The 25 Best Movies of 2012

I am wrapping up my Best of 2012 post (click the label at the bottom to see all of them) with my favorite movies of the year. I should note that I hate going to movie theaters so these are basically the best movies released on Blu-Ray in 2012 (or late 2011). Click on the cover to purchase the movie on Amazon.

1. Marvel's The Avengers

2. The Dark Knight Rises

3. The Cabin in the Woods

4. Drive

5. Attack the Block

6. Safety Not Guaranteed

7. The Muppets

8. Marley

9. 21 Jump Street

10. Ides of March

11. Seeking a Friend for the End of the World

12. The Five Year Engagement

13. Chronicle

14. The Grey

15. The Sitter

16. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

17. John Carter

18. The Hunger Games

19. The Amazing Spider-Man

20. Haywire

21. Immortals

22. Moneyball

23. Safe House

24. 50/50

25. Restless

On the Next Arrested Development…

After Jericho fans flooded the CBS studios with peanuts, studios have came up with a new way temper the anger of obsessive fans by floating the idea of a movie that never ever materializes be it Veronica Mars, Angel, or Party Down. Arrested Development actually started this trend by inserting a line into the series finale, after failing to get Showtime, HBO or any other cable network, about turning the fake documentary show into a movie as suggested by the show’s narrator Ron Howard.

Years of rumors got me fed up to the point I put an Arrested Development ban until I actually saw a final product. But what you know, Netflix ended up reviving the series, the fourth season has been filmed and will be dumped all at once sometime this spring (hopefully which will be followed by a DVD release because I really do not have any desire to sign up, but I could always use their two week free preview they are always e-mailing me about) ten years after the show first premiered. Everyone will be back including guest stars Henry Winkler, Liza Minnelli, and Mae Whitman (her?)

Can the cast catch lightning in a bottle seven years after being off the air? Hopefully Mitch Hurwitz post Arrested Development endevores is not an indication (Sit Down Shut Up, Running Wilde) even if they featured numerous Arrested Development alumni. But during its original three season run, Arrested Development, this month’s induction into the Scooter Hall of Fame, was absurdist comedy at its most hilarious.

The show followed the Bluth family, who run a shady and inept real estate business that the lone good guy in family is trying to turn around. Making it even harder is his criminal father out of touch mother, the older brother who has way more confidence than he should, a younger brother with none, his superficial sister and probably gay husband. And do not forget the voice of God provided by Ron Howard. There is no joke the show could not pass up like having Fonzie literally jumping over a shark. I am not sure if the new episodes (or potential movie) will be any good but at the very least it makes for a good reason to dust off the DVD’s of the first season, or add them to your collection if they are not already there.

Now if only someone would pick up Veronica Mars: The CIA Years. Netflix? Amazon? DirecTV? Hey, it is not like The CW currently has anything better on their current schedule, maybe they can right their wrong and become an actual credible network for the first time since unceremoniously dumping Veronica Mars for something called Farmer Takes a Wife.

The 100 Best Songs of 2012

1. Happy Pills - Norah Jones

2. Don't Leave Me (Ne me quitte pas) - Regina Spektor

3. Ho Hey - The Lumineers

4. Little Black Submarines - The Black Keys

5. Somebody That I Used to Know - Gotye featuring Kimbra

6. "45" - The Gaslight Anthem

7. Thinkin Bout You - Frank Ocean

8. Little Talks - Of Monsters And Men

9. Stars - Grace Potter and The Nocturnals

10. Safe and Sound - Taylor Swift and The Civil Wars

11. Everybody Talks - Neon Trees

12. No Church in the Wild - Jay-Z and Kanye West featuring Frank Ocean

13. Warrior – Kimbra, A-Trak, and Mark Foster

14. Stubborn Love - The Lumineers

15. I Will Wait - Mumford and Sons

16. Bottom of the River - Delta Rae

17. Tongue Tied - Grouplove

18. We Are Young - Fun. featuring Janelle Monáe

19. The Baddest Man Alive - The Black Keys featuring RZA

20. Mercy.1 - Kanye West, Big Sean, Pusha T, 2 Chainz

21. Ain't Messin 'Round - Gary Clark Jr.

22. Get Burned - Sleeper Agent

23. If Only - Dave Matthews Band

24. The Devil Takes Care of His Own - Band Of Skulls

25. Live and Die - The Avett Brothers

26. Adorn - Miguel

27. Leave the Lights On - Meiko

28. Roll Me Up - Willie Nelson, Snoop Dogg, Kris Kristofferson and Jamey Johnson

29. Emmylou - First Aid Kit

30. Hold On - Alabama Shakes

31. The Don - Nas

32. Begin Again - Taylor Swift

33. Oh Love - Green Day

34. Brendan's Death Song - Red Hot Chili Peppers

35. Brand New Me - Alicia Keys

36. Stuck On You - Meiko

37. Sweet Life - Frank Ocean

38. Sense - Amanda Mair

39. Duquesne Whistle - Bob Dylan

40. Princess of China - Coldplay and Rihanna

41. Every Single Night - Fiona Apple

42. Man On Fire - Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros

43. Settle Down - Kimbra

44. The Day You Die - Lindi Ortega

45. Pyramids - Frank Ocean

46. Handwritten - The Gaslight Anthem

47. Gold On the Ceiling - The Black Keys

48. Modern Love - Matt Nathanson

49. Some Nights - Fun.

50. Heaven - Emeli Sandé

51. Walk Away - Dia Frampton

52. Girl On Fire - Alicia Keys

53. Runaways - The Killers

54. How - Regina Spektor

55. Even If It Breaks Your Heart - Eli Young Band

56. Gimme a Kiss - Madi Diaz

57. Never Go Back - Grace Potter and The Nocturnals

58. Home Again - Michael Kiwanuka

59. Let Yourself Go - Green Day

60. Run Away - Sarah Jarosz

61. Too Close - Alex Clare

62. Queen of California - John Mayer

63. Ships in the Night - Mat Kearney

64. Mercy - Dave Matthews Band

65. Let's Go - Madi Diaz

66. Simple Song - The Shins

67. Shadow Days - John Mayer

68. Favorite Song - Colbie Caillat featuring Common

69. When I Was Young - Nada Surf

70. Payphone - Maroon 5 featuring Wiz Khalifa

71. Hurts Like Heaven - Coldplay

72. All the Rowboats - Regina Spektor

73. Ruin - Cat Power

74. Free - Graffiti6

75. Lover of the Light - Mumford and Sons

76. The House That Heaven Built - Japandroids

77. Concrete Wall - Zee Avi

78. Good Intent - Kimbra

79. Burn it Down - Linkin Park

80. The Lion's Roar - First Aid Kit

81. Eyes Open - Taylor Swift

82. Nothing's Real But Love - Rebecca Ferguson

83. Blue - First Aid Kit

84. Stay - Sara Bareilles

85. Anna Sun - Walk the Moon

86. The a Team - Ed Sheeran

87. Runaway - Grace Potter and The Nocturnals

88. Heartbeat - JJAMZ

89. No Light, No Light - Florence + the Machine

90. Locked Out of Heaven - Bruno Mars

91. Goodbye In Her Eyes - Zac Brown Band

92. Good Girl - Carrie Underwood

93. Sweeter - Gavin DeGraw

94. House - Amanda Mair

95. Here Comes My Man - The Gaslight Anthem

96. Charlie Brown - Coldplay

97. Chains of Love - Ryan Adams

98. Cherokee - Cat Power

99. Ray Charles - Chiddy Bang

100. Hurry Hurry - Jessie Baylin