games
best ever debuts
quick note: these are opinions and nothing else. i’m 28yrs old and haven’t had time to listen to every album ever produced or watch every film ever, um, filmed so there are gonna be oodles of humans (i reckon at least 99.9999% of the earth’s population) who disagree with my choices. if you do, let’s hear your alternatives. my ears are gaping.
best ever acting debut
ed norton: primal fear
ed norton is generally fucking great but even if i didn’t think that i’d still believe his performance as aaron stampler to be the best ever debut in cinema. absolutely faultless. the film was released in 1996 and even before production had finished there was talk in hollwood that norton was one of the biggest talents in years.
the clip below contains a spoiler.
runner up..
brad davis: midnight express
best ever directorial debut
spike jonze: being john malkovich
creating a film this complicated could trouble the most experienced of directors so the fact that music video supremo jonze managed to perfectly convert kaufman’s twisted idea onto the screen as a debut is all the more impressive. the script was originally given to francis ford coppola who then passed it on to jonze, his daughter’s husband, to look at. the rest is history.
runner-up..
sam mendes: american beauty
best ever debut album
interpol: turn on the bright lights
i could never tire of this album. ever. it has the sound of a band at the very top of their game, a band with at least a couple of albums’ experience, and a band that were born as humans in order to make music for my ears.
if you haven’t listened to it already, i beg you to.
runner-up..
oasis: definitely maybe
best ever sporting debut
boris becker - wimbledon
17 years old and unseeded, becker went to wimbledon and beat every fucking opponent in his path to become champion. absolutely unheard of. just to prove it wasn’t a fluke he came back the next year and defeated world no.1 ivan lendl to retain the title.
incredible.
runner-up..
mike tyson - first 22 fights: 18 knock-outs, 14 in the first round
discussion
6 comments for “best ever debuts”
post a comment
Energy efficiency
Did you know the earth receives more energy from the sun in one hour than people in the entire world use in a year? Check out solar installations on everest.co.uk
deputydog favourites
Some good strong choices here.
For movie directing debuts, I recommend Charles Laughton’s Night of the Hunter, Terrence Malick’s Badlands, and Richard Kelly’s Donnie Darko. And Blood Simple by the Coen Brothers. And Duel by Steven Spielberg. (I better stop here.)
For first records, I’m partial to The Stone Roses, The Ramones, I Just Can’t Stop It by the Beat, Liz Phair’s Exile in Guyville, and Psychocandy by the Jesus & May Chain. Among others.
cheers mate.
donnie darko ! shit, forgot about that little beauty.
Citizen Kane?
i know, my final 3 was the 2 above and citizen kane. it came down to enjoyment in the end.
The Stone Roses is without a doubt my favourite debut album. It keeps on getting better with time.
you’re soooooooo right about Interpol.