Kevin's Top 10 Flix of 2012
10. ParaNorman
I saw ParaNorman at the drive-in at the tail-end of Summer 2012. I had seen Laika Entertainment's other stop-motion marvel Coraline a few years back and enjoyed it. But I was surprised at how much I liked ParaNorman. A very fun, nostalgic romp to get you into the Halloween spirit. Good voice work, cool soundtrack, and most of all, very impressive stop-motion animation and sets. Between this and Frankenweenie, it was a great year for spooky stop-motion in the theater.

Wes Anderson returns with maybe his most Wes Anderson-y movie yet. If you dug the dry, quirky, 60's-inpired vibe of Anderson's previous work (especially Royal Tennenbaums), you'll get into this tale of young love and adventure. Hardened cult or horror fans may gag at the preciousness of Anderson's style, but with a great cast and cool soundtrack, I found this to be very enjoyable.
8. Killer Joe

7. Dear God No! / Father's Day


6. Searching for Sugar Man
The documentary Searching for Sugar Man chronicles the brief career and legacy of cult Detroit rock/folk musician Sixto Rodriguez (better know simply as Rodriguez). After recording two masterful, yet low-selling LPs, Rodriguez vanished into obscurity. Unbeknownst to himself, he had become hugely popular in South Africa. I have been a big fan of Rodriguez's for a long time and am psyched his music will now get some of the attention it deserves and think this touching flick is a must watch for rock doc fans.
The documentary Searching for Sugar Man chronicles the brief career and legacy of cult Detroit rock/folk musician Sixto Rodriguez (better know simply as Rodriguez). After recording two masterful, yet low-selling LPs, Rodriguez vanished into obscurity. Unbeknownst to himself, he had become hugely popular in South Africa. I have been a big fan of Rodriguez's for a long time and am psyched his music will now get some of the attention it deserves and think this touching flick is a must watch for rock doc fans.
5. Jiro Dreams of Sushi
Another documentary, Jiro Dreams of Sushi tells the tale of Jiro Ono, the 85-year-old sushi master who operates his world class restaurant inside the Japanese subway. Besides some hunger-inducing footage of the man at work, the movie also explores Jiro's relationship with his two sons, who are also sushi chefs, and the pressure they feel to live up to their father's greatness. Even if you don't dig on sushi, this may be the best documentary of 2012 and is well worth your time.
4. The Cabin in the Woods
Joss Whedon's much-delayed The Cabin in the Woods was far and away the best horror movie to come out in 2012 (that I saw, anyway). Originally shot in 2009 with a budget of $30 million, this clever send up of classic horror tropes and mythology was tons of fun, mostly due in part to Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford who kick SO much ass as the "architects" as they direct the carnage that ensues. Much like last year's Tucker & Dale, I think this smart horror-comedy will only continue to gain loyal cult fans as people eventually get exposed to it on cable and DVD. If you missed this in the theater, shame on you, but definitely seek it out.
Joss Whedon's much-delayed The Cabin in the Woods was far and away the best horror movie to come out in 2012 (that I saw, anyway). Originally shot in 2009 with a budget of $30 million, this clever send up of classic horror tropes and mythology was tons of fun, mostly due in part to Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford who kick SO much ass as the "architects" as they direct the carnage that ensues. Much like last year's Tucker & Dale, I think this smart horror-comedy will only continue to gain loyal cult fans as people eventually get exposed to it on cable and DVD. If you missed this in the theater, shame on you, but definitely seek it out.
3. Django Unchained
The eagerly anticipated new film by Quentin Tarantino hit theaters late in 2012 on Christmas day. I was able to break away from family functions long enough to catch it on its opening day and thought it was a fucking blast. I'll admit, I unabashedly enjoy pretty much everything QT puts out, but I still was impressed by how gripped by the story I was and how good the cinematography looked. Sure, it's longer than it needs to be and the brief appearances of Jonah Hill and Tarantino himself suck big time, but the bulk of the movie is very well done and a hell of a lot of fun. Outstanding performances by Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Samuel L. Jackson and 38-year-old child actor Leonardo DiCaprio. Oh, and if you're one of these people who are opposed to this movie because you think it makes light of slavery; lighten the fuck up, will ya.
2. Headhunters (AKA: Hodejegerne)

1. The Raid: Redemption

I bet you were surprised when you saw Killer Joe. I remember you all talking about it on a previous episode and you were like 'I bet Matthew McConaughey plays a hitman with a heart of gold that takes his shirt off at some point' or something like. I was like, well yer half right!
ReplyDeleteBut yeah, good list. I've seen them all except #'s 6 & 7 and enjoyed them immensely.
You all have inspired me to cobble together my own list. I can't remember everything I've seen, but here's what I've come up with from memory, and the few movies I saved from 2012.
1. The Avengers
2. Django Unchained
3. West of Memphis
4. Moonrise Kingdom
5. The Raid: Redemption
6. End of Watch
7. Nameless Gangster
8. Seven Psychopaths
9. The Cabin in the Woods
10. Zero Dark Thirty
Honorable Mentions - The Amazing Spider-Man, Chronicle, Get the Gringo, Killer Joe, Wild Bill, Tyrannosaur, Headhunters, Rose, Looper, Argo, 1/3 of Cloud Atlas.
Haven't gotten the chance to see the Hara-kiri remake, or the Outrage sequel, but I'd bet that those would've made my list as well.