Another year has come to a close, and it’s time for my best and worst list of 2010. We’ll take a look at the top films of 2010, as well the hits and misses in theater and home video. Not only will I do my top films 2010 I will also hit some of my other likes and dislikes in both the theater and home video for the year as well. So enjoy and if I missed something feel free to comment away.

10. Rubber – This was by far on of the most insane and creative films of the year, it broke every wall there is to tell a story about a serial killer… a serial killing tire. Yes you heard me. A tire.

This film was hilarious and probably one of the most original things I have seen in a long time… and that is saying a lot. I can’t wait for this to hit home video because I really think this will become one of those films that spreads like a plague by word of mouth.

9. Let Me In – I followed this film all year, from the announcement to the viral campaign and finally the release. This was one film that proved me wrong for the whole domesticating of foreign films for an American audience. Let Me In was a great film that I really feel got a raw deal. It never truly found its audience. If you’re a fan of the original I highly suggest you check this out when it hits Blu-ray and DVD next month.

More Below!

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Ah, Tumblr. Whether you’re laughing it up over the Tom Selleck Waterfall Sandwich blog or snickering at any of the ones below, Tumblr is full of fantastic Internet memes just waiting to happen.

Below I’ve roped together our top five Tumblrs of 2010. From the hilarious classism that is Holy Maury Mother of God to the “wow I’ve been there” element of Hungover Owls, these are our favorites. A big thank you goes out to Rommel Wood, who introduced me to three out of the five in this list. Follow her on Twitter. Girl is hilarious.

1. Holy Maury Mother of God – THE RESULTS ARE IN… you are our favorite Tumblr of 2010. You also are NOT the Father. It’s hard not to laugh hysterically at this Tumblr’s animated gifs and cleverly produced screengrabs. You’ll read this daily, I promise.

2. Bread People – Jean Luc Batard? Robert Brownie Jr? Tim (@bigredtim) introduced me to this clever Tumblr that blends celebrities (or famous pieces of art, in the case of Scona Lisa) with different kinds of bread and pastry.

3. Hungover Owls – Oddly enough, my pal Rommel sent this over to me on a day that I was feeling like a hungover owl. This Tumblr consists of owl photographs, with the birds looking particularly hungover from a night of partying. It helps that owls naturally look hungover.

4. Crap at my Parents’ House – I was introduced to this blog just a few days ago, a Tumblr started back in the Summer. Crap At My Parents house is a collection of… well, all that weird crap you stumble upon when visiting your family. It’s easy to relate.

5. Message With a Bottle – When Chris Illuminati welcome a little munchkin into the world, he left his gig at Philly Burbs to become a stay at home Dad / writer. Coasting on the success of Assholeology, he’s been freelancing like whoa, and maintaining his hilarious Message With a Bottle blog. Read it and experience his hysterical parenting adventures.

Vanquish… you should have played it.

Last year I wrote one of these roundups, highlighting the best games in 2009 that no one played. Wolfenstein, Wet, and other titles that largely went ignored got their just due, and this year, I’ve got another batch.

From titles released on the same dates as major blockbusters (Vanquish vs. Fallout New Vegas) to unreasonably ignored titles with beautiful storytelling and narratives, here are three games you should played this year… but likely didn’t.

Have your own picks? Sound off in the replies! I’m an Xbox gamer, so I’m missing out on the PS3 and Wii titles.

1. Vanquish – Developed by Platinum Games (Bayonetta / Madworld) and released by SEGA, this game slipped in under the radar, surprising gamers with incredibly fast paced gameplay and an absolutely bizarre story line. Well, okay, maybe the convoluted storyline wasn’t such a surprise. After all, this was the studio that brought us Bayonetta. And despite universal acclaim from critics and gamers, SEGA was only “reasonably encouraged” about the game’s early sales back in October.

