(Nearly) Everything I Watched in 2020

I typically introduce my year-end pop culture retrospective by describing books/Broadway/movies/music/podcasts/television/etc. as healthy distractions from soul-sucking news cycles. During "these unprecedented times", escapist media consumption has evolved into holistic salvation.

Safely and successfully producing a full TV season (including our biggest project ever) during a pandemic already feels blur-like. My personal life does too! Having spent approximately 90% of 2020 alone in a studio apartment (a true Desmond Hume/white-collar prison-esque lifestyle), I've never been more grateful for wellness, healthcare heroes, New York City, and the insatiable passions that have helped keep me safe and sane.

Rather than rank my 2020 favorites (I'll likely do this for music shortly after MCCARTNEY III arrives), I simply wanted to document unparalleled viewing that I'd never want to replicate. I hope this extensive list (which excludes hundreds of hours of MSNBC COVID/election coverage, NBA "bubbleball", and countless livestreams/random YouTube concerts) helps you find something entertaining or therapeutic in the unpredictable year ahead.

Always down to share my hyperbolic, adverb-laden takes on Twitter (or in the comments).

PLEASE NOTE: Top picks are in bold / * = rewatch

MOVIES:

• *3:10 TO YUMA (2007)
• 8MM (1999)
• 10 YEARS (2011)
• 30 FOR 30: LANCE (2020)
• 30 FOR 30: LONG GONE SUMMER (2020)
• 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968)
• 7500 (2020)
• THE ACCOUNTANT (2016)
• AFTER HOURS (1985)
• ALTERED STATES (1980)
• AN AMERICAN PICKLE (2020)
• A.I. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (2001)
• THE ASSISTANT (2020)
• ATONEMENT (2007)
• *AUSTIN POWERS: INTERNATIONAL MAN OF MYSTERY (1997)
• BAD EDUCATION (2020)
• BATMAN (1989)
• BECOMING (2020)
• *THE BALLAD OF BUSTER SCRUGGS (2018)
• BEASTIE BOYS STORY (2020)
• THE BEACH BUM (2019)
• THE BEE GEES: HOW CAN YOU MEND A BROKEN HEART (2020)
• BETWEEN ME AND MY MIND (2019)
• BLAZE (2018)
• BLINDSPOTTING (2018)
• BOMBSHELL (2019)
• BORAT SUBSEQUENT MOVIEFILM (2020)
• *THE BRADY BUNCH MOVIE (1995)
• *A VERY BRADY SEQUEL (1996)
• *THE BIG LEBOWSKI (1998)
• BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG CITY (1988)
• BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN'S LETTER TO YOU (2020)
• BULLY. COWARD. VICTIM. THE STORY OF ROY COHN (2019)
• BROADCAST NEWS (1987)
• THE BODYGUARD (1992)
• BUFFALO '66 (1998)
• CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER (2011)
• CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER (2014)
• CAN'T HARDLY WAIT (1998)
• CAN'T STAND LOSING YOU: SURVIVING THE POLICE (2012)
• CLASS ACTION PARK (2020)
• CLICK (2006)
• *THE COLOR OF MONEY (1986)
• COMMANDO (1985)
• CONFESSIONS OF A DANGEROUS MIND (2002)
• THE CONVERSATION (1974)
• *CRAZY, STUPID, LOVE. (2011)
• CRIP CAMP: A DISABILITY REVOLUTION (2020)
• CRUEL INTENTIONS (1999)
• DA 5 BLOODS (2020)
• DAVID BYRNE'S AMERICAN UTOPIA (2020)
• DAZED AND CONFUSED (1993)
• DE PALMA (2015)
• DEN OF THIEVES (2018)
• THE DIRT (2019)
• DON'T LOOK BACK (1967)
• DONNIE BRASCO (1997)
• DRIVING MISS DAISY (1989)
• THE EAGLES: HELL FREEZES OVER (1994)
• EAGLES: FAREWELL 1 TOUR-LIVE FROM MELBOURNE (2005)
• EAGLES: LIVE FROM THE FORUM MMXVIII (2020)
• EMPIRE OF THE SUN (1987)
• ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK (1981)
• EVERYBODY WANTS SOME!! (2016)
• THE FAREWELL (2019)
• *FARGO (1996)
• FATAL ATTRACTION (1987)
• FOLKLORE: THE LONG POND STUDIO SESSIONS (2020)
• *FREQUENCY (2000)
• GALVESTON (2018)
• *GAME CHANGE (2012)
• GET ON UP (2014)
