In my book, 2011 has been a great year for movies. Good stuff has abounded throughout this particular revolution of the planet, both on the side of light lifting– Limitless, Paul, Cedar Rapids, Captain America— and in the realms of more substantial material, such as Drive, Weekend, The Tree of Life, and Win Win. Even the films either artistically unsuccessful or thoroughly excruciating which punctuate 2011 have been interesting or worth discussing in one way or another; Super, for example, and even ACVF’s least favorite 2011 release, Red State. It’s a pretty good year when even the worst films invoke more than just outright revulsion.
But it’s time to say goodbye to 2011 and look ahead to 2012– and so far, 2012 stands to trump 2011 in sheer excellence. While the year looks well-defined by an avalanche of comic book films– The Dark Knight Rises, The Avengers, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, The Amazing Spider-Man, Dredd— as well as a number of other genre franchise films and tent-pole studio pictures– Skyfall, Twilight: Shhh, It’s Almost Over, pt. 2, Taken 2, Wrath of the Titans, The Expendables 2, G.I. Joe: Retaliation— there’s plenty of quality to look forward to in 2012. And of course that’s not to say I’m not looking forward to any of the aforementioned films– I am, some of them anyhow, but not as much as I’m looking forward to each of the below films. 1) Prometheus: Maybe you could file this under “genre franchise film”, but Prometheus has enormous promise. We all know at this point that it’s some manner of Alien prequel; how explicitly the two films connect remains to be seen, of course, and the severity of their intertwining could either make Prometheus into something really special or a painfully by-the-numbers over-explanation of the mythology behind the iconic xenomorph of Ridley Scott’s sci-fi horror masterwork. Taking into consideration the film’s pedigree– not only Scott but writer Damon Lindelof, a plus or a minus depending on who you talk to, as well as Michael Fassbender, Noomi Rapace, Charlize Theron, Idris Elba, and Guy Pearce– there’s no reason not to be enthused over Prometheus outside of fan caution.
2) The Master: Full disclosure– all I need to know to guarantee I see this in a theater is that it’s Paul Thomas Anderson’s first film in five years. Admittedly, it doesn’t hurt that Philip Seymour Hoffman stars with Joaquin Phoenix in a story about fundamental religious fervor, and while I know little else about The Master, what I do know is enough to establish this as a necessary watch in 2012.
3) Django Unchained: Hey, I’m actually looking forward to a Quentin Tarantino film. Imagine that. 2009’s Inglourious Basterds blew me away, clearly marking QT’s best, most personal work to date, and so it’s with little trepidation that I anticipate Django‘s release. The cast is terrific– notably Leonardo DiCaprio as the villain, which tickles me, and most of all Jamie Foxx, who hasn’t really done anything great since 2007’s The Kingdom— and the film reads like an opportunity for Tarantino to let his inspirations inform his own personal vision, instead of allowing them to run rampant. (Plus? Poster of the year, hands down.)
4) Brave: At this point I’ve written about Brave enough that my excitement for it need not be conveyed further. Put simply, it’s a wonderful to see Pixar turn out an original film after two sequels in a row, and to see them tackle a specific narrative convention by putting their own twist on the princess story.
5) Argo: I’m a big fan of Ben Affleck behind the camera; I think he’s got a sure hand for storytelling and a lot of confidence considering he’s only got two directorial credits to his name. I’m also fond of the “movie within a movie” conceit. And I also like real-life stories that sound so oddball that learning of their veracity causes me to double-take. So Argo, which is based on actual events, is kind of right up my alley.
6) The Great Gatsby: In terms of capturing a certain visual sensibility, The Great Gatsby looks like a potential knock-out. It’s inhabited by young actors and actresses who look like they could have walked right off the pages of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s beloved novel by virtue of the appearances they were graced with on birth, and the sets and costumes loudly call back to the period the book is based in. The only wild card on this project? Baz Luhrmann. He tried, and half succeeded, in striking a specific tone and time in 2008’s Australia, so the question of which Luhrmann shows up for Gatsby is relevant. If he’s on his game, he could turn out a really vital and dazzling film.
