I don’t hold with New Year’s, personally, it’s just a fake holiday cooked up by Big Calendar. But I suppose it’s as good a time as any to take stock of everything that’s happened last year and check for structural damage.
So, 2018 was…mixed.
A better year than 2017, definitely. 2017 (for me) was just an series of unending failure, rejection and humiliation culminating in me hitting my lowest point since…ever, pretty much. 2018 on the other hand, was a series of sharp highs and lows and I’ll definitely take that over the alternative. If current trends continue, 2019 might actually be (whisper it softly now) good?
The bad was losses in the family, the occasional depressive episode and just the general mental and emotional wear and tear of living in a world run by an insane wall-obsessed golden tamarin.
“NO COLLUSION!”
So let’s talk about the good.
22 movies reviewed
And what an eclectic mix they wuz. In 2018 I reviewed five X–men movies, three MCU movies, two animés by Makoto Shinkai, two direct to video Disney sequels, two Dreamworks, one Pixar, one Troma film, one Ralph Bakshi joint, one Studio Ghibli film, one excruciatingly weird Japanese TV show, a movie where Donald Duck dabbles in the occult (as usual) and a partridge in a pear tree.
“With a partridge this good, who even needs a pear tree?” Unshaved Mouse.
The best movie I reviewed this year was Inside Out, and the worst was…ohhhhh tough one I’m going to need so much time to think about this one TOXIC AVENGER MY GOD I HATED IT SO MUCH.
And while we’re giving out awards; Gangsta Asia was best map.
“Tight.”
“That’s fine. That’s fine.”
Alaska
This year I was invited to participate in the Last Frontier Theatre Conference in Valdez Alaska and got to direct a reading of my play, The Caspian Sea. I met some amazing people, saw some of the most stunning scenery and plays I have ever seen and will cherish my memories of that trip forever. Also, I saw a bear.
BEAR.
And a moose.
MOOSE.
Newvember
Caspian Sea was also picked to take part in the Newvember Theatre festival in Dublin and I got to meet the lovely peeps of AboutFace theatre company. I’ve also started doing play readings with them on a monthly basis. I hadn’t realised how much I’ve missed acting and it’s been really good for me.
Patreon
After years of humming and hawing I finally put the blog on Patreon. Huge thanks to all my Patrons, it’s such a boost to know that you’re willing to support my work and I can’t thank you all enough.
So, all in all, yeah. It’s been a good year. Or, it’s been a year with very good bits and very bad bits but on average the good bits outnumbered the bad. Hope this one was good for you, hope next one is fantastic. Thank you for reading. Thank you for commenting. Thank you for making this blog a fun, cool, nice place to hang out and talk about movies.
Let me know how your year went in the comments, and I’ll see you all in 2019.
unshavedmouse 
Finally started getting proper professional help and medication for my ADD and depression. Not exactly a win, but it’s progress! Looking forward to whatever you write this year!
Those both sound like wins to me. Stay healthy.
Good to hear you’re in a better spot than before, Mouse.
My first half of 2018 was great; the back half was a tedious slog so monotonous that I’ll be staying home this evening, because I don’t want to give this year the satisfaction of holding the door open for it on its way out.
Among those issues was, during a drunken splurge one evening, my mind accidentally wrapped itself around the concept of death and finality for the first time in my life, and unlike other occasions when I merely contemplated mortality, this little nugget decided to hang around this time. It’s been nothing truly debilitating, and hopefully in time I’m able to break through that mental threshold and appreciate the realization as a means to embrace life even more than before (Or who knows, maybe Ray Kurzweil’s predictions are right in that we are on the cusp of cracking the secret to immortality and we as a species totally won’t muck it all up and begin a new golden age of civilization. But I’m not hedging my bets).
One thing I can say: Thanks for keeping this blog around. I’m not the most active commenter, but I’ve been following you since the olden days when you showed up at the bottom of Channel Awesome’s page, and I’ll always wish you well on both the blog and your other creative endeavors. Here’s to 2019, Mouse.
Dang. That takes me back. I always wished I could be a TGWTG contributor. I don’t wish that anymore.
I feel as though a LOT of people have shared that sentiment over the course of this past year.
The blog list is how I found this place, as I thought a Hercules review sounded interesting.
That’s how I discovered you as well. You’re pretty much the only blog I follow regularly. I would have loved back then if you made videos of your reviews, but now I’m fine just the way they are.
For starters Mouse, I’m offended that you compared the noble golden tamarin to that doofus. Those creatures have enough problems being endangered, you don’t need to compare them to politicians.
Secondly, I’m glad you enjoyed your visit to Alaska. I’ve only been there once but the scenery is indeed beautiful and I loved being able to see bears and moose.
And finally, I hope you and your family enjoy the new year. I’m personally hoping for a better year than the last. But doesn’t everyone hope for that?
So glad to hear 2018 was an improvement for you, Mouse, and here’s hoping this upswing continues into a trend. Your writing is fantastic, and any day I see something new up on this site is automatically a pretty good day.
2018 for me was perfectly…adequate. It was a three star movie that filled an afternoon. It was a bowl of oatmeal when I discover that I am tragically out of cinnamon, but there’s a little brown sugar left. If years had sponsorships, 2018 would be brought to me by Applebees and GameStop.
But mediocre isn’t all bad. I lost some weight, if not as much as I hoped to. Saved some money, if not a fortune. Job’s going fine, first half of the year was dull and I thought a bit about quitting, but then things picked up and now I’m going to be busy until at least June. A health issue I thought might be serious turned out to be very minor. And now half of congress is going to be in the hands of adults, so that’s something. Can’t complain, really.
Hoping everyone here has a great 2019 and beyond.
Oh god. Applebees!?
Here’s hoping for another great year of Unshaved Mouse in 2019
This year was like last year, only more so. Sorry about the whole golden tamarin thing, but it has a bizarre amount of support from people you think should know better. 😑
It’s a cute monkey, fair is fair.
Have you considered covering Pokemon films? Some are kinda Disney like, particularly the 3rd Movie, Spell of the Unown.
If a patron asks, I’ll review the weather.
Seeing you do the Narnia movies would also be interesting.
I graduated this year finally and got to visit England for the first time, so overall, I enjoyed this year.
Happy 2019!
Wizard!
My 2018 was pretty good. I arrived home from my missionary service in January almost a year ago, resumed teaching English as a Second Language and picked up a second job in the oil field, and quickly learned I don’t want to keep working in the oil field. But I keep it up because insurance. Now I’m in the process of applying to Graduate school, so hopefully 2019 will be the year I start earning my Master’s degree.
Happy New Year to you Mouse – even if you MUST slight a perfectly splendid festival, huzzah for Hogmanay! – and may your 2019 be a Blessed & Prosperous one for all the Fine Luach!
2018 was an adventure for me as well. Difficult, trying and definitely a year of personal growth. Quite frankly, I’m happy to see what 2019 holds. Happy New Year! Wishing you and your family all of the best this new year has in store!