The 13th Annual and Possibly Final Review of the Year - 2018

Ben's 13th Annual
(and possibly final)
 Review of the Year

2018

Looking at the state of the world in 2018, it was a fairly shit year.  However on a personal level it was nae bad. I managed to hit all the goals I set out for myself.  It was a proper "gotta have the bad times to appreciate the good" year.  Some rubbish times were had but I feel these kind of years are the ones you remember rather than the years that are just average where nothing good or bad happens, the ones that just plateau, like 2015 was a bit of plateau and nobody ever talks about 2015.

The Good

SNOWY NEW YEAR 

Began the new year staying in wigwams in a snowy Crianlarich.  Doing the same for Hogmanay this year so hopefully it becomes a Winter Wonderland again... but then it all melts for getting home cause that shit aint fun to drive in.

TED

Right at the beginning of 2018 me and Clare welcomed Ted the rescue cat into our lives and it was the best decision we have ever made.  I've had cats growing up but was always a dog person.  Ted is a bit like a cat that is a dog so he's pretty swell in my book. He needs a bit of work on his gift giving though, cheers pal but a dead black bird isnae exactly at the top of my Amazon wishlist.

THE GHOST OF ME AND YOU

2018 has been enveloped with the production of the new short film I have written and directed - 'The Ghost of Me You'.  The crowdfunding campaign has been the most successful one I have been involved in - still didn't meet its goal though ya bunch of ingrates!  The main shoot in September was tough but thanks to a hardened cast and crew ready for anything we got 95% of it in the can, we reconvene in early January 2019 to shoot the final 5% in Edinburgh.  All going well I expect the film will be completed by summer 2019. Seriously though many, many thanks to everyone who worked on it and to all those who contributed and shared the crowdfunding campaign.  I can't wait to share it with you all.

GERMANY TRIP

Me, Clare, Alan & Laura Dewar took a trip to Berlin in July.  Mostly to see Pearl Jam and Guns N Roses live but we also had a right wee jaunt of Berlin and Leipzig and took in all it's offerings.  If the sound of a coked up Richard O' Brian lookalike demonstrating robots he built in a darkened basement whilst completely neglecting crowd health & safety laws sounds good time to you then I can't recommend a visit to Monster Cabinet enough.

DEBT ERASED

If you've been reading these review over the years from me you'll know that every year I talk about clearing my extensive credit card debt, well guess what?  2018 was the year I eventually cleared all my debt.  That's right I am now completely debt free!*

*Not including mortgage, phone contract, student loan, new heating system loan and small bike loan.

SKYE TRIP

The week after we completed the short film me and Clare took a wee trip to Skye to stay in a converted bus - The Magic Bus (check it out, it's on airbnb).  It was good to get back in touch with mother nature, to break free of civilization, see some beautiful Scottish scenery and shit in a compost toilet.

And last but not least Benji Webbe from the reggae-metal legendary band Skindred has a BBC show where he rehomes dogs is the kind of good news that 2018 needs:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0bs32wz/give-a-dog-a-home-series-1-episode-1

The Bad

RIP SCOTT HUTCHISON

I have been a huge fan of Frightened Rabbit since about 2008 and have seen them numerous time, often spotting Scott in the crowd checking out the support bands as a regular punter.  Never wanted to bother him but he was always super kind and friendly to those that approached him.  Been a struggle to listen to the band since his death but really need to get those records spinning again. 

BIKE STOLEN

So after all our burglary and and shed break-ins whilst living in town we thought we were free of it living in the country.  Sadly this wasn't the case as one early February morning I left the house to find my bike shed with its padlock broken off and the mountain bike purchased in 2015 stolen. Luckily the home insurance had it covered and was able to get an E-Bike which made commuting to work easier.  Still a bit uneasy about storing anything outside now and have taken extra security steps for the house so don't be trying it you bunch of burglaring bastards!

THE GLASGOW FIRE

Glasgow culture took a bit of a hit this year when a fire took out the College of art and frequent concert haunt the ABC.  Hopefully we will see both of them return at some point.

THE GENERAL FUCKING STATE OF THE WORLD 

There is a serious lack of empathy, kindness and general understanding in the world just now, not helped by most of our political leaders.  I have tried to remain positive, kind and friendly in the face of it all but some days it just ain't easy.


