UWIRE, the leading aggregator of college student media content and a division of CSTV Networks, Inc., today announced the early results of its first-ever college critics' year-end poll. Radiohead "In Rainbows" and "No Country for Old Men" captured the top slots respectively in the composite college music and film top ten lists. The survey results, which will be updated regularly until the poll's close on Dec. 17, can be found at www.uwire.com.
As of today, more than 140 albums and 65 movies have been mentioned by the student critics from more than 20 different schools. Each critic's top 10 is viewable from the page as well as the aggregate total.
Radiohead made a big splash with their online-only October release of "In Rainbows" that featured a pay-what-its-worth method of delivery. The British group is the clear leader in the album poll, having been named on more than 70 percent of the top 10s.
"The band's distribution method has overshadowed the greatness of the music here, and that's unfortunate," wrote John C. Barnett, a music critic at the Indiana Daily Student. "It's yet another Radiohead record for the ages."
Critics had plenty of praise for other albums as well. M.I.A.'s "Kala", Animal Collective's "Strawberry Jam", LCD Soundsystem's "Sounds of Silver" and The National's "Boxer" round out the current top five.
"Pushing the limits of a genre, Animal Collective's 2007 release is at the same time the most ambitious and most infectious album of the year," wrote Adam Clair of the Daily Collegian at Penn State.
"No Country For Old Men" -- hailed as "A perfect mixture of beautiful imagery and poetic majesty" by Alex Beene of the Daily Mississippian -- leads in the film critics' poll over David Fincher-helmed thriller "Zodiac" (#2) and two Judd Apatow-produced comedies, "Superbad" (#3) and "Knocked Up" (#4). In a corresponding survey to the film poll, "No Country" comes close to sweeping the major awards with Javier Bardem leading for best actor and the Joel and Ethan Coen getting the nod for best director. Cate Blanchett ("I'm Not There") leads in the best actress category.
In the music survey, Rage Against the Machine beat out the Police, Van Halen and Genesis as the best reunion tour. In addition, 44 percent of students say they would pay $9.99 for the digital download of Radiohead's "In Rainbows," and 50 percent claim comedian Dane Cook makes them want to punch a hole in the wall.
