Tim Burton’s work first came into my awareness when Batman was released in 1989. I was ten years old and several years would pass before I knew anything about the man who made it, but now more than 20 years later he has solidified himself as one of the most successful and recognizable directors working today. Anyone familiar with his work and his style may wonder a little at why it took Burton so long to make an adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s “Alice in Wonderland” (since it almost seems to have been specifically written for him), so while you’re pondering that, here is a list of my personal choices of the best films that Burton has given us during his storied career.

10. Batman Returns (1992) PG-13, 126 mins.

When I first decided to come up with this list, Batman Returns was the first of all of Tim Burton’s movies that popped into my head as one to be left off the list (followed closely by Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Planet of the Apes, which will be left off), but closer retrospection suggests that there is more to admire in the first Batman sequel than I initially thought.

If nothing else, we should remember how effectively Burton and his team re-captured the unique look and feel of the groundbreaking original Batman, but the original’s shoes proved a little too big for the first sequel to fill. Nevertheless, it’s memorable for its clear example of the kind of darkly atmospheric film that has become one of Tim Burton’s trademarks.

Batman Returns Trivia – Danny DeVito was forbidden to describe the make-up that he would wear in the movie as The Penguin to anyone, including his family.

9. Mars Attacks! (1996) PG-13, 106 mins.

Ah, Mars Attacks! Not exactly one of Tim Burton’s most popular movies, but even it’s overabundance of goofy gags and unfunny moments, it’s a science fiction spoof that can hardly be left off any list of his most memorable films.

Jack Nicholson is the president of the United States when Martians invade and decide to take over the planet. They have super-powerful, squirtgun-like weapons, and the movie focuses on numerous different cross-sections of humanity as they struggle to survive the Martian takeover.

Burton doesn’t quite succeed in making a memorable spoof, since the comedy just wasn’t there enough, but it’s certainly a memorable production. It was hobbled at the gate by sharing theaters with the super-successful Independence Day, but possibly a little too much strangeness and a little too little hilarity were the movie’s real problems. But hey, at least it was better than Batman Returns.

Mars Attacks Trivia – Tim Burton was told repeatedly that he could not kill off Jack Nicholson’s character in the movie, so he responded by casting Nicholson in two roles, and killing him off in both of them.

8. Sleepy Hollow (1999), R, 105 mins.

Moving on to Sleepy Hollow, another entry on the list of Tim Burton’s Top 10 list that didn’t exactly knock my socks off but that I feel compelled to include anyway. And not only because it doesn’t strike me as prudent to diss a movie with a tagline like “Heads will roll.”

Like all of my favorite of Burton’s movies, Sleepy Hollow is a spectacular atmospheric creation, if not the greatest overall movie. It’s the story of Constable Ichibod Crane and his efforts to solve the mystery of the return of the Headless Horseman and three grisly local murders. Crane, a realist whose adherance only to the rules of logic would impress Sherlock Holmes himself, refuses to believe the local hype about the Headless Horseman until a confrontation forces him to re-evaluate his convictions.

Sleepy Hollow Trivia – This was the last movie produced on laserdisc anywhere in the world.

7. Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure (1985), PG, 90 mins.

Quick question, can you imagine going through life with a name like Pee-Wee Herman? I don’t think I could. Junior high school would have killed me. Either that or I would have wound up like Paul Reuben’s character in this movie, a “man-child” with such an intense connection with his bicycle that he embarks on a cross-country journey to get it back after it’s stolen in broad daylight.

During his adventure, Pee-Wee meets all kinds of bizarre people and situations, forcing him to rely on his limited resources of intellect and coolness in order to achieve his goal of reaching the Alamo, which is where a fortune teller told his that his bicycle has been taken.

The movie has been called a Tim Burton remake of the Italian classic film The Bicycle Thief, and while I can hardly think of two movies more completely different, it’s also interesting to consider how similar they are.

Pee-Wee Trivia – This was Tim Burton’s directorial debut, and the first film score done by legendary composer Danny Elfman.

