Best Movies of 2012

I've undoubtedly become more busy this year, which means that I haven't had as much time for things that I love: Jeopardy!, golf, and movies. I'm not sure why those were the first things to go (actually I'm quite certain that I could think of plenty of other activities that I no longer partake in as much), but while I'm definitely not as intelligent or as good at golf as a byproduct I don't think that watching fewer movies has made me less of a movie critic. I think it's actually made me more picky about the movies I choose to see, and has thus honed my critical eye.

Due my self-proclaimed skills as an evaluator of films I've decided to add a new feature to this post. Have you ever read a book/movie/album review where the critic uses words that you've never heard of to explain the deeper meaning of what the work is actually about? I will attempt to reveal the themes of each movies in their simplest form. I may use some big words while employing this reductionist method, but deal with it.

Here are the top 10 movies that I saw in 2012 (3 of them were released in 2011)


10.) Total Recall



I usually hate re-makes (Total Recall was originally released in 1990 and starred Arnold Schwarzenegger), but when you put Jessica Biel and Kate Beckinsale in a movie I'm going to watch it. This may have made the list because my expectations were extremely low and I came out of the theaters pleasantly surprised, but I remain convinced that it's worth the two hours of your time.

What is this movie actually about? class warfare and the corruption of power


9.) Bachelorette



It could be called a Bridesmaids knock off, but I really enjoyed it (again, expectations were low). The humor is a bit raunchy, so don't watch it with mom and dad, but it appeals to both genders. I love Lizzy Caplan and she's both hot and hysterical in this film.

What's this movie actually about? female jealously


8.) Skyfall



This is not my favorite Bond film of all time. In fact, it's only my 2nd favorite of the Daniel Craig films. I still enjoyed it, though, because you know what you're going to get when you see a Bond film; action, guns, crime, sex, and espionage.

What's this movie actually about? the duality between modernity and the past


7.) Drive (2011)



I was pretty sure that Ryan Gosling's performance in this film was going to garner an Oscar nomination last year and I'm still stunned that it didn't. He knocked his understated, reserved role out of the park. He barely said a word throughout the entire thing, which accentuated the quality of his performance. The movie is a neo-noir piece about a heist that goes wrong. There's action, murder, confrontation, and a love interest (the sneaky hot Carey Mulligan).

What's this movie actually about? loyalty, loneliness, and body language


6.) Ted



It's essentially a two hour episode of Family Guy, which means it's hysterical (and obviously funnier if your high). People will be quoting lines from this movie for years to come.

What's this movie actually about? the bond of friendship, growing up, and the effects of marijuana


5.) A Separation (2011)



This Iranian work won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film last year and I heard positive review after positive review, so I finally saw it. It's intense, stirring, and filled with deeper meanings. I doubt that any of you will take the time to see it, but if you do it will definitely force you to think and isn't that what all movies should do?

What's this movie actually about? the many sides of the truth and loyalty to family


4.) Lincoln



I'm a bit of a politics/history freak, so I know that I probably like this movie more than most, but it's worth seeing solely for Daniel Day-Lewis' portrayal of Honest Abe. Halfway through I had to remind myself that it was actually Day-Lewis on the screen and not Lincoln. My main takeaway as I exited the theaters was, "That movie was two and a half hours? It sure didn't seem that long."

What's this movie actually about? our 16th president not slaying vampires


3.) The Dark Knight Rises



There was a lot about this film that I liked and a lot that I didn't, but at the end of the day there's no question that it was incredibly entertaining. It should also be noted that it was next to impossible to live up to The Joker, but Bane came damn close.

What's this movie actually about? privacy, obligation, fate, and coping with loss


2.) Argo



I love politics and I love Ben Affleck. There was almost no chance that I wasn't going to love this movie. Sure the ending is over dramaticized, but the story is still incredible.

