Gregg’s 2012 Album of the Year
December 3rd, 2012 by Gregg Senko
There are some strong contenders for the title of Album of the Year for 2012. They range from bands that deliver hard riffs and cryptic lyrics to a movie soundtrack that musically enunciated each note to a heart-pounding degree. There were also a few newcomers that brought some refreshing strength to what can be at times a repetitive music industry. Still, at the end of the day, there can only be one.
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There are a few vacations I’ve taken that greatly overshadow any others I’ve been on. Ilha Grande, Brazil. Red Rocks National Park in Colorado. The San Diego Comic-Con. Ah Comic-Con, the only man-made stop of the aforementioned trio. After attending three Cons (’08-’10), I can honestly say I was extremely disappointed on missing last year’s and have been suffering from withdrawal ever since. So when a book came across my desk to review, aptly titled Comic-Con and the Business of Pop Culture, I took notice and gladly accepted the task to cover its content. What started out as a literary whetting of the convention appetite, turned into one solidly educating and entertaining read.
I was kind of worried throughout the first half of the year that it wasn’t going to be a pleasant 2011 as far as theater viewings went. There were more than a few flops at the cinema by the time June came to a close with a sparse picking of films that had some ‘wow’ factor. Thankfully, the second half of 2011 made up for it in just about any genre you can think of, and as December winds down, I waited until seeing War Horse before releasing this list. However, that potentially epic film fell short and didn’t come close to making the list. So without any more delay, here are some of the best and worst films we’ve had the opportunity (or displeasure) of experiencing since January…
So many Blu-rays, so little time. If I bought every disc I wanted to see this year, I would’ve gone broke before the summer ended. There were some great releases that didn’t make my list such as Swingers, Attack the Block, and True Blood: Season 3. Then there were the sure-fire films I thought would make the list but missed by a mile, like a really bad video transfer of Gettysburg and an extras-less Transformers: Dark of the Moon. Who releases a big budget feature on Blu-ray with no extras?? Anyway, I’d have to say this was probably the most difficult top ten Blu-ray list I ever had to assemble as it underwent many changes throughout the year, most over the course of the last week. Now that 2011 is just about said and done, here are my favorite picks of the year…
It’s hard to believe that it will almost be a year when Why So Blu covered its first mixed martial arts event. In that time, we’ve seen fight card after fight card of determined athletes pitted against each other amidst a backdrop of live music and an engrossed fanbase. While the people behind Rocktagon make this look like an easily-assembled formula for entertainment, there’s actually a very determined work ethic taking place behind the scenes, which not only brings the ferocity and education of MMA to the public in an up close and personal style, but is a formula for success if nothing else.
All this week, Why So Blu will be featuring some of its writers albums that, while not necessarily their favorites, were recordings that changed our lives in some way, shape, or form. Each day, Monday through Friday of this week, will highlight a different writer. When the crew sat down and discussed this, we figured everyone likes music and this will give our readers a little insight into what makes us musically tick. 
Queen Latifah has had a busy decade in terms of her film career. From appearing on episodes of the television show Spin City in 2001 to last year’s third installment in the Ice Age franchise, she has also had a variety of projects dotting the landscape along the way. Latifah has appeared comedies such as Scary Movie 3 and the critically acclaimed musical Chicago. The rapper-turned-actress has had a very productive 2010 as she co-starred in Valentine’s Day and now takes top billing in her latest work, Just Wright. 
It was 2001 when the original Shrek captured the attention of audiences around the globe. Kids liked it for the fun characters and colorful delivery. Adults enjoyed it for the cleverly placed humor throughout the film. The sequel came out three years later and it was another round of laughs and adventure for theater-goers and big bucks for Dreamworks. You know Hollywood. Where success was once found, try and try again. 
