Phil's Top Ten Films of 2012-Jan. 5, 2013

Hello again and welcome back! Now I saw a lot films last year, at least over 100 of them!! Now that is a lot of movies to see in one year! Now I couldn't see every single film that was released, but over 100 movies is still pretty damn impressive! But remember, I am a professional and it's my job to see these films for you. So without further adieu ladies and gentlemen, here are my Top Ten Films of 2012!

1) LINCOLN: This is a perfect example as to why I love going to the movies! Actor Daniel Day-Lewis embodies Lincoln like no other actor has done before. Wise, compassionate, at times very humorous, and also determined to end slavery in America. When you watch the film, you don't even see Day-Lewis at all, there in only Abraham Lincoln. Let's face it, the man actually and physically looks like Lincoln. The resemblance is truly uncanny! His performance is worthy of an Oscar nomination all the way! Also giving stellar performances was Sally Field, Tommy Lee Jones, James Spader, and Hal Holbrook. Directed by Steven Spielberg, this is without a doubt THE BEST FILM of 2012. If you don't agree, then you should see it again!

2) THE DARK KNIGHT RISES: Director Christopher Nolan concluded his Dark Knight Trilogy with this film. Set eight years after THE DARK KNIGHT, Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) comes out of retirement to save Gotham City one last time against the deadly terrorist named Bane (Tom Hardy). Aiding Batman are Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway), his trusted butler Alfred (Michael Caine), and Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman). Weaving such real world issues such as terrorism, economic collapse, social structure, class warfare, political injustice and anarchy, the film firmly takes place in the here and now. Just an incredible job by Nolan and the rest of the cast and crew! One of the greatest film trilogies of all time comes to an end!

3) ARGO: Based on true events, six Americans manage to slip away from the U.S. embassy in Tehran which has been over by the Iranians. Held up at the home of the Canadian ambassador, CIA specialist, Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck) concocts a risky plan: pretend to be a Canadian film project looking to shoot in Iran and smuggle the Americans out as its production crew. Directed by Affleck, the film is filled with drama, tensions, and a few laughs, courtesy of Alan Arkin and John Goodman. With this film, we see Affleck's true calling: a fantastic and gifted director. Also make sure you stay in the theater to watch the credits. You'll see some real photographs and clips that mirror Affleck's film and actors.

4) THE AVENGERS: The film that every Marvel Comics geek had been waiting for! Starring Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Tom Hiddleston, and Samuel L. Jackson, the film was written and directed by Joss Whedon, who pulled off the impossible! This ultimate battle between good and evil broke records all across America and around the world. In the end, the film made over a billion dollars!! As you may already know, Whedon has signed on to do the sequel, so look for more Avengers in 2014!! Also make sure to stick around for not one, but two bonus scenes at the end of the film! And on a side note, the film looked freaking awesome in 3D!!

5) TINKER TAYLOR SOLDIER SPY: This film came out all the way back in January, and some of you out there might have forgotten about this extraordinary movie! Based on author John le Carré's groundbreaking cold war bestseller and directed by Swedish filmmaker Tomas Alfredson, the film features a stellar cast consisting of Gary Oldman, Benedict Cumberbatch, Colin Firth, Toby Jones, Ciaran Hinds, and Mark Strong. There is nothing that I can say that will give these fine actors enough praise. This is not your typical spy film. This is a beautifully played and observed spy film, one that makes you think while watching it, enticing you to unravel the mystery along with our protagonist. It's simply a masterpiece of incredible intelligence. Do yourself a favor and check out this superb spy thriller.

6) MOONRISE KINGDOM: Directed by Wes Anderson, this film lovingly tells the tale of first love, in a humorous and whimsical way one would expect from Anderson. Set in 1965 on the fictional New England island called New Penzance, the film's about two 12 year-olds who fall in love and run away together: "Khaki Scout" orphan and misfit Sam Shakusky (Jared Gilman) and the disenchanted Suzy Bishop (Kara Gilman). When their disappearance is discovered, the grown-ups begin the search for them. Also featuring Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, and Bruce Willis, the film has all the bizarre, the eclectic, the witty, and the eccentric that one expects to find in Wes Anderson's films!

7) BULLY: I was fortunate to see this incredible documentary during the Cinequest 22 Film Festival back in March, and I was extremely excited to see it in theaters a month later! This powerful and disturbing film follows five kids from Texas, Georgia, Oklahoma, Iowa and Mississippi who are victims of bullying as well as their families. Filmed during the 2009-2010 school year, we see the ramifications of bullying and how some schools ignored the problem, which caused some students like Tyler Long and Ty Smalley (their families are focused in the film) to commit suicide. Director Lee Hirsch really captures the living Hell that these kids go through every single day of their school year. One of the most important documentaries that you and your family must see!

8) BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WIND: Directed by Benh Zeitlin and written by Zeitlin and Lucy Alibar from Alibar's one-act play Juicy and Delicious, the film's about a six-year-old girl named Hushpuppy (Quvenzhane Wallis), who along with her sick and dying father Wink (Dwight Henry) live in "The Bathtub," a southern Delta community at the edge of the world. But when her father becomes terribly ill, the forces of nature begin to unravel simultaneously. The film is a powerful example of experimental filmmaking while at the same time confronting social, political, and enviormental topics such as extreme poverty, alcoholism, global warming, and child neglect. One of the most mesmerizing, striking, and poignant films I have ever seen before!

9) TED: The directorial debut film by Family Guy and American Dad creator Seth McFarlane, the film focuses on the deep bond of friendship between a grown man named Jack (Mark Wahlberg) and his teddy bear Ted (voiced by McFarlane). The film is politically incorrect, offensive, vulgar, filled with juvenile toilet humor, profanity, and sexual situations that some might find repulsive. So of course I laughed the whole way through the damn movie! I mean c'mon! It's a giant walking teddy bear that swears, drinks, and likes prostitutes! However, underneath all of this immature humor, MacFarlane crafted a really solid script that contains good character development, a nice three arc story, and an emotional ending that tugs on your heart strings.

10) THE CABIN IN THE WOODS: The ONLY good horror film to be released to theaters in 2012! And that is so damn sad to say because I am a huge horror fan, and I felt really let down last year. This was the only saving grace for theatrical horror films. Joss Whedon is simply a genius and has made a career breaking genre rules and making them up as he goes along. The man can take any genre and break the confines of its basic structure and rebuild it to his own likings. As both writer and producer of the film, he is in complete control and it shows not only that he's a talented individual, but also as a force to be reckon with. Drew Goddard not only co-wrote the script with Whedon, but it also marked his directorial debut. It's faced paced, has smart and funny dialogue, and contains enough scares, gore, and bloodshed to make horror fans around the world very happy.

And there you have it! My Top Ten Films of 2012! This was a hard list to put together, but these were films that really made an impact on me, and I sincerely hope you enjoyed reading my picks. So if by chance there are films here that you haven't seen yet, I encourage you to check them out. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by them!

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!