Here it is, the big post.
I suspect I will be writing this for several hours, and go through a large amount of food and chocolate while doing so.

2007 was a great year I thought; I was sad to see it go, the ropey unease of third year had gone, and 4th year had begun with an awesome Halloween Special.
I knew this year was going to be long and a complete mystery, I knew it was going to be hard but I was optimistic.

We had all sorts, 4th year's manic conclusions with final presentations, dissertations, showreels, Xvid, Brian, degree show meetings, Dare, UV mapping, goddamn PDF formats.
At least we had events like Yahtzee every week, Jenny's Pyjama Party (what nonsense!) Neil's ability to solve nearly every problem in Whitespace, Tommy's Presentations and probably a large supply of Gregg's and McDonald's between all of us.
By the end of uni, everyone was so tired and stressed... little Nomi in her corner is still a living memory lol. Our grafitti wall and the degree show in general being so very successful. If only I wasn't so tired on the Opening Day I would have appreciated it more!
But Graduation Day was a good day! Good to have everyone back together for one final "Boss Battle" (thanks James, that's the only way I can think of the event now!)

Now this daunting year is actually ending (at last!) I have a lot more enthusiasm for 2009. In fact, I think 2009 is going to be hugely influential and momentous.

I have a few New Year's Resolutions: to use my new EeePc and begin my new book with vigor. To do a lot more artwork and start more 3D work... all the while applying to games jobs.
Another is to keep in touch with everyone! :)

(food break!)

Now... god am I dreading this :P

The Conclusion, the Films of 2008

My sister and I already went through our lists, as is our tradition. But here they are first, the complete lists of every film I watched (chronologically left-to-right):

Trading Places                               I am Legend                      Man of the House       
Guns and Talks                             Sweeny Todd                     Moulin Rouge
Devil Wears Prada                        Good Morning Vietnam    Coming to America
Karate Kid                                       The Name of the Rose     Ali
Shooter                                            Austin Powers (1)             The Illusionist
Blood Diamond                              Cape Fear                          The Pursuit of Happyness
Empire of the Sun                          North by Northwest           Scary Movie
Shoot 'Em Up                                 16 Blocks                             High Fidelity
Grindhouse                                     Vertigo                                  School of Rock
Russian Ark                                     Ace Ventura                         Pom Poko
Hercules                                          Pokemon: 1st Movie           Amelie
Nosferatu                                         Iron Man                                Heathers
Speed Racer                                   Dogma                                  Persepolis
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm  Patlabor 2: The Movie        3:10 to Yuma
Secret Window                                Indiana Jones (4)               Catch me if You Can
The Last King of Scotland             The Witches of Eastwick   Domino
The Queen                                       48 Hours                               Cloverfield
Hancock                                            Wanted                                  The Kingdom
Casshern                                          Wall-E                                    The Dark Knight
Eastern Promises                           Black Sheep                         American Gangster
X Files: I Want to Believe                Hellboy 2: Golden Army      Urosukidoji
The Madness of King George       R-Point                                  Alien Vs Predator 2: Requiem
Creep                                                 Night at the Museum          Full Metal Alchemist: Conqueror of Shamballa
Bleach: DiamondDust Rebellion  Bloodrayne                           A Tale of Two Sisters
The Number 23                                Halloween (2007)               Taken
Barton Fink                                        Batman: The Movie ('66)    Jumper
Brief Encounter                                 Doomsday                           The Ipcress File
Horton Hears a Who                       Quantum of Solace             Blood Simple
A Room with a View                         Diary of the Dead                 The Devil's Backbone
Max Payne                                          Hitman                                  The City of Lost Children
Holes                                                  Shrek the Third                    Tenacious D & the Pick of Destiny
Disturbia                                            Into the Blue                          Sky Blue
The Mist                                             Rocky Balboa                        This is England

Wooooooooaaahhh That is a big list eh? lol
My sister watched around 50 films, I managed to clock 101, which is a bit short for me :P

How on Earth am I going to rank this... alright. Top Ten BEST, followed by WORST, Ascending order:

