[UPDATED] The Best Films of 2012

Hello again, everyone.

My previous post dealt with the worst films of 2012, so now it is time to reflect on the best films of 2012. I want to remind everyone this is a list of the movies I have personally seen and also note that I am aware the year is not over. I still plan on seeing one or two more movies this year, so I might alter this list after the fact. Good? Excellent. Let's get started!


The Grey

I didn't see this movie in theaters but after watching it on DVD I regretted not seeing it in January. This was a great movie and not just because it had Liam Neeson. It was tense and had a great progression. I also loved the way it was filmed. Very well done.

The Hunger Games

I will admit that I didn't love the movie as much as the book and it left a lot to be desired, but it was very well done. I was pleased with the casting, the acting, and portrayal, and the overall progression. I cannot wait for Catching Fire and Mockingjay to come out.

21 Jump Street

I delayed seeing this movie until just a couple months ago and let me tell you, I was so impressed and pleased. It was hilarious and oddly enough it worked perfectly as a spin-off of the original TV show. I laughed through the whole damn movie and that I what I loved. The humor was perfect. Highly recommended to anyone else who skipped it like I did.

Project X

I am only mentioning this because as a teenage party movie it was pretty legit. I enjoyed it a lot.

The Cabin in the Woods

By far the best horror movie I have seen in a couple years. I loved how this movie was set up, I loved how it played out, and I enjoyed the hell out of it. The only downside was the last 5min or so, but apart from that it was great. A definite must see for any horror fan.

Mother's Day

For a horror remake that went Direct-to-DVD it was pretty damn good. Darren Lynn Bousman finally did another good thing after his first two Saw movies.

Brave

This was a fantastic movie. The animation alone blew my mind and put me in complete happiness. I liked the message of the film and it was a lot of fun. Pixar did it again.

ParaNorman

Beautiful animation, first of all, and the story itself was a little more adult. Even though it was a kids movie and an animated movie I felt like there was more for the big kids than the little ones. The horror aspect was very well blended and quite enjoyable. I highly recommend this one.

Frankenweenie

By far Tim Burton's best movie in 10 years. The animation was beautiful, classic, and I loved that they left it in black and white. The story was incredibly easy to relate to and I think it held up nicely with the original live-action short film. I absolutely loved it.

Skyfall

Out of the Daniel Craig 007 movies this was the best one. Much, much better than Quantum of Solace and I even thought it was better than Casino Royale. Adele's song was perfect, the story was perfect, and I was surprised with how much I liked Daniel Craig. I think he finally was able to capture the perfect Bond performance. And of course... Javier Bardem was the best villain I have seen in many Bond movies. He needs an Oscar for it.

Wreck-It Ralph

This was a nerd's dream movie. I had a big smile on my face from beginning to end. As I said about the other animated movies this year, the animation was flawless and beautiful. The voice talent was also great. The concept was very original, too. And fyi... there is a free version of the Fix-It Felix arcade game in the Apple App Store. I have it on my iPod. =^D

Prometheus

I almost put this on my worst of 2012 list but I decided against it. I almost put it on the other list because I felt like we were all lied to when Ridley Scott said it had nothing to do with the Alien franchise. The final shot of the movie alone flushes that down the toilet. Apart from the anger of that, it wasn't all that terrible. Noomi Rapace was great and the stress level the movie put on was very high. I saw it in theaters and I was going nuts the whole time. Great science fiction movie but it was kind of a big trick.

The Dark Knight Rises

After 4 years of anticipation this movie, for me and many others, was tainted with tragedy. The Century Theater shooting happened about 2 miles from me and I almost went to that midnight premiere at that same theater. With that said, it took me until the DVD release earlier this month to fully enjoy the movie. I saw it twice in theaters and was paranoid as hell both times. However, I do appreciate it and think it was a great finale to the Nolan trilogy. I don't think it was as good as The Dark Knight but it was better than Batman Begins.

The Avengers

The... best... movie... of... the... entire... year.
Not only was this one of the best superhero movies I have ever seen but it will hold up as that. The casting of the heroes and villains was perfect and the lead into this movie was just incredible. The special effects, sound effects, acting, and dialogue was perfect. Everything about The Avengers was perfect. It was more proof that Marvel does truly have the upper hand when it comes to comic books on film.

