update: some small updates at the bottom, as i feel em.
so this list is completely my opinion only, what do i know about anything? nothing, that's what. but here are the films i enjoyed most in 2012.
note: some of these came out in 2011, but weren't available to see til 2012, so those made the list. i can honestly say i've watched all of these films at least twice, and some of them many more times than that. since i watch movies while i work, lots of these have become the current soundtrack of my life. wah wah.
TOP TENNER
Prometheus - no two ways about it, i really loved this film. first time i saw it i liked it, second time i loved it. third time, well i still loved it. just a film that hits the right notes for me. doesn't go nuts on bringing in the big bad xenomorph, instead tries to add to the mythology. and even where it kinda fails at that, it succeeds just by trying. by far the movie from this year i'm most hopeful about getting a sequel.
The Grey - i cried a little during this movie, i won't lie. those wolves, they just loved eating those guys so much. it touched me. but really the father / son flashbacks, that hit me in the feeling-nuts. in a good (non-weird) way.
Django Unchained - this list is not really in order, so this ones up there with Prometheus. not an easy film to watch in some places, truth be told. i imagine on some days it was kinda awkward on set, filming this. but i could be wrong. i'm overthinking it. i've seen it 6 times so it must be ok by me.
Warrior - easy to forget, since it came out in 2011, but wide release was beginning of 2012. and to me, this was better than 'the fighter'. i just remember recommending this to everyone after i saw it. again, i got all emotional, i have a brother, and while he isn't an MMA fighter, he still beats me up sometimes. even though he's 4 years younger. and that is emotional, let me tell you.
Lockout - much booed on its release, i had a lot of fun with this one, even though tom and kev (who i saw it with) did not. Guy Pierce (criminally underused in Prometheus) did a great job channeling his inner Snake Plisken type. its the definition of a genre piece, and i happen to be a huge fan of the 'future prison' genre. See No Escape and Fortress.
The Guard - another 2011-er, but late to me, from across the seas. just a wonderful character piece with brendan gleeson. i watched it last night again and just really enjoyed it, makes me laugh.
Stakeland - all sorts of 2011'ers, this one was of the vampire genre, but more like vampires as a plague, vampires as zompies, vampires with no personality. this director (Jim Mickle) - one to watch for sure. his previous film, mulberry street, another great plague type movie. lower budget but i still watch it all the time, love it.
Bernie - not quite what i was expecting but still very awesome, jack black in a role custom made for jack black, with the singing and the mustache, the works.
Cabin In the Woods - i, along with many others, enjoyed this. a fun look at the apocalypse.
Into the Abyss - time to get real. ha. but seriously, a serious film by werner herzog, probably also from 2011, but new to me. documentary about a person on death row, just had some powerful thoughts on the subject, some powerful interviews with people currently incarcerated.
Honorable Mention:
The Raid: Redemption - saw this in seattle during ECCC with nick and tom, a fun time was had. frankly after seeing this i was a bit let down by dredd, since this kinda does the 'one floor of an apartment block at a time' thing better than dredd. to me anyways. plus the ending of dredd was a bit weird, some big hulking dude throwing a woman (granted, a bad guy woman) out of a window to her death, it just rubbed me the wrong way. i'm overthinking it probably. but yes, Raid, great.
End of Watch - cop drama, i enjoyed it.
Flight - obviously i enjoyed the crash scene the most. the rest was ok, underused john goodman, he was the light of this movie.
Argo - speaking of criminally underused john goodman....holy smokes.
Wreck it Ralph - liked it, saw it with my kids, they were dancing during the credits.
Rammbock - a zombie film from across the pond...well germany actually. pretty sweet.
Extraterrestrial - a bit of a letdown after the brilliance that was time crimes, but still, it was weirdly sweet to me, and i enjoyed that aspect of it.
Submarine - saw this way late but enjoyed it. not at all what i was expecting, pretty humorous.
Unfairly Kitsch'd in the nuts award:
John Carter - i really liked this, i felt it could use some editing, started off kinda slow, but overall had parts i liked and i've watched it a few times. could have really been a fun start to a trilogy. unlike transformers, which is literally the worst.trilogy.ever.
Battleship - going out on a limb here, the first 30 minutes were awesomely terrible. but then the aliens arrived and it really picked up for me. had some fun parts. is it amazing? no. but is it 'Independance Day 2: Naval Academy'? yes. plus the aliens were like real aliens, not those blobby non-form CGI aliens you see in movies like Battlefield LA and Skyline.
Any Shark Movie is a good Shark Movie award:
Bait - i watch all shark movies, and i cut em a lot of slack. much like crocodile movies (lake placid 2-4 anyone? no, they're crap.). bait was pretty enjoyable, the shark effects were pretty good (after the opening scene). overall just a pretty enjoyable shark flick.
Dark Tide - i felt like i was on drugs while watching this film. the vibe from it is so weird, so off the wall. tries the whole movie to make us more afraid of sharks then at the end is like 'sharks are wonderful creatures.' it is bad in parts, and really bad in other parts, but hey, shark movie. i have watched it a few times and its still a surreal movie to me.
note: any shark movie = a good shark movie is not something i actually believe. so many bad ones out there. so many. a movie like shark night comes along and you're just relieved the shark isn't a huge cartoon.
PPSS - don't read anything into those films that aren't on my list. the ones i listed are just on the top of my head, but could easily fit other movies as well. Avengers, really enjoyed it, watched it several times, should be on this list, best marvel movie since iron man. Looper, have only seen it once, need to watch it again. Lincoln, have never watched it, have no plans on watching it, much like i have no plans on reading a book about lincoln (edit: that sounds obnoxious. i mean to say, i will see it, but have made no plans to see it). just have to find the right time and place in my life to say 'hey, let's watch lincoln.'
The "I FORGOT ABOUT THAT" awards:
The Hobbit - i honestly forgot about this one, having seen it so recently. in fact i saw it new years eve. my dad fell asleep, as did sarah. i did not and it was fun. long, but fun. i have since seen it again and it really did grow on me, i loved that world in the LOTR trilogy, and i'm excited about visiting there again in the next two hobbit films. if the biggest complaint for me was 'its a bit long', well that's not too bad, since what else am i going to do, i like watching movies. and i think this one, as the series goes on, will really flesh out and grow on people. here's hoping!
possibly will add more later as i am reminded of them.
