So many fellow movie bloggers love doing a Top 10 list of their favorite movies at the end of the year. I’m no different. I love looking back at the all of the movies I saw and putting together my favorites. But before I put out my Top 10 of the year I thought it would be fun to throw out some random accolades for achievements and in some cases underachievements for the 2012 movie year.

BIGGEST SURPRISE OF 2012 – “Beasts of the Southern Wild“

No movie caught me by surprise like “Beasts of the Southern Wild”. This amazing and powerful little film featured a first time director and two memorable first time performances. I had several opportunities to see this film but kept putting it off due to lack of interest. What a mistake. This was a tremendous movie that completely caught me by surprise.

BIGGEST LETDOWN OF 2012 – “Total Recall“

“Total Recall” should have been a can’t miss movie. The original film had a fun sci-fi story and a modern remake with a nice new shiny coat of CGI paint could have been really good. Well that certainly wasn’t the case. This clunky remake looks fantastic and it even starts promising. But it becomes a tedious and repetitive mess of a movie. Truly dissappointing.

BEST ANIMATED FILM OF 2012 – “Frankenweenie“

This could have also qualified as biggest surprise of the year. What a wonderful film. Tim Burton gets back to form with this heartfelt homage to the classic horror movies. I loved this movie and I had a blast picking out all the little tips of the hat to the horror genre. This is a fun variation of the Frankenstein story and one of the real treats of 2012.

BEST FIGHT OF 2012 – Thor vs. Hulk (“The Avengers“)

There are several great fights in “The Avengers” but none are better than the showdown between the god of thunder Thor and the incredible Hulk. Before joining forces the two lock horns onboard the S.H.E.I.L.D. helicarrier. They slam through decks, toss jet airplane wings, and pound each other senseless. Talk about one cool throwdown!

BEST VILLAIN OF 2012- Charlie Rakes (Guy Pearce from “Lawless“)

Talk about a detestible villain. Guy Pearce, fully armed with a wide hair part, shaved eye brows, and a tendency towards violence is truly menacing from his first moment on screen. He intimidates through terror and you can tell early on that he’s a little unhinged. You can’t help but hate Rakes and you truly want him to get his comeupins.

MOST UNFAIRLY MALIGNED FILM OF 2012 – “John Carter“

Those who follow my page know that I’ve defended “John Carter” quite a bit. Even though it’s not one of my favorite films of the year I really liked it and I can’t understand why it has received such harsh criticism from so many folks. “John Carter” is a cool science fiction adventure whose few flaws are easily overshadowed by it’s sheer fun factor. You could do a lot worse.

MOST UNDULY EXALTED FILM OF 2012 – “The Master“

I’ve already seen “The Master” top the ‘Best of’ lists of several critics. I liked “The Master” and think the performances are simply incredible. But it’s far from a perfect movie and it isn’t nearly as smart and layered as some credit it to be. It’s performance driven and it features amazing cinematography, but for me it’s receiving more high praise than it deserves.

BEST SPECIAL EFFECTS OF 2012 – “Prometheus“

Ridley Scott’s much anticipated “Prometheus” was the subject of much debate from moviegoers. But whether you liked the story or not, no one can deny that it is a visual feast . The special effects are spectacular from the futuristic technologies to the large scale action shots. Personally I loved “Prometheus” and the great visuals were one reason why.

BEST CAR CHASE OF 2012 – “Jack Reacher“

“Jack Reacher” has a car chase that’s not only the best of 2012 but it’s one of the best I’ve seen in years. It’s beautifully staged and beautifully shot. But what really makes it stand out is the perspective. The camera trickery stays focused on the actors faces placing them in these speeding, sliding, and crashing cars. It’s fantastic!

WACKIEST CHARACTER OF 2012 – Bernie Tiede (Jack Black from “Bernie“)

I’m no fan of Jack Black. In fact he’s one of my least favorite actors. But I loved him as the wacky small town funeral director Bernie Tiede. Everything about Bernie is just plain wacky and even though he was based on a real life character who did some pretty bad things, he is laugh out loud hilarious. You just can’t get much wackier that Bernie.

BEST IMAX FILM of 2012 – “The Dark Knight Rises“

Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight Rises” is a great movie but it was even greater in IMAX. Nolan knows how to shoot action sequences and he knows how to utilize the strengths of the technology. There are several ultra cool moments in the movie that are simply jawdropping in IMAX and if you missed it you really missed out.

BEST OPENING OF 2012 – “Argo“

I didn’t see any opening sequence all year that matched the nail-biting intensity of Ben Affleck’s “Argo”. The movie begins by setting up the incredibly tense situation surrounding the 1979 Iran hostage crisis. Everything from the storming of the U.S. embassy to the scrambling of the U.S. intelligence had me on the edge of my seat. Brilliant start to a great movie.

BEST ROMANTIC COMEDY OF 2012 – “Delicacy“

It’s not like there’s a lot of competition. The romantic comedy genre is in shambles. But the delightful French film “Delicacy” is not only a really good romantic comedy, but it’s one of the year’s best movies. It features a clever script and fine performances but it also steers clear of the usual shallowness that plaques these films today. “Delicacy” is such a treat.