[Updated] Beasts of the Southern Wild

I literally just saw this movie and I want to say it is one of the best movies I have seen all year, if not ever. I had no idea what to expect going in and I walked out teary eyed with something new. Like, it is hard to describe how this movie affects you but it does. Quvenzhane Wallis is phenomenal. For a little girl like that to be so good. I was just blown away.

Honorable mentions: Les Misérables, Sound of My Voice, The Raid: Redemption, For Ellen, Dark Shadows, The Possession, V/H/S, We Need to Talk About Kevin, and Pitch Perfect.



Well, there we have it. Like I mentioned before this list is of the movies I personally saw. I haven't seen every movie I wanted to see this year, but that happens every year. Movies are released on DVD within 3-4 months anyway. It's no big deal. Overall I think 2012 was a better movie year than 2011 so that was a pleasure. Here's to hoping 2013 is a great movie year!

[Updated with winners] 2013 Critics Choice Award nominations

The 18th annual Critics Choice Movie Awards will air on the CW Network on January 10, 2013.
UPDATED: The winners are highlighted in red.

Best Picture:
Argo
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Django Unchained
Les Miserables
Life of Pi
Lincoln
The Master
Moonrise Kingdom
Silver Linings Playbook
Zero Dark Thirty

Best Actor:
Bradley Cooper - Silver Linings Playbook
Daniel Day-Lewis - Lincoln
John Hawkes - The Sessions
Hugh Jackman - Les Miserables
Joaquin Phoenix - The Master
Denzel Washington - Flight

Best Actress:
Jessica Chastain - Zero Dark Thirty
Marion Cotillard - Rust and Bone
Jennifer Lawrence - Silver Linings Playbook
Emmanuelle Riva - Amour
Quvenzhane Wallis - Beasts of the Southern Wild
Naomi Watts - The Impossible

Best Supporting Actor:
Alan Arkin - Argo
Javier Bardem - Skyfall
Robert De Niro - Silver Linings Playbook
Philip Seymour Hoffman - The Master
Tommy Lee Jones - Lincoln
Matthew McConaughey - Magic Mike

Best Supporting Actress:
Amy Adams - The Master
Judi Dench - Skyfall
Ann Dowd - Compliance
Sally Field - Lincoln
Anne Hathaway - Les Miserables
Helen Hunt - The Sessions

Best Young Actor/Actress:
Elle Fanning - Ginger & Rosa
Kara Hayward - Moonrise Kingdom
Tom Holland - The Impossible
Logan Lerman - The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Suraj Sharma - Life of Pi
Quvenzhane Wallis - Beasts of the Southern Wild

Best Acting Ensemble:
Argo
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Les Miserables
Lincoln
Moonrise Kingdom
Silver Linings Playbook

Best Director:
Ben Affleck - Argo
Kathryn Bigelow - Zero Dark Thirty
Tom Hooper - Les Miserables
Ang Lee - Life of Pi
David O. Russell - Silver Linings Playbook
Steven Spielberg - Lincoln

Best Original Screenplay:
Quentin Tarantino - Django Unchained
John Gatins - Flight
Rian Johnson - Looper
Paul Thomas Anderson - The Master
Wes Anderson & Roman Coppola - Moonrise Kingdom
Mark Boal - Zero Dark Thirty

Best Adapted Screnplay:
Chris Terrio - Argo
David Magee - Life of Pi
Tony Kushner - Lincoln
Stephen Chbosky - The Perks of Being a Wallflower
David O. Russell - Silver Linings Playbook

Best Cinematography:
Danny Cohen - Les Miserables
Claudio Miranda - Life of Pi
Janusz Kaminski - Lincoln
Mihai Malaimare Jr. - The Master
Roger Deakins - Skyfall

Best Art Direction:
Anna Karenina
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Les Miserables
Life of Pi
Lincoln

