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Django Unchained 2012
Instant classic. Needs many more viewings for sure, but from the very first snap zoom to the final fiery frame, it was another QT love letter to everything I adore about the medium. Seeing it at his New Beverly this weekend should give it that final half star to cement it as one of the best movies of the year in my play book.
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The Avengers 2012
Now THATS how you do a summer movie! Nice big convoluted plot, fun characters each getting a "moment", plenty of crowd cheering moments(thanks mostly to HULK) , gleefully destroy NYC...a great way of starting the season!!!
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The Dark Knight Rises 2012
Way too dense to put into words and I still keep changing my feelings towards it every time I revisit Gotham in my mind. Watching in IMAX on the day was thrilling for sure, just unfair to compare next to what is epic filmmaking with THE DARK KNIGHT. But damn if they didn't give it the ole' college try!
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Skyfall 2012
Easily the most entertaining Bond film I've seen in theaters since GOLDENEYE, even after the excellent CASINO ROYALE reboot. Even if it was a little long to me, Mendes and co. pack this Bond with some of the best material 007 has had in a while, and Javier Bardem's evil impression of Taylor Negron is spot on. Great populist entertainment on Her Majesty's highest scale.
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Silver Linings Playbook 2012
An unexpected surprise! I love this new "loose" David O Russell, telling another small town story of family and disfunction like THE FIGHTER in a more verite style like THE FIGHTER, but didnt expect such a small-scale winner in the vein of ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST, ORDINARY PEOPLE & even FULL MONTY. Great stuff all around.
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The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey 2012
An unexpected disappointment. I'm a disciple of Jackson and while there's a handful of scenes that evoke the magic of the LOTR series, this just fell flat for me. I didn't see the HFR version and glad I didn't; I wanted to fist see this the way I remember seeing the original series presented (24fps)...I might have disliked the movie more if I was scrutinizing the technology the whole time. Oh well.
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Prometheus 2012
Why do I feel somewhat guilty for loving the ride PROMETHEUS took me on? I kept hearing whispers of dissapointment, but, in doing a good job of going in spoiler free, Thank Utani; I was pleasently surprised to discover that a populist genre film, released during the summer, would ask that my brain to tag along, not be left at the door. It was a hell of a trip, especially i 3-D IMAX. A wonderful way to delve back in…
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Moonrise Kingdom 2012
...or Stanley Kubrick's STAND BY ME ON THE BLUE LAGOON.
Fantastic filmmaking in full effect. I've relapsed on Anderson and it feels good to be drunk on innocent misadventures.
