The BBC Best of 2007

Bill Baren

Movies

  • Last Mimzy - my favorite film of the year; a kids film perfect for adults wanting recapture the magic of infinite possibilities

  • Once - beautiful love story; a great non-hollywood musical

  • Black Book - this isn't just another WWII movie, the characters are complex, the acting superb and the plot has unexpected turns

  • Ratatouille - a feel-good movie that awakens the faith that if we just follow what we love, life miraculously conspires to make you happy

  • Beowulf - Amazing 3-D Experience, you are part of the movie and not just a person watching it

  • Bridge to Terabithia - a delightful made-for-children and wonderful-for-adults fantasy film that poignantly addresses the power of positive thinking, imagination and pursuing what we love; the film is tender and hopeful

  • Lives of Others - a flawless political thriller and personal drama

  • No Country for Old Men - intense, great acting & simply different; Coen brothers are back

  • Tsotsi - emotionally complicated look at the South African ghetto's

  • Illusionist - nothing is as it appears - the perfect analogy for our world

Books

  • Heat by Bill Buford - one of the best books on food I've ever read; it was also a reminder that we can totally transform through total immersion in new and unfamiliar worlds
  • The Search for Bridey Murphy by Morey Bernstein - one amateur hypnotist's experiences with clients and their stories of past lives
  • Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach - inspirational story about a seagull's quest for higher meaning
  • A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini - a stunning and moving novel of life and love in Afghanistan
  • Stones from the River by Ursula Hegl - an absorbing novel that centers around a dwarf and the power of her storytelling
  • The Amethysts by Frank Delaney - a gripping murder mystery thriller
  • Zahir by Paolo Cuolho - a novel of many questions and few answers; and that's what I like about it
  • Oh, the Places You'll Go! by Dr. Suess - pure joy; need I say more
  • The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss - any book that challenges our long-held assumptions gets my thumbs-up
  • Einstein: His Life and Universe by Walter Isaacson - brilliant book about a brilliant man

Music

  • Hey There Delilah by Plain White T's - try to get this one out of your head
  • Somewhere over the Rainbow by Brother IZ - the sweetest, most-heartfelt version of a beautiful song
  • Once Soundtrack - the music makes the movie an independent film classic
  • Train by Sonya Kitchell - wonderful acoustic folksy blues
  • Cat Power - You are Free CD - an eclectic indie folk legend at her finest
  • DJ Tiesto - Elements of Life CD - trance at its spiritual best
  • Regina Spector - I seem to like anything she touches
  • Ratatat CD - best instrumental discovery of the year (thanks Adrian!)
  • Gloomy Sunday - I loved this song so much, I downloaded this song from a dozen different artists - Heather Nova, Elvis Costello & Kronos Quartet are the faves
  • Feelin' Good by Michael Buble - the song makes me feel good - EVERY time

Kris Carey

Movies

*Caveat – not all of these were released in 2007.  However, that is the year I experienced (or re-experienced) them, hence they made the list.

  • Alias (TV).  I learned a lot of things from watching Alias.  Call me a late adaptor, as I never watched this when it was on network television… this series rocks.  Lots of action, sci-fi weirdness, and of course, Michael Vartan.  Need I say more?
  • Weeds (TV).  The juxtaposition of suburbia, Mary Louise Parker, and all the crazy stuff that happens just cracks me up.
  • Arrested Development (TV).  This series from 2003-2005 is one of the most creative non-sequesters I’ve seen.  Every time some outrageous thing happened I would think, well – they can’t top that – and then they would.  Pure enjoyment.  Seasons 1 & 2 are the best, season 3 is OK, and it wraps up all the loose ends, but I didn’t find it as funny as the first two.
  • In Debt We Trust.  Documentary about Americans and the credit card industry.  Well made and well spoken.
  • Wordplay.  Documentary about people who love crossword puzzles.  That person is not me – I don’t like doing them much – yet I love the idea of them.  The passion displayed by these people is remarkable – both the puzzle makers as well as the puzzle doers.  Watching John Stewart telling Will Shortz to “bring it on” as he does the NY Times puzzle is hilarious.
  • Bullitt.  Revisiting this classic was fun, as it was shot in San Francisco, my town.  This is a great example of film making of the time (1968), and reveals a lot about the mood and sentiment of the period.  I love the timelessness of the story, as well as its reflection of the year it was made.
  • Little Miss Sunshine.  On the silly yet profound scale, this gets a 10.  In the end, we’re all family and do what we need to do to stick together and love one another.  *sniff*
  • Sex, lies and videotape.  This is a classic.  Upon my most recent re-watching I got the message of intimacy and truth telling, and the importance of each.  What if we all really did reveal ourselves, truthfully, to one another?  We might actually get what we want.
  • James Bond movies.  There’s something to be said for a franchise.  I’ve revisited several of these movies this year, including the latest installment Casino Royale, and am amazed at the longevity of the James Bond idea.
  • Die Hard series, including the most recent Live Free or Die Hard.  Fun, campy, and lots of stuff gets all blowed up.  Yippee-kay-yay!
  • *Bonus Film* Borne Ultimatum.  I love this movie, and waited rather impatiently for several years for its arrival.  It delivered.

