Well, we've reached the end of 2020. I'm not even quite sure what to say about the year as a whole that hasn't already been said by others. It's been isolating, draining, chaotic, and just plain weird. The passage of time has been weird, too- some things that feel like a month ago happened half a year ago, while other things that happened a few months ago feel like years ago.
We could talk about the weirdness of 2020 all day. But, despite the weirdness, and the suffering, there are still a lot of interesting and positive things that happened this year, too. Despite what we've been through, people and organizations the world over are still creating "best of" lists for the year 2020. Part of it may be obligation, but I think another part of it is an attempt at trying to finally reflect on such an incomprehensible year.
As any of you who know me are aware, I don't just like one thing. I couldn't write a post that only talks about the best movies or MMA fights, or only the most important news stories or unsung heroes. Because to me, all of these things are interesting and worth talking about. So, like I've done for 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019, here is my top everything list for 2020.
I hope you enjoy!
Note: For movies, I usually do an actor and actress of the year category for those who have had a great year as a whole. Considering that this year there weren't too many actors who had a chance to star in more than one movie, I skipped those categories for this year.
Other Note: Also for movies, I will talk about things
without SPOILERS unless otherwise noted. For the areas with spoilers, I
will add a warning and write that section in white text. To see those sections, all you have to do is highlight the text.
MOVIE: Bacurau (Nighthawk)
I’ve never seen a movie quite like this one. It’s a “weird western” that mixes a drama about rural poverty, a western, and sci-fi in a way that feels like a halfway point between realism and grindhouse. The base premise is that the fictional small, impoverished rural town of Bacurau has had some strange things happening to it. The residents, as well as former residents who only recently came to visit the town after the passing of one of its main matriarchs, try to figure out what is going on and how to fight back before they are all destroyed.
The first hour or so of the film is all about the town and the people therein. We are introduced to the town by the granddaughter of the deceased matriarch returning to Bacurau for her funeral, and we meet a lot of characters along the way. This includes a reformed gangster, a DJ who also functions as a sort of broadcaster for the town, a teacher, and a doctor who helps people when she’s sober, but goes into a rage whenever she drinks. Weird things happen toward the end of this first hour, but it’s mostly about getting to know the people in Bacurau.
After the first hour, everything starts moving at a faster pace. The mystery becomes more urgent as more and more worrying things start piling up. I won’t talk about spoiler-y specifics until the next paragraph, but it’s a high-adrenaline time that contains overt undertones of criticism for the way Americans view the rest of the world as their playground, and the people therein as less than them. It’s a sharp movie in every sense of the word, and one of my favorite international films in years.
[SPOILERS]The fact that Americans are people-hunting here is a powerful metaphor for the combination of entitlement and disregard many in the US unfortunately feel toward the rest of the world. What makes the execution great is in the details. The way most of them are aggrieved white collar workers, the way they thank God for giving them an “ethical” way to take out their frustrations, the way that one woman wants to have sex right after killing two elderly Bacurau residents, really showcases the dehumanizing colonist mindset these people have.
I also love that the way the villagers defeat these death tourists is through sticking together and fighting. No lone gun-slinging savior here, just solidarity in action. Not only does the town banding together stop the bad guys, but those who try flee or otherwise think only of themselves often meet with an unfortunate end. It’s a stark reminder that people are stronger together, dramatized through an intense and engaging movie that I won’t forget anytime soon.[SPOILERS]
COMEDY: Palm Springs
I’ve always liked Andy Samberg’s works. Behind their boyish silliness is a thoughtful and good-natured fun that usually works for me. Of course, some of his works are better than others, so I went into this movie excited, but still with tempered expectations. Luckily, those moderated expectations were blown away. This is not just my favorite comedy of 2020, but one of my favorite comedies in years.
This movie follows Andy Samberg in a Groundhog Day-style time loop on the day of a wedding. So far into the time loop he has lost count of how long it’s been, he spends a day getting to know Cristin Milioti, who played the titular mother in How I Met Your Mother. Samberg and Milioti’s characters are on the verge of something romantic when JK Simmons shows up with a crossbow, trying to murder Samberg. He tells Milioti not to follow him as he flees into a cave, but she follows anyway. Long story short, it leads to her getting caught in the time loop with Samberg.
From there, Samberg acts as a guide of sorts as she learns to cope with the situation. I’ll keep it spoiler-free for the rest of this paragraph and just say this is an incredibly fun rom com. A lot of its biggest laughs comes from the outrageous things that Samberg and Milioti know they can do without having to worry about any sort of consequences, since the day always resets. They’re also kept on their toes by the antics of Simmons for reasons that I won’t spoil in this paragraph. The performances from these three help elevate the already good writing to something truly memorable.