6. Beetle Juice (1988), PG, 92 mins.

Ah, I have so many cherished childhood memories of watching Burton’s classic horror/comedy Beetle Juice, which is surely the man’s most appetizing title ever. Michael Keaton plays the title role of Beetle Juice, a “bio-exorcist” hired by the recently deceased couple, Adam and Barbara, when a pesky still-alive family moves into their beloved home and destroys their peaceful afterlives.

After failing to scare the new family off on their own, and after being be-friended by the family’s daughter, Adam and Barbara become the central attractions in a side show. After hiring Beetle Juice, they soon become alarmed at his methods, and may end up having to attempt to protect the family that they tried to exorcize from the very ghost that they hired to exorcize them!

Beetle Juice Trivia – This is Michael Keaton’s favorite of his own films, even though his character is only on screen for less than 18 minutes of the 92 minute running time.

5. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007), R, 116 mins.

Burton’s film adaptation of the Broadway musical is the kind of unique combination of operatic musical performances and extreme violence that only he could pull off just right. I still remember being initially disappointed when, having gone into the theater not knowing anything about the movie, I discovered that it was going to be a musical, only to be thoroughly impressed with the whole thing by the time it ended.

A barber in Victorian London, Benjamin Barker, is falsely accused of a crime and sent away for years, while the same Judge takes control of his daughter, and his wife eventually commits suicide. 15 years later, he returns to London, opens a barber shop, and begins a murderous and insatiable rampage of murder against the people who caused his pain.

Sweeney Todd Trivia – Helena Bonham Carter was pregnant with hers and Tim Burton’s second child during filming of the movie, and she insists that, because filming was done out of sequence. the size of her breasts changes noticeably throughout the film.

4. Big Fish (2003), PG-13, 125 minutes.

Steven Spielberg was originally signed on to direct Big Fish with Jack Nicholson starring in one of the lead roles (which ultimately went to Albert Finney), but dropped out because he was too busy, and Tim Burton signed on and made what surely is a very different movie from what Spielberg would have done.

The story is about Edward Bloom, a dying man attempting to reconnect with his estranged son through the only real means of communication that he knows – story-telling. The son is initially angry to see that his father is still telling fictional stories to him because he feels like he doesn’t know anything real about his own father, but he soon begins to realize that there might be a lot more to his father’s stories than he thought.

Big Fish Trivia – This was the feature film debut of Miley Cryus.

3. Batman (1989), PG-13, 126 mins.

Burton’s gothic adaptation of Batman is another of his films about which I have very fond memories of watching over and over in the theater when I was a kid, and it’s also one of the most recognizable examples of his trademark style, and it broke box office records left and right when it was first released into theaters.

A young boy witnesses the murder of his parents and grows up to be Batman, a reclusive crime-fighter who first emerges from the shadows to protect Gotham City from the attacks of the Joker, a horribly disfigured man out for revenge against his former employer and for the takeover of Gotham. Jack Nicholson inhabits the role of The Joker with almost bizarre completeness, Michael Keaton appears as the caped crusader for the first of only two times, and Kim Basinger takes on the role of ambitious reporter Vicky Vale, who’s determined to discover the secrets behind the Bat’s mask.

Batman Trivia – Jack Nicholson demanded top billing and a percentage of both merchandise and gross of the film, and because of the movie’s enormous box office success, he ultimately made around $60 million for the movie. It’s the most that any actor has ever made for a single movie in film history.

2. Ed Wood (1994), R, 127 mins.

Tim Burton’s biopic of the legendary Ed Wood, hailed as the worst director of all time, is the movie that many people call Burton’s best work ever, some even claiming that all his other movies pale in comparison, but I’m going to go out on a limb and suggest that it might, in fact, come in at #2.

It’s a mostly true story of the prime of Ed Wood’s career, the 50’s, during which time he made Plan 9 From Outer Space, Glen or Glenda, and Bride of the Monster, among others, for which Mystery Science Theater 3000 is eternally grateful. The movie had a terrible time getting made, because of its unpromising subject matter, and didn’t blow anyone’s hair back at the box office, but has attained a massive following and is the movie that many claim Tim Burton will be most remembered for.

Ed Wood Trivia – The budget for this movie was more than the budget for all of Ed Wood’s movies combined.

