2012 Movie Assessment

This was a very good year for movies – a lot of quantity and quality.  If you read this blog regularly then you know I am an unrepentant movie nut.  This list was culled from only the movies I went to see. I know there are a bunch of movies that are worthy that I haven’ t seen yet.  I’ve also included what I considered to be the worst movies of the year, because that’s almost more fun. 

Top Ten for 2012

1.  Cloud Atlas – this movie just captured my heart for some reason.  It was sweeping and spanned several centuries with the story jumping back and forth in the time stream.  I love it when moviemakers take chances and they certainly did with this but the theme of redemption and enduring love can’t be underexplored.  I loved this movie.  Best movie of the year.

2.  Cabin in the Woods – The biggest surprise of the year.  This is the most effective combination of horror and just laugh out loud comedy that I’ve ever seen.  Incompetent civil servants controlling a slasher film story behind the scenes while the fate of the earth hangs in the balance – could not have been any funnier.  Best line of the year – “C’mon!”

3.  The Avengers – so hyped I didn’t think it could deliver but it does.  Each character gets his/her story and screen time.  The Hulk steals every scene he’s in as moviemakers finally get him right.

4.  The Dark Knight Rises – so tough to adequately end a trilogy when the bar has been set so high by the two preceding films but Nolan does that and more.  This was the best film of all three as we see Bruce Wayne complete his arc ably assisted by the best Catwoman ever.

5.  Lockout – another movie that totally surprised me (and you get extra points for that).  It is a fairly straight forward science fiction adventure but Guy Pearce as the wise cracking hero and Joseph Gilgun as the mesmerizingly evil villain elevate this.

6.  Prometheus – Another heavily hyped movie that I feel delivered.  Ridley Scott was able to return to the Alien story with a lot more money and special effects.  This movie was just immense in scope and vision.

7.  Skyfall– heart stopping action is a 007 staple but when they add drama and take some real chances with the characters then you have something really special - which was Skyfall.

8.  Argo – an uplifting drama about the most embarrassing episode in recent US foreign policy doesn’t seem like a great premise for a movie but Affleck makes it work.  It was also an interesting look back into the 1970’s – (what were we thinking with those haircuts!)

9.  Looper – a very smart science fiction yarn that has two stars playing the same character and actually meeting face to face.  This film makes you think as you consider the layers within layers of implications of being able to travel back in time to fix things.

10.  Ted – total guilty pleasure movie that is just too funny.  You actually believe the bear is real after ten minutes and pokes so much fun at the Boston sub-culture.  A guy’s flick but one of the funniest I’ve seen in years.

This list was tough to make up because there were so many great movies worth considering this year in terms of quality.  The following movies made it to the final cut, in no particular order:

Honorable Mention:

Amazing Spiderman – great re-make that I didn’t understand the need for until I saw it.  Emma Stone steals entire movie but Garfield is a very compelling Spidey

21 Jump Street – I never watched the original series but this was a really fun comedy

Bourne Legacy – great re-boot of the series Post-Damon

Lawless – overlooked by a lot of people but this was a very compelling film.  Hardy demonstrates great acting chops here as the indestructible brother

7 Psychos – so, so funny.  This movie had to have Christopher Walken in it but the best psycho was Sam Rockwell

The Hobbit, An Unexpected Journey – while this didn’t have the pull of the LOTR it was still groundbreaking filmmaking by Jackson

Jack Reacher – Cruise will never be Reacher but he got the attitude perfect and the plot is tight, a very enjoyable action flick

Life of Pi – didn’t know what to make of this going in but I ended up loving the visual art and the poignant story

Hunger Games – Jennifer Lawrence was perfect as Katniss Evergreen

Battleship – very flawed but over the top sci fi action that I revel in, worth it just to see a battleship deliver a broadside

Chronicle – very nuanced sci fi tale about the implications of great power.  The young actors in this really stepped up

Top Comedy (co-winners): 

Ted
Cabin in the Woods

Top Horror Movie:

Cabin in the Woods

Top Drama:
Argo

Top Romance:

Hope Springs – chick flick for middle agers

Top Action:

Avengers

Best Special Effects:

Total Recall

Best Foreign Film

The Raid: Redemption – great combination of bloody action and martial arts.  It also has a lot of heart and solid acting

 

Worst Movies/ Biggest Disappointments

Abe Lincoln: Vampire Hunter – so, so bad, worst movie of the year, by far.  I thought this would be some campy fun but it was wretched on every level

The Watch – talented cast who totally mailed this one in, I felt bad that they should expose their laziness so brazenly

Savages – really looked forward to this but just terribly acted, edited, and directed – just bad cinema

 

Sunday Sublimity

What Greeted Me When I Opened the Garage Door

It worked!!!  The recently repaired snow blower worked like a charm yesterday.  This was an exceedingly good thing because when I opened the garage door yesterday morning I was greeted by at least a foot of snow.  The wind was also whipping which sent a lot of the light powder blowing back on the operator.  I could have cared less as I did not have to shovel the driveway again. 