The game’s PR reps were kind enough to send me a copy to review early in the Fall, and let me tell you… this game is fantastic. Sure, you wrap it up in under 6 hours, and the plot feels like some sci-fi-anime nightmare… but the action is so over-the-top and addicting, you’ll get over these trite issues quickly.

Chances are, you missed out on this title due to two key issues. 1. The awful cover. Come on SEGA. Look at that thing. It looks like it was designed to appear to be shovelware. Have we not learned from Ico? And 2. The game came out the same day as Fallout: New Vegas. Studios delay games for a reason, and this is one of them. Vanquish clearly should have been pushed back to avoid the mad rush of New Vegas and Black Ops, in my opinion. But alas, I’m a blogger and not a gaming exec. As of this posting, you can grab Vanquish on Amazon for under $50.

2. Enslaved: Odyssey to the West – Enslaved is a game that deserves a sequel, nay, an entire line of titles dedicated to the fantastic narrative experienced there-in. Perhaps if Namco wasn’t so busy pushing their Ben 10 and Naruto titles, which are practically guaranteed to sell anyway, this game would have fared better, instead of finding itself tossed in the Amazon Gold Box for $25 back in November.

The voice acting is top notch, the cut scenes are stunning… and this should come as no surprise. Andy Serkis co-directed them and voiced a supporting character. You may recognize him as Gollum in Lord of the Rings.

As of this post, you can get Enslaved for about $35 on Amazon.

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Contest Close: Thanks for Playing

The year is wrapping up, and we’ve got one final giveaway for you kids. This one is pretty fabulous.

We’ve teamed up with Redbox to giveaway a fantastic Blu-Ray Prize Pack, which includes a brand new Blu-Ray player (what!) and a year’s worth of free Blu-Ray rentals from Redbox… 52 free rental codes, one for each week of the year. This isn’t some lame knock off brand player either… it’s a Sony Blu-Ray Player (the BDP-S370), valued at $175.

Redbox is also running the Better in Blu sweepstakes, which allows Redbox fans from across the country to be entered in ANOTHER Blu-Ray Prize Pack giveaway, separate from the one on our blog, simply by renting any DVD or Blu-Ray disc from a Redbox kiosk. Just rent something, and BAM! you’re entered. The Better in Blu sweepstakes runs until December 31st, so you’ve only got three more days to enter at a Redbox kiosk.

Every rental is a chance to win. According to Redbox, “if a customer rents 3 movies in one day, they have 3 chances to win that same day. If they rent one movie every day for the entire 36 days of the giveaway, they have one chance a day to win.” There are plenty of Redbox locations around Philadelphia. Just use their website to locate one.

You don’t have to rent a Blu-Ray disc to qualify either. In fact, no purchase is necessary at all. Visit www.betterinblu.com to enter.

As for our contest, entering is simple. Tell us what movie you’d most like to watch in high definition. We’ll select one of you at random come the New Year.

Happy Holidays!

Today in The Comic Roundup, we’re going to look at the first collection of Jonathan Hickman’s run on Fantastic Four.

In all honesty, for me, the only person who ever did The Fantastic Four right was John Byrne. He had a firm grasp on the characters, what made them tick and how to write incredible stories about them. His is the run all others are held up against for comparison. So how does Hickman do? Okay for the most part.

The first part of the book is the strongest, as the focus is on Reed and his time with The Council. Hickman lays some great foundation here, and you can see that his run is going to be all about the fantastic part of the book’s title. His characterization of Reed is different than others I have read in the past. Hickman has made him more forceful and confident in himself. It is a nice change from how the character is usually portrayed, as a really smart yes man.

Unfortunately, with the spotlight on Reed, the rest of the cast gets a bit of short stick. The art by Eaglesham is good, if not spectacular. I don’t know if it is because he is inking his own work now or what, but this art seems substandard to the work he did on Justice Society of America. The proportions of his characters are off and everyone seems to not have a neck. Maybe he is still warming up to the characters, we’ll have to wait and see.