DUMBEST NON-COMEDY MOVIE MOMENT OF 2012 – “Taken 2“

“Taken 2” was one of the bigger disappointments of the 2012 movie year. It also featured several of the dumbest moments of the year. None were dumber that Liam Neeson ordering Maggie Grace to throw live grenades into the busy Istanbul streets just so he can pinpoint her location via the explosions from blocks away. Not sure what’s dumber, the scene or the filmmakers for expecting us to buy it.

WORST MOVIE OF 2012 – “The Vow“

If it weren’t for a trans-atlantic flight I would have never been victimized by this crapfest. “The Vow” is an uninteresting and cliched waste of time featuring boring cardboard characters and a love story that’s all sap and no substance. This thing lacks any originality and I found myself laughing at many of it’s unintentionally funny scenes. Poor from start to finish.

What a way to end it right? But no worries! The 2012 wrap up continues and my Top 10 Movies of 2012 is right around the corner.

2012 marked my first full year of dedicated movie blogging. Keith & the Movies existed all the way back in 2010 mainly through my Facebook page, but this was the first full year that I put a hearty effort into it. What can I say, it’s been amazing. The fellow cinema junkies I’ve come across, the great writers and reviewers, the great debates and conversations – all have contributed to making this such a worthwhile endeavor. So before I begin looking back on the past year I have to give a huge and sincere “THANK YOU” to everyone who has stopped by, read my stuff, shared the page, and commented during the past year. There were a couple of times where I was wondering if it was really worth the time. And then along would come a timely comment or compliment that fired me up again. So to everyone again I say “THANK YOU“.

Now onto the year in blogging! Many people have posted their site statistics from the past year so I thought I might do the same. Here are just a few of the interesting (and appreciated) tidbits from 2012.

• Keith & the Movies had just over 32,000 views in 2012.
• Keith & the Movies features 250 reviews, bits of news, articles, and features in 2012.
• Keith & the Movies had over 1,800 comments in 2012.
• Keith & the Movies had people from 140 countries visit in 2012.
• Keith & the Movies gained 121 Twitter followers in 2012.

So many people contributed to the great year with some wonderful comments, encouragement, and opinions. I appreciate each and every one of you. But these were the 5 most active commenters. Please check out their sites. Thanks guys!

1. Ruth from Flixchatter
2. Mark from Marked Movies
3. Fernando from Committed to Celluloid
4. Nostra from My Filmviews
5. Pete from I Love That Film

Now here’s a look at some of my posts from 2012 that I want to recognize for one reason or another.

• MOST COMMENTED ON POST – 5 Phenomenal Actors Who Never Won An Oscar
• MOST COMMENTED ON REVIEW – “The Descent” – 4 STARS
• MOST “LIKED” POST – “Skyfall” – 4.5 STARS
• MOST POPULAR FEATURE – The Phenomenal 5
• MOST CONTROVERSIAL POST – 5 Phenomenally Overrated Movies
• MOST SURPRISING MOVIE REVIEW – “Snow White and the Huntsman” – 4 STARS
• MOST SATISFYING POST NO ONE READ – A Critic’s Conversation with Michael Phillips
• MOST OFF-THE-WALL PHENOMENAL 5 – 5 Phenomenal Movie Haircuts
• MOST VOTED ON THROWDOWN – Christian Bale vs. Michael Keeton

Well, that just touches on some of what made 2012 so great for Keith & the Movies. I didn’t even get into the Keith & the Movies Valhalla, The 2012 New Movie Project, or the wonderful blogathons I had a chance to be a part of. But a new year brings new fun and here’s hoping 2013 is even better!

As some of you may have noticed, December is the time of year where my blogging takes a serious hit. Between Christmas parties, church services, family time, and mandatory Christmas movie watching, there just isn’t a lot of time for new content except for the Christmas movie reviews that I’ve been throwing up over the past several weeks. But that will all change at the first of the year particularly when The Phenomenal 5 and The Throwdown returns. Until then it’s lots of food, lots of family, and lots of thankfulness for the blessings I’ve been given.

It’s hard to believe that my little old movie blog is over a year old. It’s even harder to believe that anyone would be interested in my ramblings about these great cinematic escapes that we all adore. I’ve been amazed at the wonderful group of fellow movie lovers that I have met. I can’t express how much I’ve enjoyed reading and discussing movies with you all and I look forward to next year as we discuss everything from our top 10 films of 2012 to our most anticipated films of the new year.

Anyway, I hope each of you have a wonderful Christmas and you enjoy every second you get to spend with your family. Merry Christmas and God bless you all my fellow movieoholics!

There have been some wonderful movie relay races over the past several months. Now there’s a new one and it may be the most creative relay yet. It originated from the wonderful Taste of Cinema site and here is the motivation behind it:

“People love wisdom words from great minds. As a cinephile, I prefer director quotes than words from any other group of people in the world.Their thoughts on cinema not only provide insights into deep understanding of cinema,but also open the window to their own films, their genres, their filmmaking methods, thus they need to receive more exposure as their films did.”