BEST:
10 - The Last King of Scotland - Gritty, real and terribly immersive with excellent performances
09 - Good Morning Vietnam - Trust Robin Williams to make the only real, moving Vietnam movie!
08 - Empire of the Sun - Christian Bale always in good films?? Even as a kid? Spielberg's moving wartime drama
07 - Grindhouse - I mean What is this?? Amazing because of how bizarre and stylised it all is
06 - Horton Hears a Who - Cute but with with goodness throughout, an animation that didn't insult my intelligence
05 - Speed Racer - Similar to Grindhouse, I mean really... WHAT is going on? Incredible, surreal experience
04 - The Mist - A taut, tightrope of a movie. Shocking and tragic, yet compelling and downright amazing.
03 - Amelie - An innocent, funny, intelligent film stacked with visuals, cinematography and great writing!
02 - Dark Knight - If a little long, this film breaks blockbuster rules, dark and unnerving, masterfully executed
01 - Wall-E - Beeeaauutiful. One of those films that make you forget you are in a cinema. Perfectly paced, wonderful!

Notables: Bleach the Diamond Dust Rebellion; Quantum of Solace; Hellboy 2 and the Golden Army; City of Lost Children; Cloverfield; Catch me if You Can; Sweeny Todd; Iron Man; The Madness of King George

WORST:
10 - Brief Encounter - Ugh, clipped 1940s English accents, utterly wooden people. I am born 60 years too late.
09 - Hancock - Started with real promise, declined into a mushy Will Smith Hollywood-superhero do-good flick
08 - Shrek the Third - Tired, dog-eared and lacking in the joke department, even fairytale gags are sorely lacking
07 - Austin Powers (1) - Again tired, dog-eared jokes that haven't aged at all well. Plus Austin is just annoying...
06 - Man of the House - Didn't really watch this.. but god Tommy Lee Jones, what are you thinking!?
05 - Scary Movie - Tired, tired, tired; one funny joke in it whole thing. Why make a spoof of a spoof?
04 - Domino - This film thinks it's cool; this film swears alot, this film has flashy editing, this film bombs
03 - Diary of the Dead - Mr Romero... what happened? No substance, no tension, no flare, no thrill...
02 - The X-Files: I Want to Believe - The franchise is dead
01 - Alien Vs Predator 2: Requiem - Wait, weren't there meant to be.. you know.. Aliens and Predators in this film!?

Not-Notables: American Gangster; Into the Blue; Tenacious D and the Pick of Destiny; Pokemon the First Movie; Ace Ventura Pet Detective

(oh Jesus this post is still going?)

The Conclusion, the Games of 2008

Please note, a lot of the early ones are because of GiG tournaments!

Mario Galaxy (Wii)                                Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (Wii)       Alien Vs Predator (PC)
Powerstone (DC)                                 Capcom Vs SNK 2 (PS2)                     Mario Strikers Charged (Wii)
Cars Demo (360)                                 Worms World Party (PS1)                    Halo 2 (360)
Eledees (Wii)                                          Worms Armageddon (PS1)                Halo 3 (360)
Mashed (Xbox)                                        Crackdown (360)                                  Mario Power Tennis (GC)
Bioshock (360)                                       Super Smash Brothers Brawl (Wii)   Fusion Frenzy (Xbox)
Rayman Raving Rabbids (Wii)            Dark Stalkers 3 (PS2)                          Dead Rising (360)
Bleach: Shattered Blade (Wii)              Bleach: Blade Battlers 2 (PS2)          Guitar Hero 3 (PS3)
Kororinpa (Wii)                                        Trackmania Nation Forever (PC)      Mario Kart Wii (Wii)
F.E.A.R (360)                                            Excite Truck (Wii)                                  Trauma Center: 2nd Opinion (Wii)
Turok (360)                                               Quake: Scourge of Armagon (PC)    Spore: Creature Editor (PC)
Portal (360)                                               Team Fortress 2 (360)                        Half Life 2 (360)
Condemned (360)                                  Kid Icarus (Wii)                                      Super Mario World (Wii)
Super Mario Brothers 2 (Wii)                 Grand Theft Auto 4 (360)                     Mass Effect (360)
Dare Protoplay (PC)                                Air Rivals (PC)                                       Burnout Paradise (360)
Perfect World (PC)                                   Super Paper Mario (Wii)                      Beyond Good and Evil (GC/Wii)
Quake (Wii)                                                TouHou (Wii)                                         Duck Hunt (Wii)
Lego StarWars: Complete Saga (360) No More Heroes (Wii)                         Left 4 Dead Demo (360)
Mirror's Edge Demo (360)                       Dead Space Demo (360)                  Left 4 Dead (360)
Kameo: Elements of Power (360)         Sonic Unleashed Demo (360)         Soul Calibur Legends (Wii)
Sonic Unleashed (360)                            Guitar Hero World Tour (PS3)          Project Gotham Racing 4 (360)
Banjo-Kazooie (360)