7) Gravity: If it’s right to be excited for Paul Thomas Anderson’s first film in five years, then it’s also correct to be equally thrilled at Alfonso Cuarón’s return to directing films after sitting in the producer’s chair for six years. He’s also coming back to do a science fiction film, and given that his last attempt in the category was Children of Men, well, I don’t think there’s any reason not to nail this down as a major release in 2012. Gravity‘s a disaster film, in which George Clooney and Sandra Bullock find themselves stranded on a space station with only each other to rely on; though on a smaller scale than Children of Men, there’s plenty of opportunity for Cuarón to capture the same ache and hurt and wonder and hope of his masterpiece.
8) Cabin in the Woods: This played at the annual Butt-Numb-A-Thon hosted by Ain’t It Cool News to great praise, evaporating any concerns I had about the film’s relevance. Cabin in the Woods has been on the shelves for more than two years; as a meta-referential horror film, the passage of time could be most unkind. In the case of Cabin, that doesn’t seem to be the case. Between baby face masks, bird-electrocuting laser grids, the promise of monsters, genre examinations, and of course the hugely positive BNAT response, Cabin sounds like a must-see horror flick.
9) Looper: Rian Johnson is 1.5 for 2 with me– I loved Brick but wound up being in the middle on The Brothers Bloom— so I’m eagerly awaiting Looper as the film that potentially puts him completely back on track
10) Only God Forgives: The re-teaming of Ryan Gosling and Nicolas Winding Refn after this year’s Drive (ranked number one on my top 15 of 2011). Frankly, I wasn’t sure about placing this here– I’m not 100% sure if it’s going to make it in time for 2012 consideration– but if this sees a 2012 run, I’ll be sure to catch a screening at the first opportunity. Refn gets better and better with each movie he makes and Gosling seems to be experiencing a turning point in his career as an actor where he actually seems to be acting.
11) The Hunger Games: I don’t think I’ve made it a secret that I like Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games— maybe not so much for the book itself, though it is engrossing in its fashion, but for the fact that it’s teen lit that amounts to more than just hormonal pandering. The Internet-housed criticism against it– that it’s just a Battle Royale rip-off– makes me root for its success on the big-screen all the more. I don’t know that Lionsgate is marketing it correctly, still (though the puzzle piece hunt was intriguing enough), but buzz from the readership and from media outlets could be enough to get people into theaters just to see what everyone’s talking about. If nothing else I know that I’ll be there to check it out.
12) Cogan’s Trade: In 2007, Brad Pitt and Andrew Dominik collaborated with one another and the result was The Assassination of Jesse James. Enough said.
13) Moonrise Kingdom: I admit that I’m a little disappointed to see Wes Anderson return to live-action film after The Fantastic Mr. Fox proved to serve his cinematic proclivities well. But Wes Anderson is Wes Anderson, and typically worth watching– and maybe Fox will prove to be the break from working with real actors that Anderson needed to recover from the underwhelming The Darjeeling Limited. Besides, with the cast that he’s assembled to his cause (Willis, Goodman, McDormand, Norton, Murray, Swinton, Keitel, Schwartzman), it’s unlikely that Moonrise Kingdom will be without its merits.
14) Casa de mi Padre: There is no reason this film should not turn out to be absolutely one hundred percent hilarious. If this turns out to be a failure, I think I’ll be devastated.
15) The Hobbit: Easily the film I’m most excited about in 2012, if the image kicking this post off is any indication. I’m a Tolkien buff, being an avid reader of Middle Earth mythology, and a huge admirer of Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings films, which rank among the very best pictures released in their decade. More than anything, though, I love The Hobbit. It’s one of my favorite books, even more than the Rings novels, so to see it receive the same cinematic treatment naturally lifts me up more than a bit. Familiar faces– Jackson and the WETA gang, Andy Serkis, and Ian McKellen, to name a few– as well as new ones– Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Graham McTavish, and others– coupled with the aesthetic continuity shown in Jackson’s production diaries and the recently unveiled trailer make me feel like I’m returning to a world I’ve longed to revisit for years. I, for one, cannot wait.
192 thoughts on “15 Films ACVF Is Excited About In 2012”
Great list! I’m very excited to see The Hobbit. I’ve been a fan of the Lord of the Rings since I first got my hands on the books. Hopefully I’ll find the time to watch most of the movies on this list, if not more.
