The Month in Film: December 2012
Wow, over 50 films watched this month! Christmas forced me to see at least 25, but with New Year’s, my surgery, and the need to finish up films to craft my year-end lists, I ended up seeing several films in one day over the span of the month. As I did with November, I’ll be going back and updating films that don’t have reviews yet, so be sure to check back as some of these films will have links soon. I officially saw 371 films throughout this entire year, so I think we’ve proven I watch way too many movies. Any links clicked will take you to what I’ve written about said film.
1. Melody Time
4. The Campaign
5. Little Women (1949)
6. Annie (1982)
10. ParaNorman*
12. White Zombie
13. Beasts of the Southern Wild
14. The Shop Around the Corner
15. The Sound of Music*
16. The Wizard of Oz*
17. Arbitrage
18. Cinderella*
19. Little Women (1994)*
20. Miracle on 34th Street (1947)*
21. Child Star: The Shirley Temple Story*
22. Looper
23. Notorious*
27. Bernie
29. Alex Cross
30. Frankenweenie
31. Total Recall (2012)
32. Killer Joe
33. Easy A*
34. Alice in Wonderland*
36. Joyeux Noel*
37. Holiday Affair
38. The Bourne Legacy
39. Little Women (1933)*
40. Django Unchained
43. Red Dawn (2012)*
44. Wreck-It Ralph
45. Cloud Atlas
46. The Grey
47. Ted*
48. Lincoln
49. The Words
50. Showgirls*
51. Hollow Man*
TOTALS:
51 films watched in December (up 16 from November)
18 were rewatches
33 were first-time viewings (By the way I officially watched 259 films for the first time in 2012. Went way over my anticipated goal of 100.)
5 were theatrical releases
Top 5 Favorite Classic Films of the Month:
1. Notorious – I promise I’ll get my review of this up soon, but this continues to push itself forward as my favorite Hitchcock film. The story is cinched tighter than you can stand, and the performances (and sexual tension) between Ingrid Bergman and Cary Grant is fantastic!
2. Christmas in Connecticut – I’m still really happy I watched this film as part of my 25 Days of Christmas. It’s funny as hell with a strong performance by Barbara Stanwyck.
3. Little Women (1949) – I keep going back to this version of Little Women, and I’m not sure why. I think it’s because the acting from Elizabeth Taylor and Margaret O’Brien continues to wow me, or because it’s the version that didn’t take itself so seriously.
4. The Lion in Winter – Who knew this last minute addition would rate so highly? At times a period drama, at others a soap-opera about a dysfunctional family. I recommend this most to fans of Katharine Hepburn.
5. White Zombie – This is another film I’m late in reviewing, but it’s a strong horror film with a frightening performance by Bela Lugosi.
Favorite Theatrical Film of the Month: Django Unchained for sure. It’s a film that has a lot of controversy, but it’s a must-see for fans of Tarantino or tributes to spaghetti Westerns. Fingers crossed that Leonardo DiCaprio gets an Oscar nomination.
Worst Film of the Month: In the modern category I’d say Lincoln and Cloud Atlas for sure, with Red Dawn and Alex Cross as honorable mentions. In the classic category Gable and Lombard was awful. Annie was the worst overall.
Biggest Disappointment of the Month: Disappointment wise, I’d really have to give that to Les Miserables. I had high hopes for this film, and the more I think about it, the worse it becomes to me. It’s not just Russell Crowe’s singing, but the lack of a strong director who was so desperate to please fans that competent film making went out the window.
Biggest Surprise of the Month: The Campaign and The Words immediately spring to mind considering I’d passed them up in theaters because of how stupid they looked. They’re both worth seeking out.
Movies Worth Seeking Out: Killer Joe and Bernie
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Kristen Lopez View All
A freelance film critic whose work fuels the Rotten Tomatoes meter. I've been published on The Hollywood Reporter, Remezcla, and The Daily Beast. I've been featured in the L.A. Times. I currently run two podcasts, Citizen Dame and Ticklish Business.
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