(Mario Galaxy and Metroid Prime 3 are excluded for technically being played in 2007 at Christmas)
(Note, Portal was game of 2007, playing on the 360 now doesn't mean it can win twice :P)

BEST
10 - Bleach: Blade Battlers 2 - I really enjoyed this multiplayer nonsense GiG Tourney :D
09 - Mario Kart Wii - Worryingly addictive online play! Graphics are not up to standards though, AI stupidly lucky
08 - Super Smash Brothers Brawl - Melee, updated. Multiplayer mayhem, will undoubtedly last another six years!
07 - Halo 3 - How can it not be here? A sensation to be sure; average, sure but still compelling for some reason
06 - Project Gotham Racing 4 - So.. so shiny. I just love PGR games, and now it has bikes!
05 - Bioshock - Intense, immersive, beautifully designed and textured, a tesimony to the 360's abilities
04 - Mass Effect - Surprisingly awesome, my sort of RPG, lost higher places due to murderous boss fight ¬¬
03 - No More Heroes - Oh SUDA51, you could have been no1 again; twisted and wonderful, just less grind please
02 - Left 4 Dead - Such a simple idea, how can it be one of the best multiplayer experiences?
01 - Beyond Good and Evil - Almost from the moment it started, to the moment it ended, I loved this game!

Notables: Trackmania Nations Forever; Quake (Wii); F.E.A.R; Burnout Paradise; Mirror's Edge Demo; Kameo: Elements of Power; Kororinpa; Excite Truck; Guitar Hero World Tour; Banjo-Kazooie

WORST
10 - Dead Space Demo - I'm sure the game is really good, but the demo didn't convince. No idea what to do.
09 - Team Fortress 2 - Pure brilliance on the PC, but the 360 controls just completely baffled me!
08 - Grand Theft Auto 4 - "No cousin I don't want to play Pool with you! I just want to do crazy stunts and mayhem!"
07 - Dead Rising - Without HD... this game was completely unreadable, it's overhyped and impossible to play
06 - Halo 2 - Now Halo 3 has taken over the multiplayer, playing Halo 2's campaign is painful; it really is dire
05 - Worms World Party - PS1 controller really does not help anyone; play it on the PC!
04 - Sonic Unleashed - Sonic I grant you no4; it is up to you to prove you aren't as direly painful as you seem to be!
03 - Trauma Center: 2nd Opinion - Might have been something I ate... but this game made me feel physically sick!
02 - Air Rivals - MMO with flying spaceships! Shame it's like any other grinding game but with ships flying around...
01 - Turok - Someone must rescue the Turok franchise! What is this cheap knock-off sci-fi to do with Turok!?!

Not-notables: There aren't any.... I was struggling with the top ten!

Oh dear god is this post ended??
So that's it!

I just cut down on the first half! Goddamn lol
Well, you could copy/paste my "Lament" LJ post in there, because that summed up the end of uni, but this is the end of the year :)
2008 has been crazy for me, and I would love to condemn it for all the job harshness in the middle... but there are many good bits in there too :) Which cannot be forgotten!

I wish you all a Happy New Year!