• THE BEST OF 2009 (SO FAR): The Top 10 Sneakers
• THE BEST OF 2009 (SO FAR): The Top 10 Albums
• THE BEST OF 2009 (SO FAR): Style Essentials
• THE BEST OF 2009 (SO FAR): The Top 10 Video Games
• THE BEST OF 2009 (SO FAR): The Top 10 Movies

Blow the whistle—it’s halftime in 2009! All week long we’ve been listing our favorite things that floated into the Complex universe in the past six months. We already gave you our picks for the best sneakers, albums, style essentials, and video games; now, we close the week out with The Top 10 Movies. Fortunately movies haven’t sucked like rap has, so we had to really think about what deserved a spot and how it measured up to the rest. What we were left with is a legit list of must-see, worth-the-price-of-admission flicks (or at least the time it takes to download them illegally). Action, comedy, drama, romance, horror, sci-fi, sports, animation, documentary, blockbuster, indie—we’ve got it all. Find out which flick took the top spot and why as we count it down. As always, let us know if you have bad taste and disagree.


#10: Observe and Report

DIRECTOR: Jody Hill

STARS: Seth Rogen, Anna Faris, Ray Liotta, Michael Peña, Jesse Plemons

PLOT: Bipolar and professionally impotent mall cop Ronnie Barnhardt (Rogen) competes with real police to catch a flasher who’s throwing his junk around the shopping center parking lot.

THE COMPLEX CO-SIGN: After playing several harmless, well-intentioned slackers, Rogen goes to the comedic dark side like Travis Bickle with the jokey-jokes. Date rape has never been so funny! (Hey, we didn’t make it #1.)

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#9: Sugar

DIRECTORS: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck

STARS: Algenis Perez Soto, Rayniel Rufino

PLOT: Recruited to play in the U.S. minor leagues, Dominican pitching phenom Miguel “Sugar” Santos (Perez Soto) struggles with culture shock, competition, and his own drive as he attempts to go pro and pull his family out of poverty.

THE COMPLEX CO-SIGN: With all the baseball movies out there, this is the first we’ve seen that explores the plight of players trying to make it out of developing-world slums. On-field performance aside, do you have any idea how fucking hard it is to find a chick in Iowa who can cook arroz con frijoles y pollo and dance merengue? Fuck a curveball—Sugar hurls heat at your head!

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#8: Adventureland

DIRECTOR: Greg Mottola

STARS: Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader

PLOT: High school grad James Brennan (Eisenberg) learns about life and love while reluctantly working at a rundown amusement park to help pay for college.

THE COMPLEX CO-SIGN: We haven’t experienced a theme park coming of age this good since we got dome on a carousel for the first time.

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#7: I Love You, Man

DIRECTOR: John Hamburg

STARS: Paul Rudd, Jason Segel, Rashida Jones, Jaime Pressley, Jon Favreau, Andy Samberg

PLOT: Peter Klaven (Rudd), a man so disturbingly pussy-whipped that he never took time out to develop male friendships, goes on a series of man-dates to find a Best Man for his wedding.

THE COMPLEX CO-SIGN: Rudd and Segel are two halves of the best bromance ever that doesn’t involve Brody Jenner and/or anal penetration in a tent on a mountain.

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#6: Tyson

DIRECTOR: James Toback

STARS: Mike Tyson

PLOT: Tyson talks about his wild life experiences, from first-round knockouts and fortune to ear-biting and face tats, as each memorable moment is revisited in archival footage and photographs.

THE COMPLEX CO-SIGN: Iron Mike is the only person who knows what the hell is going on inside his head. You may still not fully understand even after he speaks on it, but it’s without a doubt his most convincing knockout in years.

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CLICK NEXT TO SEE THE TOP 5 MOVIES OF 2009 SO FAR!