1. Edward Scissorhands (1990), PG-13, 105 mins.

For me, Edward Scissorhands is the film that most exemplifies the characteristic look and feel of a Tim Burton film. The sets, the locations, the characters, the atmosphere, the music, the story, everything is so thoroughly and characteristically a product of Burton’s unique mind that I think it stands well above any other film he’s ever made. Who else could have crafted such a touching and poignant love story about a quietly charming man with scissors for hands?

Edward is the unfinished creation of an eccentric inventor who died before he was able to finish making Edwards hands, leaving him doomed to live life as we know him. When a kind Avon lady ventures up to his mysterious, forbidding mansion on top of a hill at the edge of her thoroughly manicured town, she invites Edward into her home and her community. Edward at first amazes people with his soft-spoken charm and the amazing things that he can do with his hands, but things soon take a turn for the worse as it becomes clear that a normal life just might not be within his reach.

Note: The movie will celebrate the 20th anniversary of its release on December 14th of this year. Time to watch it again!

Edward Scissorhands Trivia – The houses in the manicured community in the movie are a real neighborhood in Lutz, Florida. Nothing was changed about the neighborhood except for the color of the houses.

Oh, and if anyone disagrees with me for choosing this as my favorite of all of Burton’s movies, I might remind you that this is also Tim Burton’s favorite of all of his own films. So there.

Conspicuous Omissions:

Charlie and the ChocolateFactory: The movie was not good. Sorry. Not horrible, but not good.

Corpse Bride: Pales just a little too much in comparison to The Nightmare Before Christmas.

The Nightmare Before Christmas: Not a Tim Burton film, remember?

Planet of the Apes: I don’t feel I need to explain this one. Burton’s only train wreck?

Frankenweenie: I haven’t seen it. But I’ll get right on it.

Enjoy Alice in Wonderland, everyone. It comes out today!

The Best Christmas movies ever is a pretty big topic, and it’s also a remarkably difficult list both to narrow down to the top few and also to put them in order from best to worst. This is not exactly the time of year when Best Christmas Movie lists are very hard to find, but you can be certain of one thing – this is definitely the most accurate one ever!

10. A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) TV-G, 25 mins.

Okay, so I’ll start with one that’s not even a movie, but such a classic that it simply can’t be omitted. Who could forget getting all bundled up at Grandma’s house on a cold December morning, content in the kind of happiness that only seems to come to little kids when school is out and the snow is falling and the only thing you have to do all day is sit by the fire drinking hot chocolate and watching things like this on TV.

All the way back in 1965 Charlie Brown complained about the rampant materialism shrouding what is by leaps and bounds America’s most commercially successful holiday. As a kid, the only thing that we really cared about was how many presents we got, or if we got that one thing we so desperately wanted – the cool remote control hovercraft or the Nintendo Entertainment System or a Pogo Ball (remember those?) or that G.I. Joe aircraft carrier or whatever it is that girls liked.

But now it’s all about just trying to afford gifts for everyone on our lists. Somewhere along the line Christmas has a tendency to transform from a time of pure magic and happiness and into a time of stress and spending money. But it is the shows like A Charlie Brown Christmas that first showed us, and now remind us, of what the true meaning of Christmas really is.

9. Gremlins (1984), PG, 106 mins.

So I just watched The Goonies the other day. Remember that scene where Chunk is stuck in the basement at the Fratelli’s place and he calls the sheriff to report everything that’s going on, and the sheriff says something like, “Is this another one of your pranks, Lawrence? Like the story about the cute little animals that multiply when you throw water on them?” So then I got this urge to watch Gremlins again, and that’s why it’s here on this list. Isn’t it amazing the way the world works?

It’s interesting that the story is about a cute little animal called a Mogwai that a guy buys in a strange curio shop in Chinatown. I have been living in China for two years now and the people here tend to be uniformly perplexed by the beginning of this movie.

At any rate, the Mogwai comes with a series of rules, like you can’t get it wet or expose it to bright light and never, ever feed it after midnight. This will definitely be the scariest movie on this list. I remember being pretty terrified by it when I was a kid, but I loved it nevertheless. Christmas is sort of a backdrop to the truly unique story, but the whole movie is developed around it. Definitely a holiday classic!

