2023 has been an insane year and definitely one that I wouldn’t forget as well as things I would like to forget as it was crazy. Notably as the rise of inflation which has angered my mother while she had lost one of her jobs a few months ago mainly because its owner didn’t want to run two dry cleaners as it was too much for him. Fortunately, she still has a job with one of those cleaners as well as another as things aren’t too bad. Still, the year saw a lot of bad shit happening as well as a lot of deaths and all sorts of shit. It’s been fucking insane and honestly, let’s hope it ends quicker and hope the New Year is much better.
In the year of 2023, I saw a total of 278 films in 161 first-timers and 117 re-watches with 67 first-timers being films directed/co-directed by women as part of the 52 Films by Women pledge and thirteen theatrical viewings all being first-timers. Not a bad year though it was down from the previous year due to the fact that I have a niece and nephew to watch over and they’ve been all over the house. Plus, there was also financial difficulties that prevented me from renting or seeing films though it was the year that I finally ended my time with cable TV as that is gone for good. There weren’t a lot of first-timers from the past that I saw which is why there won’t be a list because there’s so little great films pre-2015 that I saw. Still, one of the highlights of the year has been my Blind Spot Series as here is the final ranking for that series:
The year was a big deal towards late in the year as it marked the return of the Auteurs series where I went back to my first essay on Sofia Coppola where I expanded and updated as it got me back into finally finishing the essay on Kelly Reichardt that began in 2019 but was stopped because of my dad’s passing then COVID and writer’s block. With the completion of the Reichardt essay, I’ve already prepped work on the next two essays in both J.C. Chandor and Michael Mann respectively with David Lean to follow later in the year and a new subject in Damien Chazelle.
Before I close this piece, the recent passing of Tom Smothers of the Smothers Brothers and Tom Wilkinson as there has been a lot of people that has passed so here is a farewell to those who have passed as we will never forget them
Well, that is all to say for 2023. It’s been a wild year where the Atlanta Braves had a good year until the playoffs where we were burned out while the Hawks and United did fine. Let’s hope 2024 is a better year for all of these teams. Until then, this is thevoid99 signing off…
Another year has come to an end and it was a crazy year in general considering what has happened with the world with Russia trying to destroy Ukraine while there’s a lot of upheaval everywhere else including here in the U.S. My mother dealt with inflation as she fucking hates it and blames Joe Biden for it. Still, it was quite fun but also kind of boring and it was also sad considering the many who have died this year with the most recent deaths coming in the form of Pele, Barbara Walters, Don West, Vivienne Westwood, Eduard Artemyev, Ruggero Deodato, and Pope Benedict XVI. There was a lot of sad deaths this year though let’s hope that the people of Ukraine manage to give Vladimir Putin a good kick in the ass for 2023 as well as the end of this far-right bullshit here in the U.S. and the far-left to shut the fuck up.
In the year of 2022, I saw a total of 320 films in 189 first-timers and 131 re-watches with 52 of those first timers were films directed or co-directed by women as part of this pledge as I have managed to achieve that goal which is a small victory. It was a year where streaming practically took over everything that I watched with a lot of these first-timers coming from MUBI as I’m glad to be fully on board with the world of streaming while I’m also set to say good riddance to the expensive world of cable that has become outdated and financially problematic. One of the highlights of the year has been my Blind Spot Series and here is the final ranking of the 2022 Blind Spot Series:
This was a good year in sports as the Atlanta Braves won another division title but faltered in the playoffs while the Atlanta United and Atlanta Hawks did alright though I really don’t care for the Falcons. I’m happy that Argentina won the World Cup this year as the World Cup is always something I need to watch despite my issues over the fact that it was set in a terrible country that used slave labor and the blood of immigrants to build these stadiums. Then there’s the world of streaming as MUBI has become my go-to service for films while I also love what Amazon Prime, Disney+, Netflix, and other places have offered as it has given me a chance to seek out more as I hope to have Hulu, HBOMax (before it becomes Warner Discovery… blech), and being away from cable for good.
