Just like it was for music, 2008 wasn’t really a great year for movies or television … the Writer’s Strike at the start of the year really decimated Hollywood and severely hurt television programming. That said, there were a few really amazing films (highlighted by really amazing acting performances) and a select few TV shows that really brought the entertainment this year. Here is my list of my Fave Movies of 2008 … I think the #1 pick might surprise you.

At #10 is The Incredible Hulk:

This movie may not have been the best superhero film of all time but it beat the hell out of Ang Lee‘s Hulk and really did a service to both the comic book series and the TV series from the ’70s. This film really paid homage to the beloved TV series for the first half of the film and then represented the comic books very well in the second half of the film. All I know is that I had a really good time at the movies watching this film … and isn’t that what’s most important?

At #9 is W.:

Oliver Stone films are really hit or miss and this one was a pretty nice hit. Josh Brolin played a superb GWB and managed to put our soon-to-be ex-president in real context. I am no GWB fan by any stretch of the imagination but this film actually made him a sympathetic character. Props to Oliver Stone for actually doing the impossible.

In the #8 position is Doubt:

This film is all about the acting. And among the amazing acting performances, Meryl Streep far outshines everyone else in this film. She absolutely turned in the most powerful acting performance this year … she absolutely deserves all the Best Actress awards and, IMHO, the Best Actor awards as well — she is that good in this film. I feel bad for Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams, who both turned in exceptional performances, cuz Streep just steals the spotlight. She made this movie such a delight for me to watch.

At #7 is Milk:

At long last, the story of Harvey Milk‘s life made it to the big screen … and Sean Penn did his memory a great service. Milk may not have been a blockbuster but it is a very important story that is told so expertly that I wish it had made more money at the box office. Penn‘s cast of supporting actors were also pretty phenomenal … as a whole they told a tale that an entire generation of people were hearing for the first time — which was eerily similar to the events that were playing out on the streets of SoCal this past November.

At #6 is WALL•E:

OMG … what can I say about WALL•E that hasn’t been said a million times before? The movie is just cute as hell and actually caused kids and grown adults alike to fall in love with a sweet little animated trash compactor. I had my doubts about this film before I saw it for myself … but man, once I saw it — I was hooked. WALL•E is absolutely the Best Animated Film of 2008.

After the jump, check out my Top 5 Fave Films of 2008 as well as my list of my Fave TV Shows of the Year …

My #5 pick is The Dark Knight:

Don’t get me wrong … I love The Dark Knight but I really felt that, for me, there were a few movies that were better this year in terms of overall entertainment value. That said, Chris Nolan gave us a Batman that is worthy of the top awards that are handed out for outstanding achievement in film making. Heath Ledger was just stunning as The Joker … I absolutely contend that he would still be getting Oscar buzz if he hadn’t passed away last January. He is deffo my pick for Best Supporting Actor at the coming Academy Awards.

At #4 is Iron Man:

THE best superhero film of the year … funny and action-packed with loads of amazing special effects and a great story — this film had it all. The casting was pretty perfect … except for Terrence Howard as Jim Rhodes (who I did not care for at all) … especially Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts. Robert Downey, Jr. is just the man … there ain’t anyone else who could play playboy millionaire Tony Stark. It’s too bad he won’t win any awards for his work on Iron Man cuz he really deserves one.

My #3 is Slumdog Millionaire:

The perfect rags to riches story with a great modern twist. I laughed, I cried, I actually stood up and cheered at this movie. The youngest actors were BY FAR the best thing about this film. Believe the hype, Slumdog Millionaire is really as good as everyone says.

My second fave movie of the year is Sex and the City:

At long last, the Sex and the City Movie made it to the big screen and it did NOT disappoint. The movie was the perfect length to feel like a mini-season of the show. The fabulous clothes, the steamy sex scenes and the camaraderie between Carrie, Charlotte, Samantha and Miranda all conspired to make a far too entertaining movie. I saw this film 3 times in the theaters … and 3 more times since it came out on DVD. I just can’t get enough!

And my #1 fave movie of the year is Cloverfield:

OK … I’m sure a lot of y’all will not agree with me on this one but, in all honesty, this was my fave film of the year. Since it came out last January it really set the benchmark for me and, truth be told, I wasn’t as thoroughly entertained by anything else as much as I was by Cloverfield. I’m not saying it is the best movie of all time but for 2008, it was the perfect marriage of viral marketing, Internet savvy and fun movie-making that all came together IMHO perfectly. I still contend that it was as “real” as a monster invasion movie could be. It really had that Blair Witch Project magic that grabbed me entirely. I was actually surprised that so many people hated this film (mostly because of the shaky camerawork) because I loved it so entirely. While there were some pretty amazing films released this year, I have to say that my fave of the bunch was the one that made me believe the most.

Here are my Top TV Shows of 2008:

1. Skins
2. In Treatment
3. Battlestar Galactica
4. Gossip Girl
5. Project Runway (both seasons)
6. 90210
7. Breaking Bad
8. Torchwood
9. Saturday Night Live (mainly for the Tina Fey as Sarah Palin skits)
10. All the election coverage on CNN and MSNBC

Which films and TV shows were YOUR faves in 2008? Is anyone with me on Team Cloverfield?