I have the pleasure of participating in this relay thanks to my moviegoing pal Ruth over at FlixChatter. If you haven’t visited FlixChatter you’re missing out. Ruth offers a wonderful variety of features and reviews. You can stop by and check out her fabulous day-by-day coverage of the recent Twin Cities Film Festival. You don’t want to miss it! Along with Ruth, these are the other great blogs that have participated so far : Movie and Songs 365 , And So it Begins… , The Cinematic Spectacle , and On Page and Screen .

Now if you’re unfamiliar with blog relay races the rules are simple. Examine the 10 director’s quotes passed to you then replace one with a quote you think is better. Then pick a new blogger and pass the baton. It’s that easy but it also makes for some great reading. So here are the directors and their quotes that came my way:

Quentin Tarantino

“I steal from every single movie ever made. I love it – if my work has anything it’s that I’m taking this from this and that from that and mixing them together. If people don’t like that, then tough titty, don’t go and see it, all right? I steal from everything. Great artists steal; they don’t do homages.” – Quentin Tarantino

Andrei Tarkovsky

“Unlike all the other art forms, film is able to seize and render the passage of time, to stop it, almost to possess it in infinity. I’d say that film is the sculpting of time.” – Andrei Tarkovsky

Seijun Suzuki

“Why make a movie about something one understands completely? I make movies about things I do not understand, but wish to.” – Seijun Suzuki

Federico Fellini

“I don’t like the idea of ‘understanding’ a film. I don’t believe that rational understanding is an essential element in the reception of any work of art. Either a film has something to say to you or it hasn’t. If you are moved by it, you don’t need it explained to you. If not, no explanation can make you moved by it.” – Federico Fellini

Pedro Almodovar

“When I make a film, I never stop uncovering mysteries, making discoveries. When I’m writing, filming, editing, even doing promotional work, I discover new things about the film, about myself, and about others. That is what I’m subconsciously looking for when shooting a film: to glimpse the enigmas of life, even if I don’t resolve them, but at least to uncover them. Cinema is curiosity in the most intense meaning of the word.” – Pedro Almodovar

Krzysztof Kieslowski

“You make films to give people something, to transport them somewhere else, and it doesn’t matter if you transport them to a world of intuition or a world of intellect…The realm of superstitions, fortune-telling, presentiments, intuition, dreams, all this is the inner life of a human being, and all this is the hardest thing to film… I’ve been trying to get there from the beginning. I’m somebody who doesn’t know, somebody who’s searching.” – Krzysztof Kieslowski

Andrea Arnold

“I wonder whether my bleak-o-meter is set differently from other people’s. I have such passion for what I do that I can’t see it as bleak. When people use that word, or “grim” or “gritty,” I just think, “Oh, come on, look a bit deeper.” My films don’t give you an easy ride. I can see that. The sense I get is that people have quite a physical experience with them. They feel afterwards that they’ve really been through something.” — Andrea Arnold

Lee Daniels

“Truth is hard to tell! And you have to be willing to be criticized for it.” – Lee Daniels

Jean-Luc Godard

“A story should have a beginning, a middle and an end… but not necessarily in that order.”
—Jean-Luc Godard

Christopher Nolan

“Every film should have its own world, a logic and feel to it that expands beyond the exact image that the audience is seeing.” – Christopher Nolan

These are great quotes and it’s a difficult task to pick one to remove. But in accordance to the rules…

WHO GETS CUT….

“All my movies are about strange worlds that you can’t go into unless you build them and film them. That’s what’s so important about film to me. I just like going into strange worlds.” – David Lynch

When it came to cutting one of the great director’s quotes, I quickly narrowed it down to three. But through a process of elimination I decided to say goodbye to David Lynch. It’s not that there is anything wrong or uninspired with his statement. But when compared to the other quotes his seemed rather bland. He pretty much said what anyone who has watched some of his films already know.

MY ADDITION…

Katheryn Bigelow

“If there is resistance to women making movies, I choose to ignore it. That is because I cannot change my gender and I refuse to stop making movies.” – Katheryn Bigelow

In approaching my choice of a director’s quote, I didn’t really consider whether the director was one of my very favorites. I strictly went with the quote and how it related to cinema. That being said, I am a fan of Katheryn Bigelow. I still love “Point Break” and I was a big fan of her Oscar-winning “The Hurt Locker”. And this year’s “Zero Dark Thirty” is one of my most anticipated pictures of the year. She’s a tough and bold filmmaker which is evident by her quote I chose. I love her statement because you can sense the passion behind it. She doesn’t discount a possible resistance to women making films. But she hints at its foolishness before expressing her passion for filmmaking, a passion that she will not allow to be extinguished. That’s the heart of someone who LOVES cinema.

NEXT IN LINE…

I want to now pass the baton to my buddy Mark at the wonderful site Marked Movies. Mark puts together some of the most well constructed reviews of a wide variety of films. He also has one of my favorite features – his Tuesday Trivia Tidbits. It’s a site you must check out and I can’t wait to see his contribution to this list. Mark, the floor is yours…..