8. Scrooged (1988), PG-13, 101mins.

Speaking of The Goonies, two years later director Richard Donner tries his hand at a modern adaptation of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Bill Murray plays a cynical television executive who missed out on the kind of happy childhood that results in a natural love of Christmas.

Three truly unique ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future show up in his life to help him appreciate the meaning of Christmas and to learn that he needs to make some changes in his life.

Much was made of the fact that Murray was starring in another movie about ghosts after two successful Ghostbusters films, although some people complained that his character of Frank Cross was unlikeable. I haven’t read A Christmas Carol for many years, but I seem to remember that Ebenezer Scrooge was kind of a stick in the mud, you know? The phrase “miserly old git” comes to mind.

The tagline for the movie is “Bill Murray is back among the ghosts. Only this time, it’s three against one.” Murray gets the chance to prove that, even though he’s alone this time, he still ain’t afraid of no ghosts.

7. Elf (2003), PG, 97 mins.

When I first started compiling my list of Christmas movies in putting together this article, I expected that Elf must be pretty high on the list, but it was tough even to squeeze it in even at #7. Scroll down the rest of the list and you should see why.

Will Farrell has to be one of the two or three funniest men alive right now, but it’s strange that occasionally he comes out with movies that are just so childish and profane that it can be difficult to enjoy them even on a toilet humor level.

Even the good ones are for wildly different audiences. I doubt that much of the target audience for Elf has much use for Old School or the disappointing Step Brothers, but Elf is of that rare breed of Christmas movie that can be enjoyed by just about anyone at any maturity level.

Farrell plays Buddy, a six-foot man raised as an elf at the North Pole after stowing away in Santa’s sack as he left the orphanage where Buddy had been living. I would have thought that stowing away would qualify as naughty behavior, but Santa is pretty forgiving. He allows Buddy to travel to New York to search for his real parents after he begins causing more and more trouble in the elf community because of his prodigious size.

Buddy’s father turns out to be a heartless, money-driven jerk, and Buddy’s efforts to reunite with him and also become accustomed to the pace and reality of New York City life make for a truly heartwarming and entertaining Christmas comedy.

6. How The Grinch Stole Christmas (2000), PG, 104 mins.

Okay, I know I’m gonna get a lot of grief for this one, but I loved this movie. There is a long history to how this movie came to be made, since Dr. Suess refused for decades to sell the movie rights, insisting that the 1966 TV special could never be surpassed. Even after his death in 1991, his widow, Audrey Geisel, still refused to sell the rights. But with the modern magic of CGI effects (and a generous offer from Universal), Mrs. Geisel changed her mind, and even approved the casting of Jim Carrey. Personally, I feel like a blessing from the Good Doctor’s wife is enough for me.

We get a lot more backstory into the childhood of the Grinch than was in the original story, but of course it is the set design and the make-up, along with Jim Carrey’s storied performance, that really makes the movie work.

In the magical town of Whoville, which exists in a snowflake like the one on your sleeve, comes along a story that you must see to believe. The town is defined by the magical time of Christmas, except for one citizen, the Grinch, who lives just outside of town. Christmas causes such misery for him that he sets about a plot to try to steal it from the Whos, until a little girl sets about on her own mission to do what no one ever thought to do, meet the Grinch and become his friend.

5. Die Hard (1987), R, 131 mins.

What, you forgot Die Hard was a Christmas movie? Legendary action director John McTiernan teamed up with Bruce Willis back in 1988 (when gas was 75 cents a gallon) to bring us really the only kind of Christmas movie that people like McTiernan and Willis could bring us.

Willis is John McLane, a New York cop who flies to Los Angeles on Christmas Eve to spend Christmas with his wife. Living on opposite sides of the country because of differing career directions, they have been growing apart, and John has come back to try to convince her to come back to New York with him.

Unfortunately, during a special Christmas party in the Nakatomi Plaza building, where McLane’s wife works, a group of terrorists take everyone hostage and begin to make bizarre demands. McLane is the only person in the  building who manages to escape the attention of the terrorists, so it is up to him alone to deal with a situation involving dozens of hostages, 12 armed terrorists, one estranged wife, and a partridge in a pear tree. Happy Holidays!

