2008 survey resPondents: Jeffrey Abramson, Doug Aitken, Akon, Florence Almozini, Kristen Amato, Patrick Amory, Kurt Andersen, Aziz Ansari, Darren Aronofsky, Jon Robin Baitz, Bob Balaban, Molly Barnett, Serena Bass, Chris Benz, Deborah Berke, Andrew Berman, Alice Bernstein, Jed W. Bernstein, Holly Block, Chris Boneau, Maureen Bray, Margaret Brown, Mary Lou Bunn, Michelle Byrd, Louis Cancelmi, Sara Caples, Peter Carey, Gabriele Caroti, David Carr, Robert Christgau, Patricia Clarkson, Karen Cooper, James Corner, Christopher Cox, Sloane Crosley, Gordon Dahlquist, Blythe Danner, Junot Díaz, Robert Elmes, Billy Finnegan, Christina Foxley, John Freeman, Michael Freeman, John Junot Díaz, Robert Elmes, Billy Finnegan, Christina Foxley, Christopher Cox, Sloane Crosley, Gordon Dahlquist, Blythe Danner, Corner, James Cooper, Clarkson, Karen Robert Christgau, Patricia Gabriele Caroti, David Carr, Carey, Caples, Peter Sara YOUTUBE VIDEO YOU BEST PLAY or MUSICAL What do the culture makers and shapers of New York WERE MOST LIKELY TO “I’ve seen a lot of think of this year’s crop of movies, political imperson- FORWARD THIS YEAR theater, but Farragut THE ations, museum shows, and YouTube clips? To find out, Hair 9% North has stayed we polled 129 people from across the arts—from Har- South Pacific 12% with me. It’s an CULTURATI vey Weinstein to the director of the Hip-Hop Dance In the Heights 9% emergence of a new, Conservatory. We were looking for what was best, but Passing Strange 18% young playwright, couldn’t help asking for opinions on other matters, too. The Seagull 10% and Chris Noth CAUCUS (Paul Rudd’s stock is up; Judd Apatow’s, not so much.) Speed-the-Plow 9% was venomous Below, this year’s wisdom of the smart crowd. and passionate.” “Passing Strange showed that one man with a guitar and a really “La Pequeña Sarah Palin” —patricia clarkson, ELSON/COURTESY OF UNIVERSAL PICTURES (LANGELLA). THIS PAGE, EVERETT N good idea can take over a big room—or even hold down a big show.” —moby, musician actor ALPH —david carr, columnist, New York Times R ONE SENTENCE OF ADVICE YOU’D MOST UNNECESSARY “The children in this movie were BEST FILM GIVE TO A CULTURAL FIGURE SPINOFF/REMAKE/SEQUEL extraordinary—authentic “I love that this was and full of life and great survivors a playful, hopeful movie— and totally flamboyant.” “Christian Bale, you’re a great a love letter to —Mira Nair, director “Of all this year’s that moment in New York.” mainstream Batman, but please stop —Michelle Byrd, films, Wall-E got the director, IFP Sarah Silverman’s imitating Animal from the closest to pure cinema.” “The Great Schlep” Slumdog —Rajendra Roy, —alice bernstein, Muppets when you do his voice.” Man on Wire Millionaire chief curator of film, MoMA executive vice-president, BAM —victor lavalle, author 16% 15% OLLECTION (CRUZ); PHIL BRAY/COURTESY OF FOCUS FEATURES (PENN); C SASI/COURTESY OF IFC FILMS (DEL TORO); PHIL BRAY/COURTESY OF FOCUS FEATURES (PENN) I “Olafur Eliasson, please make a % Wall-E 18 ERESA 11% T fountain everywhere.” OMPANY/EVERETT Trouble C —nico muhly, composer the Water indiana jones and the kingdom Vicky 4% of the crystal skull EINSTEIN Cristina W “J. D. Salinger, allow the rest Barcelona The Dark 2% of it to be published.” 