Slice of Fried Gold: 2012

Showing posts with label 2012. Show all posts

Monday, January 28, 2013

My Own Subjective Top 10 Movies of 2012

2012 was the year of the television series for me. I spent so much time watching TV series on Netflix such as Psych, Breaking Bad, Prison Break, Battlestar Galactica, Raising Hope, Monk, Malcolm in the Middle, Phineas and Ferb, Portlandia, Downton Abbey, How I Met Your Mother, Sherlock and Futurama (all of which I recommend) that movies took kind of a backseat for me. Nevertheless, I still managed to watch more than my share of films this year. So, much like I did in 2009, 2010 and 2011, here is my own subjective top 10 list of movies I saw in 2012.

Please keep in mind, faithful readers, that these are not films that were necessarily released in 2012. These are movies that I saw for the first time in 2012. Also, keep in mind that I normally have to wait until these movies are out on DVD, so I'm a little behind the curve. And keep in mind that art is subjective and your opinions may differ from mine. And let us never forget that Kate Beckinsale is strikingly beautiful.

Now, on to the list:

10. The Seventh Seal (1957) - Yes, it took me 55 years to see this movie. Although, in my defense, I wasn't even alive for 23 of those years. However, as a film geek, I felt it was my duty to watch this classic piece of cinema by Ingmar Bergman. The Seventh Seal is a special kind of film because it deals directly with the reality and indifference of death, yet it oddly retains a feeling of hope. Ingmar Bergman projects his fear of the unknown on the screen and, as an audience, we are able to relate because we've all felt the same type of fear. It is a beautiful film and it features iconic images and ideas. This is truly a classic and I'm glad I saw it.

9. Warrior (2011) - I have three brothers, so the idea of working out some fraternal aggression in the octagon is somewhat appealing. I was worried that Warrior would be a cliché-fest, but it's actually a fairly impressive movie. It's not every day that you find a story that makes you truly feel conflicted about who should win in the end. The fights are raw and realistic without being excessively violent. Plus, Warrior has as much of an emotional punch as it does actual punching. My wife and I both enjoyed this film.

8. Chronicle (2012) - Finally! A movie I saw in 2012 that actually came out in 2012! Now, truth be told, I am absolutely tired of "found footage" films. I didn't have much hope for this film, but I walked away pleasantly surprised. This movie is actually quite good. If a group of teenagers suddenly got superpowers, this is exactly how they would act. Dane DeHaan gives a performance that is both vulnerable and frightening, and the rest of the cast does a fantastic job making this far-fetched story seem a little more realistic.

7. Tucker & Dale vs. Evil (2010) - I can describe this movie in two words: Fun. I love the premise of Tucker & Dale vs Evil, and the execution (pun totally intended) is great. However, I wish they wouldn't have given so much away in the trailer. Almost every major joke and plot twist is revealed in the preview, which I watched multiple times before seeing the movie. All of those trailer spoilers lessen the impact of when you actually see the story unfold onscreen. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed this film. It features great performances from both Tyler Labine and Alan Tudyk, and it's a fresh take on a tired story. I would definitely watch this one again.

6. The Dark Knight Rises (2012) - Much like the final Harry Potter movie, The Dark Knight Rises is good, but it's not the best of the series. Although, to be fair, I like The Dark Knight so much that "Rises" couldn't possibly live up to my expectations. However, this final installment ends the trilogy well. It gives us inspiring heroes, intimidating villains and plenty of dramatic action. However, some important plot points seem glossed over and, if you stop and think about what is actually going on in the movie, you'll find a few plot holes. Plus, there are some overly cheesy moments. Anne Hathaway's character, for example, seems out of place when compared to the rest of the cast. Nevertheless, I liked it and I will be proud to have all three of Nolan's Batman films in my collection (that, sadly, does include Batman & Robin).

5. The Avengers (2012) - I know there are a lot of haters out there, but I still say the Avengers is an entertaining and satisfying film. I was worried that, with so many characters, the story would be messy or rushed, but everyone seemed to get equal time and the plot flowed smoothly. Yes, it does have its flaws and yes, it does have long stretches of slow moments, but this movie mixes nerd-fantasy action with sharp-witted humor, and it does it well -- but who would have expected less with Joss Whedon at the helm? No, it wasn't as amazing the second time through, but it's still a fun ride and I loved watching it with my 3-year-old son. Yes, I let my 3-year-old son watch a PG-13 movie. You know what the "PG" in PG-13 stands for? Parental Guidance. And I'm the parent -- so there!
. . .and I got my wife's permission.

4. The Help (2011) - I was worried that The Help was going to be a heavy-handed, one-sided, racially-charged film, but it surprised me. It wasn't a "black people are good, white people are bad" kind of film. There are good white characters (other than Emma Stone) and there are bad black characters. The Help is full of touching scenes, humorous moments and interesting, complex characters. And while I was happy to see Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer and Jessica Chastain get Oscar nominations, I also think Bryce Dallas Howard does a fantastic job as the villainous Hilly Holbrook. She really makes that character fun to hate. I liked this movie much more than I thought I would. Plus my wife loved the book and she said the adaptation was very well done.