WHAT YOU ALL CAME FOR - THE TOP TEN LISTS!!

My Favourite 10 Films of 2018

10 - Roma

09 - The Old Man & The Gun

08 - Widows

07 - Avengers: Infinity War

06 - Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

05 - Calibre

04 - Spider-man: Into the Spider-verse

03 - Annihilation

02 - Hereditary

01 - The Shape of Water 

All UK film releases I saw in 2018 ranked:
https://boxd.it/1qqJ4

My Favourite 10 Television Series of 2018

10 - The Handmaid's Tale - Season 2

09 - The Terror - Season 1

08 - Westworld - Season 2

07 - Bodyguard - Season 1

06 - Maniac - Season 1

05 - Daredevil - Season 3

04 - Black Mirror - Season 4

03 - Better Call Saul - Season 4

02 - The Haunting of Hill House - Season 1

01 - Cobra Kai - Season 1

My Favourite 10 Albums of 2018

10 - Thrice - Palms

09 - Beach Slang - Everything Matters But No-One is Listening

08 - The Dirty Nil - Master Volume

07 - Brian Fallon - Sleepwalkers

06 - Trophy Eyes - The American Dream

05 - Marmozets - Knowing What You Know Now

04 - The Xcerts - Hold on to Your Heart

03 - Coheed and Cambria - Unheavenly Creatures

02 - A Perfect Circle - Eat the Elephant

01 - Spanish Love Songs - Schmaltz

Favourite Song of 2018

Concerts Attended in 2018 Ranked:

21 - Blood Command, Audio Glasgow - November 7^th

20 - The Interrupters – Glasgow Garage - November 26^th

19 – Skindred – Edinburgh Liquid Rooms – November 3rd

18 - The Front Bottoms – Barrowlands Glasgow - February 10th

17 - The Wonder Years – Glasgow Garage - April 14^th
16 - Idlewild - Summerhall Edinburgh - June 21st

15 - Brian Fallon – Glasgow ABC – February 22nd

14 – Less Than Jake/Reel Big Fish – Glasgow O2 Academy – November 15th

13 – The Marmozets – Edinburgh Liquid Rooms – February 12th

12 - Spanish Love Songs – Bannermans Edinburgh - November 27^th

11 - The Menzingers – SWG3 Glasgow, February 1st

10 - Rolling Stones – Murrayfield Edinburgh - June 9th

09 - At the Drive-In – Glasgow o2 Academy - March 15th

08 - Hell is For Heroes – Glasgow ABC - February 29th

07 – Andrew WK – Glasgow Garage – April 21st

06 - Guns N Roses – Leipzig Arena, Germany - July 7^th

05 - Coheed and Cambria – SWG3 Glasgow - October 10th

04 - A Perfect Circle – Glasgow O2 Academy - December 2^nd

03 - Frightened Rabbit – Liquid Rooms Edinburgh - March 12th

02 - The Gaslight Anthem – Barrowlands Glasgow - July 24th

01 - Pearl Jam – Berlin Waldbühne, Germany - July 5^th

General hopes and plans for 2019:

• To finally decorate the house we bought in 2017 and get that home cinema going.
• Get The Ghost of Me and You finished and hopefully get it seen around the world.
• A visit to Iceland in January and a visit to Poland in August are on the cards. 
• For Game of Thrones and the Disney Star Wars trilogy to reach a satisfying conclusion that will in no way inspire endless internet squabbling. 
• For Trump and Brexit to go the fuck away.

All the best for the new year and a very merry Christmas to all my friends but especially Chen.

Ben
xxx




PS

As you may have noticed from the title this review of the year is likely to be my last.  The reasons for this are numerous but it boils down to these reasons:

• 5 people read this.
• The internet isn't the warm welcoming place it used to be when I started these blogs back in 2005 on Myspace.  Folk are always either looking to troll or take offence at anything said and I can't really be bothered with it.
• Something I've said which isn't offensive now may be offensive in 10 years time and might cost me that job directing the big new Marvel film.
• If you're really interested in what I've been up to all year, maybe stop being a nosey parker internet bastard and lets go grab a pint eh?

I may return in 2019 (I do quite fancy doing a review of the 2010s), if enough good things happen next year to report on it may well be a possibility.