Thanks for sharing!
Just can’t wait to watch “The Dark Knight Rises”… The 6 min prologue jus blew me away…
And yeah, Sly back to action in Expendables-2 with an amazing pile of actors…
This year’s gonna be an awesome year for movie fanatics…
I hope that The Dark Knight Rises really knocks me off my feet; I liked but didn’t love both of Nolan’s other Batman movies, and I’d be pretty happy to see him really pull out all the stops with the final film. If nothing else I’ll be glad to see him finish with the franchise to make more original movies like Inception.
I am SO behind on movies. My list of “Must-Watch” goes back three years, and I’ve done nothing to shorten it. Maybe my New Years resolution should be to watch more movies! Ha, imagine that! I never thought that would be a problem for me but, alas, life is a funny thing. I am very intrigued by your list of films, and I must certainly hurry and watch the 2011 movies so I could make it in time to watch those that will come out in 2012. Congratulations on being Freshly Pressed!
It’s easy to get behind on movies, but things like Netflix Instant can help with backlogs– trust me, it’s partly how I’ve managed to see so many movies this year!
I’ll admit I’m not all that excited for MIB 3. Josh Brolin’s Tommy Lee Jones impression in the trailer is great, but nothing else about the footage grabbed me and I don’t really think the world needed another entry in that franchise.
Like I’ve said before, I’m going to see them, but they’re not at the top of my “list of movies to see”. I’m not as crazy about Nolan’s Batman films as others, and I’m on the edge of being burnt out on Marvel films. I want to see them– but there are things that I’m more excited for.
And like you, I think 2012 is going to be an awesome year at the multiplex.
Yeah, the trailers for The Lorax have me scratching my head a bit– looks very unlike Seuss’ book but I did like Despicable Me enough to give it a shot.
I haven’t heard anything about the Terminator series continuing, since the last one wasn’t very well received, but hey, anything’s possible! As for Jolie she does seem to be making a serious bid to get behind the director’s chair– not just with Cleopatra but also The Land of Blood and Honey, if I’m not mistaken on the name.
I completely second your excitement for The Hobbit! Even the ‘official’ press release of all those famous names involved was enough to send me into a frenzy – was Benedict Cumberbatch a stroke or genius, or what?! Although I was terribly disappointed when Del Toro dropped out, surely no one else could have been considered other than Peter Jackson. We have very high hopes here, mister.
Other than that, very good choices. I am really hoping that Joss Whedon can pull it out of the bag when it comes to ‘Cabin’, although I’m not the hardest person to please when it comes to him. I think I’m one of the only people in the world who may choose the sort-of-abysmal Alien: Resurrection as her favourite Alien sequel, thanks to his writing… Having said that, Prometheus has to be my most highly anticipated film of the 2012. Summer just can’t get around quick enough!
Originally I thought that GDT’s departure from The Hobbit meant only bad things for the production, but it really looks like my suspicions were wrong. Jackson’s production diaries show him at his best, I think, which could well be by design– but I doubt any notions of chicanery here. He really looks energized being back in the Shire and in Middle Earth as a whole.
The casting, I agree, is great. Freeman is totally spot on.
Cabin received huge praise at Butt-Numb-A-Thon this year, and has been getting lots of love from the people who have seen it outside of that movie fest to boot. I’m really excited to see Whedon tackle horror. As far as Prometheus, it’ll either be an enormous success or a colossal failure– I don’t see it falling anywhere in between.
2012 is looking like a fantastic year for film. Myself I can’t wait for the Hobbit, just wish I didn’t have to wait until November to see it. Will also be interesting to see if the film is able to show the difference in style between the Hobbit and LOTR which despite being based in the same world are really worlds apart.
From the trailer, the aesthetics match (which they should), but the tone seems lighter– which is correct. I think to maintain continuity between the Rings films and The Hobbit, Jackson may have to darken up the new film somewhat, but it definitely looks to have more of an adventuresome, fairy tale feel to it versus the mythological epic scope and tone of the Rings novels.
It goes without further saying that I’m REALLY excited to see it.
