Last year, I had 11 films eligible for my top 10 list so picking one out of the bunch to leave off was incredibly easy to do. This year, I had 19 films fighting for slots. That six film difference shows just how stellar this year has been for film. Choosing ten films to put on this list was a challenging job, and even though these ten films are technically ordered in a way that suggests one is better than the others, they are all so close in terms of quality that I find now, more than ever, the ranking of films to be arbitrary. This is the fourth top 10 list I've ever made and I would say it was, by far, the hardest list to make and one where I would wholeheartedly recommend every film on it to anybody I know. And tonight, on Oscar night, as we prepare to name the "Best" films of the year, I feel positive in saying that, regardless of what comes out on top, many of the major films this year are worth celebrating. 2012 was a terrific year for film and I only hope that 2013 can supply just as many, if not more, great times at the movies. But before we get to the Top 10 list, a few pointers:

I could not see the following films and, thus, they will not be included on my Top 10 list:

*Killing Them Softly *Rust & Bone *The Intouchables *Amour

Amour, Rust & Bone and The Intouchables never came to a theater near me, unfortunately, while Killing Them Softly was out of theaters long before I had the chance to check it out. I guess that's what having an F Cinemascore will do to you!

HONORABLE MENTIONS 

(in alphabetical order) 

Anna Karenina*The Avengers *The Cabin in the Woods *Compliance *Django Unchained *Life of Pi
*Looper *Skyfall *Ted

Anna Karenina is an elegant film that will certainly polarize audiences, but it swept me away. The Avengers is one of the best action films in years thanks, primarily, to the solid script by Joss Whedon. Speaking of Whedon, his screenplay for The Cabin in the Woods (co-written by director Drew Goddard) made for one of the most original and unpredictable films of the year, and one of the best horror films of the past decade. Compliance is a stunning and controversial film from relative newcomer Craig Zobel. Django Unchained showcased a more mature Tarantino, infusing thought provoking ideas with his typically great dialogue and off-the-wall action. Life of Pi is a visually stunning and intelligent meditation on religion. Looper is an original science fiction thriller that asks tough questions and pacts an emotional sucker punch. Skyfall does for 007 what 2009's Star Trek did for the Enterprise. And, finally, Ted is the funniest comedy of the year, and a film that doesn't forget to mix some sweetness in with the raunch. All nine of these films are worthy of placement on a Top 10 list, yet they just barely missed the cut. That's a testament to how remarkable this year truly was.
So, without further ado, here is my Top 10 Films of 2012...

Place Your Bets: My Final Oscar Predictions

It's almost Oscar night, and what an Oscar night it will be. This has been one of the most unpredictable award seasons in ages and thus, it's an incredibly difficult year to make predictions. So, while I feel confident enough to post these predictions and make them my final bets, I also feel quite safe in admitting that I could be entirely wrong on a number of these categories. But, I'm hoping for the best.

I won't spend too much time analyzing my choices, as I've already done quite a bit of that prior to the nomination announcements. But, I'll still give you my thoughts. You can also check out my Top 10 of 2012 and my personal picks for this award season, for which I will name my personal choices for wins as well as nominees, on Oscar night, February 24th. Until then, here are my predictions:

Best Picture: Argo
Analysis: An easy pick to make at this time, as Argo has swept just about every major award show this year. Choosing something else would be a mistake. There could be an upset I suppose, but I think it'd be a mistake to bet against this movie.

Best Actor in a Leading Role: Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln
Analysis: Again, an easy pick. None of the other nominees have anywhere near the momentum that DDL has.

Best Actress in a Leading Role: Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook
Analysis: With the Zero Dark Thirty buzz dying down, it seems like Lawrence is the clear front runner, especially with the Academy's obvious love for the film, its sudden surge at the box office, the Weinsteins, and the fact that it's only real competition is Emmanuelle Riva, who has only a slight change in my opinion.

Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Robert De Niro, Silver Linings Playbook
Analysis: A category with no real front runner, it seems like Tommy Lee Jones lost much of his buzz and I can't see the Academy giving Waltz a win for a Tarantino film so quickly after winning for Basterds, especially as his post win career hasn't exactly been stellar. De Niro's a legend making what's essentially a comeback in SLP and with the Weinsteins behind him, anything could happen.

Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Anne Hatahway, Les Miserables
Analysis: The easiest category to predict.

Best Achievement in Directing: David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook
Analysis: The risk? Huge. But hear me out: there is no front runner, Spielberg has already won twice, and I truly believe that Silver Linings Playbook is the film we'd be predicting for the win if it wasn't for Argo. This is the category I'm most expecting to be incorrect with, but there is no front runner in this category. A shot in the dark, but I'm taking it.

Best Original Screenplay: Amour
Analysis: The Academy clearly loved Amour and if it's going to win something other than Best Foreign Language Film, it's going to be for screenplay. The only film I can see beating it is Django Unchained, but I'm gonna give Amour the slight edge.

Best Adapted Screenplay: Argo
Analysis: In my opinion, Argo doesn't deserve this award at all but I really can't see another film beating it.

Best Cinematography: Skyfall
Analysis: It's between this and Life of Pi, but Skyfall got the ASC award and the fact that Deakins has been nominated for nine other films and hasn't won has to mean something, right?

Best Production Design: Les Miserables
Analysis: A hard category to predict, and I strongly considered going with Anna Karenina, but Les Miserables feels like a more "Oscar friendly" pick.

Best Film Editing: Argo
Analysis: This one seems like a lock to me. Honestly, I can't imagine another film winning.

Best Sound Editing: Life of Pi
Analysis: Life of Pi reminds me quite a bit of Hugo, which took home this award last year. That's really all my reasoning for this impossible to predict category.

Best Sound Mixing: Les Miserables
Analysis: Musicals tend to win this category, so I felt like going with a musical would be a smart idea.

Best Original Song: "Skyfall" by Adele
Analysis: And yet another award show will praise Adele. Go for that EGOT, girl.

Best Original Score: Life of Pi
Analysis: Many Oscar sites are pegging this score for the win and considering I didn't really care about any of the scores nominated (really, Academy, leaving off Beasts of the Southern Wild and Cloud Atlas was a bit of a mistake) this seems like a safe bet.

Best Visual Effects: Life of Pi
Analysis: At this point, I'd consider it almost guaranteed.

Best Costume Design: Anna Karenina
Analysis: When it comes to costume design, the Academy loves period pieces and Anna Karenina's costumes are extravagant and perfect for Oscar love.

Best Hair & Makeup: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Analysis: Because out of all the films nominated, it's makeup is the most noticeable.

Best Documentary Feature: Searching for Sugar Man
Analysis: I was caught between choosing this or How to Survive a Plague, but there seems to be more appreciation for Sugar Man, so I went with it.

Best Foreign Language Film: Amour
Analysis: I mean, it's pretty obvious.

Best Animated Film: Wreck-it-Ralph
Analysis: Truthfully, I could see Brave winning it but my gut is telling me to stick with Ralph. Fingers crossed!

Best Animated Short: Paper Man
Analysis: True story: I saw this when I saw Wreck-it-Ralph and preferred it to Ralph. And, also, I'm going off other people's predictions and everyone seems to be backing this one.

Best Documentary Short: Open Heart
Analysis: Because Golden Derby told me to.

Best Live Action Short: Curfew
Analysis: See above.

And there you have it, folks! My official Oscar predictions. Follow me on Twitter to catch my live tweeting on Oscar night as we see how right (or horribly wrong) I am. And don't forget to check out my Top 10 of 2012 and my personal wins for the year in the afternoon on February 24th!

Mama- How Many Times Will They Open That Damn Closet?

