But Not Necessarily Made in 2012

It's a series of lists. But they're good lists.

Favorite Films Viewed

While these may not be the best films of the year, they certainly were favorites. Note that not all were released in 2012, and they were viewed across a variety of formats: in the theater, or rented/streamed via Netflix, iTunes, or MUBI.

  • Shame (dir: Steve McQueen, theater)
  • The Cabin in the Woods (dir: Drew Goddard, theater)
  • Dredd [2012] (dir: Pete Travis, theater)
  • Looper (dir: Rain Johnson, theater)
  • Hugo (dir: Martin Scorsese, Netflix)
  • Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (dir: Tomas Alfredson, iTunes)
  • Time Crimes (dir: Nacho Vigalondo, Netflix)
  • Fantasmagorie (dir: Emile Cohl, MUBI)
  • Time to Leave (dir: François Ozon, MUBI)
  • Yojimbo (dir: Akira Kurosawa, iTunes)
  • The Mirror (dir: Andrei Tarkovsky, MUBI)

Favorite Novels Read (Fiction/Non-Fiction)

  • Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World (Haruki Murakami)
  • A Special Providence (Richard Yates)
  • It Will Be Exhilarating (Studio Neat)
  • The Orchard Keeper (McCarthy)
  • Childhood's End (Arthur C. Clarke)

Favorite Games Played (Cross-platforms)

  • Thief II: The Metal Age (Windows)
  • FTL: Faster Than Light (Mac)
  • Limbo (Mac)
  • King of Dragon Pass (iOS)
  • Dishonored (Xbox)
  • Witcher 2 (Windows)
  • Chivalry (Windows)

Bonus! Worst Films Viewed in 2012

Who doesn't like condemning the worst shit produced every year, regardless of your distaste of "lists"? I certainly do. These are the worst films I've seen in the past year. B-movies are a great style of filmmaking, but several of these were pitched as A-class releases and completely bombed on pacing, script, production, and overall enjoyment. Thank me later. (Again, not all were released in 2012.)

  • John Carter
  • Immortals
  • Cowboys & Aliens

Everyone does the "best-of" lists around this time of year. If you're interested in a list of the best grammatical films, AV Club has a great compilation.