The movie is also quite thoughtful, however. [SPOILERS]JK Simmons is trying to kill Samberg because Samberg, during a drug-fueled binge, brought Simmons into the time loop. For most of the movie, Simmons- who has a loving wife and family- is pissed. Thus throughout the film Samberg, Milioti, and Simmons are trying to figure out different ways to cope. By the end, however, they’ve all found their peace. Simmons learns to value spending time with his family in the loop, while Samberg and Milioti find a way to escape (and Samberg to escape the metaphorical comfort he’s gotten used to) and become better people in the process. It’s a great end to a great movie.[SPOILER]
ANIMATED MOVIE: Soul
Like basically every movie lover, I love Pixar's ability to tell a good story. Next to Studio Ghibli, they stand as a shining example of how character driven stories, imaginative worlds, and earnest emotion can create stories that have something to offer viewers of all ages. Soul absolutely fits that mold. While I wouldn’t put the movie among my absolute favorites of theirs (Up, Toy Story 3, Coco), it’s still very good, and one of my favorite movies of the year.
If you haven’t already heard, the premise is that the main character, Joe Gardner, is a middle school music teacher who finally gets a shot at a big gig… then dies. Before going to the great beyond, he manages to become a mentor for new souls that have yet to experience the world. Of course, the mentee he gets is one that is so difficult that the likes of Mother Teresa, Carl Jung, Copernicus, and Muhammad Ali (among many others) have all given up on him. Joe has to deal with this soul while trying to see if there’s a way for him to return to his body.
While you can probably guess ahead of time what the message of the movie will be, how they get there is fun, creative, and heartfelt. When it comes to fiction, after all, it really is more about the journey than the destination, as there are only so many themes you can have in a story. The questions about passion and purpose serve as the heart of this film, but the execution is what makes it so good. It’s Pixar in their best form since Coco, and overall one of their best movies of the 2010s.
A quick note, however: there is debate among a lot of black viewers in the media sphere about whether or not it’s uncool that the first black Pixar lead spends most of his time in the movie not in his body. As someone who isn’t black I don’t really need to comment on that, so I won’t. I’ll just link a thoughtful article by a black writer that grapples with liking the movie while still recognizing its problems.
TV SHOW: Immigration Nation
This series does something kind of interesting- when you listen to interviews with the creators, you can tell they tried to give both critics of the immigration system (immigration lawyers, activists, immigrants themselves) and those who work for the immigration system a chance to share their side. In doing so, however, they often unintentionally succeed in showing the flaws of the immigration system better than if they’d consciously set out to undermine it.
There are countless times throughout the show when ICE employees are asked if what they do is morally reprehensible, and they shrug and say they’re just doing their job. Less constant but still common are times when these workers keep talking and reveal how little they care about the humanity of the immigrants they deal with. Other times, people who express concern for what they do in their jobs are clearly put on the backburner by ICE, and one even gets told on-camera by his boss to basically be more draconian in his enforcement of immigration policy. The old saying about giving someone enough rope to hang themselves with has never been more appropriate.
The way this show also interviews a variety of immigrants and lets them tell their stories is also tremendously powerful. As someone who is half Mexican and grew up in a predominantly Latino working class neighborhood, and therefore knew countless immigrants both documented and undocumented, this show had me in tears more than once. Sometimes ugly tears. At one point after watching an episode I had to go on a drive and reevaluate if I’m really doing what I can to help my immigrant loved ones out there.
To put it plainly, this is not a fun or comfortable show. But it’s an important one. It’s a powerful one. It’s one worth watching.
MMA PROSPECT: Miguel Baeza
Miguel Baeza, who has the awesome nickname Caramel Thunder, is a Peurto Rican fighter from Florida who competes in the welterweight division. Baeza strikes a good balance between crafty and entertaining. Since his win in June of 2019 in Dana White’s contender series against an opponent who came in eight pounds over the 170lbs welterweight limit, Baeza has won three fights. All of those fights, two of which took place in 2020, have ended by knockout or submission.
Miguel Baeza possesses a great arsenal. He has fast footwork, defensive head movement, incredible kicks, a strong one-two, and varies things up by sometimes going for body shots and takedowns. It’s a well-rounded arsenal that he has used to great success against his opponents in the UFC, including against aging legend Matt Brown in May of 2020.
Going forward, I’d love to see him further develop his left hand, especially his left hook. He has a decent one, but if he could get it to the strength and precision of his right hand, both of his hands would become serious threats for his opponents to worry about. I’d also love to see him use body shots and takedown attempts a little more often than he does. With all of that, as well as the reflexes and craftiness that comes with increased experience, he can become a real threat at welterweight.
MMA FIGHTER I'D LIKE TO SEE BOUNCE BACK:
Tony Ferguson
Tony Ferguson is one of my favorite MMA fighters of all time, so this was a tough one to see. I even wrote a post describing my five favorite moves of his, something I haven't done for any other fighters before.