• GIMME SHELTER (1970)
• GOOD BOYS (2019)
• GOOD TIME (2017)
• *A HARD DAY'S NIGHT (1964)
• HAMILTON (2020)
• HAPPIEST SEASON (2020)
• HAVE A GOOD TRIP: ADVENTURES IN PSYCHEDELICS (2020)
• *HISTORY OF THE EAGLES (2013)
• *HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS (2000)
• THE HOAX (2006)
• HOMECOMING: A FILM BY BEYONCé (2019)
• HONEY BOY (2019)
• I AM GRETA (2020)
• *THE IDES OF MARCH (2011)
• I'M THINKING OF ENDING THINGS (2020)
• INHERENT VICE (2014)
• *INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS (2013)
• INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE (1994)
• INTERNAL AFFAIRS (1990)
• THE INVISIBLE MAN (2020)
• THE JESUS ROLLS (2019)
• *JUNO (2007)
• A KID FROM CONEY ISLAND (2019)
• THE KING OF STATEN ISLAND (2020)
• KILLER JOE (2011)
• KILLING THEM SOFTLY (2012)
• KURT COBAIN: MONTAGE OF HECK (2015)
• *LA LA LAND (2016)
• *THE LAST WALTZ (1978)
• LINDA RONSTANDT: THE SOUND OF MY VOICE (2019)
• THE LONG DUMB ROAD (2018)
• THE LONG GOODBYE (1973)
• LOST IN TRANSLATION (2003)
• THE LIGHTHOUSE (2019)
• LONG SHOT (2017)
• MA RAINEY'S BLACK BOTTOM (2020)
• MAGIC MIKE (2012)
• MALCOLM X (1992)
• MANK (2020)
• THE MASTER (2012)
• THE MONEY PIT (1986)
• MIDSOMMAR (2019)
• MISS AMERICANA (2020)
• MR. & MRS. SMITH (2005)
• *MUD (2012)
• MY LEFT FOOT (1989)
• NO DIRECTION HOME (2005)
• THE NOTEBOOK (2004)
• NOW MORE THAN EVER: THE HISTORY OF CHICAGO (2016)
• *OASIS: SUPERSONIC (2016)
• OBSERVE AND REPORT (2009)
• THE ONLY LIVING BOY IN NEW YORK (2017)
• OTHER MUSIC (2019)
• ONCE (2007)
• ONCE WE WERE BROTHERS: ROBBIE ROBERTSON AND THE BAND (2019)
• THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN (2020)
• THE OUTPOST (2020)
• THE OUTSIDERS (1983)
• PALM SPRINGS (2020)
• PAUL (2011)
• THE PEANUT BUTTER FALCON (2019)
• A PERFECT MURDER (1998)
• THE PLAYER (1992)
• POINT BREAK (1991)
• PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE (2019)
• PRETENDING I'M A SUPERMAN: THE TONY HAWK VIDEO GAME STORY (2020)
• PURPLE RAIN (1984)
• QUADROPHENIA (1979)
• QUANTUM OF SOLACE (2008)
• QUEEN & SLIM (2019)
• THE RACONTEURS - LIVE AT ELECTRIC LADY (2020)
• RICHARD JEWELL (2019)
• ROCK AND ROLL HIGH SCHOOL (1979)
• THE RUNAWAYS (2010)
• RUNNING ON EMPTY (1988)
• RUSHMORE (1998)
• SAFETY NOT GUARANTEED (2012)
• THE SECRET OF MY SUCCESS (1987)
• *A SERIOUS MAN (2009)
• SHE'S THE ONE (1996)
• SHOWBIZ KIDS (2020)
• SHUT UP AND PLAY THE HITS (2012)
• A SIMPLE FAVOR (2018)
• SINATRA: ALL OR NOTHING AT ALL (2015)
• SOUL (2020)
• SLING BLADE (1996)
• SNOWDEN (2016)
• SOMETHING WILD (1986)
• THE SONG REMAINS THE SAME (1976)
• SOUND OF METAL (2020)
• *SPY GAME (2001)
• STARSHIP TROOPERS (1997)
• *STEVE JOBS (2015)
• *STRANGER THAN FICTION (2006)
• THE SOCIAL DILEMMA (2020)
• *THE SOCIAL NETWORK (2010)
• TAKE SHELTER (2011)
• TEAM AMERICA: WORLD POLICE (2004)
• *THAT THING YOU DO! (1996)
• THELMA & LOUISE (1991)
• *THERE WILL BE BLOOD (2007)
• *THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR (1975)
• THUNDERBOLT AND LIGHTFOOT (1974)
• THE TWO KILLINGS OF SAM COOKE (2019)
• THE WAY BACK (2020)
• THE WAY I SEE IT (2020)
• TREES LOUNGE (1996)
• THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7 (2020)
• *TRUE GRIT (2010)
• TRUMBO (2015)
• U2 AT THE BBC (2009)
• *UNCUT GEMS (2019)
• UNDER THE GRAPEFRUIT TREE: THE CC SABATHIA STORY (2020)
• *V FOR VENDETTA (2005)
• WET HOT AMERICAN SUMMER (2001)
• WHAT IF (2013)
• WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME (2020)
• WHEN HARRY MET SALLY (1989)
• WONDER (2017)
• *THE WRESTLER (2008)
• YES, GOD, YES (2020)
• YOU'VE GOT MAIL (1998)
• ZZ TOP: THAT LITTLE OL' BAND FROM TEXAS (2019)

