Yes, I know the above pictures have nothing to do with 2007. But as this feature is just a collection of the individual opinions of 4cr’s staff members — all of which differ greatly — I thought it appropriate to go the ‘timeless classics’ route. So ET, DK, and DB it is.

Read on to find out what some of us here at 4cr enjoyed when we weren’t gaming during the year that was, and be sure to share your non-gaming picks of 2007 with us, too.

Greg

[Music]

The best music this year really boils down to four albums for me. Streetlight Manifesto’s “Somewhere in the Between” was my CD of the year. Streetlight Manifesto is, at least according to last.fm, my favorite band of all time, and this album doesn’t disappoint. If you haven’t heard their work yet, go out there and try it. Their blend of third-wave ska and Russian folk is absolutely amazing. Star’s “In Our Bedrooms After the War” is another haunting pop masterpiece. The Decemberists’ “The Crane Wife” is another genre-blending adventure from a band best dscribed as a bunch of time-traveling pirates who have come to share their tales with you. Finally, Modest Mouse’s “We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank” was a fine follow-up to their last album, especially the song “Dashboard.”

[Movies]

Children of Men (it came out at Christmas 2006, close enough) got this year off to an excellent start. I don’t know if I’ll ever watch the movie again, but it was amazing all the same. It’s story was something in the realm of possibility, and the acting was amazing. It was an emotionally draining experience, but one that should be experienced all the same. Knocked Up was an incredibly clever movie that proved that not all comedy movies are generic these days. Hot Fuzz was a hilarious parody of the buddy-cop genre from the trio behind the beloved Shaun of the Dead. Gone Baby Gone proved that the noir genre isn’t dead, and that Ben Affleck isn’t completely worthless. Best mystery movie of the year. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was the best adaptation of that book series yet. In fact, it was actually better than the book in my opinion. Eastern Promises was a great follow-up to History of Violence. The actors did an amazing job pulling you into the world of the Russian mob. Finally, The Wind that Shakes the Barley was another beautiful emotionally-draining movie. Its look at how the Irish revolution tore families apart and the cost it had on the country was amazingly stark and powerful.

[Comics]

Fables continues to deliver month after month. It’s easily the best comic out there and it only gets better with age. Matt Fraction’s take on The Immortal Iron Fist is the first time I’ve ever truly been able to take the kung-fu hero seriously. He’s weaved a tale that has truly given gravitas to the mythology behind the Iron Fist. Great writing and an interesting plot have kept the book on my reserve list. Criminal has delivered a powerful noir storyline every month. It’s a dark, powerful look at the criminal underworld with some truly memorable characters. The Fall of Cthulhu has been a great read thus far. It’s an interesting modern look at the Lovecraftian mythos, a great star for independent studio Boom Comics.

Michael Tucker

[Music]

Beirut: Flying Club Cup — Best sort of any kinda music I’ve heard in a million years. I discovered Gulag Orkestar by accident a few months before this album came so when it did come around I was already enamored with the band. The weathered sounding gypsy stylings of this band only became more inspiring to me after I learned that frontman Zach Condon is less than a year older than I am. This is good, good stuff that’ll make you feel like you belong in Europe.

Arcade Fire: Neon Bible — What else can be said about this album? It’s Arcade Fire, you should listen to it, end of discussion.

Woods: At Rear House — This is probably the less known pick of the music choices. These guys are a little surreal sounding jam band that, while different, scratch the same musical itch of mine that Wolf Parade and The National do.

[Movies]

Ratatouille — I’m an animator so how could I not include this movie. I love the quality animation and the pleasant story. One of the best all around animated features I’ve seen.

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End – Say what you want, I love the Pirates movies despite the considerable drop in quality storytelling after the first. This one was the most dramatic of the three, I feel, and I’m sucker for the themes of grandeur presented in this film.

(Sorry Juno and The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, I’ll have to get to you in 08)

[Comics]

While I haven’t really read any recent print comics this year, I was still substantially pleased with this year’s issues of Platinum Grit.

Edgar

[Movies]

I didn’t see many movies this year, but my favorite one was Ratatouille. I chose this one because I’m a Pixar whore… And I own every movie they made. I’ll add The Simpsons Movie to my list; I hadn’t watch any of the past two seasons of the show, but the movie brought back so many good memories that I started watching them again.

[Comics]

I’m not a huge comic fan, but I do read my share of them. Here’s what I’ve been reading this year:

Fables — I got all the TPBs that were available this year. This is a must-own series for fans of comics and old Disney movies.

Testament — I was impressed by this one. Think the Bible meets the Matrix.

The Exterminators — If you don’t like cockroaches don’t read this comic

Evan (aka rbelmont)

There are a lot of funny movies, but there are few truly great comedies. Fortunately for us, one of them came out this year under the name Superbad. I honestly assumed that it would be terrible because it looked like just another “college movie”. Luckily, I was wrong — it was set in high school and was genuinely hilarious. The mixture of physical comedy, “immature” comedy, and clever comedy is really what makes this movie great, and I would say that it is, without a doubt, the best movie of the year.

