The List of Things I Liked in 2012 Part 3

Mr. Darko's Favourite 5 6 T.V. Shows of 2012

As usual I watched a lot of T.V. this year including a couple entire shows that I had missed over the years. However this is the list of the best 6 T.V. shows currently airing that I excitedly waited to watch each week and I can't wait for the next season.

The List of Things I Liked in 2012 Part 2

Mr. Darko's Favourite 6 Indie, Low-Budget, Whatever else of 2012

 This list consists of all the things I didn't consider a big blockbuster that came out this year, but that doesn't mean they are below any of the movies on part 1. I just didn't want to have to mix these movies together into one big list as I felt that certain things would get left out that shouldn't. That's also why this list got extended to 6 as well. Below are the 6 movies that you likely didn't see this year, due to a limited or non-existent release but are definitely worth the trouble to seek them out.

The List of Things I Liked in 2012 Part 1

So after a longer than planned hiatus I have returned to blogging for the new year and will start by wrapping up the last year of movies. I remember having some difficulty making up my list for 2011, and whether I just didn't see much or there wasn't much to see I can say I enjoyed 2012 a tremendous amount more. While I didn't get to see everything I would have liked to, I saw a lot and was very pleased with what both Hollywood and the rest of the world turned out. So here is my list of my favourite 5 blockbusters, favourite 5 indie movies and my favourite T.V. shows from this year.

I'm Back! Soon.

Just thought I'd give you an update on when you can expect some new things. For those of you who waited patiently, thanks. Do to a trying month at work I wasn't able to write much, but I did however continue to squeeze in a movie or two every so often. Actually, it was a total of about 30 movies over the last month since I posted. Since some of them (or most) were movies I think everyone should be aware of, I'll be doing a couple of summary posts with a small bit on each, which I hope to start rolling out in a week or so.

Below is what to expect. Let me know if you want me to cover anything specifically with more than a paragraph be it your favourite movie or something you are thinking of seeing.

007 Favourite Bond Films

In preparation for the coming release of Skyfall, I spent most of last weekend watching my way through the last five decades of James Bond movies. It has been quite a year for James Bond with 2012 marking the 50th year since Dr. No was released in 1962. While I had intended to watch a couple of Bond films a month since the summer, I only made it through the first four, and so in a last minute rush I piled through a total of 6 this weekend, (one per actor), in preparation. Instead of reviewing them all, I'll instead list the top seven films in the series.

09/11/2012: Skyfall [2012]

Skyfall marks Bonds return after a 4 year wait since Quantum of Solace, and what a return it is as Skyfall resurrects Bond to the top of his game. There should be no debate, as Skyfall is sure to please both Bond fans and newcomers alike with it's exciting action sequences, beautiful cinematography, and its return to both the feeling of a classic Bond movie and a more modern and gritty take. 

20/10/2012: Killer Joe [2011]

I just finished watching Killer Joe, a film that has been dividing audiences as it made it's quiet way around festivals and a limited release, being praised by some and disgusting others. However I don't think William Friedkin gives a damn whether you like it and I think Tom Bonnington put it best when he said Killer Joe "not only disregards Hollywood’s current blandness but shoves its greasy, poultry goodness down the throats of an audience not ready to consume this neo‐noir masterpiece. Yet."

15/10/2012: City of the Living Dead [1980]

The month of October is almost over and Halloween is fast approaching. As always this means that I watch even more horror movies than usual, bringing out some old favourites and discovering new ones. This October has definitely been one full of Lucio Fulci, with City of the Living Dead marking the third movie of his I've seen just over the last couple months. The more I see, the more I love his work, and City of the Living Dead has me craving more.

14/10/2012: Vampire Circus [1972]

I'm clearly not adverse to old movies, seeing as I spent the last dozen or so movies traveling through some highlights (and lowlights) of the 70's, I had not until today seen any Hammer Horror. Now, for many horror fans, Hammer Horror represents a golden age of horror; when Christopher Lee played Count Dracula and Frankenstein's monster roamed the world. For some reason, I had never ventured to this period in horror, but it seems like a movie promising both vampires and a circus was just what I needed to get there.