The second part of the book is where things start to go wrong. We have a single, throw away issue about Nu-World and yet another “older Franklin comes back from the future” storyline. Add to this that Hickman is writing the other Richards child, Valeria, as an annoying know-it-all and you quickly start to lose interest. Some really second-rate artwork by Edwards does nothing to help the situation.

For a first volume, the book shows potential. It is hard to be too critical at this point until we get further into Hickman’s run. However, if volume 2 has the same problems, I may be forced to go back and reread my John Byrne issues instead.

Final Grade: B-

As the year draws to a close, I realize that a lot of my time was spent in Brave New Worlds buying a ton of comics, or just standing around talking to Brian and/or Rob. Before we ring in the new year I wanted to take a look back at some of my favorite comics throughout the year.  Some of which have been completed and collected into trades while others continue to roll out monthly, or if your Mark Millar or Grant Morrison, whenever you get it finished. So let’s get started!

1. Scott Pilgrim’s Finest Hour – Bryan Lee O’Malley’s awesome series concludes with Vol.6 and is without a doubt the best in the series.  After five books of Scott being hilarious and often at times an idiot, he evolves into a, dare I say it, mature adult. Looking back on his past interactions with his friends and family, Scott faces the reality of his actions. Not all of which were that heroic in fact. What may have been my favorite moments of the book were moments that happened off the page when Scott was so busy with his own problems, and failed to see what his closest friends were going through.

2. Batman and Robin – Bruce Wayne is lost in time, many people thinking he’s dead. In the wake of his absence, former boy wonder Dick Grayson takes the mantle of the bat, while Bruce’s son Damien, becomes the newest Robin. I really didn’t know what to expect from this book, but I got some of the best Batman and Robin stories I could have imagined. Not to mention the revolving door of artists such as Frank Quitely, Cameron Stewart, Andy Clarke, and Frazer Irving. Each bringing their own unique style to the story but never sacrificing story to show off their talent.

While the series is ongoing, I’d say you can’t get any better than the first 16 issues, which dealt with Bruce’s absence and the new dynamic duo working out their own personal issues to accept their new roles in protecting Gotham City.

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Spoiler Alert: None of these are on the list

Over the last ten years, we all have become vastly dependant upon technologies that are still considerably in their infancy. For some of you, staying “plugged in” to new technology is necessary to operate your businesses, communicate with friends and family or make your daily routine more convenient.

Could you fathom not being able to browse the web from the palm of your hand? What about relying on cassette tapes or CD walkmans for your portable music needs? Would you still use a VCR to record your favorite television programs?

Take a moment and imagine your life without things like MP3 players, DVR’s and smart phones. Sometimes it’s easy to forget that there once was a time without these gadgets. Now that we are more than half way into 2010, I’m taking the time to take a look back at some of the gadgets that defined my decade.

Apple iPod (2001)

Released back in October 2001, Apple’s iPod revolutionized how the world would listen to music for the next decade. With it’s posh white casing, scrolling wheel and simple interface, it was a must have during the 2001 holiday season. Sure there were MP3 players on the market before the iPod but none were as easy to use or hip enough to carry around.

The iPod grabbed everyone’s attention and the age of the MP3 was upon us. Apple capitalized on this success monetizing it in the form of the iTunes Music Store. With extensive mobile functionality, prominent product placement and advertising, Apple had successfully redefined portable music for this generation and for years to come.

TiVo (2002)

It seemed like overnight that a little box known as TiVo made all of our VCR’s and television video recording devices obsolete.

TiVo’s first digital video recording (DVR) device was released in 1999 but really started gaining steam in 2002 with the release of the Series2 unit. It provided a way to allow a viewer to record television programming for viewing on demand. These programs were stored on a hard drive located inside the device and featured a user-friendly interface with reasonable pricing that appealed to the masses.

TiVo also pioneered a way to suggest television programming based on the viewing habits of its viewer. Satellite and cable providers have now jumped onto the DVR bandwagon and offer similar features with their monthly subscription based packages. However, we tend to forget that it all started with a little, charming device named TiVo.

