sam-d’s End of Year Questionnaire!

1) What was your favorite movie of ‘09… that you want everyone in the world to know you loved?

An Education. Carey Mulligan for Best Actress, peeps!

2) What was your favorite movie of ‘09… that you’re kinda embarrassed to admit you loved?

Bride Wars. The ending really left it open for a “Baby Wars” sequel… Just saying.

3) What ‘09 TV show could you not live without?

Glee—not sure how to make it to April without my fix of Sue quips, Quinn snarks, Rachel solos, Finn pouts, and Santana sexts.

4) What was your most played jam on iTunes in ‘09?

It’s a tie!—“Battlefield” and “TiK ToK.” 133 plays each. Real classy.

5) What was your single-most fave pop cultural moment of the year?

The lawnmower accident halfway through this season of “Mad Men.” Meticulously set up for weeks, I felt my world come together with a delicious gasp. As Joan so famously said—“That’s life for you. One minute you’re on top of the world, the next minute some secretary’s running you over with a lawnmower.” True words.

Honorable mentions: the first time I saw “David After Dentist,” Adam Lambert’s “Mad World”performance on “American Idol,” witnessing Gaga’s VMA Performance moments after the “True Blood” season finale, seeing “Next to Normal” on Broadway, seeing Mika in concert, the season finale of “Lost,” the road trip to New York episode of “Big Love,” those precious months when Swift and Lautner were dating.

6) What pop culture trend/phenomenon for ‘09 are you hoping stays in ‘09?

Susan Boyle. Hating on Kristen Stewart. Caring about the Jonas Brothers.

7) F*ck, Kill, Marry: Rachel Berry, Snooki, Lady Gaga?

F Gaga (clearly), M Snooki, K Berry.

Liz Z’s 2009 Questionnaire

1) What was your favorite movie of ‘09… that you want everyone in the world to know you loved?
Too hard to choose just one…definitely “Star Trek” (luv u, Spock!) and “Fantastic Mr. Fox.” I also have a soft spot for “An Education” (please see Josh’s analysis below—couldn’t have said it better myself), “The September Issue,” and “The Hurt Locker” (yeah, it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy).

2) What was your favorite movie of ‘09… that you’re kinda embarrassed to admit you loved?
Maybe “Jennifer’s Body.” I wouldn’t say LOVED it, but I thought it had a lot of great moments and likeable characters—wouldn’t have to think twice about watching it a second time. What can I say? I dig Diablo Cody’s quippier than thou writing that so many people brutally hate on. I can’t wait for “Sweet Valley High.” I’m serious.

Oh wait, I also totally LOLed through like, all of “New Moon.” I think I might get a fake ID (library card? high school ID?) that identifies me as 14-years-old. And I’m definitely wearing my retainer to “Eclipse.”

3) What ‘09 TV show could you not live without?
It’s a tie between “True Blood” and “Friday Night Lights.” Vampires! Football! Who knew these would be two things I couldn’t live without?

4) What was your most played jam on iTunes in ‘09?
Unfortunately, a new ’09 track has yet to overthrow “Sexy Can I” as my number 1 most played song on iTunes (yes, I’m kind of humiliated by this confession). But “Home” by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros will no doubt be vying for the top spot in the near future. And it almost goes without saying that 2009 will forever be the year I was “caught in a bad romance.”

5) What was your single-most fave pop cultural moment of the year?
I was tempted to say Gaga’s VMA performance, but if I’m being honest with myself, it’s definitely the “What Drives Edward” Volvo commercials. Perhaps these ads don’t qualify as a single “moment” in pop culture, but I spent so much time LOLing about them that I can’t leave them out of the questionnaire.

6) What pop culture trend/phenomenon for ‘09 are you hoping stays in ‘09?
Jon and Kate. For the love of God, Jon and Kate.

7) F*ck, Kill, Marry: Rachel Berry, Snooki, Lady Gaga?
F*ck the Glee girl, kill the guido, marry the Gaga—’cause she’s a free bitch, baby.

Josh’s 2009 Questionnaire

1) What was your favorite movie of ‘09… that you want everyone in the world to know you loved?

Pretty much everything about “An Education” was perfect. Carey Mulligan is just mesmerizing as the young ingenue and the supporting cast is beautiful and perfect. The conflict between what you think you should be doing with your life and what you actually want to be doing resonates, man. Also, you will worship Rosamund Pike after seeing this movie, and she’s a fun person to worship! (Runners up: “A Single Man,” “Inglorious Basterds,” “The Proposal”)

2) What was your favorite movie of ‘09… that you’re kinda embarrassed to admit you loved?

I guess I should be embarrassed that there are like so many movies I had to consider for this high honor. I mean, let’s be clear about who we are dealing with here: I spent a November evening watching the “Hannah Montana” movie on my laptop. After much deliberating, I think I am going to have to go with “17 Again” as my most loved movie I’m “embarrassed” to admit I loved. To start, I am a sucker for movies involving an old person trapped in a young person’s body (“Freaky Friday”!!). Add in Leslie Mann, Jan Levinson-Gould, Georgina Sparks… and (surprisingly) sharp humor and you’ve got a pretty solid movie going on! Also, Zac Efron ain’t so bad to look at for 90 minutes if U KNOW WUT I’M SAYING. (Runner up: “Bandslam”)

3) What ‘09 TV show could you not live without?

ACK there are 2 many good TV shows (so much harder than the movie category) but I think I have to go with “True Blood.” I discovered “True Blood” this year and feel irrevocably changed. The show manages to seamlessly combine romance, drama, comedy, SEXINESS, vampires and camp in a concoction as tasty as one of Maryann’s Hunter’s souffles LOL. There are really no weak links, and no show had me craving the next ep like this one. (Runners up: “Big Love,” “Parks and Recreation,” “Modern Family,” “Friday Night Lights”)

4) What was your most played jam on iTunes in ‘09?

Though “Party in the USA” was technically my third-most played song on iTunes this year, it was undoubtedly #1 in my heart. I love this song for so many reasons, including:
a. The fact that everyone always pretends at first they don’t know Miley sings it (when they of course do)
b. The deference Miley pays to those who paved the way for her (Britney)
c. The parodies it has spawned
d. The relatability of the message! We all feel out of place sometimes :(
e. “So hard with my girls not around me / it’s definitely not a Nashville party / Cuz all I see are stilettos / I guess I never got the memo.”
(Runner up: my second-most played song, Ke$ha’s “Tik Tok”)

5) What was your single-most fave pop cultural moment of the year?

My favorite pop cultural moment would be this one night I stayed up super late searching for Lady Gaga videos on Youtube and found this random interview she gave which I proceeded to send to everyone I knew. I think this was the moment I decided I would follow her until she loves me. (Runners up: the “Bad Romance” music video, Betty Draper in Rome on “Mad Men,” Taylor Swift’s “SNL” monologue)

6) What pop culture trend/phenomenon for ‘09 are you hoping stays in ‘09?

I am sick of time travel plots. I have enough trouble following the regular plots of most television shows/movies, the last thing I need is characters referencing the “space/time continuum” as they run through a jungle or whatever. (Runner up: The Black Eyed Peas)

7) F*ck, Kill, Marry: Rachel Berry, Snooki, Lady Gaga?

I would “F” Snooki, mainly because the idea of anything even CLOSE to impure happening to Rachel Berry makes me squirm. And I would marry Gaga so we could share a wardrobe.