Our Picks for the Best of 2012

Happy new year! This password-protected blog post is a little service to show our appreciation for those who listen to Movie Podcast Weekly. Here are our picks for the Best Movies of 2012, as well as our biggest disappointments. We hope you’ll make your way through these movies at some point during 2013 (and think of us fondly).

Jason’s Top 10 of 2012
1. Chronicle
2. The Grey
3. Django Unchained
4. Argo
5. Lincoln
6. Looper
7. Killing Them Softly
8. The Hunger Games
9. The Avengers
10. Cloud Atlas

Jason’s Honorable Mentions for 2012:
Prometheus
The Cabin in the Woods
The Dark Knight Rises
Killer Joe
Contraband
Man on a Ledge
Jack Reacher
Get the Gringo

Jason’s Biggest Disappointments of 2012:
Chernobyl Diaries
Once Upon a Time in Anatolia

Jason’s Most Anticipated Movies of 2013:
Gangster Squad
Zero Dark Thirty
Broken City
Stand Up Guys
The ABCs of Death
Carrie
Evil Dead
Oblivion
The Lords of Salem
Pain & Gain
Man of Steel
The End of the World
Kick-Ass 2
Pacific Rim
Runner, Runner
Paranoia
Malavita
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Karl’s Top 10 of 2012
1. Lincoln
2. The Perks of Being a Wallflower
3. The Avengers
4. Skyfall
5. Hit and Run
6. Flight
7. Prometheus
8. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
9. Django Unchained
10. Argo

Karl’s Honorable Mentions for 2012:
The Bourne Legacy
Cloud Atlas
Safe House
End of Watch
Pitch Perfect
For the Greater Glory
Silver Linings Playbook
Chronicle
Act of Valor
Looper
Moonrise Kingdom
Think Like a Man
Salmon Fishing in the Yemen
Jack Reacher

Karl’s Biggest Disappointments of 2012:
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Life of Pi

Karl’s Most Anticipated Movies of 2013:
Star Trek Into Darkness
Zero Dark Thirty
Iron Man 3
Man of Steel
World War Z

Karl’s “Most Feared of 2013”:
The Lone Ranger

Andy’s Top 10 of 2012
1. Lincoln
2. Skyfall
3. Zero Dark Thirty (Note: Andy hasn’t actually seen this yet.)
4. Argo (Note: Andy hasn’t actually seen this yet.)
5. Looper
6. Flight (Note: Andy hasn’t actually seen this yet.)
7. Prometheus
8. Les Miserables (Note: Andy hasn’t actually seen this yet.)
9. The Cabin in the Woods
10. Django Unchained (Note: Andy hasn’t actually seen this yet.)

Andy’s Honorable Mentions for 2012:
Hit and Run

Andy’s Biggest Disappointments of 2012:
Taken 2
Snow White and the Huntsman

Andy’s List of 2012 Movies That He Most Anticipates Watching in 2013:
Django Unchained
Flight
Les Miserables
Argo

“Wolfman” Josh Ligairi’s Top 10 of 2012
1. The Imposter
2. The Master
3. Moonrise Kingdom
4. Django Unchained
5. Big Boys Gone Bananas
6. Lincoln
7. Jiro Dreams of Sushi
8. Beasts of the Southern Wild
9. Bully
10. Once Upon a Time in Anatolia

Josh’s Honorable Mentions for 2012:
Silent House
Safe House
Prometheus
Argo
How to Survive a Plague
The Do-Deca-Pentathlon
Sleepwalk With Me
Take This Waltz
The Queen of Versailles
The Ambassador
Bones Brigade: An Autobiography
The Invisible War
Tchoupitoulas
Bernie
Lawless
Jeff Who Lives at Home
Sinister
This Is 40

Josh’s Biggest Disappointments of 2012:
Safety Not Guaranteed
The Loneliest Planet
Amour

Josh’s Most Anticipated Movies of 2013:
Zero Dark Thirty
World War Z
Evil Dead
The Lone Ranger
The Lords of Salem
This Is the End
The World’s End

Dave “Dr. Shock” Becker’s Top 10 Blu-rays of 2012
1. The Universal Monsters Blu-ray Set
2. The Indiana Jones Complete Adventures: Raiders of the Lost Ark
3. Lawrence of Arabia
4. Jaws
5. The Lord of the Rings extended trilogy Blu-ray release
6. Planet of the Apes (the 5-film collection)
7. Boardwalk Empire Season 2
8. The Avengers
9. Game of Thrones Season 1
10. Hatfields and McCoys (TV mini series)