13/10/2012: Soylent Green [1973]

Charlton Heston, you must pick roles specifically based on the memorable ending lines. After leaving such an impact on cinema as Taylor in Planet of the Apes, Heston returns to another dystopian envisioning of earth, a world with just as dark a secret as the Planet of the Apes. While Soylent Green may not be the widely famed classic Planet of the Apes is, I don't think anyone who watches it will ever forget the ending.

Top 5 Movies by the Splat Pack

In time for Halloween comes my list of the top five movies from the Splat Pack. The unofficial group of filmmakers who have created some of the scariest and bloodiest horror movies of the last decade, bring the current horror genre back to a state where it can rival the golden ages of violent, boundary pushing horror long gone. Check these out if you're looking for something more current to check out this Halloween.

13/10/2012: Hell (Bright) [2011]

One of my favourite genres of film is post-apocalyptic and I'm always keeping an eye out for new films in the genre. Sometime a couple weeks ago I read about a German movie titled Hell, which is German for Bright, a movie where, in 2016 the earth's temperature has risen by 10 °C. The movie follows the journey of a group of survivors who are trying to make their way across the wasteland in search of... well, anything.

08/10/2012: Dawn of the Dead [1978]

This weekend I got around to re-watching one of the most exciting and terrifying social commentaries ever made, George A. Romero's satirical film about consumerism. With an epidemic of zombies rising from the grave and society as we know it collapsing, four people seek refuge in an abandoned mall as they try to survive against the living and the living dead alike.

06/10/2012: Death Race 2000 [1975]

Why is it all dystopian fiction seems to set itself only about 25 to 50 years in the future? Do they really imagine that such radical change will happen that rapidly? I for one hope not, and I can safely say we are not any closer to the dystopian world of Death Race 2000 than we were back in 1975. Yet, it still remains a very entertaining movie that can still make you think about society and many of the questions it raised are still relevant today. So maybe they just got the date wrong.

30/09/2012: Tombs of the Blind Dead (La Noche Del Terror Ciego) [1972]

While perusing my local independent rental store the other day, I happened across a copy of Tombs of the Blind Dead an intriguing Spanish documentary about the handmade mannequin industry in the 70's. The movie follows the story of hard working Bet, as she meets an old friend and decides to take a vacation and head out into the beautiful countryside by train. Along with a dramatic retelling of Bet's life, we get the world's first view inside the mannequin industry that dominated Spain in the 70's.

16/09/2012: Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope [1977]

"A long time ago" in our galaxy, George Lucas changed cinema and the world forever. Could I get a more cliched opening than that?  But as cliched as it might be, the statement remains true today as pop culture has never been the same since Star Wars was released back in 1977 and so, I will play the 10 hour loop of the Mos Eisley Cantina song as I tell what you should already know, and maybe a few interesting facts you didn't.

15/09/2012: Thriller: A Cruel Picture (They Call Her One Eye) [1974]

Well, it warns you right in the title and this Swedish exploitation film is merciless in it's cruelty, and as it also states, has no limits to evil as we watch the disturbing story of Frigga unfold. This was the first half of my Saturday night double feature, after which I had to watch Star Wars for a much happier change of pace, but even that however will probably never erase some of the images Thriller burned into my retinas. Thriller is one rape and revenge story you won't forget, and as underground as it might be, it's influences are still visible in the mainstream today.

14/09/2012: A Fistful of Dollars [1964]

Westerns are one genre I have watched very little of. I've seen a few but in general I have little knowledge of the genre beyond visuals of cowboys and gun fights. So, in order to correct this and broaden my film knowledge I figured I should check out a healthy slice of westerns. I have however decided that that slice will be the Spaghetti Western sub-genre, and what better way than to start at the beginning of it all with Sergio Leone's A Fistful of Dollars.