What's this movie actually about? faith in a federal bureaucracy and having conviction in a singular idea


1.) Midnight in Paris (2011)

 

On the surface this Woody Allen movie is about a writer who finds inspiration from magically spending time with the likes of Pablo Picasso, Ernest Hemmingway, Gertrude Stein, etc. It also features a great cast with Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, and the intoxicating Marion Cotillard. What it's actually about is how everyone looks to a past point in history or their own lives and thinks of it as the glory years. Everyone wishes they could go back to a certain time or place, but what they don't realize is that those good times aren't as good as they seem. The further we're removed from the past the more we glorify it. We choose only to remember the positives.

What's this movie actually about? romanticizing the past


I also enjoyed- The Avengers, Flight

I want to see- The Master, The Hobbit, Zero Dark Thirty, Silver Linings Playbook, This is 40, Django Unchained, On the Road


Here are my Week 17 NFL Picks (our national nightmare is finally over)

Jets +3 at Bills
Dolphins +10.5 at Patriots
at Bengals -2.5 vs. Ravens
Browns 0 at Steelers
at Colts +7 at Texans
Jaguars +4 at Titans
Eagles +7 at Giants
Cowboys +3 at Redskins
at Lions +3 vs. Bears
Packers -3.5 at Vikings
Bucs +4.5 at Falcons
at Saints -5 vs. Panthers
Chiefs +16.5 at Broncos
at Chargers -10 vs. Raiders
Cardinals +16.5 at 49ers
Rams +11 at Seahawks

Last Week- 7-9
Season- 109-129-3

Book It

I rarely opened summer reading books when I was in high school, but as I've gotten older I've developed more of a thirst for literature. Maybe it's one of the few ways to momentarily quench my insatiable desire to keep learning (watching Jeopardy! is another), but reading has become something of a hobby for me over the past few years. I can still only read right before I go to sleep, but when I'm reading something that I like I often read until 2 or 3 a.m. Over the past two or three years I've also been a part of a semi-regular book club (we essentially just recommend books to each other) with my buddy Kyle Korver (he might want to be called Steve Novak now, I'll have to ask him).

I do not claim to be a literary expert, but I have read plenty in 2012 and would like to share some of the work that I enjoyed the most. Before we get to my Top 10 Books That I Read in 2012 I should point out that (just like the title suggests) all of these books were not published in 2012. I just happened to read them over the course of the calendar year.



10.) Plum Island by Nelson Demille



This is the story of a NYC cop who’s convalescing on Long Island and become entangled in the investigation of the murder of an attractive, young couple who were scientists on a island run by the government. It reads almost like a Scooby Doo plot mixed with sex and pirate treasure. My roommate, who recommended the book, insists that it’s the worst of the series, but that I needed to read this one to get the background of the main character. It was entertaining enough to make my top 10, but I don’t think I’ll be reading the second book of the series.


9.) Do Not Ask What Good We Do by Robert Draper



I’m something of a political junkie, so I was pumped to read this account of the inner workings of the House of Representatives. It read like an episode of HBO’s The Newsroom without any drama, urgency, or sizzle.


8.) The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach



This novel is ostensibly about a college baseball player who has an errorless streak going, but it’s more of a campus novel that deals with a multitude of relationships (including a gay one).


7.) Don’t Put Me In Coach by Mark Titus




If you don’t know the story of the former Ohio State walk on that parlayed a popular blog into a job at Grantland.Com then you’re missing out. Titus is simply a funny kid who acted liked an absolute clown while suiting up for one of the best college basketball teams in America. The writing isn't that great, but the stories are fantastic.


6.) The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides



This book is definitely more feminine than what I’m used to, but it won the Pulitzer Prize, so I figured that I’d give it a shot. I wouldn’t say that it was great, but it was well worth my time and I liked how it ended and that’s more than I can say about most books that I read. The story begins on the morning of a college graduation (probably where I’d start a novel if I ever wrote one) and follows the exploits of a female over the next few years as she deals with the real world through the context of her relationship with two guys she knew well in college.