The Top 10 Sneakers? Check. The Top 10 Albums? Done. The Top 10 Style Essentials? You already know. Today, we continue our Best of 2009 (so far) series by turning our spotlight on the industry that’s sending a big “eff-you” to the recession. Yup, no matter the state of the economy, video games are still moving big units. (Really, is there a better way to escape our crazy world than ensconcing yourself on a couch and button-mashing the pain away?) This year has seen the return of some all-time classics along with a couple Sony exclusives that almost (almost) make the PS3 worth it. Find out what games we picked and why in the countdown below…

#10: Guitar Hero: Metallica

GENRE: Music

DEVELOPER/PUBLISHER/PLATFORMS: Neversoft/Activision/360, PS3, Wii, PS2

RELEASE DATE: March 29

THE COMPLEX CO-SIGN: Guitar Hero (and Rock Band) are like the boat shoes of the video-game world: While we’re getting sick of the whole phenomenon (and the countless versions of them), we can’t deny their sheer ubiquity—or when they’re executed totally right, like GH: Metallica. To rock out in a rock game, you need a proper rock band, not fucking Cheap Trick or Sum 41. Metallica’s catalog is tailor-made for the GH experience, and while it’s not an ambitious title, GH: Metallica delivers what it promises.

[CLICK HERE TO BUY THE GAME!]

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#9: Skate 2

GENRE: Skateboarding

DEVELOPER/PUBLISHER/PLATFORMS:
EA Black Box/Electronic Arts/360, PS3

RELEASE DATE: January 21

THE COMPLEX CO-SIGN: There’s a reason that Tony Hawk’s is trying to, uh, hawk a new plastic skateboard peripheral for his upcoming game. Why? Because with its latest edition, EA’s Skate franchise has passed the veritable Tony Hawk series in terms of fun and overall experience. Really, there’s not much more to say than that Skate 2 is the best next-gen skateboarding game you can buy, with a great intuitive control system and a cool online component. As for that new Tony Hawk game? There’s a reason why Madden sucks on the Wii—we enjoy playing it strictly as a video game, not as an awkward approximation of real life. Take note.

[CLICK HERE TO BUY THE GAME!]

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#8: Resistance: Retribution

GENRE: Third-person shooter

DEVELOPER/PUBLISHER/PLATFORMS:
Sony Bend/SCEA/PSP

RELEASE DATE: March 17

THE COMPLEX CO-SIGN: And sometimes, you just want to shoot a muthafucka. Resistance: Retribution is a great shoot-’em-up on the PSP that plays (nearly) as well as its console version, with simple controls, a good storyline, and highly addictive gameplay. Best yet is the game’s multiplayer mode, which includes the ability to taunt the enemies you’ve merked out. And man, do we love taunting. Pick up and play this one—there really ain’t much more to it.

[CLICK HERE TO BUY THE GAME!]

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#7: MLB ‘09: The Show

GENRE: Baseball

DEVELOPER/PUBLISHER/PLATFORMS:
SCEA/SCEA/PS3, PS2, PSP

RELEASE DATE: March 3

THE COMPLEX CO-SIGN: They don’t make baseball games like they used to, but at least we have MLB 09: The Show, by far the best one out now. Like soccer titles (and unlike Madden and the NBA games), MLB 09: The Show is geared more toward the hardcore fan than the casual one. That doesn’t mean you have to be a hardball freak (ayo!) to appreciate The Show, but the game’s deep career and franchise modes—two of its strong points—will really only appeal to the true stat nerds. Which is OK, ’cause we’re stat nerds at heart. Everything here is better than last year, with the addition of more boneheaded errors to reflect Luis Castillo reality. All that, and those Dustin Pedroia ads are pretty damn good, too.

[CLICK HERE TO BUY THE GAME!]

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#6: Punch-Out!!

GENRE: Boxing

DEVELOPER/PUBLISHER/PLATFORMS:
Next Level Games/Nintendo/Wii

RELEASE DATE: May 18

THE COMPLEX CO-SIGN: It’s a three-word sell: “Punch-Out!! for Wii.” Easy enough, right? Lack of online kinda sucks, but other than that, it’s the perfect remake: It retains enough of the O.G. title for nostalgia’s sake but features enough upgrades and tweaks to make it feel fresh.

[CLICK HERE TO BUY THE GAME!]

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CLICK NEXT TO SEE OUR TOP FIVE VIDEO GAMES OF 2009 (SO FAR)!

#10: Röyksopp Junior

The Complex Co-Sign: The third album from this Norwegian duo strikes the perfect balance between dark techno experimentation and the light, Scandanavian electro pop of Lykke Li and Robyn, both of who appear on Junior.