28/09/2012: Looper [2012]

Looper was steadily holding my mild interest for a while now, until it premiered at TIFF and the reviews started rolling in. The ratings held very strong, and the reviews raved and so I decided I would see Looper opening night, already worried the movie wouldn't live up to my expectations. However, Looper met them in everyway, and has probably just snatched itself a place in my top movies of the year. So, how did Looper successfully close the loop?

09/09/2012: Father's Day [2011]

I was extremely excited the other day when I got my copy of Father's Day in the mail. The film has spent the last year screening at festivals and events, but like any low-budget, "tasteless" and extreme grindhouse films it never received a wide enough theatrical release for me to see it. Tonight I got my chance, as I watched Astron-6 make a movie truly worthy of the grindhouse and with Troma Entertainment behind them there were no limits.

07/09/2012: Zombi 2 [1979]

Zombi 2 is the film that put Italian horror master Lucio Fulci on the map, widely regarded as his greatest film, Zombi 2 went far beyond being just an attempt to cash in on the success of Dawn of the Dead and made the man a well known horror icon. In honour of everyone's favourite holiday, Shark Week, and the start of my month or two dedicated to watching the filmography of Fulci, I decided to end the one and start the other with the only movie to contain a zombie shark fight. I'd say it is rather fitting.

25/08/2012: Porky's [1982]

Porky's is the original raunchy teen sex comedy, the movie that starts with morning wood and ends with cherry popping. Released in 1982, Pork's predates the movie many see as the start of the sub-genre of teen sex comedies, American Pie and in my opinion Porky's is actually superior to American Pie.

30/08/2012: Iron Sky [2012]

When I first watched a trailer for a movie called Iron Sky in which the Nazis had hidden on the dark side of the moon sine 1945  I'm not sure what I thought. It was an intriguing concept, and the trailer had a lavish display of special effects, but I just added it to my watchlist and figured it would be just another sci-fi comedy B-movie I might one day get around to seeing. After watching it, I would say that Iron Sky is at the forefront of a new era in cinema, where original independent movies should be able to easily compete with and dominate any large budget Hollywood CGI fun-fests.

18/08/2012: The Five-Year Engagement [2012]

Remember two days ago when I asked "what two names would make me watch a rom-com?" Didn't take long to find out. The Five-Year Engagement has a lot of things going for it. The two stars are some of my current favourite comedians, relative newcomers Jason Segel and Emily Blunt. Also the trailers looked promising and things seemed about as original as they could get.This time, it wasn't a disappointing let down.

16/08/2012: Wanderlust [2012]

A Paul Rudd and Jennifer Aniston romantic comedy. Honestly, I don't think there are any two names you could put to headline a rom-com that I would be like "This is gonna be awesome".  But it was set in a commune full of weird modern day hippies and that meant it could be possibly decent, or at least funny so I took the chance.

14/09/2012: Resident Evil: Retribution [2012]

A friend of mine has been anticipating Resident Evil: Retribution for a few months, and in the week leading up to it's release he must have reminded me at least 4 times that we were going to see it. I don't know if I would have gone to see it otherwise, but my friend has a taste for high budget, special effects filled eye candy action films. That is exactly what you get and little more as the the Resident Evil movies seem to have gone the way of the video game series.

14/08/2012: The Rocky Horror Pictures Show [1975]

So, by accident, I happened to watch the very definition of cult classic on it's 37th anniversary, The Rocky Horror Picture Show. It must have been destiny. That's right, I just used the word destiny. Even 37 years later, TRHPS remains the biggest cult classic in cinema, still played in midnight screenings around the world, and with a dedicated fanbase more than willing to dress up in drag and bring props to a theater. The Rocky Horror Picture Show is more than a movie, it is an experience.

12/08/2012: Repo! The Genetic Opera [2008]

Everyone knows that the biggest cult movie phenomenon is The Rocky Horror Picture Show. For over 35 years it has been the horror rock musical of choice, attracting many a costumed viewer to it's midnight showings. However, in 2008 the guys responsible for Saw gave the world a new rock opera horror musical. One they hope will become as big a cult phenomenon as The Rocky Horror Picture Show. While it is to early to tell, I think it has a decent shot. Because it was pretty damn awesome.

