Faces of death

SINISTER

2012

Directed by Scott Derrickson

Written by C. Robert Cargill and Scott Derrickson

Spoilers: high

Forever, or never

IT'S SUCH A BEAUTIFUL DAY

Very probably the apex of all independent animation, Don Hertzfeldt's greatest work is one of the greatest things ever.

2012

Written and directed by Don Hertzfeldt

Spoiler alert: moderatish but mostly inapplicable

Joe Dante, part XV: It knows what scares you

THE HOLE

A return to a form we were only modestly sure Joe Dante ever had in the first place.

2009 (the few)/2012 (the many)

Directed by Joe Dante

Written by Mark L. Smith

With Chris Massoglia (Dane Thompson), Nathan Gamble (Lucas Thompson), Haley Bennett (Julie Campbell), Teri Polo (Susan Thompson), and Bruce Dern (Creepy Carl)

Spoiler alert: moderate

Alien Week, part VII: The space odyssey

PROMETHEUS

Fitfully great, and with far more potential than it ever quite pays off upon, Prometheus is ironic in that it's an Alien film that itself suffers from an unwanted xenomorphic impregnation.

2012

Directed by Ridley Scott

Written by Jon Spaihts and Damon Lindelof

With Michael Fassbender (David), Noomi Rapace (Dr. Elizabeth Shaw), Logan Marshall-Green (Dr. Charlie Holloway), Charlize Theron (Meredith Vickers), Idris Elba (Capt. Janek), and Guy Pearce (Peter Weyland)

Spoiler alert: high

Laika Week, part II: Aggie—my name was Aggie

PARANORMAN

If I were ever inclined to count animated films as "proper" kid's adventures, then ParaNorman would be in real contention to be called the best of them.

2012

Directed by Sam Fell and Chris Butler
Written by Stephen Stone, Arianne Sutner, and Chris Butler

With Kodi Smit-McPhee (Norman Babcock), Tucker Albrizzi (Neil Downe), Christopher Mintz-Plasse (Alvin), Anna Kendrick (Courtney Babcock), Casey Affleck (Mitch Downe), Jeff Garlin (Perry Babcock), Leslie Mann (Sandra Babcock), John Goodman (Prenderghast), Bernard Hill (Judge Hopkins), and Jodelle Ferland (Agatha)

Spoiler alert: high

Steven Spielberg, part XXXIV: For example, to prepare for the role of Abraham Lincoln, Day-Lewis was actually elected President of the United States

LINCOLN

As a history lesson, Lincoln is a worthwhile sit, even though it's a long one.  As a cinematic object, however, Lincoln is a decidedly flat experience.  It is elevated by its rarefied acting and interesting character work, but not to the point that you'll find me wholeheartedly recommending it; but then, movies about the political process are just about my least favorite thing in the world—so, please, consider that a disclosure of my bias.

2012

Directed by Steven Spielberg

Written by Tony Kushner (based on the book Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin)

With Daniel Day-Lewis (Pres. Abraham Lincoln), Tommy Lee Jones (Rep. Thaddeus Stevens), David Strathairn (Sec. State William Seward), Sally Field (Mary Todd Lincoln), Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Robert Lincoln), Gulliver McGrath (Tad Lincoln), James Spader (W.N. Bilbo), Lee Pace (Rep. Fernando Wood), and much, much more

Spoiler alert: he went to go see a nice play

Robert Zemeckis, part XVIII: This film was brought to you by the Cocaine Council

FLIGHT

Zemeckis comes back very strong, with one of the better addiction dramedies of our age.

2012

Directed by Robert Zemeckis

Written by John Gatins

With Denzel Washington (Whip Whitaker), Kelly Reilly (Nicole), Nadine Velasquez (Katerina Marquez), Bruce Greenwood (Charlie Anderson), Don Cheadle (Hugh Lang), and John Goodman (Harling Mays)

Spoiler alert: moderate

So Jungian

ROOM 237 (2012)

The famous horror movie about the IMDB forum that came to life.

THE NIGHTMARE (2015)

A documentary about sleep paralysis (and the unfathomable hallucinations that come with it) that is deeply effective at evoking the horror experienced by its sufferers, while having the certain side benefit of still not taxing its director too hard.