Then there’s the world of professional wrestling as it’s been a fucking insane year with a lot of highs but also a lot of lows. It was the year Vince McMahon’s personal life became public as he has been forced out of WWE though he is eager to come back with Triple H being the new head of creative as he’s done some good things but also some bad things though I’m willing to give him a chance. AEW started off well but had a terrible summer due to injuries and then came the aftermath of All Out where everything crashed due to a disastrous media scrum and brawl behind the scenes. AEW is still dealing with other issues while the status of CM Punk remains a big question though personally, I hope he doesn’t come back to wrestling ever. There’s been other things in AEW that have been troubling such as Tony Khan’s purchase of Ring of Honor that has been chaotic with ROH and AEW talent making things overwhelming. Though ROH hasn’t been able to get a TV deal which Khan has been trying to do, there is still some hope for the brand while Khan is still dealing with growing pains.
Other companies have been going through some good and bad though NWA has been going through problems and what happened this past November as it is clear that Billy Corgan has fucking lost his mind. The decision he made by having Tyrus (formerly known as Brodus Clay) the new NWA World Heavyweight Champion instead of someone as hot as Matt Cardona is truly the worst. No wonder Nick Aldis left the NWA and I hope Aldis finds a new home somewhere as he is too good to be in a small company as hopefully either WWE or AEW picks him up or even New Japan.
The year has been incredible for professional wrestling as here is my top 15 matches of 2022:
1. FTR vs. the Briscoes trilogy (ROH Supercard of Honor XV/2 out of 3 falls at ROH Death Before Dishonor/Double Dog-Collar Match at ROH Final Battle)
2. Will Ospreay vs. Orange Cassidy-AEW/NJPW Forbidden Door
3. Sheamus vs. WALTER for the WWE Intercontinental Title at Clash of the Castle
4. Jamie Hayter vs. Hikaru Shida for the AEW Women’s World Championship at AEW Dynamite
5. Jamie Hayter vs. Toni Storm for the AEW Women’s World Championship at AEW Full Gear
6. Will Ospreay vs. Kazuchika Okada for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship at the New Japan Pro Wrestling Wrestle Kingdom 16 Night 2
7. CM Punk vs. MJF Dog-Collar Match at AEW Revolution
8. Jamie Hayter vs. Riho at AEW Dynamite
9. Bryan Danielson vs. Hangman Adam Page for the AEW World Heavyweight Championship at AEW Dynamite
10. Chris Jericho vs. Bandido at AEW Dynamite
11. Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE World/Universal Heavyweight Championship in a No-Holds Barred match at SummerSlam
12. Wheeler Yuta vs. Jon Moxley at AEW Dynamite
13. Eddie Kingston, Santana & Ortiz, Bryan Danielson, Wheeler Yuta, and Jon Moxley vs. Chris Jericho, Sammy Guevara, 2.0., Daniel Garcia, and Jake Hager at Anarchy at the Arena at AEW Double or Nothing
14. The Acclaimed vs. Swerve in Our Glory for the AEW World Tag Team Championship at AEW All Out
15. Will Ospreay vs. Shingo Takagi at the 2022 G1 Climax
Wrestler of the Year: Will Ospreay & Jamie Hayter (tie)
Runner-Up: Jon Moxley
Tag Team of the Year: FTR
Runner-Up: The Briscoes
Breakout Star of 2022: Daniel Garcia
Runner-Up: Dominik Mysterio
Well, that is all for 2022. Let’s hope 2023 is a better and healthier year. Until then, this is thevoid99 signing off…
This year was a bit better but not by much as the pandemic did slow down a bit in the middle of the year but now a new threat has emerged that is going to make this whole thing continue. Last month, my mother got COVID but managed to get through and recently got her booster shot as I will get mine next month while my 9-month old niece also got it but managed to kick its ass as well. It has been a strange year and certainly one that I’m sure a lot of us would rather not really remember considering that a lot of people died either from COVID or through horrible acts of violence. Even here in Atlanta where despite the fact that the Braves won their 2nd World Series as it is a big deal for me and the family. There are also some dumb shit that happened as well starting with what happened in January at the Capitol in Washington D.C. as that event was shameful and fuck everyone who got involved in that shit and fuck those who encouraged this type of behavior.