5.) Killing Yourself to Live by Chuck Klosterman



When he was a writer for Spin magazine pop Culture critic/commentator Chuck Klosterman was tasked with traveling the country to visit the places where rock legends died. In this novel we get his inner monologue while on the two week journey. It’s very self-serving (a lot of the book is about his relationships with three different women), but there’s the usual blend of witty and intriguing commentary that we’ve come to expect from Klosterman.


4.) 11/22/63 by Stephen King



If that date doesn’t strike some sort of chord in your head then this book might not be for you. Stephen King messes around with time travel (yay for worm holes) and tells an incredible story about the assassination of JFK. It's about 900 pages, but it's hard to put down.


3.) Risky is the New Safe by Randy Gage



Do you want a glimpse of what the world is going to be like in 10 years? If so, then read this book. Gage does a great job of forecasting the future of the economy and job market. It’s basically a manifesto on why you should immerse yourself with cutting edge technology. If you read this book and aren’t motivated to create more content in your field of work (in whatever capacity) then something is wrong with you.


2.) Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn



The writing in this book is off the charts. I read this fast paced thriller in July and am still amazed at the ability of Flynn. Her technical skills as a writer are enormously impressive. The plot is also something to behold. When a wife goes missing her husband works hand in hand with the police before realizing that he’s actually the primary suspect. The chapters alternate from each spouse’s perspective and the amount of suspense, tension, and humor (I laughed out loud at least 20 times) is simply remarkable. I wasn’t wild about the ending, but the ride this book took me on was absolutely worth it.


1.) The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg



In this Malcom Gladwell-ish book Duhigg explains how and why we fall into routines (both good and bad). He uses real world examples to illustrate the effect of changed or learned habits including a riveting chapter about how retail stores like Target often know that a woman is pregnant before she does. This book is not going to fix all of your bad habits, but it will give you a better understanding of why you do what you do. I would recommend this book to anyone.


My Week 16 NFL Picks

at Lions +4.5 vs. Falcons
at Packers -13 vs. Titans
at Panthers -8.5 vs. Raiders
Bills +4.5 at Dolphins
at Steelers -4 vs. Bengals
at Jaguars +14.5 vs. Patriots
Colts -6.5 at Chiefs
at Cowboys -2.5 vs. Saints
Redskins -5.5 at Eagles
at Bucs -3 vs, Rams
Giants -2 at Ravens
at Texans -7.5 vs. Vikings
Browns +13.5 at Broncos
at Cardinals +6 vs. Bears
at Seahawks +1 vs. 49ers
at Jets -2 vs. Chargers

Last Week- 4-12
Season- 102-120-3

The Year in Music

If you divided popular culture into different genres you'd probably end up with television, movies, books, art, celebrities, sports, and music. There may be 1-2 others that I'm missing (fashion for example), but those are the big ones. Now I'm not an expert in any of those genres, but I obviously know some of them a whole lot better than the others. I've made no secret about the fact that I don't know music as well as I used to, but just because I'm not an afficionado doesn't mean that I don't have an opinion when it comes to the best songs of the year.

In order to get better informed about the top songs of the year I consulted with a few reputable sources and spent hours listening to hits that I was less familiar with.

Rolling Stone's Top 10 Songs of 2012

1.) “Hold On” by Alabama Shakes
2.) “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” by Taylor Swift
3.) “Take A Walk” by Passion Pit
4.) “Thinking About You” by Frank Ocean
5.) “Ramada Inn” by Neil Young
6.) “Mercy” by Kanye West
7.) “Rocky Ground” by Bruce Springsteen
8.) “Sixteen Saltines” by Jack White
9.) “Pay in Blood” by Bob Dylan
10.) “Emmylou” by First Aid Kit

I could be way off (seeing that I readily admit that I'm out of touch with music), but I don't think this was a great year in music. My reasoning is simple. Rolling Stone actually listed their Top 50 Songs of 2012 and there were an inordinate amount from artists that were popular in the 70s and 80s. Just look at the Top 10. Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen, and Bob Dylan? Their average age is 67. You're telling me that they had three of the best songs of the year? I guess my point is this. If those songs were recorded by three no name artists would they even sniff the Top 100? No chance.