4. Edward Scissorhands (1990), PG-13, 105 mins.

Edward Scissorhands was definitely a defining moment for Tim Burton, Johnny Depp, and the spirit of Christmas. With a title character that would have been unacceptably bizarre in the hands of anyone other than Tim Burton, it is probably one of the most unique and original presentations of a Christmas movie ever made. Until three years later, of course.

Edward is a gentle and soft-spoken young man who lives on the edge of society because he is the unfinished creation of an inventor who died before he could be completed, leaving Edward with metal scissors for hands.

A kind Avon lady named Peg meets him and invites him into the community, where he is an object of fascination and lust, until the reality of what he is begins to set in and things take a turn for the worse.

The drama and romance and fantasy are all set against the backdrop of Christmas with remarkable results. Christmas plays a relatively small part in the movie, but the meaning and spirit are always center stage.

3. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), PG, 76 mins.

Just three years after Edward Scissorhands, Tim Burton returns with another of his own brand of Christmas movie. Like Edward, Jack Skellington discovers seemingly insurmountable differences between himself and a world that he desperately wants to join.

He is the King of Halloweentown but soon grows bored and disillusioned with his life as the Pumpkin King, and when he discovers Christmas he learns that darkness and death might very well not be the best things that life, or the lack thereof, has to offer.

Unfortunately, Jack encounters some difficulties related to his appearance when he tries to take over the job of Santa, and his plans of bringing Christmas to the world begin to fall apart.

Incidentally, the movie wasn’t directed by Tim Burton, but the stunning go-motion animation and the world of Halloweentown and Christmastown are something that could only belong in a Burton film, and the fascinating combination of Christmas and Halloween allows for a unique and interesting perspective in how we appreciate two of our most popular holidays. Even among the most enduring classics, The Nightmare Before Christmas is definitely one of the most popular and widely-loved Christmas movies ever made.

2. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989), PG-13, 97 mins.

Interestingly enough, Christmas Vacation was the last movie written by John Hughes, and surely not by coincidence, the last one that was any good. It’s impossible for me to think about Christmas anymore without my head flooding with hilarious memories of the Griswold family Christmas of 1989.

Shunning any classic Christmas stories, Hughes gives us a story about Clark Griswold, his wife and two teenage children as they prepare for a major family Christmas gathering at their home. In true National Lampoon form, everything goes wrong but the Griswold’s all struggle to maintain happy faces and the Christmas spirit as things go from bad to worse.

The endless stream of disasters wreak havoc of the Griswold’s, particularly Clark, as they prepare for the holiday gathering and then deal with their nightmarish family. Filled with enduringly classic scenes, Christmas Vacation rests comfortably among the best Christmas movies, the ones that you never seem to get sick of watching even numerous times every year.

“I don’t know what to say, except it’s Christmas and we’re all in misery.”

Bring on the eggnog!

1. Miracle on 34th Street (1947), G, 96 mins.

Okay mom, this one’s for you! All my life, Miracle on 34th Street has been a holiday staple in the DeZubiria (and Wirth) households, and it remains one of my own beloved mother’s all-time favorite movies, something that cheers her up whether it’s the holiday season or not. For that reason alone, it earns the #1 spot on my list of the Best Christmas movies ever made.

A charming old man discovers a department store Santa Claus to be drunk and berates him for his behavior, earning himself the job. He becomes a major hit with customers and their kids, but his no-nonsense boss, Ms. Walker, has reservations about him when she learns that he calls himself Kris Kringle and claims to be the real Santa Claus.

Ms. Walker has trained herself and her young daughter to reject any fantastical notions like the thought that Santa Claus might be real, but people begin to notice that there is certainly something special about this Kris Kringle, who brings about the true meaning and spirit of Christmas in the most unlikely ways, even among the rampant commercialism that surrounds him.

Sadly, Kringle suffers the fate that would probably welcome Jesus himself were he to visit us here on earth and attempt to celebrate his own birthday with us. Kringle is subjected to a cruel interrogation by an incompetent psychologist, ultimately landing himself in a mental institution where he deliberately fails a mental examination, virtually ensuring that he will get himself committed.