3. The Descendants (2011) - Not only did this movie make me miss Hawaii, but it also made me very grateful that I haven't had to deal with the problems that Matt King has to deal with. The Descendants does a great job of dealing with a variety of complex emotions. This movie manages to maintain a lighthearted feel, despite the dark and depressing subject matter. Each one of the performances feels genuine and heartfelt, and I felt myself getting caught up in it all. This movie definitely deserved the Academy Award nomination for Best Picture. My favorite line of the movie: "You give your children enough money to do something, but not enough to do nothing." I hope to one day have enough money to be able follow that advice.

2. Attack the Block (2011) - Once you get used to the heavy, heavy British accents, Attack the Block is a lot of fun. At first, I was a little put off by the young thug protagonists, and I could barely understand what anyone was saying (ClearPlay muting every other word didn't help), but soon I got caught up in the story. I'm not normally that big of a fan of alien movies, but this one is very entertaining. I also don't normally root for street gangs, but when they're pitted against aliens, you have to cheer for someone. This movie features some awesomely creepy creature effects. The aliens were unique and terrifying. Plus, it ended up having a heart, too, which I didn't expect. I would definitely watch this one again.

And my #1 favorite movie of 2012 is. . .

1. The Hunger Games (2012) - I know. I know. I sound like a teenage girl by putting this as my #1 of the year. Heck, I feel like a teenage girl for putting this as my favorite film of 2012. But the fact remains that when I was reviewing my ratings of the past year, this movie had the most stars. It got four and a half stars, which is the highest rating that I will give a movie after the first viewing. I was very impressed with The Hunger Games. Of course, I love the book, so I may be a little biased. I wonder how enjoyable it would be to someone who doesn't know all of the background information. I think I was most impressed by how well the book was adapted to the screen -- I guess it helps when the author of the book writes the script. The story is compelling and the violence is suitable for the target teenage audience -- it isn't excessive or gratuitous, but it's enough to get the brutal point across. Jennifer Lawrence once again proves herself as a talented actress, and the supporting cast is enjoyable to watch, as well. This is a powerful, well-made drama. Please stop associating it with Twilight.

Now there maybe some of you who disagree with the order of my rankings on this list, but you can't possibly deny. . .that I watched these movies!

I would also like to give an honorable mention to the following films, which I also watched and enjoyed in 2012: The Cabin in the Woods (2011), Iron Monkey (1993), 50/50 (2011), Seven Samurai (1954), The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966), The Thing (1982) and Les Miserables (2012). Sorry you didn't make the top ten list, gang, maybe next year. . .except I've already seen you in 2012, so. . .yeah. . .

Until next year!

Monday, December 31, 2012

2012: Someone Else's Look Back

2012 is done.

We made it, faithful readers - and no thanks to John Cusack.

We finished out the year that the Mayans thought would be our end. I guess that will teach them to have Harold Camping lead up their calendar project (ZING!). I, of course, knew that the world wasn't going to end in 2012 because Marty McFly visited the year 2015 -- and we only have two more years for those hoverboards to become a reality.

Now while I could do an end-of-year post, reflecting on the good times of 2012 and the bad, it would pale in comparison of Dave Barry's Year in Review. For those of you who don't know who Dave Barry is, shame on you. For those of you who do know Dave Barry, you're still mourning the loss of his regular humor column and relish in his annual contributions, such as his holiday gift guide and, of course, the Year in Review. Dave Barry's writing style is the one I wished to emulate when I started Slice of Fried Gold. And here we are four years later I still am in awe about how insightful Dave is, as well as how sharp his wit still is, even though he's well into his 90s by now, right?

So, without further ado, I present to you Dave Barry's Year in Review for your reading pleasure.

What? You didn't click the embedded link above or the picture yet? You still need a little incentive? Ok, here are some brief excerpts to wet your whistle:

"The emerging front runner is Mitt Romney, who combines a strong resume of executive experience with the easygoing natural human warmth of a parking meter. Still in contention, however, is Newt Gingrich, whose popularity surges briefly, only to wane when voters begin to grasp the fact that he is Newt Gingrich. This opens the door for Rick Santorum, whose strong suit is that he has a normal first name, and who apparently at one point was a senator or governor of Pennsylvania or possibly Vermont."

"In Spain and Greece, hundreds of thousands of people take to the streets in protest against government-imposed austerity measures necessitated by the fact that for the past five years pretty much nobody in Spain or Greece has done anything except take to the streets in protest."

"In sports, the National Football League imposes stiff penalties on the New Orleans Saints following the shocking revelation that some Saints players might have deliberately committed acts of violence against opposing players for monetary gain, which is of course totally contrary to the spirit of professional football. Commissioner Roger Goodell states that the NFL is also investigating disturbing allegations that players sometimes deliberately knock their opponents to the ground via a violent tactic known as 'tackling.'"