Slant Magazine's Top 10 Songs of 2012

1.) “Take Care” by Drake featuring Rihanna
2.) “Running” by Jessica Ware
3.) “Pyramids” by Frank Ocean
4.) “Gun Has No Trigger” by Dirty Projectors
5.) “Disparate Youth” by Santigold
6.) “I’m Shakin” by Jack White
7.) “Five Seconds” by Twin Shadow
8.) “Hold On” by Alabama Shakes
9.) “1991” by Azealia Banks
10.) “National Anthem” by Lana Del Ray

"Hold On" by Alabama Shakes is on both of these lists, so after listening to it five times I've decided that it's at least worthy of the #10 spot on my list. So we'll start the countdown there...


Best Songs of 2012

10.) “Hold On” by Alabama Shakes- The lead singer looks nothing like what you'd picture.

9.) “Some Nights” by fun.- The title track and probably the best song on their debut album, but it wasn't the song with the most societal cachet.

8.) “Time is Love” by Josh Turner- My cousin who will not be named adopts one country song every year and this was the winner in 2012. I've been on a bit of a country kick the past year and a half and I agree that this song is absolute fire.

7.) “Somebody That I Used To Know” by Gotye- I can't tell you why this song became so popular, but it did.

6.) “No Church in the Wild” by Jay-Z and Kanye West- This would be a badass walk up song for a baseball player. It's also already a fantastic song to hear in movie trailers.

5.) “Home” by Phillip Phillips- I recently found out that this guy was an American Idol contestant (winner?) which made me think slightly less of him, but this song is still fantastic. I also have to ask, what were his parents thinking?

4.) “Whistle” by Flo Rida- This is probably only my 2nd or 3rd favorite Flo Rida song from 2012, but it was definitely the most popular and culturally significant, so therefore it gets the edge. If I put together a Top 10 Artists of 2012 Flo Rida would almost definitely be in the top 3.

3.) “I Will Wait” by Mumford & Sons- Somehow Mumford & Sons have figured out a way to appeal to both men and women. 

2.) “We Are Young” by fun.- I can't be the only one who Googled "song from the new chevy commerical" when I first heard this song.

1.) “Springsteen” by Eric Church- There's no doubt that country songs tell the best stories. This one is about hearing a song that takes you back in time. This notion is so relatable. There are a handful of songs that instantly make me think about a certain memory or time in my life when I hear them. It's really pretty amazing how music and memory are so intertwined.


I also enjoyed- “Wild Ones” by Flo Rida featuring Sia, "Even If It Breaks Your Heart" by Eli Young Band, "We Take Care Of Our Own" by Bruce Springsteen

I would be remiss if I didn't mention two of the most popular songs of the year that didn't make my countdown. "Call Me Maybe" by Carly Rae Jepsen should probably have earned a spot on my liste based on sheer popularity, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. It was definitely a huge summer hit, but it got so annoying that whatever positive thoughts I had with regard to it vanished. The other incredibly popular song that was worthy of a spot on my list was "Gangnam Style" by Psy, but I was drowned by the never ending parodies and remakes. Psy also sang an anti-American lyric a few years back, so fuck him.


My Week 15 NFL Picks

at Eagles +4.5 vs. Bengals
Packers -3 at Bears
Giants +1.5 at Falcons
Bucs +3.5 at Saints
at Rams -3 vs. Vikings
Redskins 0 at Browns
Jaguars +7 at Dolphins
at Ravens +3 vs. Broncos
Colts +8.5 at Texans
at Chargers -3 vs. Panthers
at Bills 5.5 vs. Seahawks
Lions -6.5 at Cardinals
Steelers -2 at Cowboys
at Raiders -3 vs. Chiefs
49ers +5.5 at Patriots
Jets +1.5 at Texans

Last week- 6-10
Season- 98-108-3
 

Top Tweets

Not only is it Christmas season, but it's also list season. You know, that time of year when anyone and everyone are putting together Top 5's and Top 10's to commemorate the year that was. As a dutiful subject of our society I usually partake in this flurry of lists myself.