**NOTE: This review is long delayed and I haven't posted much of anything lately due to the hectic nature of my personal life as my second semester of school has started. I'll be keeping up with my writing now that things have settled down**

The short film of which Andres Muschietti's Mama is based is only about three minutes long and is quite scary. We don't know much about the titular Mama or the young girls she's terrorizing, but we don't need to. The tension is built almost immediately, and the scares just keep coming. It's not surprising that a horror enthusiast like Guillermo del Toro would want to give this young director a feature budget. And while Andres Muschietti certainly has talent, it would appear adapting his three minute short film into a 100 minute film was not the right vehicle to showcase his talent. By throwing in a convoluted back story and stock characters to expand it's runtime, the terrifying nature of the short is all but lost. What we're left with is a film that certainly has style, but still only about three minutes of actual scares. For the remaining 97 minutes, nothing new is brought to the cinematic table.

Unsurprisingly, many of del Toro's trademarks are clearly visible in his protege's film. The film opens with a cryptic "Once upon a time..." being scribbled onto the screen, and a fairy tale motif is clearly noticeable amidst the horror, not unlike a number of del Toro's own movies. That's not to suggest that Mama should be held to the high standard we've come to expect an experienced filmmaker like del Toro, but it does seem to suggest that filmgoers are in for something unique with Mama. Something that's a bit different from your run of the mill horror movie. Unfortunately, this is not the case.

From it's opening sequence to it's surprisingly off-putting finale, Mama fails to overcome the cliches that many of it's fellow horror films have fallen victim to over the years. As obnoxious as they may be, the screaming hordes of teenagers that flock to see these films on opening nights have a point. Why does Jessica Chastain insist on opening the closet after hearing a strange noise or seeing something creepy out of the corner of her eyes? Why do characters constantly make excuses for unusual behavior around them? Why do they always call out "Hello?" when they hear something sinister stirring in the kitchen? These cliches have elicited cat calls from audiences for decades now, and it takes a good director to avoid them, and an even better one to use them to play with our expectations (see James Wan's Insidious for an example of that). Muschietti has yet to figure out how to startle audiences without resorting to these age old tricks, and the film suffers for that. Because, let's face it, we can only watch so many pretty actresses cluelessly examine a mysterious closet.

But, the truth is, I've enjoyed films like Mama before. Sure, they might not be high art but every once in a while it's fun to check out a by-the-numbers horror flick and just have fun. Mama is not a fun movie, however. It's a film that becomes bogged down in a story that's overly complicated yet all-too familiar. From the moment we meet Chastain's Annabel her story arc becomes clear. She sits at the toilet, pregnancy test in hand with a look of fear on her face. When she reacts happily to a negative result, it becomes clear: by the end of this story, Annabel will learn the value of being a mother. And the film reminds us of this arc at every chance they get: every time Annabel discusses how little she wants to be a mom, which is quite often, the audiences are forced to role their eyes and wait for the next scene where she'll show signs of becoming a more loving, selfless person. Complicating this played out story, however, is the overly complicated origin of the titular villainess. What made the character of Mama so sinister in the three minute short is that we knew nothing about her. She was just a floating, fearsome creature. I get the sense that Muschietti didn't know much about Mama either though, as her character's backstory never fits in organically with the story and doesn't run smoothly at all. As viewers slowly figure out more about her, they start to care less and less about the characters, their safety, and the film itself.

To suggest that Mama is a truly terrible film is wrong. It's not a good film, but in a genre where there is just so much crap you need to find a way to stand out and this movie never does. The cinematography is beautiful at times and there are one or two moments that hunt at Muschietti's talents, but the film devoids itself of scares by relying on by the numbers tricks and a story we've all seen before. Considering the talents of everyone involved, and the fact that del Toro put his name in front of it, we should expect more. Hopefully next time, Muschietti will bring his A-game.

OVERALL GRADE: C-

My FINAL Oscar Predictions

Well, tomorrow it will all be over. Tomorrow the Academy will announce their nominations for the 2013 Oscars and we can stop predicting what will be nominated and start talking about what will win. These are my final predictions for what will be nominated and I'll be waking up early tomorrow morning to watch the announcements and see who will win!

