So it took until nine episodes into the season, but Girls is back.
Re-watches are indicated by an * | Masterpieces will be in bold | To make things interesting, my 5 most satisfying viewings (not necessarily the “best” films) of each month will be indicated by red font, my 3 least satisfying by blue font | Venue & format indicated by the following: (C) = cinema viewing, (H) = “home”/TV viewing, (S) = school (F) = film, (D) = digital, (DVD) = DVD, (BR) = Blu-Ray, (CF) = computer file or online
From Up on Poppy Hill, Dir. Goro Miyazaki, 2011, Japan (C/D)
Mars & Avril, Dir. Martin Villeneuve, 2012, Canada (C/D)
Twixt, Dir. Francis Ford Coppola, 2011, USA (H/CF)
Bitter Victory, Dir. Nicholas Ray, 1957, USA/France (H/DVD)
Barbara, Dir. Christian Petzold, 2012, Germany (H/CF)
Blow Out, Dir. Brian De Palma, 1981, USA (H/BR) *
Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, Dir. Hayao Miyazaki, 1984, Japan (C/F) *
Moonrise Kingdom, Dir. Wes Anderson, 2012, USA (H/CF) *
Kiki’s Delivery Service, Dir. Hayao Miyazaki, 1989, Japan (C/F) *
Castle in the Sky, Dir. Hayao Miyzaki, 1986, Japan (C/F) *
Magic Mike, Dir. Steven Soderbergh, 2012, USA (H/CF) *
Postcards from the Zoo, Dir. Edwin, 2012, Indonesia/Germany/Hong Kong/China (H/CF)
Resident Evil: Retribution, Dir. Paul W.S. Anderson, 2012, Germany/Canada (H/CF) *
Vengeance, Dir. Johnnie To, 2009, France/Hong Kong (H/CF)
Brigadoon, Dir. Vincente Minnelli, 1954, USA (H/CF)
Don’t Go Breaking My Heart, Dir. Johnnie To, 2011, Hong Kong (H/CF)
Ace Attorney, Dir. Takashi Miike, 2012, Japan (H/CF)
Romancing in Thin Air, Dir. Johnnie To, 2012, Hong Kong (H/CF) *
The Ocean Waves, Dir. Tomomi Mochizuki, 1993, Japan (C/D)
My Neighbour Totoro, Dir. Hayao Miyzaki, 1988, Japan (C/F) *
Princess Mononoke, Dir. Hayao Miyazaki, 1997, Japan (C/F) *
Crimson Tide, Dir. Tony Scott, 1995, USA (H/BR)
Gremlins, Dir. Joe Dante, 1984, USA (H/CF) *
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Dir. David Fincher, 2008, USA (H/BR) *
Small Soldiers, Dir. Joe Dante, 1998, USA (H/CF) *
Howl’s Moving Castle, Dir. Hayao Miyazaki, 2004, Japan (C/F) *
Spirited Away, Dir. Hayao Miyazaki, 2001, Japan (C/F) *
Die Hard with a Vengeance, Dir. John McTiernan, 1995, USA (H/CF) *
Django Unchained, Dir. Quentin Tarantino, 2012, USA (C/D)
Whisper of the Heart, Dir. Yoshifumo Kondo, 1995, Japan (C/F)
The Cat Returns, Dir. Hiroyuki Morita, 2002, Japan (C/F)
Porco Rosso, Dir. Hayao Miyzaki, 1992, Japan (C/F)
Meet Me in St. Louis, Dir. Vincente Minnelli, 1944, USA (H/CF)
Mission to Mars, Dir. Brian De Palma, 2000, USA (H/DVD) *
Distant Voices, Still Lives, Dir. Terence Davies, UK (H/CF)
Lupin the III: The Castle of Cagliostro, Dir. Hayao Miyazaki, 1979, Japan (H/DVD) *
Ace Attorney, Dir. Takashi Miike, 2012, Japan (H/CF) *
Half of Gremlins 2: The New Batch before midnight!