11/08/2012: The Fearless Vampire Killers [1974]

After watching Young Frankenstein I thought that The Fearless Vampire Killers would be a good follow up. Now, I honestly am not sure which one I enjoyed more. The Fearless Vampire Killers shows us that not only can Roman Polanski both direct and write a great horror comedy but can also star in one as well. Never has there been a more bumbling duo of vampire hunters since Professor Abronsius and his assistant Alfred.

10/08/2012: 21 Jump Street [2012]

I was disappointed with myself when, after 15 minutes of looking at my collection of amazing movies I need to watch, I couldn't fight off the urge to watch 21 Jump Street. All my movies, and I chose the new comedy about a pair of cops who go undercover at a high school to uncover the source of a new drug. Well they were undercover and they uncovered that I really enjoyed this.

10/08/2012: Eddie: The Sleepwalking Cannibal

The other day someone asked me how I choose what movies to watch. I told them that just about anything could be the cause, from a director to a poster or an actor. Once in a while I will discover someone new who I just decide to watch the entire filmography of. I added Eddie to my watchlist after watching Pontypool, not because of Stephen McHattie, but Georgina Riley. I’m not sure if I would have stumbled on Eddie any other way, but that would have been a shame because it is a nice entertaining Canadian horror comedy.

27/08/2012: V/H/S [2012]

V/H/S is a horror anthology that has been hyped about by Bloody Disgusting for months now, claiming to be both the rejuvenation of the horror anthology and the found footage genres. Now, these are some pretty bold claims, but word from both the horror and movie community has been generally positive towards it, and I was rather excited to see if V/H/S deliver on it's promises.

25/08/2012: Kill Bill: Vol. 1 [2003]

The Quentin Tarantino Blogathon rages on, with this month's movie being Kill Bill: Vol. 1. Once again, Tarantino chose another genre of movies to inspire him, this time drawing from the martial arts movies of the 70's, with a revenge story straight out of one. The Bride, after awakening from a coma realizes the baby she carried is gone, killed when Bill and and the four other members of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad tried to gun her down at her wedding rehearsal. The Bride then sets out to seek revenge and Kill Bill.

09/08/2012: Young Frankenstein [1974]

Yong Frankenstein is a classic comedy that never gets old. Gracing Top 10, 50 and 100 lists for the comedy genre for 38 years now, Young Frankenstein isn't just scraping by at the bottom. While those lists are filled with almost all of Mel Brooks works, Young Frankenstein is by far my favourite of his, as he spoofs classic horror movies.

07/08/2012: Slither [2006]

Once in a while a horror movie comes along that is made for horror movie fans. It may not contain anything overly new or original with which to entice new fans, but it has every element a horror fan is looking for and will undoubtedly be a fun ride. While I may have let Slither slither by for almost 6 years, I finally saw it and got so much more than I expected.

05/08/2012: Death Proof [2007]

I think it is clear that I am a huge Quintin Tarantino fan, and with last night’s viewing of Death Proof I can now safely say that I have seen all of his work. I’m a little ahead of the Tarantino Blogathon, as Death Proof doesn’t come up for a while, but I thought it was about time I watched the second half of the Grindhouse double feature. While Death Proof may not be the most fascinating and masterfully crafted story Tarantino has ever made, it once again cements his status as a man who knows a lot about movies, in this homage to the Grindhouse B-movies of the 60’s and 70’s.

27/07/2012: Snow White and the Huntsmen [2012]

This was one of those movies I was really on the fence about seeing. On the one hand it’s trailer promised an impressive visual feast and an interesting retelling of the childhood story. On the other hand, it feature a teenage girl's dream team of Kristen Stewart and Chris Hemsworth. But it was playing locally for cheap, so I dug out all my change and met up with a friend. In the end, I could have waited a couple of years or so to watch this on a rainy day on my television and I would have been better off.

