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Once, long ago, I posted on the internet as Studicus, an in-joke nickname related to a skit from high school. When I first started blogging, I called my year-end entries "Studicus Selects." The tradition has continued since 2005...although I skipped 2006 for some unknown reason.
You'll find past entries here (scroll down for the 2025 picks):
Best Howard, Rest in Peace Category. The lowest point of the year hit in August, when our beloved dog Howard suffered respiratory failure. We said goodbye to him on August 11, 2025, in what was the hardest day of the year. That little guy brought so much joy to our lives since we adopted him in 2019. He helped us get through the pandemic and was a constant source of amusement. He was so, so loved. I wrote a tribute/obituary for him about a week after he passed. You can read it here (there are lots of pictures).
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| Howard chills outside in June 2020 during the great pandemic |
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| We affectionately refer to him as a "little potato with legs" |
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| Louie's first favorite spot was a dog bed near the fireplace, but he's pretty much all-in on the couch |
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| We put a dog sofa on the couch; he takes lots of naps there |
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| If you haven't noticed, his default position is sleeping |
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| He warmed up to Anne first, but he's trusting me more with each passing day |
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| You'll notice he's wearing a collar, something Howard absolutely hated doing |
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| This was his first night home with us; you can tell he's a little apprehensive |
Best Willy, Northern Map Turtle Category. We have a repeat winner in Willy, our beloved northern map turtle. For the most part, Willy's had a pretty chill year, swimming around her tank and taking in some rays from her basking spot. We get her out for walkabouts. Howard tended to get all up in her business when she was out while Louie isn't sure what to think of her. Willy did try to jump out of her tank in late summer, leading us to think maybe she had some eggs late. However, scans showed she wasn't eggbound, so maybe she was just bored. She remains a crucial part of the household and a constant source of entertainment, like her brothers.
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| Willy in her basking spot |
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| Willy on one of her adventures outside the tank |
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| A nice shot of Willy in her tank |
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| For once, she doesn't look too put off by having her picture taken |
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| She climbed from the ramp to my foot, a sturdy foothold if there ever was one |
Best Car Purchase, Used Vehicle Category. Anne's 2014 Kia Forte was getting pretty long in the tooth, and she wanted something that sat up a little higher. After looking at a few different models from a few different companies, she decided on a Mazda CX-30. We ended up buying a used one from Enterprise Car Sales (it used to be a rental car) for a good price. We didn't have to haggle over the price and it was a painless transaction. The car drives well and we haven't had any problems so far. Since it has all-wheel drive, it's been nice for Anne to have in the winter months. We weren't convinced the Kia was going to make it through another winter season.
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| We closed the deal on the new car in May |
Biggest Heartbreak, Sports Category. It seems a lifetime ago that the Indiana Pacers, who currently hold the worst record in the NBA, made it to the NBA Finals and pushed the Oklahoma City Thunder to seven games. Each round of the playoffs included some improbable comeback that culminated in a clutch shot from Tyrese Haliburton. I dubbed these "The Four Miracles of Indiana" (you can read my take here). Unfortunately, it ended in heartbreak when Haliburton, struggling with a calf injury, tore his Achilles in the first quarter of Game Seven. I loved the run and the team, and I'll never forget how great of a ride it was.
Best Trip, Brown County Music Center Category. In October, Anne and I headed to Brown County to see Celtic Thunder, an Irish singing group. I expected them to perform a bunch of traditional Irish songs, and while they did indeed perform a few, their bread and butter seemed to be arrangements of pop music. Like, I didn't expect to hear Sting's "Fields of Gold" or "Now We Are Free" from Gladiator, but those were just a couple of the selections. My favorite part was downloading a YouTube Music playlist of Celtic Thunder songs to listen to on the way there and back. The venue, by the way, is very nice and I definitely want to go back.
Movies Year in Review. As I've done in recent years, I'll split my list of entertainment stuff into two sections: movies we saw at the theater and stuff we watched via streaming. Let's start with the movies first. As usual, there may be some spoilers.
Captain America: Brave New World. This certainly wasn't peak MCU, and I didn't expect it to pick up a bunch of plot threads from Edward Norton's The Incredible Hulk movie from 2008, but some of the action sequences were good and I like Anthony Mackie, so I'd give it a rewatch. It's still my least favorite MCU movie of the year.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps. I'm a sucker for sci-fi with a retrofuturistic vibe, and Fantastic Four scratched that itch. I loved all the leads and was glad to see someone finally do something right with Galactus in live action (he wasn't a giant cloud this time!). I could've used more of The Thing, I think, but Marvel's first family had great chemistry and the movie hinged on a terrific space chase sequence and a very big ending.