Top ten albums—
1. Bish Bosch by Scott Walker
2. Kiss by Carly Rae Jepsen
3. R.A.P. Music by Killer Mike
4. Vivaldi – The Four Seasons – Recomposed by Max Richter
5. The Idler Wheel is Wiser than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More than Ropes Will Ever Do by Fiona Apple
6. Visions by Grimes
7. Kin by iamamiwhoami
8. Channel Orange by Frank Ocean
9. Locked Down by Dr. John
10. Ten Freedom Summers by Wadada Leo Smith
Honourable mentions—
There’s No Leaving Now by The Tallest Man on Earth
Good Kid, MAAD City by Kendrick Lamar
Attack on Memory by Cloud Nothings
Top twenty songs—
1. Reagan by Killer Mike
2. Tonight I’m Getting Over You by Carly Rae Jepsen
3. Skin by Grimes
4. Wasted Days by Cloud Nothings
5. Bad Religion by Frank Ocean
6. Phone Sex by Blood Diamonds feat. Grimes
7. Hot Knife by Fiona Apple
8. Phrasing by Scott Walker
9. Journeys by John Talabot feat. Ekhi
10. Backstreet Freestyle by Kendrick Lamar
11. The Art of Peer Pressure by Kendrick Lamar
12. Gang Bang by Madonna
13. I’ve Seen Footage by Death Grips
14. Loner by Burial
15. Losing You by Solange
16. Generational by The Invisible
17. Wildest Moments by Jessie Ware
18. Diamonds by Rihanna
19. Request Denied by El-P
20. Pyramids by Frank Ocean
Bonus Tracks: “Epizootics!” by Scott Walker, Vowels = Space and Time by Grimes, Bitch Dant Kill My Vibe by Kendrick Lamar, The rest of Carly Rae Jepsen’s Kiss
This year Filmmaker Magazine is hosting my Best of the Year list, complete with annotations, so head over there for my full write-up.
Here are my ten favourite films of the year, as well as some other mentions…
Top Ten Films of 2012—
1. Three Sisters, Dir. Wang Bing, France/Hong Kong
2. Romancing in Thin Air, Dir. Johnnie To, Hong Kong
3. Holy Motors, Dir. Leos Carax, France/Germany
4. The Deep Blue Sea, Dir. Terence Davies, UK/USA
5. Bernie, Dir. Richard Linklater, USA
6. 4:44 Last Day on Earth, Dir. Abel Ferrara, USA/Italy/France
7. Tabu, Dir. Miguel Gomes, Portugal/Germany/Brazil/France
8. Leviathan, Dir. Verena Paravel & Lucien Castaing-Taylor, UK/USA/France
9. Moonrise Kingdom, Dir. Wes Anderson, USA
10. Resident Evil: Retribution, Dir. Paul W.S. Anderson, Germany/Canada
Special Mention—
Late Show (Episodes 10-12 of Louie Season 3), Dir. Louis C.K., USA
Honourable Mentions—
Lincoln, Dir. Steven Spielberg, USA
Magic Mike, Dir. Steven Soderbergh, USA
Flight, Dir. Robert Zemeckis, USA
Ace Attorney, Dir. Takashi Miike, Japan
Into the Abyss & On Death Row, Dir. Werner Herzog, USA/UK/Germany
Performances—
Denis Levant, Holy Motors
Jack Black, Bernie
Milla Jovovich, Resident Evil: Retribution
Isabelle Huppert & Junsang Yu, In Another Country
Matthew McConaughey, Killer Joe, Magic Mike & Bernie
Juno Temple, Killer Joe
Rachel Weisz & Tom Hiddleston, The Deep Blue Sea
Jean-Claude Van Damme & Dolph Lundgren, Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning
Lee Kang-sheng, Walker
Joaquin Phoenix, The Master