Jody

[Music] Tullycraft: Every Scene Needs a Center
[Movies] The Simpsons Movie and Enchanted
[Comics/Books] I never read ever anymore

Shaun (aka Megashaun)

Metalocalypse Dethklok: The Dethalbum

Due to time constraints, I can only choose one other thing from 2007 that absolutely rocked my socks. Although video games are the primary form of entertainment I enjoy, I’m also into cartoons and rock music. To me, cartoons are more progressive and entertaining than live-action television. They break rules and push the borders of that rectangular frame they’re trapped in. After being introduced to Metalocalypse, a brilliant cartoon about a stupid metal band (Dethklok) that’s actually a mockery of the absurdity of celebrity culture, I fell in love. The idea that the biggest celebrity force in the world would be A) a Death Metal band, and B) a group of people who hate themselves and their fans, is also obviously funny. While references to metal and big hair bands (both in joke and homage) are a big part of the humor, the real joke is that Dethklok could be every band and every celebrity.

Each episode of the show (20 episodes per season) features a different song by the band. Brendon Small, co-created the show with Tommy Blacha, and they both write the scripts. Small, however, performs all the songs. This makes him a huge overachiever but he’s also an all-around nice guy. The music is standard Death Metal fare, featuring harmonized guitars, double-kick drum work, and references to both hatred and Norse mythology. But because the show’s only 11 minutes long, a full song is never played.

Enter Metalocalypse Dethklok - The Dethalbum, the perfect unholy union of cartoons and rock music. The songs from the show have been re-recorded, and remastered, and feature metal legend Gene Hoglan on drum duty. The two-disc edition of the album was so scarce and in such demand after its initial release that prices for it on Amazon.com reached the $200 mark. And I thought Dethklok fans were fanatical on the show. Thing is, The Dethalbum isn’t just a good album for a soundtrack or for a fictional band. It’s actually a great album, period. And it puts many of its metal contemporaries’ offerings to absolute shame.

Rumas

[Music]

Inland Empire OST – Though the movie first saw release in late 2006, it didn’t hit Korea until August of 2007, and the soundtrack was released this past September. In short, it was my favorite record of the year. David Lynch handled most of the music himself, and it’s almost too obscure to explain…but trust me, it’s amazing.

NIN: Year Zero – I found Year Zero to be an intense, challenging listen from start to finish, and after all these months, I still haven’t grown tired of it. Hyperpower and The Beginning of the End (which was amazing live) kick things off to great effect, but it’s the somber reflectiveness of the final three tracks — Another Version of the Truth, In This Twilight, and Zero-Sum — that make the album something really special to me.

Radiohead: In Rainbows – My favorite Radiohead album since OK Computer; I originally talked about it here. Listened to it incessantly for the first month, but since then, it’s kinda fallen out of rotation. Radiohead’s often that way for me. Regardless, a really great piece of work.

Sigur Ros: Hvarf-Heim – I’ve been a trememdous fan of Sigur Ros ever since seeing them in a small Chicago club back in the spring of 2001, and Hvarf/Heim was quite awesome for an album that wasn’t really ‘new’. While ( ) is one of my all-time favs, I wasn’t all that into the optimism of Takk beyond its two incredible opening tracks. This latest release, however, brought me back to the Sigur Ros I love. Hvarf’s Hljómalind and Hafsól are the real highlights for me.

I also really enjoyed Arcade Fire’s Neon Bible, Saul Williams’ Niggy Tardust, The National’s Boxer, and the debut from an electronic artist named Mark Preston.

[Movies]

Once again, I loved Inland Empire. And yes, I admit that I got a tremendous kick out of Transformers, the worst movie I’ve ever gone nuts over. Beyond those two, though, I actually didn’t see many movies that were released in 2007. I felt American Gangster was good but a bit forgettable, and everything else I saw fell below that mark. Apocalypto’s Korean release was in 2007, and I absolutely loved it.

Update: I forgot to mention Danny Boyle’s Sunshine. While I enjoyed the film, I also found it frustrating. To me, it felt like 50% a good Boyle flick and 50% Hollywood fodder. Still, the visuals were amazing and it was an intense ride. Recommended.

[Comics]

I read plenty of comics in the past year, but alas, they were all catch-up work from previous years. That’s how behind I am. I’m currently catching up on All Star Superman and Fables, among others. Oh, and I finally got around to reading Paul Pope’s Batman: Year 100, and it rocked.

In other news, I re-read The Lord of the Rings again this year, and am now doing the same with The Silmarillion. There are few things that I enjoy in this world more than getting lost in Tolkien. Simply amazing stuff.