I now have zero tolerance for anti-vaxxers and other stupid people at this point as I hope they get fucked. Especially Eric Clapton as that overrated, racist, wife-stealing, boozy, idiotic, greedy piece of shit can get fucked as well. This was also a year that a lot of people died as COVID raged on as the new threat of the Omicron variant is also there. There were also people that unfortunately died this past November at the Astroworld festival in Houston where 10 people from the age of 9 to 27 are no longer here as Travis Scott just continued to perform and not be aware nor care about what had happened. Honestly, fuck him and fucking ugly-ass cunt girlfriend whom I’m not surprised is a Kartrashian as I hope they all get fucked.
This was a sad year given the fact that it’s not just regular people that probably all have something about them that made them special but also those who used their fame to showcase their gifts or found ways to make the world a better place or to help make us feel good. To the following: John Madden, Charlie Watts, Mick Rock, Jim Steinman, Tawny Kitaen, Tanya Roberts, Cicely Tyson, Julie Strain, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Joan Didion, Jean-Marc Vallee, Norm McDonald, Del Wilkes aka the Patriot, “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff, Jody Hamilton aka the Assassin #1, “Beautiful” Bobby Eaton, Dominic DeNucci, Shannon Spurill aka Daffney, Blackjack Lanza, Jimmy Rave, Corporal Kirchner, Jerome Young aka New Jack, “Hacksaw” Butch Reed, Joseph Hudson aka Jocephus/?, Jim Crockett Jr., Patricia Hitchcock, Melvin Van Peebles, Gunnel Lindblom, Michael Constantine, Michael Apted, Willie Garson, Gavin MacLeod, Isela Vega, Larry McMurtry, Giuseppe Rotunno, Lina Wertmuller, Marion Ramsey, Jessica Walter, Jackie Mason, George Segal, Ned Beatty, Michael K. Williams, Emi Wada, James Hampton, Richard Rush, Sonny Chiba, Clarence Williams III, Nathalie Delon, Gregory Sierra, Helen McCrory, Anthony Powell, Roger Michell, Ed Asner, Frank McRae, Dean Stockwell, Norman Lloyd, Robert Downey Sr., Jean-Paul Belmondo, Art LaFleur, Tommy Kirk, Monte Hellman, Jean-Claude Carriere, Bertrand Tavernier, Yaphet Kotto, Michael Nesmith of the Monkees, David Gulpilil, Jane Powell, Charles Grodin, Hal Holbrook, Cloris Leachman, Olympia Dukakis, Arlene Dahl, Lynn Stalmaster, Leslie Bricusse, Stephen Sondheim, Larry King, Richard Donner, and Betty White. Thank you for bringing us joy and we will miss you all.
In the year 2021, I saw a total of 278 films with 128 first-timers and 150 re-watches with 38 first-timers being films directed by women as part of the 52 Films by Women pledge. Definitely down from last year mainly due to other things in life but the content was actually incredible as some of it was devoted to TV programs which I actually enjoyed. One of the highlights of the year has been my Blind Spot Series as here is the final ranking of those films:
The year did manage to bring some good things despite all of the bad shit that has happened thanks in joining the world of streaming services as I know can watch films/TV shows legally and no longer rely on torrents. A lot of it is due to the fact that my sister and her husband have two kids allow me to watch some animated films with those kids and also show them some cool stuff. My mother really loves having these streaming services but also watch YouTube on a big TV so she can watch traveling videos as that has brought me some joy. Even as I just purchased a one-year subscription to MUBI as it’s going to make the next year hopefully much better. I’m also happy that the Atlanta Braves got another World Series as I’m able to celebrate it with my niece and nephew which makes the victory really sweet while I’m also happy that the Atlanta United and Atlanta Hawks have done well this year. Can’t say the same for the Falcons, they stink!