I really enjoy the quiet aftermath of a big snow storm.  Everything looks pristine and sounds are muffled as the world wakes up to deal with the blanket of white imposed over night.

My wife’s Christmas lights were practically submerged.  They stand on 16” stakes so we received a pretty good amount of the white stuff.  Buddy loves the snow and as soon as I let him out in the morning, he headed for the nearby wood line despite my protestations.  I couldn’t curse because the neighbor’s young kids were out playing in the snow. I think Buddy thinks that gives him free rein to ignore me.  He looked genuinely confused when the neighbors finally corralled him and he returned to a less than pleased master. He spent the rest of the morning in his cage.

I spent about an hour and a half mounted on the tractor and the driveway was cleared down to the pavement.  I even did the next door neighbor’s driveway because I was having so much fun.  Buddy’s recent bite victim was out clearing his parking space so I went over with the tractor and helped him a little bit.  I got the tractor stuck a couple times (note to self – lifting the tractor out of a rut by hand is not good for my back). Luckily my wife’s witch doctor remedies seem to work on backs also.

After a run to church and the supermarket I settled in for a Red Zone afternoon as the Patriots had the late game.  Everyone who had to lose to help the Patriots did so in the early games.  It was kind of sadistic of me to enjoy how bad the Jets have become.

The Patriots then took care of business by throttling their Miami rivals who didn’t seem to enjoy the frigid conditions; especially their offensive line.  The defense pitched a shut out due to some fortunate turnovers and the aforementioned o-line.  Brady looked very focused and even Gronk returned. He still looked gimpy and blocked one armed.  The extra two weeks of rest before their first playoff game should help.  This team can be almost scary when they put it all together. 

The wind was ringing all day yesterday and I occasionally glanced out to see all of my work on the driveway being slowly eroded by drifting snow.  This would have bothered me a lot more if the Patriots hadn’t won.

I went out this morning and attacked the drifts (some of them 2.5 feet deep) with the snow blower.  Although it did require some creative use of Pam sprayed into the chute, after a half hour the driveway was clear again.  I’m sure the neighbors appreciated the 6:30 am wakeup call as I seem to be one of the few people at work today. 

At least this seems like a real winter again, as opposed to last year’s poser.  My wife’s Panamanian relatives are due in town on Thursday – some of them have never seen snow before – should be fun.

What I Looked Like After Finishing the Driveway

My Wife's Christmas Lights Peeking Out of Snow

Mission Complete

View out Back

The Return of Gronk - Complete with Touchdown

The Driveway This Morning - Drifts Down at Bottom were Hip Deep

Drifts at Top of Driveway This Morning - Vanquished Shortly Thereafter

Saturday Augers

Snow Starting to Fly Yesterday From Inside the Globe

My wife and I had planned to travel up to New Hampshire yesterday to spend some time in my hometown.  That plan was submarined by a changed weather report.  A forecast 2 inches of snow was updated to more than eight inches.  That more than put the kibosh on our travel plans.  It wasn’t that I didn’t enjoy my snowy trip of December 26^th but there were things to be taken care of back home.  We also had to take delivery of some coats from my sister, bravely delivered by my brother in law through the teeth of the storm (I may be exaggerating that a tad but I really like him).

This is something I’ve been thinking about more and more.  It seems like snow carries a lot more impact on travel plans than they did when I was young.  I can remember numbers of family trips taken even though we had lots of snow.  I have to think our technology in terms of traction and road clearing are superior to the 1960s but it still seems everybody doesn’t want to challenge a winter storm anymore.  It might be the storm of 1978 where cars were trapped on interstates in Massachusetts and people even died stuck in those cars.  I think it has more to do with there are a lot more people around nowadays and that increases the number of idiots on the road in a situation which it only takes one to snarl traffic. 

One of the big things I had to take care of at home was repairing the auger belt on my snow blower.  I wasn’t going to try and take any chances with having to shovel the driveway again.  I know nothing about mechanical repairs but I can read repair manuals, even if they’re authored by Sears.  I figured it out and had it working again before the first snow flew.

