Today is the second day of 2013! Wow! Seems like just yesterday I was posting my “Best&Worst Movie Picks of 2011!”
It is time to present my Best & Worst picks of 2012!:
*(As a reminder, any words in gold serve as clickable links to the referenced article.)
Hey, just in case you didn’t know…2012 is over! and if you are reading this, then that means you survived the Mayan Apocalypse and the ten days that followed! Congratulations. :)
Happy New Year! (I already wished you that a couple times before, but I wanted to do it again so I could use this cool gif of good ol’ Leo from The Great Gatsby [which was SUPPOSED to release in 2012.] hahaha.)
With the new year comes tons of posts around the web about the best and worst of 2012 and the expectations for 2013. Before deciding to list mine, I went back and looked at my expectations for 2012 movies in the post entitled My Cinematic Expectations of 2012. They weren’t TOO far off, however, looking back sure does show the stark differences between expectations and reality.
2012 in movies came with a lot of surprises and disappointments! Some films were great, while some were great letdowns (I’m pointing at you, The Grey). Some actors had an amazing breakthrough year (Nice work, Jennifer Lawrence!), while others didn’t even make their presence known (Anybody hear from Jeff Bridges this year? I expected to see more of him after his recent successes in Iron Man, Crazyheart, Tron: Legacy and True Grit. Just sayin’.)
2012 gave us the conclusion of some tales (The Dark Knight Rises), while others were only beginning (The Hunger Games)!
2012 also gave us some tales we can only WISH would end, like Paranormal Activity 4, Ice Age 4 and the continual re-release of Disney movies in 3D.
Interestingly enough, the 2012 box office passed the $10 Billion mark with 655 movies theatrically released! Over $10.8 BILLION was given to the movies from eager theater-going fans this past year (the record)!
Top 10 WORLDWIDE Box Office Results of 2012:
- The Avengers -$1.5 BILLION
- The Dark Knight Rises -$1.1 BILLION
- Skyfall -$1 BILLION
- Ice Age: Continental Drift -$875M
- The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn pt 2 -$799M
- The Amazing Spider-Man -$752M
- Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted -$742M
- The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey -$693M (and it was released with only 17 days left in the year!)
- The Hunger Games -$687M
- Men in Black 3 -$624M
How many new releases did you watch this past year? I watched over 90 new releases (which is good for only about 14% of all the new releases), and over 100 movies overall. Wow!
You can always visit my list of films/reviews (called “The Archive“) HERE!
Just for you, I have compiled a list of 100 movies that released in 2012 split into 4 categories (25 each). My own personal lists of:
- (1) Movies I’m Glad I Saw
- (2) Movies I Missed…but wanted to see
- (3) Movies I wish I could “Un-see”
- (4) Movies I’m glad I missed
The movies are not listed in any order of preference, the fact that they are on the lists speaks to my desire or distaste for the film…if I’m GLAD I saw it, or not, etc. These are my choices, hence the title: The Focused Filmographer Choice Awards!
Here we go:
(1) Top 25 Movies I’m Glad I Saw in 2012: Life of Pi, Cloud Atlas, Wreck-It Ralph, The Lorax, John Carter, The Hunger Games, 21 Jump Street, Frankenweenie, The Cabin in the Woods, Think Like a Man, The Avengers, Moonrise Kingdom, Prometheus, Safety Not Guaranteed, The Amazing Spider-Man, The Dark Knight Rises, Ruby Sparks, Hope Springs, Lincoln, Les Misérables, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Lawless, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Looper and Argo.
(2) Top 25 Movies I Missed…but wanted to see…in 2012: Hitchcock, Silver Linings Playbook, Zero Dark Thirty, Promised Land, The Impossible, Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away, Deadfall, Headhunters, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, Casa de mi Padre, The Pirates! Band of Misfits, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Rust and Bone, Beasts of the Southern Wild, ParaNorman, The Cold Light of Day, Anna Karenina, Arbitrage, End of Watch, Hotel Transylvania, Pitch Perfect, The Raid: Redemption (started but didn’t finish it yet), Here Comes the Boom, Robot and Frank and Seven Psychopaths.
(3) Top 25 Movies I wish I could “Un-see” in 2012: Silent House, One for the Money, Sinister, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn pt 2, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, The Grey, Killing Them Softly, Wrath of the Titans, Lockout, The Raven, Dark Shadows, The Dictator, Battleship, Chernobyl Diaries, Excision, To Rome With Love, Savages, Iron Sky, Killer Joe, Total Recall, Hit & Run, Trouble With the Curve, Taken 2, Alex Cross and Playing for Keeps.
(4) Top 25 Movies I’m glad I missed in 2012: Man with the Iron Fists, The Collection, Red Dawn, Silent Hill: Revelation, Chasing Mavericks, The Paperboy, Won’t Back Down, House At The End of the Street, The Tall Man, Cosmopolis, The Campaign, Step Up Revolution, Katy Perry: Part of Me, People Like Us, What to Expect when you’re Expecting, The Lucky One, The Three Stooges, Friends with Kids, Gone, Man on a Ledge, The Devil Inside, Wanderlust, A Thousand Words, Jeff Who Lives at Home and Goon.
The Focused Filmographer Choice Awards
The Focused Filmographer Choice Award for WORST movie of 2012:
-This is decided by a mix of a few variables: Limited to what I have watched, Considering Expectation vs. Disappointment, Box Office Results, and my own opinion!
- To Rome With Love– YES! Even after winning an Academy Award last year AND winning the then-named “ScarletSp1der Choice Award” from me last year for best movie with Midnight in Paris, director Woody Allen gets the award for WORST movie of the year with To Rome With Love. Such a disappointment that followed such a classy film. I was so disappointed I didn’t even write a review for it. There was only one reason that justified watching: Penelope Cruz. Such a disappointment. There were other BAD movies, but this one I expected to be far better.
The Focused Filmographer Choice Award for BEST movie of 2012:
-This is decided by a mix of a few variables: Limited to what I have watched, Considering Expectation vs. Deliverance, Box Office Results, and MY review score!
- Marvel’s THE AVENGERS– Was there any question? Taking the #1 spot for best opening weekend ever and blowing everyone away in terms of expectations, director Joss Whedon assembles a fantastic team and brings the Marvel movies and heroes into one exciting film. Such an enjoyable delight. I enjoyed it quite a bit.
- Please be sure to read my Review
HOWEVER! For the first time, there is a TIE for this award. I just couldn’t do it. I couldn’t pass up giving an award to Ben Affleck’s ARGO which will share the 2-way tie for Best Movie of 2012 from me!
- Runner-Ups: Life of Pi, The Perks of Being a Wallflower and Moonrise Kingdom
Well, tell me, which movies made your lists?
- Did you actually enjoy Battleship?
- What about The Grey?
- Did you think The Dark Knight Rises is the best of 2012?
- Did you get to see Silver Linings Playbook?
- Were you a fan of The Master?
- Did Prometheus make it on one of these lists for you?
- What was the Biggest disappointment for you in 2012 movies?
- Which ones in 2013 are you looking forward to?
Share your thoughts in the comment section!
Congratulations to all the winners. Thanks for a great year! And for your continued reading! Happy Watching!
…and HAPPY NEW YEAR!
–T, The Focused Filmographer
up next: Trailer Time Thursday!
***IMPORTANT: BE ON THE LOOKOUT: Very soon, the 3rd Annual Red Web Awards will be presented here. The “Academy Awards” if you will of TheFocusedFilmographer. I have assembled a panel of TEN judges who are making the nominations that shall be announced shortly. You all will have the chance to vote and decide. Get Ready. The fun has only begun.
