2012: The Year in Review

What is up, bitches.

I gotta say, first and foremost, that 2012 was one heckuva ride – not just at the movie theater but also for myself as far as my personal life goes.

Lotsa change.

Let’s see, I moved back to my first home, to Lima, Peru, leaving behind Miami and Miami Beach, my coming-of-age haunts, as well as a big piece of my heart back there. So I spent the whole year – nah, more than that since the move was in the horizon for about three years! – gearing up toward that little bit of funsies.

That’s why you didn’t get as many reviews as you probably should have, so sorry for that...thanks to y’alls who stuck with this mess nevertheless (see, that’s why you should follow me on Twitter @moviemartin, too).

Which is not to say I didn’t go to the movie theater. Once again, I spent an unhealthy amount of time in the dark, surrounded by strangers, watching my stories. So without much ado, here’s what I liked best about the year that was.

And here’s to us, and to a better, funner, reunion-y 2013!

10 Best Films of the Year (in alphabetical order):

The Avengers

Beasts of the Southern Wild

The Cabin in the Woods

Compliance

Looper

Moonrise Kingdom

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Silver Linings Playbook

Skyfall

Smashed

Honorable Mention: The Dark Knight Rises

Best Directors: Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower), Rian Johnson (Looper), Sam Mendes (Skyfall), Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight Rises), David O. Russell (Silver Linings Playbook)

Best Bear: Ted from Ted

Best Bodies: Channing Tatum, Alex Pettyfer, Joe Manganiello, Matt Bomer, Alex Rodriguez and Matthew McConaughey in Magic Mike

Best Body, Honorable Mention (He Gets Props for Rocking Assless Leather Chaps): Tom Cruise in Rock of Ages

Best Comeback: The Hulk in The Avengers

Best Coupling: Emily Blunt and Ewan McGregor in Salmon Fishing in the Yemen

Hottest Throupling: Taylor Kitsch, Blake Lively, and Aaron Johnson in Savages

Best Hair (tie): Blake Lively in Savages and Merida in Brave

Worst Hair (Still): Chris Hemsworth, as Thor, in The Avengers

Best Fight: Gina Carano vs. Michael Fassbender in Haywire

Best Find on DVD: Your Sister’s Sister

Best Madonna-directed Film Released in 2012 for Awards Season But Released in My Market in 2013: W.E.

Best Use of Steven Soderbergh’s Talent: Magic Mike

Worst Use of Steven Soderbergh’s Talent: Haywire

Best Supporting Actors: Robert De Niro (Silver Linings Playbook), Irrfan Khan (Life of Pi), Matthew McConaughey (Magic Mike), Ezra Miller (The Perks of Being a Wallflower), Bruce Willis (Moonrise Kingdom)

Can’t Wait to See More of – Female: Rebel Wilson, from Bachelorette and Pitch Perfect

Can’t Wait to See More of – Male (tie): Liam Hemsworth, from The Hunger Games, and Richard Armitage (The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey)

Glad That’s Over: The Twilight Saga

Should’ve Had a Better Year: Taylor Kitsch (John Carter and Battleship did not work)

Best Supporting Actresses: Judi Dench (Skyfall), Rosemarie DeWitt (Your Sister’s Sister), Anne Hathaway (The Dark Knight Rises), Maggie Smith (The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel), Jackie Weaver (Silver Linings Playbook)

Most Aggro (tie): The Master and Denzel Washington’s character in Flight

Most Disappointing: Prometheus

Most Enjoyable Villain: Charlize Theron in Snow White and the Huntsman

Most Engrossing (tie): Michael Fassbender in Prometheus and Life of Pi

Most Ridikolous Fun: Battleship

Plain Ol’ Ridikolous: Rock of Ages (especially Catherine Zeta-Jones’ demented look)

Most Squirm-inducing: That beachside scene of the kids in their undies in Moonrise Kingdom

Most Welcome to the A-List: Channing Tatum (Haywire, The Vow, Magic Mike)

Most Wish I’d Seen It at the Movies: Keep the Lights On

Best Actors: Bradley Cooper (Silver Linings Playbook), Daniel Craig (Skyfall), Jonathan Gordon-Levitt (Looper), Aaron Paul (Smashed), Denzel Washington (Flight)

Best Actresses: Emily Blunt (Your Sister’s Sister), Ann Dowd (Compliance), Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook), Quvenzhané Wallis (Beasts of the Southern Wild), Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Smashed)

Photos: Fox Searchlight Pictures (Beasts of the Southern Wild); Universal Pictures (Savages); Summit Entertainment (The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2); Warner Bros (Magic Mike).