Dr. Shock’s Honorable Mention Blu-rays for 2012:
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (2011)
Ghosts of the Abyss
Bud Abbott and Lou Costello Meet Frankenstein
Stalin (also includes Assassination Tango)
Johnny Guitar
Wings
Heaven’s Gate
The Bond 50 Collection
Alfred Hitchcock’s The Masterpiece Collection

Dr. Shock’s Biggest Disappointment Blu-rays of 2012:
Dark Shadows
Snow White and the Huntsman
Wrath of the Titans
Shark Night 3D

Dave “Dr. Shock” Becker’s Most Anticipated Movies of 2013:
Zero Dark Thirty
The Lords of Salem
Star Trek Into Darkness
Pacific Rim
Oblivion
Gangster Squad

Dave’s “Most Feared of 2013”:
The Lone Ranger
Oz: The Great and Powerful
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

Movie Podcast Weekly Ep. 013: Jack Reacher (2012) and This Is 40 (2012)

Merry Christmas! Today is Christmas Eve of 2012. This week we have a double-feature review for you of “Jack Reacher” and “This Is 40,” with special guests “WOLFMAN JOSH” LIGAIRI, the co-director of Cleanflix, and we also welcome screenwriter / producer WILLIAM ROWAN JR.

SHOW NOTES:
I. Intro
II. Topics We Need to Discuss:
Cleanflix currently streaming on Netflix Watch Instantly
— Re-releasing older movies in theaters again
— Listener Feedback and Donations
— Karl’s Mini Review: The Guilt Trip
— What Else Is New in Theaters This Week Continue reading

Movie Podcast Weekly Ep. 012: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)

For our review of Peter Jackson’s “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” we’ve brought back special guest DAVE “DR. SHOCK” BECKER from Land of the Creeps and DVD Infatuation.com.

SHOW NOTES:
I. Intro

II. Mini Reviews
Andy: Manic, Prometheus, Intruders
Dave: Spellbound, Lords of Dogtown, Burial Ground, George C. Scott’s A Christmas Carol
Jason: Things to Do in Denver When You’re Dead, The New Daughter, We Need to Talk About Kevin, High Lane
Karl: The Best Exotic Marigold Motel, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, Unicorn City, The Dark Knight Rises

III. Feature Review: “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey”

Ratings and Recommendations for THE HOBBIT
Jason = 8 ( Theater / Buy It! )
Andy = 7 ( Theater / Buy It! )
Karl = 5.5 ( Theater / Rental )
Dave Becker = 7 ( Theater / Buy It! )

IV. Trailer Talk:
Pacific Rim
Star Trek Into Darkness
Man of Steel
Oblivion
V. Wrap-Up Continue reading

Movie Podcast Weekly Ep. 011: Playing for Keeps (2012)

It’s a first on Movie Podcast Weekly, but for Episode 011, your favorite movie critics review a romantic comedy — “Playing for Keeps,” starring Gerard Butler and Jessica Biel.

But if romantic comedies aren’t your thing, we’d still recommend listening to Episode 011, because we cover quite a few noteworthy topics that should interest any movie-lover, such as:
— the lowest grossing film ever
— box office surprises and anomalies this December
— genuine concerns about “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey”
— and more!

SHOW NOTES:
I. Intro
II. Mini Reviews:
Jason: Zyzzx Rd (2006), Take Shelter (2011)
Andy: Holy Matrimony (1994), The Help (2011), Manic (2001)
Karl: Anna Karenina (2012), Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001), Love Actually (2003)
III. Feature Review: PLAYING FOR KEEPS Continue reading

Movie Podcast Weekly Ep. 010: Killing Them Softly (2012)

Podcasting rock star ROB BOOKER, host of The Traders Podcast, joins us for Episode 010 for our review of “Killing Them Softly,” starring Brad Pitt.

SHOW NOTES:
I. Intro
II. Mini Reviews:
Jason: Bigfoot: The Lost Coast Tapes (2012), Chronicle (2012), The Tall Man (2012)
Rob Booker: TRON: Legacy (2010), The Descendants (2011), What’s Your Number? (2011)
Andy: 30 Minutes of Less (2011), Hesher (2010), The Cabin in the Woods (2012)
Karl: Rise of the Guardians (2012), Lincoln (2012), Silver Linings Playbook (2012), Twilight: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 (2012)
III. Feature Review: KILLING THEM SOFTLY Continue reading