Ferguson is creative, tough, and skilled in a variety of ways that I don't have the word space here to get into. He's used those traits to set a record for win streaks in the UFC lightweight division (the most stacked division in the entire sport) that is rivaled only by Khabib Nurmagomedov. Unfortunately, though, his performances this year (and the fact he's almost 37 years old) show that if he fought Khabib this year, he likely would've lost. We can only dream what a fight between them would've looked like in, say, 2017 or 2018.
The first fight he lost this year came against Justin Gaethje in an incredible showdown that itself could be a fight of the year contender. Gaethje started out strong, then for a moment started losing against Tony toward the second half of the second round, as his punches became more wild. His corner caught his mistake and made Gaethje stick to their gameplan, however, and Gaethje regained the momentum and went on to win the fight.
Then Tony fought Charles Oliveira. Oliveira was more technical than Tony, but also just as loose and fluid. Often Tony overwhelms more polished strikers by spamming them with volume and taking advantage of the openings he creates while they are on their backfoot and striking tepidly. Oliveira, though, did a good job of holding his own and getting creative while still remaining technically sound. On the ground Oliveira didn't do quite as much damage as the commentators made it sound like, but Tony still got outclassed. Other than his attempts at a buggy choke and a d'arce from on botom, he didn't have much.
As I said above, Tony is almost 37 years old, and he's taken a tremendous amount of damage in all the wars he's fought. He is, unfortunately, not the same fighter he was a couple years ago. Still, he has a lot of talent and heart. I don't know what his plans are for 2021 and beyond, but whatever they are, I hope he has a better year than 2020. Even if he only fights a couple more fights before retiring, I'd at least love to see him go out on a win.
MALE MMA FIGHTER: Kevin Holland
Usually this spot goes to a fighter with a championship, or even a fighter with a double-championship. But while Deiveson Figueiredo did a good job of capturing the flyweight crown this year, and had a fight of the year worthy bout with Brandon Moreno (in which there were no losers, only two winners), he missed weight in his initial title bout, and his fight with Moreno ended in a majority draw. He still has a lot to be proud of, but Holland fought five times this year, and won every single one.
Only a handful of fighters have ever fought five times in a year. Only two other fighters- Roger Huerta in 2007 and Neil Magny in 2014- have done so and won all their bouts. Yet Roger Huerta fought during a different era, in a time with lower quality of competition. In the modern era, only Magny rivals Holland's record. Yet in Magny's 2014 win streak, he finished only two of the five fights he won. Holland finished four of his five.
Make no mistake though, Holland isn't just getting knockouts from the power in his hands. A lot of people started talking about the physical gifts of Holland after knocking out Jacare Souza from such an unusual position. Of course, Holland is very physically gifted, but we shouldn't sell him short by acting like his physical gifts are the only thing that got him to the dance. Afterall, in his fight against Joaquin Buckley, he was clearly out-gunned in the power department.
Holland is a modern MMA fighter in the best way. He takes pieces of what works from various styles (especially striking styles) and blends them into a great game. He mixes in a lot of Thai style knees and elbows, both out in the open and from the clinch. He has the front snap kicks and side kicks, as well as in and out movement, of karate. He also does a tremendous job feinting, including hip feints the way Lyoto Machida and Israel Adesanya like to do, where they twist their hips to make it look like they're about to kick.
He still has some growing to do (especially in his grappling), but for where he's at, he's doing a fantastic job. I like not only his fight style, but also the way he playfully talks in the cage. He's great fun to watch. I look forward to see him continue to mix entertainment and fight craft in a way that can excite casual fans and fight science nerds like me in equal measure.
FEMALE MMA FIGHTER: Valentina Schevchenko
Unfortunately, not a lot of high-profile female fighters got a chance to shine this year as a whole. While a lot of women had some great fights, not a lot had the chance to put on any particularly long win streaks or break any noteworthy championship records. Only one female champion fought more than once in 2020, and not many women who weren't champions who broke any particular records. So Shevchenko sort of wins by default.
And yet, at the same time, it's not by default. Shevchenko did look outstanding this year (as did Amanda Nunes, who would've been in contention for this spot if she'd fought more than once in 2020). Shevchenko has crisp strikes, chains them together well, is light on her feet, has a good eye for when to counter, and mixes in takedowns with her striking quite well. She is a complete fighter who has the respect of the MMA world for a reason. While she often throws flashy attacks (and sometimes, like her spinning wheel kick against Katlyn Chookagian, actually lands 'em), it's these fundamental qualities that wins her fights.
It's impressive how Shevchenko has been on top of the division
since she won the title back in December of 2018. She does so many
things well in such a fundamental way that there isn't much to say, but
there's a lot to celebrate. People say the women's flyweight division is thin, but that's only because she's cleared it out.