Thunderbolts*. Hands down my favorite MCU movie of the year, this was kind of a Suicide Squad-ish take on the cinematic universe. It ended up serving as a sequel of sorts to Black Widow, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Ant-Man & The Wasp, and The Avengers while also introducing a mega-powered hero played by Bill Pullman's son. Elaine Benes schemed a lot. The characters all went through some stuff. It's really great.
Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning. Henry Czerny is back to smarm as smarmily as anyone's every smarmed. This is the second part of Dead Reckoning, back when it was called Dead Reckoning Part One. Big stunts, high stakes, vengeful AIs, sacrifices, and Tom Cruise trying to kill himself? Check, check, check, check, and check.
Superman. The first movie of James Gunn's revamped DC superhero media universe had a simple but intimidating task: make a Superman movie starring a Superman that most people like. I think he succeeded with a pretty gonzo entry that pretty much throws the audience into the deep end. The world is already populated with superheroes (including a Green Lantern!), we've got interdimensional portals, a weird elemental man, and even a doggone kaiju! A great cast pulls it off, with Mr. Terrific being a real standout for me.
Jurassic World: Rebirth. Dinosaurs. Another island. Scarlett Johansson and Mahershala Ali are there. It's okay.
The Naked Gun. I'm convinced Liam Neeson is the only guy who could've pulled this off, giving a committed deadpan performance as the son of Leslie Nielsen's goofball cop Frank Drebin. A constant barrage of puns and visual gags make this imminently rewatchable. Anne can tell you I'm obsessed with this exchange:
Drebin: I wasn't thinking clearly. I was furious about the Janet Jackson Super Bowl.
The Chief: That was 20 years ago.
Drebin: Not to me.
F1 The Movie. To my surprise, this may be my favorite movie of the year. It's as formulaic as a formulaic sports movie gets, but Brad Pitt is great, the movie looks fantastic, and the score rocks. Seriously, I saw it twice in the theaters and rewatched it four times after getting the Blu-ray. I've used the score as writing music.
Tron: Ares. A Tron movie comes to theaters and bombs. Anyone surprised? It had some great visuals and a fantastic score, and I somehow didn't hate Jared Leto in this one. Still, I'm not sure that's enough to recommend it and fans of Tron: Legacy will be (rightfully) upset that the movie didn't pick up any of the dangling plot threads from its predecessor.
Nuremberg. A dramatization of the war crimes trial focused on Hermann Göring, this one includes terrific performances from Russell Crowe and Rami Malek. It's a potent reminder of the evil men can do and the lengths we must go to in order to make sure it doesn't happen again.
The Conjuring: Last Rites. They keep making these. The most notable thing about this one is that Anne and I saw it at a drive-in theater and modern cars simply don't like to have their radios switched on for long periods of time to listen to movie audio.
Anaconda. Jack Black, Paul Rudd, and Steve Zahn join Thandiwe Newton as high school friends who decide to remake the seminal 1997 schlock-fest Anaconda. The movie couldn't quite live up to the premise even though there were some enjoyable parts and a couple of laugh-out-loud moments. I will give it props for including a couple of big-time cameos.
Avatar: Fire and Ash. The Na'vi are back for another go-round on Pandora. I don't have great affection for the other Avatar movies, but I also don't hate them with the passion of a thousand suns. They remain visually breathtaking with a story that is both simple and ethereal. For me, the villains were the highlight of the movie, especially (as Anne called her) "The Crazy Fire Lady." Stephen Lang's resurrected Quaritch gets most of the movie's best lines.
Streaming Year in Review. Here's a look at some of the things we watched at home.
A House of Dynamite. Directed by Kathryn Bigelow, this potboiler follows the response to a nuclear weapons launch from multiple perspectives. It's tense and well-crafted. You'll either love or hate the ending.
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery. Detective Inspector Foghorn Leghorn returns to solve another unsolvable murder mystery involving a stacked cast. For me, the real standout is Josh O'Connor as a priest in crisis. Daniel Craig is excellent, of course, although he doesn't appear until about 50 minutes into the movie.
