Our Best of 2018

Our Best of 2018

It’s that time of year again! We’ve reached out to family, friends, and the UpFront team to see what their top picks for various categories are in 2018. Here are our favourite responses:

The Best Movie of 2018

Bohemian Rhapsody – Iuliia S.

Mission Impossible: Fallout – Don’t get me wrong, the first few were awesome films, but this newest entry was so good that they all now feel like second-rate B-movies. – Corey R.

Mid90s – Asiia P.

Black Panther – Disclaimer: Only movie I saw. Reclaimer: Michael B. Jordan. – Amanda M.

Ready Player One – Rory M.

A Star is Born – Hello actress Gaga, hello Bradley Cooper’s singing voice, and hellooooo to my new favourite, sing-from-the-top-of-my-lungs soundtrack. – Kelsey B.

Mary Poppins – Is it out yet? No. Have I seen it? No. Some things you just know. – Lindsay K.

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again – It’s ABBA. Enough said. – Alexa R.

 

The Best Song of 2018

“In My Blood” by Shawn Mendes – Alexa R.

Any song off Arctic Monkeys’ Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino EP (also best album of 2018). – Connor N. and Rory M.

“When We Were Young” by Adele – 4th year in a row, and nothing can match. – Lindsay K.

“I Like It” by Cardi B. – Hands-down the best. How can you not dance to that?! – Kelsey B.

“Way to Go” by Empire of the Sun – Yeah, I’m cheating by diving back into an ‘oldie’ but a goodie. It’s been stuck in my head all year and that’s A-OK with me. – Corey R.

“This is America” by Childish Gambino – Amanda M.

“CAROUSEL” by Travis Scott, Frank Ocean – Asiia P.

 

The Best TV Show of 2018

Game of Thrones – Hands-down. No question. Absolutely-positively. Now, where the heck is Season 8?! – Corey R.

Vikings – Rory M.

Marvellous Mrs. Maisel – Amanda M.

Mad Men – I binged the entire series on a recommendation from a few people I know, and every detail was mesmerizing. Also, JON HAMM.– Kelsey B.

RuPaul’s Drag Race – Lindsay K.

Narcos Mexico – Connor N.

Prison Break – I finished this series many years ago, but recently started re-watching it. Even though I know what happens, it still has me hooked. If you haven’t seen it yet, I highly recommend it. – Alexa R.

 

The Best Thing in Ottawa in 2018

Ahora on Dalhousie – I don’t think I could ever get bored of this unique lunch spot! – Alexa R.

Thomas Chalbot. – Connor N.

The fenced-in dog park on the other side of the highway from Westgate Mall. We bring our beagle over there regularly and she makes friends with everyone. EVERYONE. Send help and treats. – Corey R.

The Great Glebe Garage Sale! Bargains, street hot dogs, one-man bands straight out of Mary Poppins, random things you never necessarily needed but CAN’T live without and, my favourite, thousands of friendly people. – Kelsey B.

Tijuana Street Fries at BITE on Murray St.– Amanda M.

The Ottawa Art Gallery.– Iuliia S.

 

The Best Thing We Discovered in 2018

Hours and hours of archived audio from all NASA missions. – Rory M.

Waking at a brilliant sunrise to a vista of golden mountain peaks after climbing and spending the night on a mountaintop shrine to the Lady of Guadalupe, along with hundreds of pilgrims. The surrealist, waterfall-lined, butterfly-filled gardens of iconic Las Pozas. The communal, almost-cliché life of street food and outdoor gatherings amidst palm-tree-lined squares and markets in Santos, literally as romantic as portrayed in movies such as Coco. My journey across the Mexican state of San Luis Potosi this spring was beyond compare. The wholesome, wonderful people and heartwarming charm of rural village life (stick huts and chickens FTW) blew my commercialized mind and showed me what life was really about. Forever grateful. – Corey R.

Halfway through the year, I downloaded the Headspace app. Previously, I’d felt like I was just sitting there breathing, but I gave Headspace a fair shot (solely based on the fact that their graphics were beautiful), and I was shocked with how integral it became to my daily routine. Not only am I more mindful, but I’ve been sleeping better, problem-solving more creatively and my attention span is noticeably longer. It’s a simple practice that seriously helps! – Kelsey B.

MTV’s The Challenge. Amanda M.

If you turn the keys left twice in the driver’s seat lock on my car, it unlocks all the doors. I’ve had this car for ten years and didn’t know. – Connor N.

Not a new discovery, but the Spyro Reignited Trilogy is amazing and did not disappoint. I absolutely love being able to play one of my favourite childhood games again! – Alexa R.

 

What are your favourite things from 2018? Sound off in the comments below or on our official Facebook page – we’d love to hear about them! Here’s to the end of a great year, and the beginning of a brand new one full of memory-making and fun-seeking!

 

 

Author

Corey Reed is an Ottawa-based freelance writer with a passion for ocean liners and retro gaming. He has published a wide variety of content including reviews, essays, and retrospectives that can be found at www.coreyreed.net.

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