FGD

Well, you beat me by ten years!

2001 in movies: Ron Howard redeems himself in my eyes, and 10,000 points for Gryffindor Something occurred to me during this, my third or fourth viewing of Harry Potter and Sorcerer's/Philosopher's Stone, the box-office winner...

2001 in movies: Ron Howard redeems himself in my eyes, and 10,000 points for Gryffindor

"Crowe did an expert job of dismissing his toughness in place for mannerisms that Kirk Lazarus would have surely applauded."

52-fifty-two.blogspot.com/2026/03/2001...

Always thought it was "This is scary" myself.

2001's top-selling book offers a sequel to the Bible I've never read a book quite like this before, nor had quite the reading experience such as this.  If, like me, you're not familiar with thi...

2001's top-selling book offers a sequel to the Bible

"I've never read a book quite like this before, nor had quite the reading experience such as this. "

52-fifty-two.blogspot.com/2026/03/2001...

2001 in video games: arcades adapt while Final Fantasy, Pokémon, and The Sims all march on The number-one arcade game for 2001 shows that times were a-changin', because it's not an arcade game: it's a photo booth. A couple of names...

2001 video games: arcades adapt while Final Fantasy, Pokémon, and The Sims all march on

"In 2001, after nearly twenty years of home video games stealing more and more of their quarter-paying customers, the arcades were ready to rely on hooks and gimmicks."

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The Godfather Part II: Its parts are greater than its sum It hasn't been all that long since I last saw this, but here it is as the 1975 Oscar winner for Best Picture - so I'm watching it in my 19...

Backlog post

The Godfather Part II: Its parts are greater than its sum

"Kay with the single bravest thing ever said to a mafia boss? Ever? In any film or in real life?"

52-fifty-two.blogspot.com/2025/09/the-...

A dragon slayed: James A. Michener's Centennial This was the first book that I'd lined up to read for my project: 1974's best-selling, 1000+ page -long book (mine, the edition pictured a...

Backlog post

A dragon slayed: James A. Michener's Centennial

"After spending so much time in his world I found myself a little sad to close the last chapter."

52-fifty-two.blogspot.com/2025/09/a-dr...

Cover of 1985's The Wrestling Album.

Roddy Piper doing a fantastic, milder cover of "F Everybody" for the win.

Count this album or dismiss it, I want to give it some praise!

#5DebutAlbums8589

Blazing Saddles and the test of time It has been a long time since I watched this, and while it was certainly never my favourite amongst Brooks' films (top honour goes to Young ...

Backlog post: Blazing Saddles and the test of time

"Brooks pushes buttons and, when he's at his best, does what comedy can do better than any diatribe: he makes you laugh and then makes you think about why you're laughing."

52-fifty-two.blogspot.com/2025/09/blaz...

Cover of Faith No More's debut album, We Care a Lot

I'll stand up for this debut effort.

#5debutalbums8589
#musicsky

2001 in music: P!nk and Diana Krall are the big winners It has been a long time since I've listened to M!ssundaztood by P!nk (sure, I'll go along with the stylizations; after all, I went years typ...

2001 in music: P!nk and Diana Krall are the big winners

"I'm actually slightly alarmed by how both of my reviews in this post are a bit sardonic. That had better not be because I'm at the halfway point of the project and getting to be a cranky old man."

52-fifty-two.blogspot.com/2026/03/2001...

1974's top video and arcade games The first video game that I remember playing, as must be the case for many, many people, is Pong. It wouldn't have been in 1974, mind you, b...

Backlog post: 1974's top video and arcade games

"The first video game that I remember playing, as must be the case for many, many people, is Pong."

52-fifty-two.blogspot.com/2025/09/1974...

2001 in TV: Friends claims the top spot As Friends wrapped up its seventh season and rolled into its eighth, it topped the ratings for the first and only time in its ten seasons,...

2001 in TV: Friends claims the top spot

"This gang was getting a bit old to be caught up in the high school-ish shenanigans of who likes whom and oh-my-gosh-she's-pregnant-but-who's-the-father?"

52-fifty-two.blogspot.com/2026/03/2001...

Enter Sandman for me. Must have happened to the two of us at about the same time.

Catching up with Band on the Run and BTO The best-selling album of 1974, which is why it's on my list despite being released in '73.  I've never heard any of the tracks on this al...

My first proper post of the project:

Catching Up with Band on the Run and BTO

"It's no bold statement to write a glowing review of a fifty-year-old, well-loved album by a former Beatle - but here it is."

52-fifty-two.blogspot.com/2025/09/catc...

In the year 2000: The Beatles are back and Barenaked Ladies get their due The first Beatles stuff that I listened to when I was a kid was from my brother's copies of the Red & Blue Albums, so I'm not going to get...

In the year 2000: The Beatles are back and Barenaked Ladies get their due

"What's fun and wild ... is that a Beatles greatest hits record became a top-seller in 2000."

"This may have been a Sorry we gave so many awards to Celine Dion ... kind of thing."

52-fifty-two.blogspot.com/2026/02/in-y...

In the year 2000: Survivor takes over TV Survivor was must-watch TV for my wife and I for the first three seasons; the shine was already lessening by the time our son arrived in 200...

In the year 2000: Survivor takes over TV

"This show is the primary reason we still have satellite TV."

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In my opinion, this is Alanis in her peak form.

In the year 2000: Virtua Striker 2, Dragon Quest/Warrior VII, Pokémon Gold & Silver, and The Sims While Virtua Striker 2 holds onto the top spot in arcade gaming (and remains, unfortunately, out of my grasp as far as finding a site for pl...

In the year 2000: Virtua Striker 2, Dragon Quest/Warrior VII, Pokémon Gold & Silver, and The Sims

"Dang, was this game meant to prepare kids for growing up?

52-fifty-two.blogspot.com/2026/02/in-y...

In the year 2000: Scott's Gladiator is better than I remember, and Howard's Grinch is worse Trust me, I get the irony here. Before this project started, I would have been hard-pressed to think of a movie that I was least-looking for...

In the year 2000: Scott's Gladiator is better than I remember, and Howard's Grinch is worse

"I get that I'm being Grinchy about this movie, but it's just not for me."

52-fifty-two.blogspot.com/2026/02/in-y...

In the year 2000: Michael Chabon's Pulitzer Prize winner joins the super hero fray While there's no accounting for the long process of publishing a book or producing the movie, it sure seemed like there was a concerted effo...

In the year 2000: Michael Chabon's Pulitzer Prize winner joins the super hero fray

"I've seen the book described as a historical fiction, but maybe it's more of a historical tribute."

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