Key Tracks:
“Happy Up Here”

“Vision One”

[CLICK HERE TO BUY THE MP3 ALBUM FOR $8.99]
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#9: Lee Fields & The Expressions My World

The Complex Co-Sign: Remember neo-soul? Ha! Neither do we. Fuck a Soulchild, Lee Fields is the real deal—this forgotten ’70s singer got rediscovered by Aloe Blacc and Truth & Soul Records, who put out this stellar album of new material that showcases Fields’ amazing voice.

Key Tracks:
“My World Is Empty Without You”

“My World”

[CLICK HERE TO BUY THE MP3 ALBUM FOR $7.99]
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#8: Yeah Yeah Yeahs It’s Blitz!

The Complex Co-Sign: After two albums of well-received noisy guitar rock, Yeah Yeah Yeahs abandoned their signature sound in favor of the infamous synthesizer. The rock equivalent of MJ leaving basketball for baseball, if you will. The no guitars rule worked out though and YYYs produced another banger, that was easier to dance to than their other material.

Key Tracks:
“Heads Will Roll”

“Zero”

[CLICK HERE TO BUY THE MP3 ALBUM FOR $8.99]
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#7: Eminem Relapse

The Complex Co-Sign: True, Eminem’s comeback album could have been better (a lead single like “We Made You” is just insulting at this point), but it also could have been waaaay worse. Marshall returned to the serial killin’ mindframe to prove his spit-game is still vicious, and he succeeds, even if the album sounds more like a warm-up than a focused effort. Welcome back, buddy.

Key Tracks:
“Hello”

“Underground”

[CLICK HERE TO BUY THE MP3 ALBUM FOR $8.99]
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#6: Phoenix Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

The Complex Co-Sign: Even your friends who aren’t into all the weirdo indie shit you listen to will love this album. In fact, they probably will in about six months. WAP has enough pop sheen for the mainstream listener and still manages to hold onto its edgy indie cred. But beyond the pretentious labels, it’s just an album chock full of good songs. That’s all that matters anyway, right?

Key Tracks:
“1901″

“Lisztomania”

[CLICK HERE TO BUY THE MP3 ALBUM FOR $8.49]
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#5: DJ Quik & Kurupt BlaQKout

The Complex Co-Sign: These two West Coast legends joined forces to create a hip-hop album so focused and fresh that it puts all their over-30 peers to shame. The combination of Quik’s creative samples and way-too-fonky drums with Kurupt’s brash, rapid-fire lyricism make BlaQKout the perfect Beach soundtrack this summer.

Key Tracks:
“Ohh!”

“Do You Know”

[CLICK HERE TO BUY THE MP3 ALBUM FOR $9.49]
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#4: Animal Collective Merriweather Post Pavilion

The Complex Co-Sign: It sucks that Merriweather Post Pavilion will be labeled as AC’s “sellout” record, because despite how many people discovered them this go ’round, there’s nothing conventional about it. Turning trippy instrumentation and occasionally incoherent lyrics into an accessible pop package is no small task. We salute these guys.

Key Tracks:
“My Girls”

“Daily Routine”

[CLICK HERE TO BUY THE MP3 ALBUM FOR $8.99]
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#3: Drake So Far Gone

The Complex Co-Sign: We’re not sure what it says about the state of rap when the hottest album of the year is actually a mixtape, but nevermind that—when it comes to Drake, Complex definitely believes the hype. The career-defining So Far Gone proves that Drizzy has the punchlines to compete with the real rappers and the pop sensibility to beat the R&B singers at their own game.

Key Tracks:
“Best I Ever Had”

“Uptown” (featuring Lil’ Wayne & Bun B)

[CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE MIXTAPE]

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#2: Major Lazer Guns Don’t Kill People, Lazers Do

The Complex Co-Sign: When we heard that the two white boys behind M.I.A.’s hits had moved to Jamaica to make a reggae album, we were a little concerned. Luckily, Diplo and Switch come through with a dope dancehall LP that doesn’t fake the funk at all. By adding electro touches to classic reggae formulas and recruiting some big Jamaican names to contribute vocals, they manage to stay true to the culture while still putting their own spin on it.