Spoiler alert for both films: N/A

There's the beef, part I: It's an unbeatable market force

MAGIC MIKE

Fine backstage melodrama and phenomenal dance sequences, all set to a restless and ruthless economic elegy (as well as, occasionally, Ginuwine's "Pony").

2012
Directed by Steven Soderbegh
Written by Reid Carolin
With Channing Tatum ("Magic" Mike Lane), Alex Pettyfer (Adam, "The Kid"), Mike Manganiello (Big Dick Richie), Matt Bomer (Ken), Adam Rodriguez (Tito), Kevin Nash (Tarzan), Gabriel Iglesias (Tobias), Cody Horn (Brooke), Olivia Munn (Joanna), Jada Pinkett Smith (Rome), and Matthew McConaughey (Dallas)

Spoiler alert: high

You can't handle the true-true

CLOUD ATLAS

History is making us better, and it's only a pity we have to live through it: Cloud Atlas gives us a vision of something worth looking forward to.

2012
Written and directed by Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski, and Tom Tykwer (based on the novel by David Mitchell)
With Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Doona Bae, Jim Sturgess, Jim Broadbent, Hugh Grant, Keith David, Ben Whishaw, James D'Arcy, Xun Zhou, Susan Sarandon, David Gyasi, and Hugo Weaving (and I shall transcribe their characters' names unnecessarily only over my dead body)

Spoiler alert: moderate

Dispassionately and exactingly ranking the films of Christopher Nolan by their utilitarian value, nos. 9-7

The Internet asks, "Is Christopher Nolan the greatest director alive?"  And the answer is, "No, of course he's not.  Are you high?"  But if the question were, instead, "Is Chris Nolan the most consistently excellent director working today?", there are nine films to consider, and the answer might be quite different.  (Okay, the point is, I marathoned his movies, and now you're just going to have to deal with it.)

Spoiler alert: well, I don't spoil Interstellar, anyway

The amazing web of the spectacular Spider-Man unlimited, part IV: The clone saga

In celebration of his fifth cinematic iteration, this series of reviews is devoted to the only arachnid I wouldn't scream at and kill with poison.  Here comes the Spider-Man! 

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN

Few ever held the reboot to be strictly necessary in the first place, and with Amazing's rerun of half a dozen old ideas, alongside its debut of a few new, terrible ones, even the film itself seems sometimes to argue against its own existence.  But in a stroke, it's all forgiven, for with a single great idea the Amazing series more than justifies the decision to begin again.

2012
Directed by Mark Webb
Written by James Vanderbilt, Alvin Sargent, and Steve Kloves
With Andrew Garfield (Peter Parker), Emma Stone (Gwen Stacy), Denis Leary (Capt. Stacy), Sally Field (May Parker), Martin Sheen (Ben Parker), Rhys Ifans (Curt Connor), and Dane DeHaan (Harry Osborn) (oh, can't we pretend?)

Spoiler alert: high 

Acts of killing, part II

DREDD

There are 800 million stories in the naked mega-city.  This is one of the more straightforward ones.  In just about the best possible way.

2012
Directed by Pete Travis
Written by Alex Garland
With Karl Urban (J. Dredd), Olivia Thirlby (J. Anderson), Wood Harris (Kay), Langley Kirkwood (J. Lex), Domhnall Gleeson (The Clan Techie), Warrick Grier (Caleb), and Lena Headey (Ma-Ma)

Spoiler alert: severe

Acts of killing, part I

THE RAID
(Serbaun maut)

If you're looking for the beating, vital heart of cinema, you need look no further.

2011 Indonesia/2012 USA
Written and directed by Gareth Evans
With Iko Uwais (Rama), Donny Alamsyah (Andi), Joe Taslim (Jaka), Yayan Ruhian (Mad Dog), Pierre Grunyo (Wahyu), and Ray Sahetapy (Tama)

Spoiler alert: severe

Of Mars and men

JOHN CARTER

Forgive me.  I didn't know.

2012
Directed by Andew Stanton
Written by Mark Andrews, Michael Chabon, and Andrew Stanton (based on the novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs)
With Taylor Kitsch (John Carter), Willem Dafoe (Tars Tarkas), Lynn Collins (Dejah Thoris), Samantha Morton (Sola), Mark Strong (Matai Shang), Dominic West (Sab Than), Bryan Cranston (Col. Powell), and Daryl Sabara (Ned)

Spoiler alert: high