Saw 65 films over the past 365 days. I’m not sure what I was doing for the other 300 days. Probably having a life. Anyway, here are some notes:
Top 5 films I Saw in the Theater Last Year:
- Moonrise Kingdom. Times viewed: 2. OK, I may be a sucker for Wes Anderson, but, this film seemed to have a certain whimsical melancholy that made it a wonderful snack. I think it may be time to update that list …
- The Dark Knight Rises. Times viewed: 2. This was the perfect ending of the Christopher Nolan trilogy … even if it was a little long. Michael Caine should be nominated for an Oscar. Of course, I think the Lollipop Guild is a valid organization …
- The Avengers. Times viewed: 3. Fun, fun, fun. Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner made me think “Edward Who?” … and the Hulk had some of the best scenes in the movie. Say what you want about Marvel the comics, Marvel the movies are enjoyable.
- Argo. Times viewed: 1. Maybe it’s time we give Ben Affleck his due … then again, maybe it’s time to rewatch Gigli, too.
- Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol. Times viewed: 1 (in 2012, 1 in 2011). Saw this in the cheap theater in March, so it counts. The whole Mission Impossible franchise has gotten better with age, and I enjoyed this because I refused to take it too seriously.
Admittedly, there were several other films that could have taken the #5 spot … but that’s just the first one to pop in my head. What would your five be?
Other Notes:
Worst Movie of the Year: Joyful Noise. Seriously. I think I would watch 2 Madea movies and another round of Twilight … OK, maybe not. If I rewatched Joyful Noise, at least I’d be done in under two hours. The Movie Night group watched this with a guy who, afterward, was so mad he didn’t go back to Movie Night for four months.
Surprise Movie of the Year: A Cabin in the Woods. Not a big horror movie buff, but this one was good because it didn’t take itself too seriously and offered a meta-commentary on the whole genre.
Most Disappointing Movie of the Year: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. Not sure what I was expected, but after reading and thoroughly enjoying the book I probably got my hopes up a little too high. Maybe if I watched it again …
Well, there’s a brief summary. Take a gander at the page and offer your own thoughts and views. And happy watching for 2013!
The 10-Minute Ramble 
1. The Dark Knight Rises
2. The Grey
3. Beasts of the Southern Wild
4. Cabin in the Woods
5. Skyfall
Still haven’t seen “The Grey,” but I think it’s still on Netflix. I may have expected too much of “Skyfall.” When will I learn?
Thanks for reading! Happy New Year!
Great list, so many interesting movies this year! Check out my picks http://amandalovesmovies.com/2012/12/28/best-of-2012
Your list is cool! Thanks for reading and commenting!
Happy New Year!
Out of them all, I’d have to say Avengers was my favorite for this year. Dark Knight was great. I did enjoy Moonrise Kingdom – talk about weird – but cool. I didn’t much enjoy Beasts of the Southern Wild, but it was there. I’d have to say my biggest disappointment was Looper. It was good until the ending. I thought, crap, what a copout. I could have written that. This is what happens when a writer writes themself into a hole. It was fun, otherwise, I just didn’t care for the ending.
Skyfall… still have to see it. Heard it’s awesome.
The thing about Avengers is that it came out at the perfectly right time of the year, making it so easy to enjoy. And it has enough character complexity for multiple viewings. Not to mention that whole “puny god” line.
Thanks for reading and commenting!