decade since I've seen Stacy love a book this much, so I decided to read it too, but honestly, I wasn't expecting to like it as much as I did. Maas is an incredibly talented writer. There were plenty of times where I thought "this kind of fantasy romance isn't my thing" and considered putting it down, but the truth is, it's so dang enjoyable and fun. It's near-perfectly paced, and Maas has created such a fully realized fantasy world that I don't ever want to leave. Every single character or creature that strolls onto the page feels like they're coming from a totally alive world and backstory all their own. It's great and I will be reading the other books in this series next year.
8- The Candy House by Jennifer Egan (2022)
A follow up novel to one of my favorite books of all time, Egan's 2010 A Visit from the Goon Squad. The Candy House didn't leave quite the same impression for me but was still really good.
9- Boxer 33 1/3 by Ryan Pinkard
A quick nonfiction read about the making of one of my favorite albums of all time, The National's Boxer.
10- The Storyteller by Dave Grohl (2021)
I wasn't the biggest Foo Fighters fan before reading this book, but I left this one with an even greater appreciation for the band (perhaps the biggest and most memorable of our generation) and Grohl's entire body of work. Though the early chapters about the beginnings of Grohl's music career, the early tours and struggles with the punk band Scream, and then him joining Nirvana were by far the most enthralling of the entire book, which made the back half a bit more of a slog.
Honorable Mentions:
11- How to Be Perfect: The Correct Answer to Every Moral Question by Michael Schur (2022)
12- Promise That You Will Sing About Me: The Power & Poetry of Kendrick Lamar by Miles Marshall Lewis (2021)
13- Where the Deer and the Antelope Play - The Pastoral Observations of One Ignorant American Who Loves to Walk Outside by Nick Offerman (2020)
14- Hip Hop & Other Things by Shea Serrano (2021)
Favorite Rereads: Here I Am by Jonathan Safran Foer (2017) and On Writing by Stephen King (2000)
Favorite Monthly Comic Book: X-Men by Gerry Dugan and Pepe Larraz
Ten Most Anticipated Things For 2023
1. Tears of the Kingdom (Breath of the Wild sequel)
2. Announcing a New Book
3. New albums from The National and Turnstile?
4. X-Men 94 Coming to Disney+
5. Ted Lasso s3
6. Dave s3
7. Succession s4
8. The Mandalorian s3
9. Movies: Into the Spiderverse / Knock at the Cabin
10. The return of Justified
A Rambling Barely Sensical Run-On Paragraph About Other Things That I Enjoyed / Feel Represented the Year that was 2022:
laughing until I cried when the family and I listened to that fart soundtrack in our 2019 Ford Flex, Ezra doing the British accents when we watched Fast 6 in January, Rams win on a last second FG over the Bucs, that Stafford pass to Kupp, Rams come back to beat the Niners and go to the Super Bowl, rams come back to beat the bengals 23-20 and win the freaking Super Bowl, found out my student debt was relieved in February, announced the release of my novel around then, everyone was so sweet and supportive about it, The Futile was named Best New Release in Young Adult Novels about Music (a niche category for sure, but still so cool to me), and whew we’re really peaking early, had an awesome snow day with my family on February 5th, James Harden was traded to the Sixers, that’s probably enough about sports, Nashville trip with Josh, mockingbird theatre show with David & Ravenhill, 5k was "snowed out" which led instead to the most delicious Waffle House late night meal ever, bad luck burgers, amazing show at Burg’s, read the Futile in front of people for the first time, could've cried, jumped on stage during Ravenhill’s set, sang this is how we do it at karaoke, also in March I went to see Matt at his new house outside Chicago, watched the Batman, U of I won in a close game in March Madness (seriously, more sports?), met Trudy for breakfast, then Joe for lunch, went to a barcade then an improv show, listened to good music that made me feel like we were in a movie as we left the city, Ethan’s poop shack outside of STL, UNC beat Duke in the Final Four, we won’t talk about what happened in the championship though, in May, James Harden had an all time incredible game 4 fourth quarter against the Heat, we won’t talk about what happened in the next two games though, Wes & Sharon wedding and family zoo trip in June, Ezra exclaiming “you got a freaking pretzel!” wins