My wife had a favorite lamp that she was broken.  She said she was going to get the husband of one of her friends to repair it.  This of course challenged my male ego and I brazenly declared that I would take a crack at it (probably her plan all along).  As stated above, I have an abysmal level of mechanical expertise. We were each surprised when I successfully assembled a new light switch and socket.  Our surprise continued when it turned on and did not explode when I plugged it in. 

I completed my lucky repair streak by finishing the repairs on the plant stand that I destroyed in my kick save against Buddy in the pre-Christmas neighbor party.  My life with Buddy has required that I become something of an artiste with super glue.  My wife claims that she doesn’t own a single item on the ground floor that hasn’t been put back together with super glue.  I claim that she is grossly overstating the situation (a little bit). 

Not wanting to push my mechanical proficiency luck I decided to spend the rest of the day watching movies as the snow flew in earnest outside.  It started early in the afternoon and was still coming hard when I went to bed around midnight.  I have a great room to watch a snow storm in.  Our family room is surrounded on three sides by windows; it’s like sitting in the middle of a snow globe (my sister’s description).  I watched as our Christmas decorations outside slowly became covered by the drifting snow.  God, I hope the snow blower works or I’m screwed.

Snow Blower Repaired and Ready For Action (I Hope)

Lamp Repair Project Using my Wife's Hot Pink Tools

It Turned On!  Photoed from a Safe Distance

Plant Stand Before

Super Glue Artiste - Indeed!!

My Wife Spent the Day Cleaning Cupboards With Buddy's Assistance

Near Midnight - Hard to See but the Light is Actually Under the Snow

Ear Trimming

I Know How These Guys Feel

Yesterday was an extremely quiet day at work with most of the staff and my boss taking vacation days.  I had to use my wife’s Highlander again because of the icy roads which her car has a tendency to ignore.  I had a quick meeting with the union about the January job pick.

It’s amazing how much can get done if we just sit down and talk about issues.  Their old tactics were to simply state something was unacceptable and refuse to talk about it. Since the last bargaining session they’ve adopted a new way of dealing with management.  A lot of it has to do with the change of the business agent.  In less than ten minutes we were able to iron out any differences and reach a mutual agreement.

I wish the politicians in Washington would figure out how to do this.  They’ve painted themselves into a corner and seem to be playing chicken with all of our futures; seeing who will be the first the blink.  It’s not important who can declare they won if they send us into another economic spiral.  It’s time for the real leaders (if there are any left in D.C.) to stand up. 

I had yet another date with the doctor yesterday.  She inspected the ear and said only half of the skin graft had taken.  Her next task was to trim away the part that had not.  She did this by exploratory scissors; cutting until I could feel it.  It was an interesting if mildly painful way of clearing away the dead skin.  It looks like I’ll have this damned ear bandage on for at least another couple of weeks.  At least the cancer is gone although I’m beginning to feel a little like Vincent VG.  Maybe I should try sketching.

My wife and I decided to stay home last night.  We’re both recovering from the frantic holiday efforts.  This is really the first time we’ve been able to sit back and rest.  My wife has been preparing the house for the arrival of her sister and assorted other Panamanians next week so she’s exhausted.  As I took the rubbish down to the curb last night I surveyed the bottles to be recycled.  We had at least triple the normal amount – a very good Christmas, indeed.

Evidence of Christmas Cheer

Driveway Fails

Driveway as it Looked When I got Home From Work
The Short Experience of the Snow Blower Evidence in Right Center

After our late night arrival back from Keene the day before yesterday I was excited to get up in the morning and impose my will upon the driveway with my tractor mounted snow blower.  We received a little over six inches of snow and after last year’s almost snowless winter I was psyched.

That feeling of elation lasted for approximately 35 seconds.  I charged out of the garage and cut a wide swath and then the snow stopped arcing out of the chute.  I was looking around for what happened when I noticed a long black belt lying behind the tractor.  The drive belt for the snow thrower had come completely off!!!  I hope the next door’s neighbor’s kids didn’t hear my colorful reaction to that observation.

A couple hours before I got out there the snow changed to rain and the snow I was trying to throw was too heavy for the machine which decided to give up on me.   I was now faced with a tractor stuck in the middle of the driveway behind a mound of snow.  I couldn’t get the thing to turn around, even with chains on the tires, because of the rain soaked snow.  I ended up lifting the back end of the tractor and walking it around until it was pointed back towards the garage.  After moving my wife’s Highlander I was able to limp the machine back into the garage.

Putting the belt back on will be a complicated procedure that I did not have time for.  I commandeered my wife’s Highlander for the drive into work and hoped the rain would take out the snow covering the driveway.  While the Highlander performed marvelously the rain failed.