BEST PICTURE:

• Argo
• Beasts of the Southern Wild
• Django Unchained
• Les Miserables
• Life of Pi
• Lincoln
• Silver Linings Playbook
• Zero Dark Thirty

ANALYSIS: My Best Picture predictions remain the same as they did the last time I uploaded Oscar predictions. At this point, I just can't imagine The Master being nominated and while I may be trying to be accurate with my predictions I wouldn't mind being wrong if it means getting Moonrise Kingdom a nomination. But, I don't see either one happening. As for these eight, they all seem quite likely. The only one that's got me second guessing myself is Beasts of the Southern Wild but I have faith in it getting a slot. 

BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE:

• Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook
• Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln
• John Hawkes, The Sessions
• Hugh Jackman, Les Miserables
• Denzel Washington, Flight

ANALYSIS: Another category where my predictions remain the same. A snub for Cooper is, I suppose, possible, but with the help of the Weinsteins and the fact that Joaquin Phoenix has lost almost all of his momentum, I can't help but feel confident in these five choices. 

BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE:

• Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty
• Marion Cotillard, Rust & Bone
• Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook
• Quevanzhane Wallis, Beasts of the Southern Wild
• Naomi Watts, The Impossible

ANALYSIS: Yet again, I'm keeping my predictions the same. Wallis is a bit of a risky pick, but filling the slot with Riva also feels like a bit of a risk and I just can't imagine Mirren getting in there for a lackluster film that most people have forgotten about. Wallis just seems like the best pick out of the bunch, and the other four are almost locked at this point. I feel confident in my choices. 

BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE:

• Alan Arkin, Argo
• Robert De Niro, Silver Linings Playbook
• Leonardo DiCaprio, Django Unchained
• Philip Seymour Hoffman, The Master
• Tommy Lee Jones, Lincoln

ANALYSIS: This was, by far, the toughest category to predict. A part of me really wants to swap in Christoph Waltz in Leonardo DiCaprio's place, and I can also foresee Javier Bardem getting in there for Skyfall. This one could definitely go in a number of different directions though, so I'm just gonna play it safe.

BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE:

• Amy Adams, The Master
• Sally Field, Lincoln
• Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables
• Helen Hunt, The Sessions
• Maggie Smith, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

ANALYSIS: Another difficult category to predict as Field, Hathaway and Hunt are all locked for an award and the last two spots are up for grabs. I could definitely see Samantha Barks sneaking in there (and would love to see that happen!) or, possibly, Nicole Kidman, but Amy Adams feels like a safe (and deserved) nomination to predict and I feel the most confident selecting Smith above all the other possible nominees. 

BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTING:

• Ben Affleck, Argo
• Kathryn Bigelow, Zero Dark Thirty
• Tom Hooper, Les Miserables
• Ang Lee, Life of Pi
• Steven Spielberg, Lincoln

ANALYSIS: This is the category where I feel, by far, the most optimistic. Hooper and Lee are, I suppose, not locks, but I see them getting in before O. Russell and Tarantino and, even then, I can't imagine both of them getting locked out. 

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY:

• Stephen Chbosky, The Perks of Being a Wallflower
• David Magee, Life of Pi
• David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook
• Chris Terrio, Argo
• Tony Kushner, John Logan and Paul Webb, Lincoln

ANALYSIS: Another relatively easy category. Lincoln, Argo and Silver Linings Playbook are all locked and Life of Pi feels more than likely. Perks is, by far, the wildcard of the bunch but with a WGA nomination in it's pocket I definitely see this getting in long before Les Miserables or Beasts of the Southern Wild.

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: 

• Paul Thomas Anderson, The Master
• Mark Boal, Zero Dark Thirty
• Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola, Moonrise Kingdom
• John Gatins, Flight
• Quentin Tarantino, Django Unchained

ANALYSIS: Another easy category. I suppose I could see Amour getting in there but I get the sense that the love for Amour is being overblown by fans of the film on message boards. After all, it's not even the Foreign Film frontrunner. 

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: 

• Roger Deakins, Skyfall
• Greig Fraser, Zero Dark Thirty
• Janusz Kaminski, Lincoln
• Mihai Malaimare Jr., The Master
• Claudio Miranda, Life of Pi

ANALYSIS: It was between Lincoln or Django Unchained for the final slot, and I'm giving Lincoln the edge simply because Lincoln feels more up the Academy's alley than Django, and I predict that Lincoln will end up with the most nominations for any film this year. 