TELEVISION

• A TEACHER (2020)
• AFTER LIFE S2 (2020)
• AUSTIN CITY LIMITS: BILLIE EILISH (2020)
• BETTER CALL SAUL S5 (2020)
• *BLACK MIRROR: "San Junipero", "USS Callister", and "White Christmas" (2014-17)
• CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM S10 (2020)
• DAVE (2020)
• DENNIS WILSON: THE REAL BEACH BOY (2010)
• DON'T FUCK WITH CATS (2019)
• EUPHORIA: "Special Episode Part 1: Rue" (2020)
• FARGO S4 (2020)
• THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT (2020)
• THE FRESH PRINCE OF BEL-AIR REUNION (2020)
• GARTH BROOKS: THE ROAD I'M ON (2019)
• GET SHORTY S2-3 (2018-19)
• HIGH FIDELITY (2020)
• HOME GAME: "Calcio Storico" (2020)
• HOW TO WITH JOHN WILSON (2020)
• I AM NOT OKAY WITH THIS (2020)
• I MAY DESTROY YOU (2020)
• JEFFREY EPSTEIN: FILTHY RICH (2020)
• THE PLOT AGAINST AMERICA (2020)
• KIDDING S2 (2020)
• KILLER INSIDE: THE MIND OF AARON HERNANDEZ (2020)
• THE LAST DANCE (2020)
• LAST WEEK TONIGHT WITH JOHN OLIVER S7 (2020)
• LEGO MASTERS EP1 (2020)
• LET'S GO CRAZY: THE GRAMMY SALUTE TO PRINCE
• LOVECRAFT COUNTRY EP1-3 (2020)
• LOVE LIFE (2020)
• THE MANDALORIAN S1-2 (2019-20)
• MAN SEEKING WOMAN S1-3 (2015-17)
• MCMILLIONS (2020)
• MURDER ON MIDDLE BEACH (2020)
• THE MURDERS AT WHITE HOUSE FARM (2020)
• MY NEXT GUEST NEEDS NO INTRODUCTION WITH DAVID LETTERMAN S3 (2020)
• *NATHAN FOR YOU S1-4 (2013-17)
• THE NEW POPE (2020)
• NORMAL PEOPLE (2020)
• NYPD BLUE S1 (1993-94)
• THE OUTSIDER (2020)
• PATRIOT ACT WITH HASAN MINHAJ V6 (2020)
• PERRY MASON (2020)
• THE QUEEN'S GAMBIT (2020)
• REAL SPORTS WITH BRYANT GUMBEL S26 (2020)
• REAL TIME WITH BILL MAHER S18 (2020)
• SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE S45-46 (2019-20)
• SAVED BY THE BELL:"Pilot" (2020)
• SCHITT'S CREEK S1-6 (2015-20)
• SEARCH PARTY S3 (2020)
• SEX EDUCATION S2 (2020)
• SHARK TANK S11-12 (2020)
• THE SPY (2019)
• SOMEBODY FEED PHIL: "New York City" and "Chicago" (2018, 2020)
• SONG EXPLODER: "Dua Lipa", "Lin-Manuel Miranda", "The Killers, "R.E.M." (2020)
• TED LASSO (2020)
• TIGER KING (2020)
• *TRUE DETECTIVE S2 (2015)
• THE UNDOING (2020)
• UNORTHODOX (2020)
• THE WEST WING S6-7 (2004-06)
• THE WEST WING REUNION (2020)
• THE WIRE: "Middle Ground" (2004)

In addition to films and shows, I also dabbled in video games (for the first time in seven years!) and some light reading...

VIDEO GAMES (PS4)

• CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS COLD WAR (2020)
• CALL OF DUTY: MODERN WARFARE (2019)
• CALL OF DUTY: MODERN WARFARE 2 (2009)
• CALL OF DUTY: WWII (2017)
• GRAND THEFT AUTO V (2013)
• THE LAST OF US PART II (2020)
• NBA 2K20 (2019)
• RED DEAD REDEMPTION 2 (2018)
• SPIDER-MAN (2018)
• TONY HAWK PRO SKATER 1 + 2 (2020)
• UNCHARTED 4: A THIEF'S END (2016)

BOOKS:

• 50 YEARS OF ROLLING STONE: THE MUSIC, POLITICS, AND PEOPLE THAT SHAPED OUR CULTURE (2017)
• ALL THE PIECES MATTER: THE INSIDE STORY OF THE WIRE (Jonathan Abrams, 2018)
• BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN: THE STORIES BEHIND THE SONGS (Brian Hiatt, 2019)
• CHAOS: CHARLES MANSON, THE CIA, AND THE SECRET HISTORY OF THE SIXTIES (Tom O'Neill, 2019)
• I NEVER MET A STORY I DIDN'T LIKE (Todd Snider, 2014)
• THE PILLOWMAN (Martin McDonagh, 2003)
• SOUL LESSONS FROM THE WIZARD OF OZ (Michael Shevack, 2019)
• THE OFFICE: THE UNTOLD STORY OF THE GREATEST SITCOM OF THE 2000S: AN ORAL HISTORY (Andy Greene, 2020)
• THIS ISN'T HAPPENING: RADIOHEAD'S "KID A" AND THE BEGINNING OF THE 21ST CENTURY (Steven Hyden, 2020)