 

Books

*Only five here – hope to make this list longer next year.  I didn’t read that much in 2007, and wasn’t impressed enough with what I did read to pass it along.

  • Free Agent Nation by Daniel Pink.  This has become my entrepreneurial bible.  Get it.  Read it.  Let it be your friend and guide.  You gotta love a book that begins, “I suppose I realized that I ought to consider another line of work when I nearly puked on the Vice President of the United States.”
  • 4 Hour Work Week by Timothy Ferris.  Revolutionary statement about changing the way you approach work.  I gained many good ideas from reading it, as well as expanded what I saw as possible.
  • Pattern Recognition by William Gibson.  WG is a premier sci-fi writer, and this is one of his most recent offerings.  This book is intriguing and nicely written.  He’s also written Neuromancer, which is the book that introduced the idea of the Matrix.  He’s a bonafide classic.  In fact, I read 4 of his books in a row after I discovered him.  Again, the advantages of a late adopter are that I could just go out and get them all!
  • Feeling Fat, Fuzzy, or Frazzled?: A 3-Step Program to: Restore Thyroid, Adrenal, and Reproductive Balance, Beat Hormone Havoc, and Feel Better Fast! by Richard Shames & Karilee Shames.  This book changed my life, as I realized my hormones were in fact out of balance.  As a result of this book I am now thankfully on the road to wellness.  Irony – Adrian Klaphaak (our assistant at Bill Baren Coaching) is friends with the authors – a fact I found out after I read the book.  What a small world.
  • Law of Attraction by Michael Losier.  I love this Law of Attraction book, as it is short, easy to read, and has simple exercises.  Simple yet profound.  I highly recommend it, and revisit it frequently myself.

 

Music

*Again, these are not necessarily all from 2007, yet they had a profound effect on me this past year.

  • First time ever I saw your face (song) – Roberta Flack.  Makes me cry every time.
  • Machine Head (song) – Bush.  Loud, rocking, about who we are becoming with technology (I think).
  • How you remind me (song) – Nickleback.  Also loud, great break up song.  Crank it up.
  • Ruby (song) – Kaiser Chiefs.  Just for fun.  I love pop rock.
  • Chris Cornell (artist).  I went through a pretty heavy Chris Cornell phase this year.  I loved him in Soundgarden, Audio Slave, and Temple of the Dog.  Fell in love with him big time when he did the title song for Casino Royale, “You Know My Name”.
  • Lyle Lovett (concert).  Saw him at the Saratoga Mountain Winery.  This is a quaint outdoor amphitheater attached to a winery – what could be better?  Music & wine – I’m there.
  • Bridge School Benefit (concert).  Metallica headlined.  Dude.  Confession:  Alan Roby and I went together – a little colleague bonding!
  • Bob Mould (lecture & performance).  The former leading man of Husker Du continues to rock.  This was a great interview, followed by a short music set – I sat in the front row & cried.  I wonder how many people cry at a Bob Mould show?  Not too many, I imagine, as his is not stereotypically that type of music.  What can I say – it moves me.
  • Richard Thompson (concerts).  I saw him twice this year, once at the Saratoga Mountain Winery and once at Villa Montalvo, a small venue that holds maybe 300 people.  I love live music, especially when it’s in these sort of settings.  He is his own man, very silly and profound at the same time.

Alan Roby

Movies

  • Schindler's List
  • It's A Wonderful Life
  • Pay it Forward
  • Crash
  • Moonstruck
  • What the Bleep Do We Know?
  • Fried Green Tomatoes
  • All About Eve
  • The Shawshank Redemption
  • Lord of the Rings

Books

  • The Art of Possibility - Zander
  • 3 Signs of a Miserable Job - Lencioni
  • The Path, Finding Your Mission Statement for Work and for Life - Jones
  • The Money is the Gravy - Clark
  • Beyond Certainty - Handy
  • I Dare You - Danforth
  • The Artists' Way - Cameron
  • Oh, The Places You'll Go! - Seuss
  • Letters to a Young Poet - Rilke
  • What Would You Do If You Had No Fear? - Conway

Music

  • Arianne - Aaron Neville
  • Be Still My Soul - Sibelius
  • Blackbird - Paul McCartney
  • Double Dutch Bus - Frankie Smith
  • I Got a Name - Jim Croce
  • Someone Saved My Life Tonight - Elton John
  • Symphony #3, 2nd Movement - Gorecki
  • The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face - Roberta Flack
  • Will It Go Round in Circles - Billy Preston
  • You've Got a Friend - James Taylor (Version)