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN:

• Rick Carter, Jim Erickson and Peter T. Frank, Lincoln
• Sarah Greenwood and Katie Spencer, Anna Karenina
• J. Michael Riva, Django Unchained
• Eve Stewart, Les Miserables
• David Crank, Jack Fisk and Amy Wells, The Master

ANALYSIS: A part of me could see Life of Pi sneaking on here but this is a fairly tough field to break into. I'm sticking with these five. 

BEST FILM EDITING:

• Chris Dickens, Les Miserables
• William Goldenberg, Argo
• Michael Kahn, Lincoln
• Tim Squyres, Life of Pi
• Dylan Tichenor, Zero Dark Thirty

ANALYSIS: Common knowledge suggests that the Best Picture contenders tend to earn nominations in this category, so I'm going with the five biggest contenders for the prize. Makes sense to me.

BEST SOUND EDITING: 

• The Dark Knight Rises
• Django Unchained
• Flight
• Skyfall
• Zero Dark Thirty

ANALYSIS: I can't pretend I know anything about this category. These are just five random guesses. 

BEST SOUND MIXING: 

• The Dark Knight Rises
• Flight
• Les Miserables
• Skyfall
• Zero Dark Thirty

ANALYSIS: See above.

BEST COSTUME DESIGN:

• Sharen Davis, Django Unchained
• Paco Delgado, Les Miserables
• Jacqueline Durran, Anna Karenina
• Joanna Johnston, Lincoln
• Anna Maskrey and Richard Taylor, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

ANALYSIS: I could see Argo getting in there, but I'm giving the edge to The Hobbit, as two of the three LOTR films earned nominations in this category. Granted, response to The Hobbit hasn't been nearly as strong as the other films in the franchise, but I could still see this getting in there. 

BEST MAKEUP & HAIR STYLING:

• The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey 
• Les Miserables
• Lincoln

ANALYSIS: Another relatively easy category to predict. A part of me could see Hitchcock making it in there instead of Les Miserables but it's a chance I'm willing to take. 

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS:

• The Avengers
• Cloud Atlas
• The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
• Life of Pi
• Prometheus

ANALYSIS: It's either Cloud Atlas or Snow White & the Huntsman getting the last spot, and I'm sending goodwill to Cloud Atlas by giving it a slight edge. I don't understand how it could possibly be ignored in this category.

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE:

• Myhcael Danna, Life of Pi
• Reinhold Heil, Johnny Klimek andTom Tykwer, Cloud Atlas
• Dario Marianelli, Anna Karenina
• John Williams, Lincoln
• Dan Romer and Benh Zeitlin, Beasts of the Southern Wild

ANALYSIS: Yet again, I'm giving Cloud Atlas a very slight edge here. I really want it to make it into the top 5, but at the same time wouldn't be surprised if it gets snubbed. But, I have a Golden Globe nomination on my side with this one, so I'm rooting for it. The other four, however, are most definitely getting in. 

BEST ORIGINAL SONG:

• "Learn Me Right" by Birdy and Mumford & Sons from Brave
• "Skyfall" by Adele from Skyfall
• "Still Alive" by Paul Williams from Paul Williams Still Alive
• "Suddenly" by Hugh Jackman from Les Miserables
• "Who Did That To You?" by John Legend from Django Unchained

ANALYSIS: I made a slight switch in terms of which Django Unchained song gets nominated, but this is a pretty hard category to predict regardless. I feel like the songs from Brave, Les Miserables and Skyfall are almost guaranteed though, so three out of five ain't bad. On a side note, have you heard "Who Did That To You?" from the Django Unchained soundtrack yet? It is, by far, the best song of the bunch.

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE:

• Brave
• Frankenweenie
• ParaNorman
• The Rabbi's Cat
• Wreck-it-Ralph

ANALYSIS: Another category that is (hopefully) easy to predict, all five of the predictions make sense in my opinion. A part of me could see ParaNorman getting snubbed, but we'll just have to see. 