Best Editing:
Argo
Les Miserables
Life of Pi
Lincoln
Zero Dark Thirty

Best Costume Design:
Jaqueline Durran - Anna Karenina
Kym Barrett * Pierre-Yves Gayraud - Cloud Atlas
Bob Buck, Ann, Maskrey, & Richard Taylor - The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Paco Delgado - Les Miserables
Joanna Johnston - Lincoln

Best Makeup:
Cloud Atlas
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Les Miserables
Lincoln

Best Visual Effects:
The Avengers
Cloud Atlas
The Dark Knight Rises
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Life of Pi

Best Animated Feature:
Brave
Frankenweenie
Madagascar 3
ParaNorman
Rise of the Guardians
Wreck-It Ralph

Best Action Movie:
The Avengers
The Dark Knight Rises
Looper
Skyfall

Best Action Actor:
Christian Bale - The Dark Knight Rises
Daniel Craig - Skyfall
Robert Downey Jr. - The Avengers
Joseph Gordon-Levitt - Looper
Jake Gyllenhaal - End of Watch

Best Action Actress:
Emily Blunt - Looper
Gina Carano - Haywire
Judi Dench - Skyfall
Anne Hathaway - The Dark Knight Rises
Jennifer Lawrence - The Hunger Games

Best Comedy:
Bernie
Silver Linings Playbook
Ted
This is 40
21 Jump Street

Best Comedy Actor:
Jack Black - Bernie
Bradley Cooper - Silver Linings Playbook
Paul Rudd - This is 40
Channing Tatum - 21 Jump Street
Mark Wahlberg - Ted

Best Comedy Actress:
Mila Kunis - Ted
Jennifer Lawrence - Silver Linings Playbook
Shirley MacLaine - Bernie
Leslie Mann - This is 40
Rebel Wilson - Pitch Perfect

Best Sci-Fi/Horror Movie:
Cabin in the Woods
Looper
Prometheus

Best Foreign Language Movie:
Amour
The Intouchables
A Royal Affair
Rust and Bone

Best Documentary:
Bully
The Central Park Five
The Imposter
The Queen of Versailles
Searching for Sugar Man
West of Memphis

Best Original Song:
"For You" - Act of Valor
"Learn Me Right" - Brave
"Skyfall" - Skyfall
"Still Alive" - Still Alive
"Suddenly" - Les Miserables

Best Original Score:
Alexandre Desplat - Argo
Mychael Danna - Life of Pi
John Williams - Lincoln
Jonny Greenwood - The Master
Alexandre Desplat - Moonrise Kingdom

AFI's annual Top 10 lists released

The American Film Institute released their annual Top 10 lists in both film and television categories. No real surprises, imo.

AFI Movies of the Year:
Argo
Beasts of the Southern Wild
The Dark Knight Rises
Django Unchained
Les Miserables 
Life of Pi
Lincoln
Moonrise Kingdom
Silver Linings Playbook
Zero Dark Thirty

AFI Television Programs of the Year:
American Horror Story
Breaking Bad
Game Change
Game of Thrones
Girls
Homeland
Louie
Mad Men
Modern Family
The Walking Dead

No Director's Cut for The Dark Knight Rises

Despite previous rumors that we were going to get an extended director's cut Blu-Ray for The Dark Knight Rises, with around 30min of extra footage, it has now been confirmed that we will not. Christopher Nolan doesn't seem one for director's cut releases and I guess he isn't about to start now.

I was looking forward to seeing Bane's origin story and whatever else was within that 30 minutes, but I guess some things just aren't meant to be seen outside of the editing room.

Warner Bros. to edit Gangster Squad in response to Colorado shooting

In response to the recent shooting in Colorado during a midnight screening of The Dark Knight Rises, Warner Bros. has continued their changes with the release of Gangster Squad starring Ryan Gosling and Sean Penn. In addition to pulling the trailer from before The Dark Knight Rises, due to the fact that there is a scene where a hit squad opens fire on a movie theater, they have also announced their plans to re-edit and re-shoot the film to get rid of the scene entirely. They are currently working on a re-shoot schedule and we can only assume such an intensive and rushed schedule is because the scene is an important part in the film. Also the fact that the film's release is slated for September 7th which is only about 6 weeks away.

