THE WARMONGER RETURNS WITH THE BEST FILMS OF 2012

I am back finally after several weeks of being real sick. I shouldn't complain because I rarely get ill, other than my usual problems, and at least it wasn't the flu. I know there have been lots of douchebags to write about it and I will get to them soon but it is overdue for me to write about my favorite films of 2012. Mind you I didn't see Lincoln, Silver Lining Playbook, Cloud Atlas or Zero Dark Thirty yet so those will not appear on my list ever though, had I seen them, they might have been. Instead, here's my list of films that I saw last year that made me go "WOW." 2012 was a great year for films, the first time that has happened on more than a decade so those that made the cut were truly awesome. Let see that list.

10)Seeking A Friend For The End of The World- This little seen film starred Steve Carrell and Kiera Knightley, who may be rail thin but utterly beautiful, as two mismatched individuals thrown together as the world reaches it's end due to an asteroid approaching. Carell enlists Knightley to help him find his long lost love and, in return, he will get her back to her family in England before Zero Hour. What follows is a funny, disturbing love story set among the back drop of a weird road picture. A haunting film that never goes in the direction you think it will. Spoiler alert: the world does end.

9)VHS- A polarizing anthology horror film where some loved and some hated it. Having just watched two bigger budgeted, modern anthology films (Terror Tract, Tales From The Crypt) I am still astonished that this low budgeted movie had better story lines than those two. Five stories and a wraparound include a demon invading a guy's night out, a exorcism gone wrong and webcam ghost story. The stories were all done by different directors with a very small budget and was amazed that the whole thing seemed very cohesive. A big plus is given to the fact that there was blood, babes and boobs, none of which were fake, and which never happens in this day and age. This movie may not be for everyone, but I really liked it and am looking foreword to the sequel which has attracted even bigger names to participate.

8)Argo- Any film which I already know how it will end and still have me gripping my seat in suspense is an excellent film. Ben Affleck was robbed of the Oscar nod for this brilliant film about the rescue of several American hostages hiding in the Canadian embassy in Iran in 1979. Under the guise of a fake sci-fi film, Affleck makes it into Iran to get the people out through an elaborate con game run by the CIA. Argo is a must see for any film lover.

7)God Bless America- Another film many found awful, I found to be one of the funniest movies last year. Bobcat Goldthwait directed this satire of a man dying of a tumor and decides to rid the world of the worst parts of America before he goes: reality stars. Along the way he meets up with an equally deranged teen girl and the two go on a shooting spree, killing people many of us have fantasized about. Dark, funny stuff if you can stomach it.

6)Django Unchained- Leave it to Quentin Tarantino to direct a funny film about slavery. Chistoph Waltz and Jamie Foxx are excellent as the bounty hunter good guys while Leo DeCaprio was also robbed of what should have been a best supporting actor nod for his first turn as a bad guy. Very long, but it never feels forced. Bloody good fun.

5)Cabin In the Woods- Leave it to Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon to direct and write one of the best horror films ever. Five people getting picked off one by one in a remote cabin doesn't sound all that new but trust me, nothing is what it appears. From scene one, we know that an underground base of scientists are manipulating reality for reasons I will not spoil here, and the reason is quite fantastic. If you want to see a great horror film, this is it.

4)Life of Pi- Long considered an unfilmable book, Ang Lee strikes again with this fantastical tale about an Indian boy trapped in a raft with a zebra, a baboon, a hyena and a tiger named Richard Parker. Having read the book, I can tell you, the screenwriter deserves an Oscar for translation, doing a masterful job. The 3D was amazing as well. This was one of the best cinematic experiences I had all year in a theater. Plus one scene had my Mom jump so hard I am still laughing about it.

3)Skyfall- I love James Bond. And this was everything one could want in one. Cool cars, exotic locations, gorgeous women, a great theme song and a memorable villain made this one of the best Bond titles ever. Considering how many there have been, that's saying something. Daniel Craig is brilliant as a Bond coming to terms with his age and his place in a changing world, fitting for the series. Adelle's theme song is also one of the best songs in a very long time and I hope will win the Oscar to go with her Golden Globe.

2)Ted- Fox passed on this film about a talking teddy bear which was the single worst decision of any studio in some time as this went on to be the highest grossing R comedy ever. Somebody got fired over that. Seth McFarlane hits gold as a trash talking, bong smoking bear playing opposite Mark Walhberg and Mila Kunis, both of which are dynamite together. I cannot wait for the sequel which went into pre-production last week.

1)Avengers- This was one of my favorite films ever. Joss Whedon is a god among men with this absolutely fantastic picture about a group of super heroes fighting the God Loki. Everyone gets equal time, the Black Widow looks hot and the Hulk becomes cool again thanks to Mark Ruffalo playing him perfectly. Anyone who didn't like this film should not be reviewing films professionally as it proves they have no understanding of how movies work (AO Scott, I am looking at you, you hack). This film was perfection.

Honorable mentions- Men In Black 3, Beasts of the Southern Wild, The Hobbit, the Raid, Looper, Dredd, Butter, The Dictator.