I came home to snow compacted by the rain still covering the entire driveway.  Since the temperatures were due to plummet last night I knew I only had one option.  The driveway comes up a fairly steep hill that is impassable when frozen.  It didn’t make sense to fix the snow blower because the snow was even heavier now.  My wife was worried about the arthritis in my right elbow that’s been acting up since I sawed off the Christmas tree but the only option I had was to get out the snow shovel.  I figured a little (lot) of pain was the price I needed to pay to make the driveway passable.

My wife has this weird cream from Panama that she swears by for arthritis pain.  I usually scoff at what I secretly (I’m not stupid) call “witch doctor” remedies but I was grasping at straws and liberally applied the ointment to the elbow before heading out.

To complete the ambiance of the experience, a light freezing rain was now falling as well. The compacted snow was as heavy as I feared but I refined some long forgotten techniques and was able to get most of the driveway cleared in just under two and a half hours.

I came out this morning and everything was frozen solid so I can just imagine what it would have been like if I hadn’t cleared off the snow and slush.  The biggest surprise was no major pain the elbow, I’ve got to get the name of that witch doctor.

The Rest of the Driveway

2.5 Hours Later

Dejection Day

Daughter and Son In Law Packed In for Sad Trip

Getting up and heading into work yesterday was so much fun(heavy ironic voice), especially knowing that my wife got to spend the last few hours we would have with the kids on their Christmas visit home.  Since my boss was taking some vacation days I was in charge and had to put in an appearance.  Things were incredibly slow and I snuck out early in an effort to tap into that small remaining time.

I came home to an empty house (if any house containing Buddy could be considered empty).  The whole bunch returned shortly from Cracker Barrel meals and watch fittings at the local mall, conducted in my son’ brand new car.  He was justifiably proud of his new acquisition and loved showing it off to his mother.

My son and the MEG had to leave for more familial obligations in New Hampshire and I knew Christmas was really starting to be over at that point.  This was compounded with the task of bringing my daughter and son in law to Connecticut to catch their train back to NYC.  I felt a real sense of Christmas just collapsing on top of me.

The ride down to Connecticut was quiet which was appropriate for the somber undertaking at hand.  I was considering all kinds of wild plans to kidnap them and force them to stay longer but in the end I figured that would probably not extend the holiday spirit very long.  I sadly left them at the New Haven train station.

The last of our Christmas traditions is a day after Christmas party at the home of my friend in my hometown, Keene, NH.  There was a major winter storm coming in overnight but I thought we could sneak the trip in as long as we didn’t stay too late.  As we made our way north through Massachusetts we were greeted by dozens of electronic signs warning about the storm and advising people to modify travel plans.  My wife pointed these out to me but tradition is tradition, at least for me at Christmas time and this would also keep me from the now empty house for a bit longer.

We actually made pretty good time to Keene except for a small traffic jam in Vermont of all places.  My wife used all of her feminine wiles to convince me (and it took a lot) to make a quick stop at TJ Maxx for one last gasp at Christmas shopping.  We pulled into Keene at the same time my daughter and son in law reported arriving at their Brooklyn apartment.  My friend’s party was low key but so enjoyable catching up with mutual friends from my hometown. 

I’ll always consider Keene home and these wonderful people are a large part of the reason.  There is an easy comfort at being able to pick up conversations and interactions without any discomfort or anxiety; just really nice people.  

We had the storm looming though.  I would periodically check out the window for snow flakes but it was all clear so I decided to stay an extra hour.  We left the party and although it was not snowing you could feel the impending storm in the air.  We were five miles out of Keene when I noticed the first flakes.  By the time we reached the Massachusetts border the snow was falling heavily and as we pushed south we were shortly in nearly white out conditions.  It took nearly an hour and a half to cover the last thirty miles.  My wife’s new Highlander performed superbly in the snow and even made it up our driveway (no mean task when it is snow covered) without a problem.  There is a cool button on the dash that says, “snow”, you push that and it’s almost as if the car mentally adjusts.

While I was glad to be home, it was still an empty house, which compared with the past few days, I found severely lacking. This is my annual coming down after the high of family and friends at Christmas.  Even Buddy seemed depressed having to deal with just my company.  I’m much easier to catch than my son.

Nothing can detract though from another great year of Christmas memories.

My Son Taking Off in his New Car Yesterday

Daughter and Son in Law All Packed Up
Nervously Ignoring My Kidnapping Theories

Great Time and People in Keene

The View on the Drive Home Last Night

Just Kept Getting Better and Better