I saw the trailer for Gangster Squad earlier last week and like everyone else who watched it probably didn't think twice about the scene where they open fire on the movie theater. However, with recent events I think this is a wise choice by Warner Bros. Do I also think that it's lousy we have to resort to political correctness due to the acts of one guy? Sure. But at the same time enough people have been touched and affected by the events here in Colorado that I think it is the right move to make. If it means having to push the release date forward a couple months then so be it. It's probably better in the long run than having the movie boycotted or having people file lawsuits against Warner Bros. We also recently saw this when Fox pulled marketing campaigns and changed the title of The Watch (formerly Neighborhood Watch) in response to the Trayvon Martin shooting in Florida. If they would have chosen to do nothing the phrase "too soon" pops into my head.

The Dark Knight Rises - Review

Despite the tragedy here in Colorado I still went out to a different theater last night and saw the much anticipated finale to Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy, The Dark Knight Rises. I have been excited for this movie for over a year, well actually since The Dark Knight in 2008, so I wasn't going to let the actions of one man stop me. However, I will admit it was eerie being in a theater auditorium that wasn't even half full on not only a Friday but on an opening weekend like this.
With that said, this movie didn't disappoint. Not really. Overall I think that it was really, really well done and I absolutely loved the ending. Were there little things that bothered me? Sure. Were they enough to ruin anything? Hell no. I will talk more about those things in the spoiler section after the jump so you are safe reading until then.
I thought the acting was very good, as always, and I think the casting for characters was fantastic. I mean no disrespect when I say this but Tom Hardy as Bane seriously is up there with Heath Ledger as The Joker. Obviously it isn't as powerful as Heath's was and I do still think his portrayal of The Joker is #1, but in terms of the various villains we have had in this trilogy, including Jonathan Crane and Harvey Dent, I think Bane was pushed above all the rest to a clear second behind The Joker. And as surprised as I am to be saying this I honestly liked Anne Hathaway as Catwoman (aka, Selina Kyle). It was more of the genuine cat burglar approach rather than the approach Tim Burton did with Batman Returns where she was out for revenge more than anything. I thought the musical score complimented the character best because whenever Catwoman was up to something there was a recognizable, sneaky-like piano tune that would play. It was really well done and I am pleased to say that I was happy with it. I was real worried about Catwoman.
The main thing that I felt was despite the movie being 2 hours and 45 minutes, it still felt very rushed to me. I felt that they tried to do a little too much at one time with too many main to semi-main characters. I also felt the return, or rise, of Batman back into Gotham was too soon. It was like one minute Bruce Wayne is a recluse and then the next minute he is back on the streets chasing after criminals. It just felt too soon.

Now I will talk about spoilers and key points in the plot so I advise you do not continue reading until you see The Dark Knight Rises.

Aftermath of the Colorado theater shooting

I wrote yesterday my direct link to the shooting at the Century 16 theater shooting during the midnight screening of The Dark Knight Rises. I went online this morning and we are already seeing the aftermath of the shooting. Not only are 12 people still dead but the effect on Warner Bros., Christopher Nolan, and the entire country is a bit overwhelming.

1. Warner Bros. has announced it will not report the opening weekend box office numbers for The Dark Knight Rises out of respect for the victims and their families.

“Out of respect for the victims and their families, Warner Bros. Pictures will not be reporting box office numbers for The Dark Knight Rises throughout the weekend. Box office numbers will be released on Monday.”

 2. AMC Theaters has banned costumes and face covering masks for moviegoers and several TV networks, including NBC and CBS, have pulled TV spots and trailers for The Dark Knight Rises. The new trailer for Gangster Squad was also pulled from before the film due to the fact that there is a scene in the trailer of a hit squad opening fire on a movie theater. It has also been rumored than Warner Bros. is currently revising the main theatrical trailer and the current TV spots to edit out a majority of the violence and weapons.

3. In addition to the costume ban, several theaters have increased security both outside and inside the theater complexes. Both private security and city police officers have been brought into several theaters to patrol around.

