I have my favorites and then there are my absolute favorites that I've listed below in the tribute section:
Nirvana
Nirvana was more than a great band - they helped define a new era of music and changed the world forever. It would do little justice for me to try to explain how great Nirvana was and why I like them, but I'll start by including them first in my Tribute section. I remember the first time I heard Smells Like Teen Spirit during the introduction to a game show my high school was hosting. The song grew and festered inside me. Later, Come as You Are and Lithium were released and I loved those songs, too. I was amazed to find out they were also written by Nirvana.
Nirvana was not the first to play their alternative and grunge sound, but they were the first to bring it popularity in mainstream America - a fact that lead singer Kurt Cobain was not proud of. I was eating dinner at my college cafeteria one night during the Spring semester of my Freshman year when one of my baseball teammates casually mentioned "Did you know that Kurt Cobain died". I was stunned and I hoped that he was mistaken. But, I found out that it was true and I was filled with sadness.
Despite Nirvana's short success together, their legacy lives on and they are my favorite band and made my favorite album Nevermind.
Documentaries
I'm a little obsessed with documentaries. My favorite types of documentaries are those that follow the plights of men and women to accomplish a goal. Listed below are my favorite documentaries:
"King Gimp"
King Gimp follows the story of Dan Keplinger. He is an amazing man about the same age as me who has cerebral palsy and a wonderful gift for art. The film revolves around his life from a young boy through graduating at college. The nature of his disease was such that people thought he wasn't smart or capable of attending school, but the truth was that he could do all of that, live a normal life, and more.
"A Cinderella Season, The Lady Vols Fight Back"
During the 1996-1997 season of the Tennessee Lady Vols college basketball team, a group from HBO followed the team and made a documentary. It is a great film because it captures the essence of the team. It also follows the team when the are not favorites to do well. In fact, they go through many tough times but come out on top in the end.
"SlamNation"
This is unique documentary about a poetry contest or Slam as they refer to it. The tournament involves teams from different universities where poetry is delivered by individuals and sometimes teams. The poetry delivered in the competition is both humorous and dramatic, but most all of it is highly energetic. I liked this film a lot because it depicts art and competition side by side. It reminded me a lot of the competitions I used to attend in high school for the National Forensic League.
Beavis & Butthead
Most everyone likes cartoons and animation at some time of their lives, but I've always enjoyed it. When episodes of Beavis & Butthead began to air on television in the early 1990's, I was engaged with it more so than other animated series. It was much edgier and innovative.
South Park
South Park is one of my all-time favorite shows to date. I think Beavis & Butthead helped pave the way to a show like Southpark. The blend of fast paced humor mixed with pushing the content envelope puts this show tops on my list. Aside from the humor, the insight that creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone bring to their episodes and scripts is impressive. Even the South Park movie Bigger, Longer, & Uncut made me laugh more than any movie ever has.
To Kill A Mockingbird
This is one piece of literature where the both the book and movie are nothing less of amazing. The story is classic and poignant. The characters are genuine and real. Atticus is a particular favorite character of mine because he is portrayed as someone so warm, impeccable, and moral.
It's a Wonderful Life
I love movies and I have many favorite movies, but It's a Wonderful Life tops the list. To start, Jimmy Stewart is larger than life and one of the best actors to ever live. His performance coupled with a great script equals something that is much greater than the sum of their individual parts. In fact, the story is so simple, it's surprising that it can have such an impact. The scene after George is brought back to the real world and is so happy to be alive is the most poignant moment in cinema history. Every time I watch that scene, I'm affected and it makes me feel guilty about letting my own problems bring me down.