13% 12% 14% 17% Synecdoche, Knight New York 10% —john freeman, author 2% the sex and the x-files: mamma incredible the city i want to mia! Rachel Getting Milk “Kill Vader,” hulk believe 9% the Star Wars–Kill Bill parody “Sasha Fierce, please watch Married “The disheartening topicality 5% of Milk blew me away. —brian newman, Paris Is Burning and ask yourself, CEO, Tribeca Film Institute That history could repeat itself, ‘Am I Paris Is Burning?’ ” FAVORITE DYSTOPIAN with Prop 8 and the film ACTION MOVIE “I loved everything about within a month of each other.” —terence koh, artist it—both the conception and —Doug Liman, the follow-through.” director “Elvis Costello, listen closely to Cloverfield —Gus Van Sant, director your last albums and figure out 18% what’s working and what’s not.” The Dark Iron Man BEST Performance “One of those rare characters who HANEL (CHANEL POD); CAROL ROSEGG (AMERICAN BUFFALO); BRIGITTE LACOMBE (SPEED-THE-PLOW); “It’s so wonderful to watch someone C —richard peña, program director, Knight 28% single-handedly redefines the landscape around 44% 10% him. He made Gotham’s other dark play at the top of their game. Sean Penn gives Film Society of Lincoln Center ” denizens feel trivial and forced by comparison.” a flawless performance. MAGES FOR I —judd greenstein, co-director, —jane rosenthal, producer, Tribeca Productions “Ode to Joy,” performed ETTY New Amsterdam Records G “Michael Cera, switch it up.” ); COURTESY OF FOX SEARCHLIGHT PICTURES (ROURKE); COURTESY OF WARNER BROS. PICTURES (LEDGER); by Beaker the Muppet Quantum E 20 • —ian gerard, CEO, gen art of Solace 18% 27% —bill woods, programmer, USSMAN/ WALL S Anthology Film Archives MY A “Kristin Scott 11% Thomas FACE-OFFS MAGES (WATERFALL); 9% I was brilliant in 28% 18% 10 8% ETTY I’ve Loved You G 32% AMA/ T 68% ARIO Percent of total votes total of Percent So Long. It’s not M 72% my movie, and 82% she’s fantastic.” 0 “Mr. Sprigg’s —harvey weinstein, Bar B Q commercial” Mickey Rourke Heath Ledger Penélope Cruz Sean Penn Frank Langella olafur zaha hadid’s producer —aziz ansari, comedian david mamet’s david mamet’s benicio the wrestler the dark knight vicky cristina milk frost/nixon eliasson’s Chanel pavilion in American del toro’s sean penn’s barcelona Speed-the-Plow PHOTOGRAPHS: OPPOSITE PAGE, COURTESY OF PIXAR AND WALT DISNEY PICTURES ( COLLECTION (INDIANA JONES [2]); Waterfalls Central Park Buffalo Che Harvey Milk Infographics by 66 MacKeith, Joan Lynford, Victoria Lippy, Tod Liman, Doug LaValle, Victor Koh, Terence Kloske, Geoffrey King, Anthony Kelly, Lauren Kahane, Gabriel Jennings, Susan Hopkins, Brooks Karen Holt, Jim Holmes, Bennett Julian Hammond, Robert Hamingson, Andrew Hagedorn, Jessica Gunn, Tim Greenstein, Judd Grant, Marshall David Gioni, Massimiliano Gerrity, Jeanne Gerard, Ian Friedman, Mike Maggiore, Colum McCann, Ryan McGinley, Darrell M. McNeill, Neal Medlyn, Richard Meier, Kenny Mellman, Bob Miller, Dana Miller, John Cameron Mitchell, Moby, Mos Def, Nico Muhly, Michael Musto, Mira Nair, Sina Najafi, Richard Nash, Geoffrey Nauffts, Nash, Geoffrey Richard Sina Najafi, Nair, Mira Michael Musto, Nico Muhly, Def, Mos Cameron Mitchell, Moby, John Dana Miller, Bob Miller, Mellman, Kenny Meier, Richard Medlyn, Neal M. McNeill, Darrell McGinley, Ryan Colum McCann, Mike