Then there’s All Elite Wrestling as it has been this saving grace for professional wrestling as they had provided some incredible matches as well as talent that have a lot to offer. All Out 2021 is definitely one of best wrestling shows ever in terms of the quality of matches while the company did the unthinkable in bringing CM Punk back to professional wrestling after 7 long years as the man himself is already having a good time. Given that Meekmahan-land has released more than 80 superstars from their roster with most of them due to the stupid excuse of “budget cuts kid”, some were able to come to AEW and be treated with respect. Malakai Black, Adam Cole, Ruby Soho, Kyle O’Reilly, Tony Nese, Anthony Greene, Mercedes Martinez, and Andrade El Idolo have at least been given the chance to show what they’ve got while the company has also managed to do something Meekmahan-land hasn’t been doing for a while. Creating new stars.
Tay Conti, Leyla Hirsch, Dante Martin, Alan “5” Angels, John Silver, Preston “10” Vance, Ricky Starks, Bear Country, Cezar Bononi, Jade Cargill, Red Velvet, JD Drake, Ryan Nemeth, Anna Jay, and Hook are key examples of the future while talent such as Sammy Guevara, MJF, Jungle Boy, and Darby Allin are young guys who definitely have what it takes to be the pillars of the company while Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D. is definitely one of the best women’s wrestlers working today. If there is a wrestler of the year from AEW, I’m going to make it a tie in both Bryan Danielson and Thunder Rosa. The former came into AEW following his appearance on All Out this past Labor Day weekend as he had just left Meekmahan-land where he did put on some amazing matches there but came into AEW with some of the best. Matches with Miro, Kenny Omega, Hangman Adam Page, and Minoru Suzuki definitely showcase why he is a god in wrestling.
Then there’s Thunder Rosa who came to AEW late last year as she was there on loan from the NWA as she not only helped raise the game for the women’s division. She gave 2021 one of the year’s best matches in the unsanctioned Lights Out match against Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D. in what is definitely an undisputed classic match. It’s not just AEW that has delivered as companies like NWA, Impact, and MLW have managed to bounce back from the pandemic and give some of the released talent from Meekmahan-land not just a new home but a new place to start over. There’s also Game Changer Wrestler which is a hardcore wrestling division that has gained a buzz with Matt Cardona (formerly known as Zack Ryder) becoming a made man by being the most hated motherfucker in the hardcore division by beating Nick Gage in a bloodbath of a fight with some help from Ricky Shane Page.
While New Japan Pro Wrestling has been struggling with a lot of injuries and other issues including that awful World Heavyweight Championship belt they created, their recent business relationships with Impact and AEW has managed to help them while NJPW Strong has been a haven for the young Japanese talent who are on excursion as well as some of the independent wrestlers with former Meekmahan-land star Fred Rosser (formerly known as Darren Young) becoming a major player there. Sadly, one notable company is likely to come to an end in Ring of Honor where despite refusing to release wrestlers last year because of the pandemic. The past few years for the company has been rough ever since the departure of key people to AEW while Bully Ray’s booking including have Matt Taven as the ROH World Champion hurt the company. With rumors about this new rebrand and reboot emerging, it is likely that ROH is done though former champion Jay Lethal has managed to find a new home in AEW as I hope that several of the talent who have left can find new work in other companies.
If I have a top 5 matches of the year. Here’s my top 5 best wrestling matches of 2021:
1. The Young Bucks vs. the Lucha Bros.-All Out 2021 for the AEW World Tag Team Championship Steel Cage Match
2. Thunder Rosa vs. Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D.-AEW Dynamite, Unsanctioned Lights Out Match (March 2021)
3. Kenny Omega vs. Bryan Danielson-AEW Dynamite Grand Slam (September 2021)
4. Minoru Suzuki vs. Bryan Danielson-AEW Buy-In on YouTube (October 2021)
5. Tay Conti & Anna Jay vs. the Bunny & Penelope Ford-AEW Dynamite, Street Fight (December 2021)
In the world of music, there hasn’t been much that interested me except for Sparks as they were the only discovery that I’ve enjoyed as I don’t listen to a lot of new music though there has been a few good songs from Olivia Rodrigo and Halsey but that’s it. Well, that is all for 2021. This was a crazy year and having to end it on a down note with the death of Betty White just weeks away from her 100th birthday. All I can say is this to 2021 and that is… FUCK YOU!