One Battle After Another. Paul Thomas Anderson's powerful film follows a former revolutionary who basically becomes a stoner before some of the forces he fought against come back to haunt him and his daughter years later. He must rekindle his revolutionary fire to save his daughter from a corrupt, vengeful commander. Tremendous performances from Leonard DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Benecio del Toro, and newcomer Chase Infiniti highlight the film.
Alien: Earth. In many ways, this one plays the hits from the Alien franchise. In others, it's completely different. I looked forward to new episodes every week. Of course, the real star of the show was Trypanohyncha ocellus (you know, Species 64--the eyeball octopus).
Andor, Season 2. Is this the best thing Star Wars has ever given us? It's certainly the most mature spinoff the franchise has ever offered. As a standalone show, I'd put it up there with any prestige drama from the last decade. Memorable characters, tremendous plotting, political intrigue, and gorgeous set design make for an unforgettable leadup to Rogue One.
Sinners. Vampires and music. It's interesting, but not really my thing. It looks gorgeous and features some great performances, costumes, and set designs. A lot of people like this movie more than I do.
Frankenstein. Guillermo del Toro's adaptation of the classic novel diverges considerably in some respects while also hewing very close to the source material in others. While it definitely has some "gooey" moments, the movie felt stripped of any true gothic horror. It looks great, though.
Mickey 17. Robert Pattinson plays a laborer who gets cloned every time he dies. As a member of a dangerous space expedition, he dies a lot. When two of his clones end up existing simultaneously, hijinks ensue. The class commentary is on the nose, but Mark Ruffalo is a hoot.
The Pitt. This one follows a Pittsburgh ER over a 15-hour shift. It's great. Noah Wyle returns to his ER roots by playing an emergency room surgeon packing some major emotional baggage. I think it's one of the best shows of the year.
Death by Lightning. This limited series from Netflix is based on the book Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard. It tells the story of James Garfield's accidental presidency and the assassin/madman who cut his term short. The worst of it? An assassin's bullet didn't kill Garfield--his doctors did by failing to adhere to the "newfangled" concept of sterilizing instruments and keeping a patient's wounds clean. I liked the show so much, I ended up reading the book.
John Candy: I Like Me. John Candy was too good for this world, a generous man with a big heart who only wanted to make people laugh. This documentary presents Candy as a fully-formed person. Does it mythologize him a bit? Perhaps. But for an actor and comedian so iconic to generations of fans, that's okay.
Lockerbie: A Search for Truth. Colin Firth plays a father desperate to understand the failings that led to the bombing of a commercial flight over the idyllic Scottish town of Lockerbie, killing 243 people and 16 crewmembers. His daughter was among those who died. The miniseries traces the investigation and the twisting path of priorities that led to "justice" for the victims and their families.
Chad Powers. Probably one of the stupidest shows of the year. With Glen Powell and Steve Zahn at the center of it, that's not necessarily a bad thing. The sports dramedy follows a college football burnout who reinvents himself with a questionable accent and equally questionable prosthetic nose as he leads a sad-sack college team to glory.
Predator: Killer of Killers. This animated movie set in the Predator universe is a connected anthology following warriors from three different eras who run afoul of the universe's most fearsome hunter. Some good atmosphere and likeable characters make it an enjoyable watch.
Stranger Things. The final season is here (we'll know soon if they stick the landing!). Packed with fun sci-fi and fantasy tropes, '80s nostalgia, and beloved characters, the Spielbergian vibe is strong with this show. After the first volume of season five came out, Anne and I rewatched the entire series. Let's just say the kids grew up fast, okay? It really is a great show.
Daredevil: Born Again. Is it a new series, a continuation of the old Netflix one, or a multiversal hybrid? Honestly, I'm not really sure. However, I'm thrilled to see Charlie Cox back as Matt Murdock/Daredevil and Vincent D'Onofrio back as Wilson Fisk/Kingpin. It doesn't quite reach the heights of Netflix's first and third seasons, but it's still pretty darn good.
Ironheart. This MCU show was better than I expected. Still not top-tier Marvel (it can't touch Daredevil, for example). At least fans finally got to see Mephisto.
Peacemaker, Season 2. Man, what a blast. John Cena is fantastic in the role and has a wonderful supporting cast. The show serves as a bridge between the old DCEU and the new DCU. The fact that the main character was completely oblivious to this season's big twist was hilarious. Can't wait to see what's next.
The American Revolution. Since it's a Ken Burns historical documentary, it's good by default. We should probably finish it.