Things that Really Entertained me in 2010- Part 4

7. To Sleep Per Chance To Dream- In 1984 I eagerly awaited a film called Dreamscape starring Dennis Quaid and Kate Capshaw. I think even then I knew it was cheesy. It still fascinated me though because it was about entering the world of dreams. Twenty six years (!!??) later director Christopher Nolan recreated the complicated world of dreams again in Inception. I won't say that I understand everything that happened in the movie, and anyone who says they did is lying. However, Inception showed the cinematic possibilities of dreams through the potential from the creation of worlds and layering dreams that was all strung together with edge of your seat action. Leonardo DiCaprio leads an all star but under rated cast (Marion Cotilliard, in particular, was excellent and Ellen Page was not annoying per usual) into a world that brought me back to  Dreamscape and then kicked it up to another level. It was also the summer blockbuster that hopefully proved once and for all there is large audience potential for films that require thinking and intelligence.

8. The Meat is On- Lady Gaga didn't release any new music in 2010, but you couldn't escape songs from The Fame and The Fame Monster in the last year. And why would you want to escape them? While her lyrics often seemed simple anead d silly,  there was still something clever about them and something brilliant about her pop arrangements. She also singlehandedly made people care again about the nearly dead music videos with her creative and entertaining videos for Paparazzi, Bad Romance, and perhaps the best of them all, Telephone. During the summer, she launched what has to have been the biggest tour of the year. It was highly unusual for an artist who was so relatively new to fame to headline their own stadium tour and sell it out at almost every venue. During her time off from music and the road, Lady Gaga entertained me with her sometimes off the wall behavior, whether it was flipping the bird at photographers at a baseball game or wearing a dress made of meat at the VMAs. It was also a rare thing for someone of her caliber to embrace the gay community as she did. She raised money for gay chartities at every concert (while also making these charities a part of her show) and fought tirelessly for the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell and other gay issues. Perhaps Lady Gaga is given too much credit for being an original which she never really claimed to be. It is obvious the influence that other pop stars like Madonna and David Bowie have had on her as well as artists like Alexander McQueen and Leigh Bowery. But is anything truly original anymore? Regardless, 2010 was the year that Lady Gaga walked the fine line of over-exposure and was always fascinating and entertaining.

Finally, Part 5 will be coming soon with the end of a sure to be classic television show and a cultural shift in entertainment.