26/07/2012: Hellboy [2004]

Hellboy is one of those movies that may have its flaws, but still has so many cool ideas that I love it despite of any shortcomings. Guillermo del Toro brought yet another comic book to the big screen but not just your well known superhero. While I’m not sure where Hellboy sits on the hero/anti-hero scale I do know that he kicks some ass, and his world of supernatural monstrosities and oddities is something special. I decided to rewatch Hellboy again after Ron Pearlman’s charitable deed and the new rumours of the third movie, and I think I liked it even more the second time.

25/07/2012: Highlander 2: The Quickening [1991]

Over half a year ago now, I watched Highlander expecting some kind of cheesy sci-fi movie. Instead I got an extremely well done story of an immortal Scottish swordsmen, and knowledge as to the origin of “There can only be one.” Now, I have finally brought myself to watch its sequel, The Quickening with no idea as to how successful it was. But hey, Highlander spawned five sequels and a T.V. series, it must have been good. Well, after watching The Quickening, I am only glad to hear that the entire thing was disowned by everyone involved and stricken from the rest of the series.                                        It really was that bad.

24/07/2012: Blazing Saddles [1974]

It’s been a slow week after The Dark Knight Rises, but that trilogy was a lot of movie to digest. My movie loving friend had recently suggested that I check out Blazing Saddles, and was so adamant they went and dug out their copy for me a few days later. By then, I had pretty much forgotten why I was supposed to watch it or what it was about. Turns out that Blazing Saddles is a Mel Brooks spoof western, which many argue is better than Spaceballs. I say that after watching it, there is little wonder it makes it onto so many top comedic movie ever lists.

15/07/2012: [REC] ² [2009]

I finally watched [REC] just the other night, and I was of course cautious of the sequel. Quarantine’s sequel had been a huge flop, as many horror sequels have a tendency to do.  [REC]² however is how a sequel should be made, keeping the ideas that made the first one great and elaborating on some of it’s mysteries. While I can understand that some people might not have liked the new concepts and explanations introduced in this sequel, I for one can’t wait for [REC] ³: Genesis.

14/07/2012: Big Trouble In Little China [1986]

After watching John Carpenter and Kurt Russell team up for 1982’s The Thing last night, I thought I’d continue with the pairs works with Big Trouble In Little China. Big Trouble in Little China is one of Carpenter’s forays out of horror, like Escape From New York, which also starred Kurt Russell. I was always curious as to why Big Trouble seemed to have such a cult following, however small it was, as it was definitely a strange piece of work. Then again all cult favourites are a little quirky and that is why they are cult favourites.

14/07/2012: Salon Kitty [1976]

Last night I decided it was time to dive back into the world of Naziploitation once again with Salon Kitty. As always, any naziploitation film is rife with controversy but this one is actually grounded on some interesting historical facts. While sure all the excess of sex, nudity and Nazism is bound to ruffle some feathers, it is interesting to see a film that doesn’t exactly draw to many lines, and is in fact an Italian production. Overall, for a film I can’t compare with anything else, I would say Salon Kitty is quite an interesting watch.

10/07/2012: Constantine [2005]

Constantine is one of my guilty pleasure movies. Sure it wasn’t a box office hit nor has it unfortunately spawned a number of sequels, but I’ve spent almost a year thinking about rewatching it. Well, memory served right, and while I had forgotten much, it only served to make Constantine better the second time. With the perfect mix of some of my favourite themes and styles I can only hope that a sequel is still to come.

03/02/2012: Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior [1981]

So I wasn’t overjoyed after watching Mad Max, but regardless I was still drawn to watch the sequel. There is something about Mad Max’s cult popularity that lead me to believe that Mad Max must be some hidden cult gem. So, after going almost 6 days without watching a movie, the first one I chose to check out was The Road Warrior.

06/07/2012: Catch .44 [2011]

Sometimes when I watch a movie it will just scream the name of another movie at me. I don’t know if I’m picking up on some underlying similarities or if just one thing will set it off, but throughout the entirety of Catch .44, my mind silently, and quite belligerently yelled Reservoir Dogs at me. But does Catch .44 bare more similarities to one of Tarantino’s masterpieces than just an interesting and irrelevant dinner conversation for an opening scene?