What a horrendous fucking year this has been. The past few years for me personally had been tough as I lost a couple of my pets a few years ago and then my father last year. The year didn’t start off great as I was dealing with bronchitis although my mother and I are convinced we had some form of what would become the coronavirus in late December of that year. Well... whatever plans I had or wanted to do for the year went to shit as I never thought I would live through a fucking pandemic. I ended up only seeing two films in the theaters before the whole world went to shit and it just stifled me in a lot of ways of not really being able to do what you want and not go out though I’m not really an outgoing person.
The fact that nearly 2 million people have died from this pandemic around the world and nearly 300,000 have died here in the U.S. by the end of this year is something that shouldn’t have happened. My brother-in-law got infected before Christmas as my sister and her son had to stay with me and my mother for nearly 2 weeks before he eventually got better all because a bunch of stupid assholes didn’t wear mask at his office and their dumb-fuck of a boss is convinced that it’s all a hoax. Cunts who believe that this pandemic is a host and dumb ass motherfuckers who decide to hold events such as stupid prayer circles outside of a fucking mall can not only go suck my fucking dick but also should be beaten to a bloody fucking pulp by the people who lost friends and family from this fucking pandemic.
Yet, there are so many people this year that have died from COVID and non-COVID related deaths as it really made the year a total shitshow. Kobe Bryant, Kenny Rogers, Neil Peart, Ginger Baker, Eddie Van Halen, Bill Withers, Adolfo “Shabba Doo” Quinones, Dawn Wells, Little Richard, Ric Ocasek of the Cars, Sean Connery, Ennio Morricone, Olivia de Haviland, Kirk Douglas, Danny Hodge, Pat Patterson, Phil Niekro, Chadwick Boseman, Adam Schlesinger of Fountains of Wayne, Regis Philbin, Naya Rivera, Tony Rice, Ruth Bader Ginsberg, John Prine, Hana Kimura, Alex Trebek, Kelly Preston, Terry Jones of Monty Python, Max von Sydow, Andrew Weatherall, James Lipton, Vera Lynn, the greatest of all-time in Diego Armando Maradona, and more recently Jon Huber aka Mr. Brodie Lee along with so many others. Yes, 2020 is fucking shit.
In the world of cinema, I have to say that this wasn’t a good year not because the industry got shut down because of this pandemic and the idea that cinema itself is in danger with more studios decided to stream new films on the day they’re also released in theaters is to me a bad fucking idea. In the year of 2020, I saw a total of 316 films in 154 first-timers and 162 re-watches with 32 of those first-timers directed by women as part of the 52 Films by Women pledge as I admit that this year was lackluster and I’m blaming it on the fucking pandemic. The Blind Spot Series has always been a major highlight of the year as here is the final ranking of the films of the 2020 Blind Spot Series:
Despite the fact that I didn’t see the films that I wanted to see, at least I saw a good amount. Plus, I’m also glad that I got to see some old concert movies and such from some of my favorite acts. If anyone is to ask me what is the best album of 2020? It is Fiona Apple’s Fetch the Bolt Cutters as it is this incredible album that if full of humor but also this amazing musicianship from a woman who is probably eons above every other artist out there in terms of quality and standards. I also want to give mention to Nine Inch Nails, Pearl Jam, the Strokes, Paul McCartney, AC/DC, and Kylie Minogue for putting out some solid albums this year though there wasn’t much new music that I heard this year as I went more towards older music. I want to also thank professional wrestling for making me matter again despite these tough times as promotions such as All Elite Wrestling, New Japan Pro-Wrestling, and the National Wrestling Alliance as well as various independent promotions for at least trying to bring it to their audience and put the safety of their wrestlers, the staff, and audience first instead of trying to make a lot of money unlike some slop house who tells you who to cheer for and who to boo for.
In closing, I want to wish everyone a happy new year but given the fact that everyone went through a rough year. I think it’s best to just say this… FUCK YOU 2020!!!!!!!!!!!!
