Shubbo chimes in with his picks:
While I still haven’t seen everything, I don’t think what’s left on the roster has any chance of cracking the top 10.  But still, things could change.

While films 2 through 9 are in no particular order, number one has remained my favorite all damn year.

SON OF RAMBOW - No other film this year left me this giddy.  I am a huge sucker for stories like these, and Garth Jennings does an amazing job at not only capturing childhood, but the magic of imagination and the power of films.  For some reason, you can only buy this DVD at Best Buy, but you can rent it on Netflix/Blockbuster.  It’s also the only movie I saw twice this year.

WALL-E

THE DARK KNIGHT

MILK - I may be biased because I find the story to be so damned important.  But it’s an incredibly moving, touching, and wonderful film.  I’ve never been a fan of Sean Penn, but he is glorious here.

O’HORTEN - I saw this with Andrew at AFI fest.  This little Norweigen comedy isn’t set to come out in the US until March, but I had to put it on here now.  I was hoping to laugh, but I never expected such a odd, side-splitting, and surreal film.

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE - One of the best experiences you can have in a theatre this year.  It demands to be seen with a crowd and on a big screen.  Danny Boyle is one my favorite directors, and he only solidifies that with this film.

THE VISITOR - Chances are you missed this little drama while it was out in…um…May?  It’s on DVD now.

GRAN TORINO - Get off my lawn you Hmong bastard.

THE WRESTLER

HELLBOY 2 - It was hard deciding on a tenth film for the list, but I figured something that was pure popcorn flick, blockbuster bliss needed to be on here.  Guillermo del Toro (another one of my favorite directors) really delivered.

Honorable Mentions:
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON - Character and story flaws hurt my opiion of the film in retrospect, but that’s not to say it isn’t worth watching.  Its consumate direction, production design, special effects, and performances make it a wonder to behold.
ENCOUNTERS AT THE END OF THE WORLD and RELIGIOUS - Two docs that got me in two very different ways.
THE TRANSPORTER 3 - My guilty pleasure of the year.
IN BRUGES
GOMORRAH
THE CHASER - This Korean action film will blow you away.  It is awesome.

Dishonorable Mentions:
THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES
REVOLUTIONARY ROAD

Don’t understand what all the fuss was about.  I mean, yeah, he was really good but otherwise it was just an average action film:
IRON MAN

Favorite performances:
Sean Penn - MILK
Robert Downey Jr. - TROPIC THUNDER
Mickey Rourke - THE WRESTLER
Penelope Cruz - VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA
Sally Hawkins and Eddie Marsan - HAPPY-GO-LUCKY
Heath Ledger - THE DARK KNIGHT
Frank Langella - FROST/NIXON

Most cantankerous director:
Mike Leigh - HAPPY-GO-LUCKY

Best impression of a water buffalo:
Pierce Brosnan - MAMMA MIA!

Most egregious use of wind:
DOUBT

Really?  That came out in 2008?  Seems like last year…:
CLOVERFIELD

You didn’t see it…did you?
CHOKE
BLINDNESS
THE VISITOR
SON OF RAMBOW

Checking in With TQ - who I go to whenever I have a TV trivia question:

Hmmm…..top 10s….

MOVIES:

Well obviously -

The Dark Knight - it just doesn’t get any better than this!
Sex & The City - what can I say they had me at “I just Poughkeepsied in my pants”
Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants 2 - I should be ashamed but I’m not

TV:

The Menatlist - I know its mainstream and popular but it’s still good. And Simon Baker is HOT!
Eli Stone - sure ABC just canceled it but that’s because ABC is stupid!
The N’s Student Body - it was a show about overweight teens trying to get healthy. Watching those kids overcome their challenges made all my suffering through Lalia Ali’s attempt at “hosting” totally worth it.
The Baby Borrowers - because watching teens trying to be parents is frickin’ hilarious.
I Know My Kid is a Star - now I should be ashamed. Really, really ashamed but ya know… sometimes the best TV is trash
Terminator: Sarah Conner Chronicles - murderous cyborgs & big guns… yeah I know- I’m easy
Oprah’s Big Give - because Oprah had this idea for a reality show that would do good, good things and the producers still found a way to make it trivial and back-stabby.

And what should be on the list but isn’t?

Harry Potter & the Half Blood Prince - what do you mean it got bumped to an 09 release date? If it had come out in November like it was supposed to it would totally be battling Dark Knight for the number one position.

A new Best Of 2008 list from contributor Disaster Don

Best Podcasts

They’re free, they’re not in a hurry, they’re the TiVo for those who love audio content — podcasts remained the most underrated and underused media in 2008. I still don’t understand why more folks are not listening to podcasts. Maybe they think they need an iPod to enjoy them?

Here were my favorite podcasts in 2008:

Late Night with Bill Mahr. I don’t own cable or HBO — but the audio from Bill Mahr’s broadcasts makes it to my laptop and keeps me laughing and thinking.

NPRs All Songs Considered — Live Concerts. Bob Boilen (sp?) recorded 2008 performances that expanded my musical interests and made me feel like I was much cooler than I am. I love that this podcast drops in a welcome video cast with live concerts from a “tiny desk” at NPR. Be sure and check out the Sam Phillips concert and also the audio from the Radiohead show from the Santa Barbara County Bowl.

Net @ Night. If you are curious about “web 2.0″ this cast serves it all up with sugar. Amber MacArthur and Leo Laporte are wonderful hosts and they get great guests.

Mac Break Weekly. A must for any Macintosh lover

Tiki Bar TV remained one of the most entertaining improv shows on the web. These actors will all need to detox some day.

“You Look Nice Today” consists of three guys talking about their teen years, current plans to make money, and their perspective on the Prius automobile. While they do this, they flood this cast with surprising and funny comments. Do not drive and listen to this cast.

Diggnation presents Alex and Kevin as they trot out the greatest hits of today’s Internet while they consume alcohol. I don’t know why this is so enchanting, but they have a massive audience.

This is almost the year that was so let’s hear from you as to what you thought the highs and lows were.

A few fast lists from me:

Movies

I have to tell you that my taste runs much more with the genre dogs and low budget packs. The Oscar contenders get their moments in the sun but so often they come out dressed in such promise they can’t help but fail in some way. Not to say I won’t go see them and at some point talk about them but for now I am perfectly happy to pop down my dough on something that has some chance of making me jump up in my seat and spill my popcorn. That said this year had a lot of super super hero fare, and much of of it was much better than fair. I skipped The Punisher - I will let others talk about it if they need to. I saw Hancock and it is not as bad as many thought and far worse than others did. As for The Spirit Frank Miller is going to be happy that Will Eisner has passed once he gives birth to this “adaptation”.