Key Tracks:
“Hold The Line” (featuring Santigold & Mr. Lex)

“Can’t Stop Now” (featuring Mr. Vegas & Jovi Rockwell)

[CLICK HERE TO BUY THE MP3 ALBUM FOR $9.49]
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#1: The-Dream Love Vs. Money

The Complex Co-Sign: The best album of the year (so far) comes from pop’s current golden boy Terius Nash. Remember when Kanye said Dream was the only person making better music than him? Yeah, he wasn’t lying. The singer-songwriter’s 2007 debut is already an R&B classic, and the follow-up tops it. Backed by synth, snap and 808 beats, Dream’s quirky, slang-filled songwriting just keeps getting better. His creative father R. Kelly would be proud.

Key Tracks:
“Walkin’ On The Moon” (featuring Kanye West)

“Love Vs. Money Part II”

[CLICK HERE TO BUY THE MP3 ALBUM FOR $11.49]
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In order to get a grasp on what’s been happening in the first half of 2009, Complex will be dropping a different top 10 list each day this week, cataloging the best of the year in fashion, music, video games and movies. To kick things off, our editors picked The 10 Best Sneaker Drops of 2009 (So Far). Read on to see the list and find out what order we ranked them in. If you don’t agree with our choices, check out www.blogspot.com and start your own blog to let the world know what you think. Or, just leave a comment to let us know your picks…

#10:

SNEAKER: COMMON PROJECTS SAFARI BOOT
RELEASE: JANUARY+
• Common Projects isn’t new, and neither is the Safari Boot, but the brand has been picking up steam and it’s hitting hard in ‘09. If you can afford it, stockpile the myriad of materials that CP is bringing this year.

#9:

SNEAKER: AIR JORDAN V TORO BRAVO PACK
RELEASE: MAY
• Mess with the Bulls, you’re gonna get the h…two pairs of Fives! One all-black 3M, one red suede. The weed dealer that lives in the apartment below you has these, so know these are solid and get a dope hood pass.

#8:

SNEAKER: COMMONWEALTH X REEBOK PUMP OMNI LITE
RELEASE: JUNE
• These technically haven’t dropped yet (another week or so), but Omar and his crew did such sick job re-interpreting the shop’s first Pump, and these are even better.

#7

SNEAKER: VANS X KICKS/HI “3 Feet High” Half Cab
RELEASE: JUNE
• Hawaii is a hell of a place, and these sneakers boil it all down for you. Simple, relaxed, whatever you like. Perf suede = banger.

#6:

SNEAKER: NEW BALANCE MT580 GORE-TEX
RELEASE MONTH: MARCH
• The MT580 was a highly anticipated silhouette that we finally got to U.S. shores in late 2008. Since it’s appeared at American retail, it’s only gotten better, and this GORE-TEX version took it up another notch.

#5:

SNEAKER: NIKE DUNK HIGH NYLON
RELEASE: JANUARY+
• There is a certain magazine that just killed it with a signature version of these, and the nylon Dunks should be one of your top acquisitions from late ‘08 up until now (they’ve released about 10 versions so far). If you’ve missed, there is still hope – a few colorways are set to drop for Fall so stay tuned.

#4:

SNEAKER: SUPRA TK SOCIETY
RELEASE: MAY
• Terry Kennedy stays killing it, and the Society comes in as one of the top sneakers for the first half of ‘09. Yeezy killers? Kennedy thinks so.

#3:

SNEAKER(s): CONVERSE SKATEBOARDING (CTS)
RELEASE: JANUARY+
• The best thing Converse ever did was make the Chuck comfortable. With the new colorways of this coming for fall, rest assured that you will be plunking down the $55 at some point in the next 12 months.

#2:

SNEAKER: adidas CONSORTIUM 3-WAY NIZZA HIGH
RELEASE: MAY
• We first saw dope jersey material on adidas’ collaboration with VA from the A to ZX series, and these take it to the next level. It took four shops (DQM, HUF, Goodfoot, and UNDFTD) to come up with these bangers, but it’s hands down one of the best collabs of the first half of the year.

#1:

SNEAKER: NIKE AIR YEEZY
RELEASE: MAY-JUNE
• We’ve never heard of these, but they look cool! Hate it or love it, but there hasn’t been another sneaker with as much hype, news, and lining up as Kanye’s signature release. #1, no matter what you have to say about it.