It'll be interesting to see who rises in the division against her in
2021. Hopefully, for the sake of the sport, they can pose a real
challenge to Shevchenko so we can see it become more competitive.
MMA FIGHT: Weili Zhang vs Joanna Jedrzejckyk
While there were not too many women who had a great 2020 as a whole, there were plenty who put on amazing performances. Among fights of all genders and weight classes, Weili vs Joanna in particular stand out from the pack. Of course, Deiveson Figueiredo and Brandon Moreno did too. To me, both fights are of about the same quality. However, since Weili vs Joanna happened earlier in the year (and therefore is more out of the MMA world's mind than Deiveson vs Brandon), I figured I'd choose their bout to return some attention to it.
This fight is a beautiful demonstration of how far MMA fight science has come. A decade ago, there was usually a clear delineation between fun fights vs technical fights. In the modern era, however, fighting technique and strategy are so sophisticated that there is a lot one can learn even from wild, high-octane fights. This fight is one that anyone of any background can appreciate.
Joanna came in with great muay thai fundamentals, threw to the body often, had great knees, and overall showed the well-rounded technical ferocity she is known for. Weili, for her part, did a great job of feinting, throwing inside leg kicks, crashing in on Joanna's kicks with her
strong right hand, and did a good job of entering and exiting on different lines of attack. These different tool sets of each fighter, mixed with their incredible tenacity, created a fight for the ages.
A big variable in the fight was Weili's right hand. When she threw it straight she often landed, while when she threw it as a wild power punch it usually missed. Throughout the fight she often switched between the two ways of throwing. When she threw the right hand straight and mixed it in with her feints and inside kicks, she did the most effective damage of the entire fight.
I can't wait to see what Weili does next. Unlike Valentina Shevchenko, Weili is looking at a pretty competitive division in front of her. For Joanna, I'd love to see her bounce back. She's an amazing fighter and trailblazer for the division. I imagine
these women will fight again at some point in the future. While it
would be unfair to expect a fight this incredible next time out, I do
have confidence it'll at least be a good one.
SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY: Humans Reaching the Americas
The old story about how people came to the western hemisphere was that they crossed the Bering land bridge from Siberia something like 15,000-ish years ago. That was because the only evidence we had before of human settlement only went back that far. New archaeological evidence found in Mexico, however, shows that human beings have been in this hemisphere for as long as 32,000 years. During that time the Bering land bridge couldn’t be crossed, meaning they got here through different means. The leading hypothesis right now is by boat.
That’s what’s great about science. Instead of settling for what we have now, it’s always trying to improve our understanding of the world by searching for new evidence and updating itself with that new evidence. Of course, it’s not perfect, and especially when it isn’t guided by a desire to benefit humanity as a whole. But here’s an example of science helping us understand more about ourselves and where we come from, to ask questions that allow us to figure out things about who we are that we couldn’t answer as accurately as before.
SCIENTIFIC ACHIEVEMENT: Deep Asteroid Rocks
Okay, yes, this is basically the runner-up award for scientific achievement, as the covid vaccine is obviously number one. Shout out to the people who developed it. I am deeply grateful that they have created something that will hopefully get life back to normal by the end of 2021.
That said, everyone around the world is grateful to them, so I figured this would be a good spot to shine a light on another achievement. There were, despite the horrors of 2020, actually a lot of contenders for this spot. But, as someone who as a kid had a poster of the planets on his wall and loved thinking about outer space (especially after watching Power Rangers in space, one of little David’s favorite iterations of his favorite show), I must go with this one.
Going to an asteroid and getting space rocks is nothing new. What is new is what JAXA (the Japanese version of NASA) did on December 6th with the Hayabusa2 asteroid explorer. On the Ryugu asteroid, they blasted a 33-foot crater and retrieved what they found inside. This is the first time in human history that we’ve ever gotten a sample of asteroid material from below the surface. Many astronomers believe the Ryugu asteroid is as old as the solar system, and that they contents inside may even give us clues about the origin of life in our little corner of the galaxy.
ACTUAL NEWS STORY: Covid
Usually I present my bullshit news story pick before my real news story pick, but you'll see why I changed it up this year in a moment.
Anywa, this year was defined by a virus. A virus that, while not particularly deadly as a percentage of who it kills, is wildly deadly in terms of how many people it kills in raw numbers due to how ridiculously contagious it is. What the virus really did, however, was expose a number of faults in how our system is structured. Yes, the Trump administration is run by a bunch of oafish grifters who couldn't be trusted to fix a cold outbreak at an elementary school. That said, the pandemic hit the entire world hard, and I think a lot of Democrats unfairly blame Trump entirely. Which, again, he was a miserable failure, he definitely deserves blame- but I also believe our problems go a little deeper.
A lot of other industrialized countries, while not over the virus, at least have it under control to an extent. As of writing this, the United States is absolutely not one of those countries. While other countries are struggling with covid because of u