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE:

• The Gatekeepers 
• The House I Live In
• How to Survive a Plague 
• The Invisible War
• Searching for Sugar Man

ANALYSIS: I'm going against my gut by putting The Gatekeepers instead of The Imposter or Bully but these are five of the most talked about documentaries at the moment, and I feel that the Academy will honor them. 

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM:

• Amour (Austria)
• The Intouchables (France)
• Lore (Australia)
• No (Chile)
• A Royal Affair (Denmark)

ANALYSIS: The hardest category to predict outside of Amour and The Intouchables. Fingers crossed that this gamble pays off. 

That's all for me! Leave your predictions, or your thoughts on mine, and we'll see how it all turns out tomorrow!

A Wish List for 2013 Cinema...

It's New Years Day, so I, naturally, have quite a bit of celebrating to do, but I thought I'd write this up first...

My Top 10 List of 2012 won't be posted until Oscar night, February 24th, but I feel it's safe to say that this year has been one of the very best years in recent memory in terms of film quality. I still have some catching up to do, but I've already got 15 films in contention for a spot on my list, and I have a feeling out of the ten or so movies I have left to watch there are bound to be a few additions to the list. It'd be nothing short of a miracle if Hollywood manages to maintain this level of quality in 2013, and there are a number of films which would lead me to believe that we are in for another very good year at the movies. Here's a bit of a list as to what I'd love to see at the movies this year. Feel free to add your on, or disagree with me, in the comments:

• That we get some solid releases during the January/February "dumping ground. Last year, we had The Grey and Chronicle released during what is typically known as "the dumping ground" for Hollywood. Filmgoing levels tend to be low during these months, and if audiences are flocking to see something, it's probably from November or December. I wasn't a huge fan of either those films, but they were shockingly great for such an early time period and really hope that we get some more pleasant surprises. I'm looking forward to Gangster Squad, Warm Bodies and especially Side Effects, so let's keep our fingers crossed for something worth seeking out. 
• That Steven Sodergbergh won't retire, and if he does, that Side Effects is pretty good. I'm not sure if it will make my Top 10, but Magic Mike is one of the best films of 2012 and proves that Steven Sodergbergh is one of the best filmmakers working today. His stellar resume- which includes the Oceans trilogy, Traffic, the modern day classic Out of Sight and more- remains one of the most consistent in terms of quality, and even his lesser films (Contagion) are worth watching. Side Effects looks fantastic, and features four wonderful actors. If it is Soderbergh's last, let's hope it will rank amongst his finest. And either way, let's keep our fingers crossed he'll take himself out of retirement. 
• That Oz: The Great and Powerful and Carrie are more than just shameless rip offs/ remakes. Both these films have some talented people involved both in front of and behind the camera. Yet, I can't help but get this feeling that I'm going to end up being disappointed with the finished project. Both projects look decent, but I've been burnt in the past by a number of other similar projects. But, Sam Raimi and Kimberly Peirce are both incredibly talented directors, so I'll hope for the best!
• That G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra will be as much fun as it looks. I was extremely excited for this movie. Yes, I know, I'm ashamed. OK, not that ashamed, but it's still a bit embarrassing. Yet, getting delayed almost nine months is quite shameful in terms of film quality. So, why am I still so excited for this movie? I'm holding out hope that this movie lives up to the batshit insanity the trailer promises.
• That The Heat is a worthy follow up to Bridesmaids for McCarthy and Paul Feig. I think that pretty much spells it out. 
• That The Great Gatsby is as good as I hope. Baz Luhrman is one of my favorite directors, and I was extremely excited once casting began. Both trailers got me excited (message board hatred be damned!) and, while I'm not necessarily thrilled by Tobey Maguire's casting, the work of Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan kept me interested. Add onto it a sure to be stellar soundtrack (Lady Gaga! Prince! Jay-Z!) and I'm more than excited. 
• That I get to see Star Trek Into Darkness at midnight in IMAX. A personal goal, I know, but I'm extremely excited to see this film. In fact, it's my most anticipated blockbuster of the year. I want to see it in the most extravagant way possible. 
• That Man of Steel isn't as disappointing as some of Zack Snyder's other films. Looking back on it, being excited for Sucker Punch was not one of my finest moments. The film was a train-wreck. And, while not nearly as bad, to call Watchmen anything more than an OK attempt at greatness is being kind. Yet, here I am again, getting really excited for a Zack Snyder film. Let's hope that this is more than just a well cut trailer. By the way, when I'm wishing for things, let me add that I do not want a Justice League film. Ever. 
• That Monsters University is a return to form for Pixar. What the hell has been going on at Pixar? And, I gotta say, I'm not looking forward to Monsters University as much as I would like. But, I guess that's the best way to be! If it's bad, I won't be disappointed, and if it's good, I'll be surprised.
• That Pacific Rim is the nerdgasm it looks like it could be. Let's be honest, Pacific Rim looks like it could be two hours of living in nerd heaven. Guilmero del Toro is one of the best directors working today, so this could be quite a bit of fun. But, nerd heaven has let out a few duds in the past. So, a wish for the best is more than necessary. 
• That The Conjuring is another solid horror flick from James Wan. James Wan is one of the few modern horror directors that I actively look forward to checking out, even if his films tend to be heavily flawed. Insidious, for example, was one of the best horror movies in ages even with a heavily flawed third act. While I'm not too excited for that film's upcoming sequel, The Conjuring sounds interesting and stars the wonderful Vera Farmiga. So, James Wan has persuaded me to see his film yet again. 
• That The Wolverine will make us forget about X-Men Origins. The last time Wolverine got his own solo film, it was a disaster. I truly hope that this film can renew my faith in this franchise. 
• That Machete Kills gets a release date in late 2013 so we get a double dosage of Rodriquez this year. Sin City and Machete are two of the finest genre films I've seen in the past few years, and I'm extremely excited to check out both their sequels. Granted, I expect more from Sin City and am happy that it has a release date set already, but if Robert Rodriquez can set a date for this other highly anticipated sequel, it'll be another wonderful year for film nerds. 
• That the Oldboy remake doesn't change the original's ending! If you haven't seen the original  Oldboy, do me a favor: go see it right now and do not get the twist ending spoiled for you. Now, I'm not necessarily excited for this upcoming remake, but I'm not dreading it either. In fact, I'd love to see another director's interpretation of this story. But, if they change the ending, I will be extremely disappointed. 
• That Frozen is more like Tangled and less like The Princess and the Frog. I don't usually get excited for Disney movies, but the last film in their Princess lineup was the terrific Tangled. I'd love it if Frozen continues the series at that level of quality. But, prior to Tangled was the forgettable Princess and the Frog. So, let's hope Disney can deliver another phenomenal animated film.
• That The Bling Ring is a return to form for Sofia Coppola. The first two films of Sofia Coppola's career are terrific, with Lost in Translation remaining one of my favorite films and a film I believe will be ranked amongst the greatest of all time years from now. Yet, Marie Antoinette was a (noble) disappointment, and while I didn't see Somewhere I couldn't get the slightest bit excited for it, and critics didn't seem all that happy about it. The Bling Ring has a wonderful cast and an interesting plot. Here's hoping that Coppola can return to the good graces of the film nerd community. 
• That Diablo Cody can impress me again with her directorial debut. Young Adult was my favorite film of 2011 and I'm of the camp that Juno was a terrific film. Sure, Jennifer's Body wasn't the best movie but the people that rail against it, I feel, are overdramatic and simply jumping on the ridiculous Megan Fox hate bandwagon. But, I digress. Diablo Cody's new film sounds terrific and features one of my favorite actresses, Holly Hunter. Plus, films exploring religion always fascinate me. Seeing a writer as talented as Cody handle that theme is leaves my mouth watering. 
• Most importantly, that the latest films from Alexander Payne, Martin Scorsese, Jason Reitman, Nicholas Winding Refn and the Coen Brothers set release dates for their next few films. These directors are some of the very best working today. If they set release dates for their next few films, we are in for quite a year.