To get things started I present to you my Top 15 tweets of the year. Now, as you'll soon find out, these are all tweets composed by me. If I had planned on doing something like this I may have had the foresight to keep a running Word Document of all the tweets by others that I liked, but because I didn't you're left with only the random thoughts that I came up with over the past 12 months.

Now since this is already an extremely narcissitic endeavor I decided not to go ahead and rank the following tweets. Instead they will simply be displayed in chronological order.

Jan 3- I'm not sure if Kendrick Perkins realizes that the common denominator in all of his scuffles is him. - He still doesn't get it.

Jan 15- "The Mayans were right" will undoubtedly be the most overused joke of the year

Feb 12- There's a black guy in Maroon 5? - I'm still stunned by this.

Feb 19- Nah, Gmac, Duany, Melo, Hak, and Forth RT @RJ_Mosley Is the Lin , jr, melo, amare, chandler lineup the most exciting lineup ever created? - Let's Go Orange.

Mar 31- If the taco Erving Walker stole had a Nacho Cheese Dorito shell then I totally understand. - In case you aren't aware, former Florida basketball player Erving Walker was arrested for stealing a $3 taco and fleeing the scene. After he was caught he claimed he was, "just playing around," but he ended up having to pay $301 as punishment.

May 2- Worked on Mike and Mike this morning and found out that Greeny and Golic thought that my name was Stan Zick. - About 5-6 people at work, including the entire show staff of Mike and Mike, continue to call me Stan Zick (even in emails) to this day.

Jul 8- @GottliebShow Federer winning at Wimbledon is evidence that Tiger will win the Masters at least one more time - I stand by this comment. Federer was not the strongest or best athlete in the field at Wimbledon, but his past success there helped him out immensely and I believe that Tiger's familiarity at Augusta will help him win the Masters at least one more time before it's all said and done.
Aug 2- There's an entire drawer in my house dedicated solely to Taco Bell hot, fire, and mild sauce. - True story.

Sep 3- My junior prom date is married? Thanks Facebook

Sep 7- Just delicately walked by Amare Stoudemire in the hall way and tried not to breathe for fear of injuring him. - He ended up getting hurt anyway.

Sep 9- The Mount Rushmore of celebrities that don't age- Coach K, Bob Costas, Gwen Stefani, and Faith Hill - As it was later pointed out to me, the original celebrity that didn't age was Dick Clark.

Sep 13- I'm convinced that people only buy iPads to tell people that they have an iPad and so that their emails say "Sent from my iPad"

Sep 30- You know a TV show's going to suck when its name could pass for an MLS or WNBA team. #ChicagoFire

Oct 17- HD TV has come a long way, but isn't it interesting that it's still hard to tell if it's raining somewhere?

Oct 31- My brother shaved his head to be Mr. Clean one year and his hair never really grew back. #Halloween - Also a true story.



Here are my NFL picks for Week 14

at Raiders +10 vs. Broncos
at Redskins -2.5 vs. Ravens
Chiefs +6 at Browns
at Steelers -8 vs. Chargers
at Colts -5.5 vs. Titans
at Jaguars -2.5 vs. Jets
Bears -3 at Vikings
at Panthers +3.5 vs. Falcons
at Bucs -7.5 vs. Eagles
Rams +3 at Bills
at Bengals -3 vs. Cowboys
Dolphins +10 at 49ers
at Giants -5 vs. Saints
Cardinals +10.5 vs. Seahawks
at Packers -6.5 vs. Lions
Texans +3.5 at Patriots

Last week- 8-8
Season- 92-98-3