24/06/2012: Mad Max [1979]

Mad Max: The Road Warrior. The beginning of the rise to fame of Mel Gibson, like many an actor he got his start in a cult classic. However, I'm going to honestly say I just don't "get it." That's not to say I didn't like it per say, but I have a strong feeling it is not Mad Max that everyone is a fan of, but its sequel, The Road Warrior.

29/07/2012: Jackie Brown [1997]

I keep cutting it close on the Tarantino Blogathon, but once again I buckled down and watched Jackie Brown. Jackie Brown is probably the most different of Quentin Tarantino’s films but as always it is shear gold, with an interesting story, great cast and just a taste of violence. It doesn’t scream Tarantino as much as some of his other works, but there is definitely no mistaking his influence and style, no matter how subtle it might be.

23/06/2012: Heathers [1988]

Heathers is once again a movie that surprised me immensely. I had picked it up mostly because it was The Lamb’s movie of the month two months ago, and it had Christian Slater in it. I put it on finally because I wanted a change from the continuous cycle, of James Bond, B-movie, horror movie that I had fallen into that last week or so. I thought hey, let’s get a high school romance movie to lighten the mood, and relive the good old days of cliques and bullies. Instead, I learned just why this had been picked as movie of the month.

22/06/2012: Thunderball [1965]

Thunderball is James Bonds fourth cinematic outing, and considering they were at that point rolling out yearly, it is impressive that the quality continues to if anything, only increase. While it may not be my favourite, Thunderball is one of the most enjoyed and is very well done. Bond has been fully formed as the character Connery portrayed him as, the charming, witty and deadly secret agent serving on her majesty’s secret service.

22/06/2012: Cannibal Holocaust [1980]

So I just finished watching Cannibal Holocaust, and that is one hell of cinematic experience. Cannibal Holocaust is probably one of the most controversial movies ever. Banned at one time or another in some 50 countries, Cannibal Holocaust feature footage so real and disturbing the filmmaker was arrested for murder when it was released. Yet, Cannibal Holocaust is not just mindless violence, it is an important piece of film, and is still significant today as a social commentary on modern society.

17/06/2012: Picasso Trigger [1988]

It is time for round 3 with Andy Sidaris, as I set out onto unviewed ground with Picasso Trigger. Or at least I thought I hadn’t seen it before. According to my IMDb ratings, and some fuzzy memories I have in fact seen it before. Unfortunately it clearly wasn’t as memorable as the first two, but Picasso Trigger still has its moments, be they humorously bad or terribly good.

20/07/2012: The Dark Knight Rises [2012]

So, while I had no intention of going to see The Dark Knight last night, I ended up being invited to watch the entire trilogy by a friend. After Batman Begins, I remembered how good it was, even for the third time. After The Dark Knight, I realized I had only ever seen the movie twice, both at the theatre.  By midnight I was already in awe, and was concerned that The Dark Knight Rises would be able to top what had already come. I write this now when I should be sleeping, to tell you it most certainly does.

16/06/2012: Goldfinger [1964]

Goldfinger is the third Bond film, and at this point the series showed no signs of slowing down, continuing to increase in budget and popularity. Many consider Goldfinger to be the best James Bond film, and while it isn't my favourite, it does have a lot of great elements that unfortunately weren't continued on through the rest of the films.

16/06/12: Lost Highway [1997]

 Once again David Lynch is able to create the strangest of stories in the first 10 minutes, with the dial cranked all the way up. Then suddenly he is able go beyond the dial and create such an inexplicably weird movie that is undoubtedly surrounded by hundreds of theories with everyone frantically piecing together the story in any way that makes sense. That is why I love David Lynch and why you should expect some spoilers ahead. But even with those, Lost Highway will turn you around enough times you still won’t know what happened.

14/06/2012: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 [1986]

Last night I had the urge to dig out and put on my Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 DVD. While it doesn't have anything close to the serious and realistic feeling of terror that the first one does, TCM 2's craziness gives us a sequel different enough from the original that we don't feel that standard feeling we get when a sequel isn't up to par with the original.