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2010 was a fantastic year for gaming. It really was the year of the sequel. Follow ups to blockbuster titles galore hit Gamestop shelves, blowing away their predecessors and finding critical acclaim… with some exceptions. Seriously, what the hell happened, Lost Planet 2?

Scope our our favorites list. I polled the Geekadelphians regarding their top picks, and here’s our list. Feel free to sound off with your own selections in the replies. I haven’t finished Fable 3 yet, but I have no doubt it would have made my list if I had. Because come on, it has to be brilliant.

1. Red Dead Redemption – Because a lot of us beat this thing, and none of us have ever beaten a Grand Theft Auto-esque title by Rockstar. Say what you will about GTA4 being a masterpiece… but you probably never finished it. Go traverse the western landscape as a trigger-happy cowboy looking for revenge. You’ll love it.

And somehow, Rockstar managed to produce a fantastic and engrossing narrative, with complex and interesting characters… in the Wild West. The voice acting was top notch, no surprise for a Rockstar quality title. Plus the downloadable expansions have proved equally as high quality as GTA4′s. Zombies? Amazing. (@dqj, @ericsmithrocks, & @hey_daniel).

2. Starcraft 2 – Even though the Geekadelphia crew didn’t play as much as we would have liked, it’s undeniable that it’s a damned great game. The long anticipated followup to Blizzard’s successful franchise, not to be out-shined by any of Blizzard’s other IP’s like World of Warcraft, Starcraft 2 delivered addictive and incentive laden online gameplay, as well as a surprisingly fantastic narrative. (@mikeyil & @hey_daniel).

3. Mass Effect 2 – This year started out right, with Bioware releasing Mass Effect 2 in January. Continuing the stunning narrative from the first title and improving on all the problems of the first (that elevator drove me freaking crazy), ME2 was a superior sequel to the first. And as over-hyped and overly praised as it may be, Bioware still brings it with the direct sequel to their 2007 space odyssey masterpiece. (@ericsmithrocks & @hey_daniel)

4. Alan Wake – Console exclusive titles, at least in my experience, have been relatively hit or miss. It’s the main reason I never touch my Playstation 3. The 360, however, is chock full of exclusive hits that make the console worth owning. Halo? Check. Fable? Check. Gears of War? Check. And now… the 360 has Alan Wake to add to its reasons-to-purchase list.

A driven narrative, perfect voice acting, and a gorgeous visual style, Alan Wake delivered on all the hype that followed the game for years. There’s a reason TIME magazine selected it as their #1 game of 2010. You should get it. (@ericsmithrocks)

5. Halo: Reach – It’s not everyday that Parker and I stand outside in the freezing Philadelphia Autumn weather to wait for a game to come out. Halo: Reach was one of those titles that required such an outing. Sure, the game mostly delivered more of the same, save for some new gaming mechanics. Jetpacks? Running? Power shields? All awesome, but these aren’t what set the game apart from other Halo titles. The narrative and multiplayer did.

A story that introduces what happened before the first Halo titles, Reach’s narrative was engrossing, the characters memorable. Gamers grew attached to Noble team as they quested through the title, learning about the characters and being moved by their sacrifices. The multiplayer component dished out those new mechanics (jetpacks!), and the experience took Red Faction: Guerrilla’s ideas and made them work. A must buy. Try to get the limited edition with the statue set at your local Gamestop, if they still have it in stock. It looks great on my mantel. (@ericsmithrocks)

Five More Quick Picks Below!

6. Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood – Everything you loved about Assassin’s Creed 2, only with mutiplayer and improved combat mechanics. (@hey_daniel)

7. Call of Duty: Black Ops – An intense and exciting entry into the Call of Duty franchise. (@parkerwhitney)

8. Dead Nation – The sole PS3 exclusive title on this list, this downloadable title on the Playstation 3 network is a must buy for zombie loving gamers. (@toits)

9. Super Meat Boy - This game changed my life. Okay not really. But it did feel me up on the train once. I didn’t stop him because… well… because I was lonely. But for real, this is a fantastic, downloadable title. (@dqj)

10. World of Warcraft: Cataclysm – I would have written more about this awesome expansion, but I’m too busy playing it. That is all. (@mikeyil)

Last week, I wrote about Venice Sunlight’s pay-what-you-want EP, Vs. the Rabid Rabbits, which was recently released via the band’s Bandcamp page. Well, here’s another fantastic musical offering, this time, in the 8-bit chiptuning genre, by Philadelphia’s beloved Doctor Octoroc.

After These Messages is a collection of over 30 tracks inspired by classic TV shows, cartoons and commercials. Each track is arranged as the theme song for a theoretical 8-bit video game, much like titles found on the Nintendo Entertainment System.

The full collection is available for a “pay-what-you-want” price and comes to you from the same artist that brought you 8-Bit Jesus.

You can download the collection via the good Doctor’s official website. Go grab it, toss the guy a few bucks, and support a great local artist.

After These Messages [ Doctoroctoroc.com ]

We hear about Philadelphia Magazine’s Best of Philly every single year. And every single year I conveniently forget all of the city’s best restaurants, shops, services and events before I get a chance to check them out. Fortunately, there is in fact an app for that… you know, we here at Geekadelphia should really compile a list of things where there isn’t an app.

With this convenient app, you’ll be able to browse five years worth of winners in a myriad of categories: restaurants & food, nightlife & bars, entertainment & fun, shopping, beauty, spas & health and personal services. Compile a list of saved favorites in-app or simply read up on what Philly Mag has to say about these places and why they add to the greatness of our fair city.

Geo-location is all the rage, and it’s super fun to pull up nearby locations that have been recognized for their sheer awesomeness. Don’t worry, there’s no checkins, leader boards, badges, a clutter of bad or pointless reviews.

Completely lost gift ideas this year? Fill a digital stocking full of apps and grab this one while it’s on [holiday] sale for just $0.99.

In this edition of the comic roundup, we look at the latest issue of the new direction for The Amazing Spider-Man and the return of John Byrne and his Next Men.

Amazing Spider-Man #650
By Dan Slott and Humberto Ramos

How many people really hated One More Day? How many people swore to never read a Spider-Man comic again? Many of the same people. I have firmly been in that camp for the past three years. But at the urging of the local comic shop, I gave the new direction, Big Time, and new solo writer Dan Slott a try. And I can honestly say I have not enjoyed the book this much since the heyday of the Stern/Romita Jr. run. Slott just gets how to write Spider-Man.

He isn’t the complete loser he has been portrayed as in Brand New Day, but he still has typical Parker troubles (where to stash his costume, girl problems). Plus Slott writes some of the best Spidey banter I have ever read. The art by Ramos, however, is hit or miss. The issue has a rushed look the previous two didn’t. Some panels look great and remind you of his work on Crimson, while others look like a mess of lines and half finished pencils.

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Ah, ADIDAS. It’s hard to dislike a clothing company that releases Star Wars inspired threads. From awesome kicks to killer hoodies, I’ve always had to take second glances at the ADIDAS shop on South Street while strolling by.

Well, seems like ADIDAS is up to their old tricks again, releasing Tron inspired clothing as a tie in with the new film. A PR rep from ADIDAS explained that the “special edition line is inspired by the movie’s digital world and features glow-in-the-dark and 3D jackets, sweatshirts, and tees.” That’s right, glow-in-the-dark.

The clothes aren’t available in stores, only online at ADIDAS’ official website. You can scope out the whole collection, right here.

The folks at ADIDAS were also kind enough to send over some kid’s Tron t-shirts, and we’ve got a kid’s large to giveaway, right here on the blog. Just leave a comment regarding your favorite moment in Tron or Tron: Legacy.

I’ll select a winner at random next week. Give it to someone as a late Christmas gift. Good luck!