"Even though some of you are pretty thin, you all have fat hearts and that's what matters."

2012 is over and I have finally gotten around to completing my list of favorite movies from the past twelve months. These are not necessarily the movies that are going to win any awards, but they were the ones that entertained me the most:

The Avengers
If you are at all surprised that this is on my list, then you clearly do not know me that well or read my blog at all. I adore Joss Whedon and everything he does and this movie just proved that, if you let him do his thing, magic happens. Expectations were very high for this movie and I definitely think the cast and the story exceeded those expectations, at least for me. I just hope that the S.H.I.E.L.D. pilot actually gets turned into a full series, mostly because it brings Agent Coulson back to life, but also because it will be awesome.

Argo
Ben Affleck showed us he was a great writer/director with The Town and Argo proved once again that he continues to be a triple-threat. I enjoyed this movie not only because it was well-written, directed and acted, but also because I learned about a piece of U.S. history that was not well-known. I was not actually alive during the Iran Hostage Crisis, but even my mother does not remember the story of these six fugitives coming home. (And if you know my mother, that is a rarity because she remembers EVERYTHING.) However, even if you do not care for the historical aspects, it is still a great, high energy story. I particularly enjoyed the characters played by Alan Arkin and John Goodman and their tagline: Argo fuck yourself! 

Pitch Perfect
I was really excited to see this movie before it was released. I am a pretty big a capella nerd and the cast is also filled with actors that I love: Brittany Snow, Anna Kendrick, Anna Camp, Rebel Wilson and Elizabeth Banks, to name a few. It is hilariously funny and smart and it is definitely a must-see. I saw it twice in theaters, bought the blu ray for myself for Christmas and have already watched it two more times.

Jack: I love getting tossed in a sack and shoved through a magic portal.

Santa: Oh, good, that was my idea!

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Over the holiday weekend, I got a chance to see both Silver Linings Playbook and Rise of the Guardians.

My mom came into town for Thanksgiving, so Wednesday night I introduced her to the Alamo Drafthouse. While she was not used to eating in the dark, she enjoyed her first Drafthouse experience and we both really liked Rise of the Guardians. I had heard a bad review on the radio and was not sure about it, but it ended up being fantastic.

When the Boogeyman, aka Pitch, tries to take over the world, the immortal guardians must join forces to stop him before children stop believing in the guardians and they disappear. If you have not already figured it from the picture, the group of guardians is comprised of Santa Claus, Jack Frost, the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny and the Sandman voiced by Alec Baldwin, Chris Pine, Isla Fisher and Hugh Jackman respectively (the Sandman does not speak) and the Boogeyman is Jude Law. I also quite enjoyed the elves and the yetis, who help Santa in his workshop.

While the plot was fairly predictable, my mom and I both thought that it was funny and very entertaining. It was visually beautiful, the dialogue was witty and it is just a great holiday adventure for the whole family.

2012 Fall Movie Preview

The only good thing about the approaching end of summer is the prospect of all the great movies coming out. My Entertainment Weekly Fall Movie Preview edition came this weekend and I have once again put together the list of films about which I am most excited.

September
7   - The Words (Bradley Cooper, Zoe Saldana, Jeremy Irons, Ben Barnes)
       The Cold Light of Day (Henry Cavill, Bruce Willis, Sigourney Weaver)
14 - The Perks of Being A Wallflower (Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, Mae Whitman)
21 - End Of Watch (Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Pena, Anna Kendrick, America Ferrera)




Other possibilities for September include Bachelorette (9/7) , 10 Years (9/21) and Trouble With The Curve (9/21).

October
5   - Pitch Perfect (Anna Kendrick, Brittany Snow, Rebel Wilson, Anna Camp, Elizabeth Banks)
       Frankenweenie (Charlie Tahan, Martin Short, Catherin O'Hara, Winona Ryan)
12 - Argo (Ben Affleck, Alan Arkin, John Goodman, Bryan Cranston)
       3, 2, 1...Frankie Go Boom (Chris O'Dowd, Charlie Hunnam, Lizzy Caplain, Ron Perlman)




Other possibilites for October are  The Paperboy (10/5) and Nobody Walks (10/12).