4. The director of the recent Batman trilogy, Christopher Nolan, also made a statement regarding the theater shooting.

"Speaking on behalf of the cast and crew of 'The Dark Knight Rises,' I would like to express our profound sorrow at the senseless tragedy that has befallen the entire Aurora community. I would not presume to know anything about the victims of the shooting but that they were there last night to watch a movie. I believe movies are one of the great American art forms and the shared experience of watching a story unfold on screen is an important and joyful pastime. The movie theatre is my home, and the idea that someone would violate that innocent and hopeful place in such an unbearably savage way is devastating to me. Nothing any of us can say could ever adequately express our feelings for the innocent victims of this appalling crime, but our thoughts are with them and their families."

*sigh*
This is just sad, guys. It's so close to home for me, literally. I am shaken. However, I did still go see The Dark Knight Rises at a different theater last night. My review will be up soon.

Gunman kills 12 and shoots 70+ at Colorado movie theater

This is one of my two local movie theaters and I am happy to say I was not at the midnight showing of The Dark Knight Rises that was massacred by a gunman, James Holmes. The gunman opened fire in Theater 9 of a Cinemark theater in Colorado killing 12 people, including a 6-year old, and wounding over 70 with a semi-automatic assault rifle, a shotgun, and a handgun. He also used gas canisters and supposedly used flash-bang grenades.
The story is, as of right now, that Holmes entered the theater as a normal viewer, exited out of the emergency exit, propped the door open, and returned approximately 20-30 minutes later dressed in military tactical gear (aka, riot gear) setting off gas canisters and grenades and opening fire on the rest of the people in the theater. When he was apprehended by police outside the back entrance of the theater he apparently referred to himself as The Joker and his apartment is booby trapped with IEDs (aka, improvised explosive devices).

I am shocked and upset. I could have, and would have, been there if I didn't work early today. If I would have had an afternoon shift today I would have been there for the marathon including the midnight showing. I am shaken as hell. I am happy they caught the asshole. I hope he's happy with himself for killing 12 people including a child. I can't believe this.

Official runtime for The Dark Knight Rises

We will be sitting in the theater watching a 164 minute and 27 second movie, otherwise known as The Dark Knight Rises. It is 12 minutes longer than The Dark Knight and 24 minutes longer than Batman Begins.

I can do that.

MTV Movie Awards 2012 winners list and thoughts on the show

This is only because I posted about the nominations and the new format...

Movie of the Year:
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1

Best Male Performance:
Josh Hutcherson - The Hunger Games

Best Female Performance:
Jennifer Lawrence - The Hunger Games

Best Comedic Performance:
Melissa McCarthy - Bridesmaids

Breakthrough Performance:
Shailene Woodley - The Descendants

Best Cast:
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2

Best On-Screen Transformation:
Elizabeth Banks - The Hunger Games

Best Fight:
Jennifer Lawrence & Josh Hutcherson vs. Alexander Ludwig - The Hunger Games

Best Kiss:
Robert Pattinson & Kristen Stewart - Breaking Dawn Part 1

Best Gut Wrenching Performance:
Bridesmaids

Best On-Screen Dirtbag:
Jennifer Aniston - Horrible Bosses

Best Music:
"Party Rock Anthem" by LMFAO - 21 Jump Street

MTV Trailblazer Award:
Emma Stone

MTV Generation Award:
Johnny Depp



As a whole I thought the show sucked. I don't know why they keep inviting Russell Brand to host because he is incredibly unfunny and annoying. When the audience doesn't laugh at your jokes there is a problem. He had to tell them to applaud and laugh a couple times and his only way of getting audience feedback was to keep yelling "THE HUNGER GAMES! TWILIGHT!" I hope he never hosts again or I might cut myself with a large piece of glass and send the tape to MTV.
The guest list was fairly weak as well, I thought. Not to mention they went to commercial after every category. It was like 4-5 minutes of show time and then 5 minutes of commercial in a steady rotation. I found it ironic that they had Kristen Stewart present Best Female Performance seeing that is is like the first year in the past 4 that she hasn't been nominated for a Twilight movie. I don't know if it was rude or just an odd coincidence. I was happy Jennifer Lawrence got it, though. The archery bit with her, JJ Abrams, and Joel McHale was pretty funny as well.
I also just want to say that Johnny Depp playing with The Black Keys was epic. I didn't know what to think because I was too busy enjoying myself. That was a real treat and he definitely deserved the good time and the recognition. I love Johnny Depp.
Emma Stone winning some new award was confusing to me. I like Emma Stone a lot but what was the point of that award?
And of course... The Dark Knight Rises footage was amazing. Christian Bale, Gary Oldman, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Christopher Nolan all appeared to present it and I loved every second of it. 