Just when all seems to be hopelessly lost for him, support and belief in him blossoms from the most unlikely places, culminating in a peculiar hearing where the very beliefs of the masses are put to the test to determine whether or not the man who calls himself Kris Kringle really is the true Santa Claus.

Miracle on 34th Street has now been one of the most universally loved Christmas movies in the world for over 60 years, and even six decades after its release it remains one of the most heart-warming and wonderful celebrations of Christmas ever filmed. Bravo!

Honorable Mention

It’s A Wonderful Life (1946) – I know, this is a serious omission, but in a time when Best Christmas movies are making their annual take-over of the internet, I had to at least do one thing that was different from all the rest! Don’t miss this one!

The Polar Express (2004)

Frosty the Snowman (1969) (TV)

How The Grinch Stole Christmas (1966) (TV)

A Christmas Story (1983)

Home Alone (1990)

Conspicuously Absent

Bad Santa (2003) – Bad Santa is not included in this list because it has the most profanity of any Christmas movie ever made. Oh, and also because it sucked.

For her final vegan week, Terra went to one of LA’s most talked about vegan restaurants, Stuff I Eat in Inglewood, California.  Besides the food, you’ll want to come in for the warm staff and relaxing atmosphere.

Check out their great eats below:

To see Stuff I Eat‘s menu and find out more information about the restaurant itself, check out www.stuffieat.com!

Now that 2008 is over and 2009 is rocking in its place, it’s time for Hollywire to look back at the most awesome and outrageous music videos of the year.  We ranked the hits from the summer, but now we look back on the best of the whole 366 days of 2008.  Click on the name link to view the videos!

Most Diverse

Lykke Li, “I’m Good, I’m Gone”

“Most Diverse” is the award where you say, “Oh, yeah, that sounds cool”, but you have no idea what it means–which is kind of the same situation going on in the “I’m Good, I’m Gone” music video.  Lykke Li is a Swede sensation, with a voice comparable to a low-key version of Bjork.  The video demonstrates that she is no average popstar; there a funky dance moves and freeze frame senior singing moments.  While you may not understand the video, you can still enjoy it’s fresh spirit and the odd fun of this Swedish hipster.

Most Laidback

Jason Mraz, “I’m Yours”

Jason Mraz has a voice of silk that comes with a suave and sweet demeanor.  As a songwriter, he is immensely talented; he sews together phrases and rhymes that qualify him as a modern, hip sonneteer.  His music is always catchy and cool, and he never fails to add a touch of cheekiness. Featured in Hawaii, the video for “I’m Your’s” is the definition of laidback–sitting in the back of an open truck while ‘hand surfing’, swimming under waterfalls, and hanging out on the beach–just watching the video will help you unwind and relax.

Most Rebellious

P!nk, “So What”

With plenty of hip thrusting, chest bumping, and spontaneous stripping, Pink is definitely the leader for rebellion.  She’s not embarrassed to bring her personal life into the song and poke fun at it; she jokes about her divorce, but is still on friendly enough terms with her ex to show up with him in her video.  In the first 30 seconds, she gets a tattoo and stops traffic as she rides a lawn mower down the street. With her readiness to start a fight and wield a chainsaw, Pink’s video is fun, wild, and hilarious–all that we expect from the Most Rebellious.

Honor Roll

Katy Perry, “Hot ‘n’ Cold”

Miss Perry was featured in our summer video list with her infamous song, “I Kissed a Girl”.  In this music video, Katy is seen getting married, shaking things up in a tiny dress and with a man as a bridesmaid. With plenty of bridezillas on bicycles, this video shows the pent up frustrations of women over moody and changeable men.

Sexiest

Beyonce, “Single Ladies”

Beyonce gets recognition for consistently turning out hits while still keeping her life out of public spectacle.  Her music always goes beyond simple rhyme and catchy phrases  (though she has plenty of each)–her music is full of soul and power.  And with her unveiling of her alter-ego “Sasha Fierce”, Beyonce has shown a magnified version of that spirit.  The music video for “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” is not only sexy, but vibrant–there is no distraction from the dancing of her and her background dancers, and their dance employs full body movement.  The dance is full of intensity as every body part joins in on her anthem for single women.