Maggiore, Eli Newell, Brian Newman, Anne Pasternak, Richard Peña, Peter Plagens, Nathaniel Rich, Ally Roberson, Veronica Roberts, Jane Rosenthal, Alex Ross, Meredith Rothstein, Rajendra Roy, Sukhdev Sandhu, Vito Schnabel, Carrie Schupper, Jake Shears, Robert Siegel, Ira Silverberg, Taryn Simon, Eric Simonoff, Gavin Smith, Andrew Solomon, Aaron Spangler, Evelyn Spence, Lorin Stein, Amanda Stern, Darin Strauss, Alex Timbers, Safi A. Thomas, James Toback, James Truman, Jessica Vaccaro, Dana Vachon, Alvin Valley, Gus Van Sant, Francesco Vezzoli, Laura Washington, Harvey Weinstein, Claire Weisz, Jeff Whitty, Sally Williams, Bill Woods, Nancy Bass Wyden, and Ann Yershov. Wyden, and Ann Nancy Bass Woods, Jeff Whitty, Sally Williams, Bill Weisz, Weinstein, Claire Harvey Washington, Vezzoli, Laura Francesco Van Sant, Valley, Gus Vachon, Alvin Vaccaro, Dana Jessica Truman, James Toback, James Alex Timbers, Safi A. Thomas, RANK THESE NEWLY overrated or underrated? BEST POP album ANNOUNCED BUILDINGS or concert FROM 1 (DESPICABLE) TO 5 (BRILLIANT) % % % % % % % 45 63% 65% 45% 35% 62 31 79 36 73 22 winner 53 West 53rd Street, by Jean Nouvel Underrated Overrated 55% 37% 35% 55% 65% 38% 69% 21% 64% 27% 78% 1 2 3 4 5 Keith James Rachel TV on the Judd Roberto Malcolm Robert Takashi Paul Sarah Olbermann Franco Maddow Radio Apatow Bolaño Gladwell Downey Jr. Murakami Rudd Palin “Santogold’s album is 5 Franklin on the top of my list Place, by of music that UNStudio “Alec Baldwin without “Cute as a YouTube kitten “I simply do not “I once walked down a narrow street in Barcelona, and someone had “Not possible to overrate her makes me want to jump the pathos.” and as impossible to dislike.” understand this band.” crudely stenciled ‘Roberto Bolaño.’ That might be the highest accolade entertainment value.” up and dance.” —jon robin baitz, playwright —sukhdev sandhu, critic —gabriel kahane, musician I could think to give a writer.” —doug aitken, artist —sara caples, architect —chris benz, designer runners-up: BEST TELEVISION SHOW WHO SHOULD GIVE BEST MUSEUM runners-up: EXHIBITION A LITERARY BENEDICTION AT BARACK OBAMA’S Olafur Eliasson Catherine Opie INAUGURATION? “Cold War Kids put out at the Guggenheim at MoMA —francesco vezzoli, winner —taryn simon, a great album this year. artist % Michael Chabon photographer nominated by: I like the soulfulness of it.” 1 2 3 4 5 “William Eggleston: 30 —mos def, musician Democratic Camera” Sloane Crosley, author Gustave Courbet J.M.W. Turner 23 East 22nd at the Whitney at the Met at the Met Jhumpa Lahiri “It’s not new this year, Street, by Rem —robert hammond, —james toback, director nominated by: but I’ve been traveling Koolhaas co-founder, Friends “What blind fool said that Mad Men Nancy Bass Wyden, owner, of the High Line a lot with the the Brits can’t paint?” “Because after watching Strand Bookstore John Mayer album an episode, I need to have a vodka and milk just to calm down.” Billy Collins Continuum. It’s relaxed, nominated by: —nathaniel rich, author and you can sit back BEST BOOK Bob Miller, publisher, and think about it.” HarperStudio —akon, musician % 20 Tony Kushner nominated by: “Acid Tongue is the second Alex Timbers, artistic director, solo album by Jenny Lewis, Les Freres Corbusier and it’s amazing.