Overall it did suck, though. I can't believe I sat through the whole thing.

New footage for Dark Knight Rises to air on MTV Movie Awards

All of us will have the opportunity to see new footage from The Dark Knight Rises in a little over a week. It was announced that the footage will air during the MTV Movie Awards on June 3rd, one week from this upcoming Sunday (May 27th).

http://collider.com/dark-knight-rises-mtv-movie-awards/168772/

I didn't realize the awards were so close already and I realized they air the same night as the season 5 premiere of True Blood on HBO. I want to watch both so I might have to make a decision and/or just record one of them. MTV replays the Movie Awards practically every day for two weeks after the show, but from my experience watching them something always happens on the first telecast that is edited out of the reruns. It's always funnier to watch it "live."
Seeing that there will be footage of The Dark Knight Rises I might just watch True Blood on the rerun that night or on demand the next day. I can wait a little longer for it.

And speaking of not realizing how quick time is seeming to move right now, I was surprised to think I will get to see Snow White and the Huntsman next week. Damn son.

3 new Dark Knight Rises character posters

I approve.

Trailer #3 for The Dark Knight Rises

Holy shit, guys.

This is going to be amazing. I am so happy this was posted now. This means I can remain calm during the trailers before The Avengers.

The Dark Knight Rises to have 60+ minutes of IMAX footage

The Wall Street Journal has reported that the upcoming Batman film, The Dark Knight Rises, consists of over one hour of IMAX footage. By IMAX footage I mean scenes shot with the IMAX technology. 

This is exciting.

http://collider.com/dark-knight-rises-imax-hour/161138/

Official run-time for The Dark Knight Rises?

An Australian cinema website has posted a run-time for The Dark Knight Rises and they are pegging it at 2 hours and 40 minutes.

There have been rumors circulating around that the film will be 3 hours long, or somewhere in that ballpark, so seeing a 2:40 run-time doesn't really surprise me. If I remember correctly The Dark Knight was about 2 hours and 30 minutes so it's nothing unheard of, especially for a Christopher Nolan film. Inception was long, too. Either way I will be seeing this movie. I'll do what I did before The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and dehydrate myself 2-3 hours prior to going to the theater so I don't have to step out.

http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/rorschachsrants/news/?a=58391

The Dark Knight Rises trailer to play before The Avengers

Another new trailer? I hope so!  =^D

http://www.hitfix.com/articles/report-dark-knight-rises-trailer-will-be-paired-with-the-avengers

The Dark Knight Rises to have a novel

Titan Books has announced they will release the corresponding book to The Dark Knight Rises the same day the movie is released on July 20th. The book is being written by Greg Cox who has written novels for Ghost Rider, Daredevil, and the Underworld movies. The exact plot points for both the movie and the book are being kept under wraps so we will have to still wait a while to find out, but July isn't too far off at this point.

Personally I think this is pretty badass. Batman books in general are awesome to read so I will definitely be picking this up. However, I will definitely be seeing the movie first. No doubt about it.

http://movies.ign.com/articles/122/1223133p1.html

The Dark Knight Rises receives a PG-13

Is this surprising or something? Batman Begins and The Dark Knight both were PG-13. This one wasn't going to be R-rated, ffs.

http://www.thewrap.com/movies/column-post/dark-knight-rises-gets-pg-13-rating-violence-sensuality-36883

Liam Neeson will be in The Dark Knight Rises

He had apparently been seen on set and now it has been confirmed. Liam Neeson will reprise his role as Ra's Al Ghul in The Dark Knight Rises. It's listed as a cameo so he probably won't appear for too long.

Does this surprise me? No.
Does this excite me? Meh. Batman Begins is my least favorite of the Nolan films so far.

Are you excited?

http://collider.com/dark-knight-rises-batman-begins-cameo/155661/