Best Come Back

Britney Spears, “Womanizer”

Considering Britney Spears suffered from an infamous breakdown last year, her musical progress to this point over the past year is incredible.  ”Womanizer” fits in the traditional Britney model with a dance beat that vibrates through your limbs and a chorus that is so catchy, that is not uncommon to find hat you have unconciously and suddenly started singing the song at unpredictable moments.  The video is incredibly sexy and entertaining, displaying the chameleon talents of Ms. Spears.  Compared to her half-hearted last comeback effort with “Gimme More”, this time around is the full-spirited display that we desire and love from Britney.  The undressed scenes really fit her; it’s as if she’s showing that after baring it all, she has nothing left to hide; while the several characters she plays demonstrate that she still has plenty of tricks up her sleeve–Britney can still be whatever she wants to be.

Country Queen

Taylor Swift, “Love Story”

Taylor Swift appeared like lightening to the country music scene, setting fire to the genre and giving a fresh and modern face to country music, converting new fans to the style.  The music video is a charming play on the title “Love Story”, incorporating both modern and past to demonstrate a Romeo and Juliet-esque affair (only with a happier ending).  The video is as cute and sweet as the country singer herself.

Cutest Couple

Rihanna w/ Justin Timberlake, Rehab

There is no doubt that this music video does its best to showcase the hotness of Rihanna and Justin; Rihanna stretches across a convertible wearing a pin-up style bikini, while a fully-clothed Justin showers off in the desert–and that’s before the two even reach each other. The video is full of smoldering stares and sexy outfits; the two burn up the screen together.

Best Newcomer

Lady Gaga,  Poker Face

Lady Gaga is a hipster in the best sense of the word–she mixes vintage with futuristic to create a style all her own and brings a fresh energy to the dance floor. Lady Gaga first came on the scene with the infectious charms of “Just Dance”, and proves that her song “Poker Face” is just as contagious. The music video lives up to its title with plenty of cards being thrown around and a little bit of strip poker thrown in for fun. In her own words, Lady Gaga says, “A little gambling is fun when you’re with me”–and we have to agree.

Funniest

Gym Class heroes, Guilty as Charged

Gym Class Heroes show style and wit in their video for “Guilty as Charged” by calling on 70s style to create a story of a hero out for revenge.  The video even features a “sensei” to instruct to hero on his path for vindication.  The video also features Estelle, who made our summer list with her song, “American Boy”.  There are plenty of nunchucks and throwing stars to satisfy the anyone’s desire for ridiculous street fighting.

Up and Coming

Laura Marling, Ghosts

For a song about heartbreak, Laura Marling’s video for “Ghosts” is lighthearted and silly, with paper cut-outs and skeleton face paint.  The talented Laura writes her own songs and sings with a voice full of soul beyond her years.  This video is charming in it’s simplicity, but the song itself will want to make you embrace the young artist and look forward to what she has next for us.

So there you have it, friends–Hollywire’s list of the top videos of 2008.  But don’t be sad that another year has passed–the year is young, and we look forward to bringing you the next wave of awesome music videos for 2009.

A look back at some YouTube vids you really should have seen in ‘08:

Lonely Island “Jizz In My Pants” Music Video

Single Ladies: Little Arianna vs Beyonce

Chubby Cuppy Cake Boy

Australian Party Kid

Monster Ass Kicking Little Girl

YouTube Divorce

Mac vs PC, Inspired by Transformers

Cat Killed by Hand-Gun

Obama vs. McCain Dance-Off

Eric Clapton Shreds

Here are some older, but classic goodies:

Bill O’Reilly Flips Out on Inside Edition

Crying Chris Crocker Begs the World to “Leave Britney Alone!”

Star Wars Kid

Numa Numa

David Elsewhere Break Dance

Stoned Britney Spears

Bride Hair Wig Out

Ninja Baby

Paula Abdul’s Drunk News Appearance

Evolution of Dance

Shoes

‘Cry Me a River’ Music Video Spoof

Do you have any favorites that we missed?