as quote of the year, said goodbye to mewithoutyou, Fourth of July Family Weekend putting together Steve’s 74th birthday video and seeing his face as it played and him telling us several times how much it meant to him, the fireworks actually going off without a problem, second dinner and Ewan not slowing down one bit, then putting out that backyard blaze with Ethan, Colorado trip with the best buds later in July despite my whole family (minus me and Ezra finally catching Covid 10.5 hours before we were supposed to leave), 17 hour straight drive with Joe, the sunset was forever in our rearview all the way through Kansas while listening to Kansas and then “Not In Kansas”, hiking, climbed into an old mining cave, Moose Jaw dive bar, German restaurant was good, watching Videodrome and being weirded out, coffee in the mornings watching the shadows roll over the mountains, feeling guilty, then the hardest hike I’ve ever been on and a beer around the pond when we reached the end, fondue and absynthe were overrated, then we discovered cop rock and took a dip, frisbee golf and basketball in the shadow of the mountains, ordering bleh food in, denver day and archery sports which was fantastic, feeling worn out but grateful on the long ride home, Holiday World trip with Stacy & the boys and Vanessa & Theo, the Raven was less awesome than I remembered but everything else was so much fun, Stacy and I getting to go out to the Flame for our 14th wedding anniversary, then for Stacy’s birthday in August, impromptu trip to Bowling Green to check out the National Corvette Museum & Dinosaur World, got some amazing Crumble Cookies and had top-notch Mexican food, Dustin Free gave Matt Skiba of Alkaline Trio a copy of The Futile which was just an all time “good buddy, good guy” move, ran the Carterville 5k, hurt my back on my actual fortieth birthday party in September, but was blown away by ‘this-is-your-life' type montage video compiled by Stacy and all the love from family and friends, hope to get another forty, a guy that I helped out in July actually came back by looking all cleaned up and paid me back, went to STL with Taylor, Glow On on vinyl, Mission Taco, Wes’s treasure hunt, 4 Hands, The National in the pit, running in Forest Park then Cane’s and back home, Chicago Road Trip with Gabe & Caraway, talked whole way both ways with OG concert buds, black dog BBQ in Champaign, Old Fashion’s on the balcony of the Zachary Hotel across from Wrigley, Murphy’s Bar with Joe & Taylor joining us, The Gaslight Anthem, Brian Fallon talked too much about kerning of all things and they cut three songs, a couple weeks later Turnstile was maybe the best show I've ever seen, left me buzzing for days, Stacy’s 20th high school reunion in October was quite fun if not a little stressful for her to help put together, Ravenhill weekend to close out the end of October, covered Alkaline Trio dressed as a nun, visited the Siam Café in Nashville for the first time in twelve years, barely finished my first half marathon with David, went up north for Thanksgiving, watched Black Panther, Ewan passed out cold across the carpet after a long day and no nap, Pokeno with the family, Ethan cracking us all up, the miracle of Chevy the Cat’s reappearance/ non-disappearance, best buildup to Christmas ever, snowstorm two days early, secret sandwich party with all the buds, Vanessa being so excited about that Skiing gnome, Ethan made it in time, Christmas morning with the boys, seeing Steve’s face when he opened Eli’s stuffed bedazzled gnarwhal (plus Eli’s explanation of stuffed animals always make me feel better so I hope this feels better too), best snow man we ever built, I think Eli named him Arthur, sang that song about eating at Don Sol and mistakenly dialing Romann so he hears the whole thing, pushing that Camaro out of the snow with Ezra, pool day and Fazoli’s somehow seeming like the most fun place on earth for forty-five mins, Ewan's second birthday party, Poppy's costume change, Ewan loving the birthday song so much we gave him an encore, laughing so hard in Fujiyama then Target with Stacy and Ethan, "it's seventy percent off!", Brice’s comedy show and laughing until our faces hurt, reaching 500 miles for the year, celebrating the New Year with the people I love most in this world, making new goals for next year, and being ready for all that lies ahead.
Thank you for reading all this. Please feel free to say what you liked/didn't like, loved/hated from 2022.