Wow. 2012 just got started and here you are, satiating our film lust. Hehe
Thanks for the list. It will surely come in handy if friends won’t be able to make up their minds on what to watch. 😀
So glad I read this otherwise I wouldn’t have known about Cogan’s Trade. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (never sure whether to abridge the title or not) is one of my favorite movies period. Got completely robbed at the 2007 Oscars. Cogan’s Trade looks pretty interesting too. Dominik gets something from Pitt that few others can.
I am dying to see the Hunger Games, and I forgot that the Great Gatsby is coming out as well! It is one of my favourite novels from high-school, and the message is so relevant to todays society and consumerism as well as the situation of the United States today. You didn’t mention Extremely loud and incredibly close though!! Have you read the book by Jonathan Safran? If not you really should prior to seeing the movie b/c that is a powerful read!!
Fantastic list! Definitely looking forward to a bunch of the movies on your list…but most definitely not Cabin in the Woods – that’s not at all up my alley! But most of the other movies are on my radar 🙂 Thanks for sharing and congrats on being freshly pressed!
I am excited about the Hobbit, Dark Knight and the HUnger games too. Well, who isn’t ? I love the Tolkien series too. The list, nicely done. Django sounds interesting. Will def catch it.
good list! Some documentaries that look good that I think people should check out are “Last Will and Testament”, “Room 237” and “Bettie Page Reveals All”. 🙂
This was a great post! I would have loved it if the release dates were on there as well. I am too excited about some of these not to know when they’ll be out!
I’ll make sure to do that next time– fortunately, these things are easily found on IMDB/Wikipedia/Box Office Mojo, too, but I’ll make a note for future posts of this sort.
It’s about time a good bunch of movies came out. You know what I’m talking about, when you can’t decide whether you want to see the huge action flick with the big name actors and even bigger effects or the newest psychological thriller….. glad to know there are some good ones to look forward to because there’s nothing better than a night at the movies.
Lovely and Amazing list, if got some new movies to look up to
The Hobbit, The Hunger Games, Moonrise Kingdom and Brave
The hobbit:
If already liked the lord of the rings series and can’t wait to see another movie of the makers of lord of the rings
The hunger games:
Since my friend told me about it I’m very excited to read the books and see the movie.
After I saw the trailer I just can’t wait to see the movie
Moonrise Kingdom:
It’s just the title 😀
Brave:
I just want to see what Disney and Pixar gives us another good movie. I always liked the Disney movies, from Animation to real life pirates. (By pirates I mean untill the latest film with real people in it)
Yeah, this is definitely true. 2012 looks like it has not only an exciting array of films on the release slate, but a diverse one as well. I think that’s what’s really got me amped over the upcoming year in cinema.
I’ve mentioned this a few times, but the simple truth for me is that I’m not as excited about either of those films as I am about these. I liked, and did not love, The Dark Knight, and I haven’t been wowed by the Marvel films leading up to The Avengers— I’ve liked them, or found them middling, or disliked them, but none of them have felt truly essential to me. And I’m also getting a bit tired of superheroes in general. We’ll see if either of these can change that for me.
Please don’t take me as being brusque here, but I’ve spoke about this a few other times in this thread. Short answer: Super-hero burnout. Longer answer: None of the superhero movies coming out excite me more than these, though I AM looking forward to Avengers and TDKR. The Spider-Man reboot looks, to be frank, very, very bland, but maybe Webb will surprise me.
OK, you have me excited for 2012 — looks like I have a lot to watch before the world ends. After spending the last month watching nothing but European films, I’m glad to know there’s something American worth watching on the horizon. It’s been slim pickin’s lately…
PS.I loved Darjeeling Limited but then I have a thing for men with large noses so I suppose I couldn’t be anything but pleased with the cast.
It’s great that 2012 has so many movies i’m looking forward to but i’m mostly excited about The Hobbit, Hunger Games, Django Unchained, The Great Gatsby and last but least The Dark Knight Rises-I trust Nolan’s going to make the best out it.
Hey congrats on making Freshly Pressed! Kudos for being able to narrow down to only 15 movies to be excited about this year, I think I have way too many so I’m making my list in 4 separate posts. Totally with you on The Hobbit, with that cast, that tops my list of most-anticipated 2012 movie!! Yes, even beat The Dark Knight Rises!
You know, narrowing the list was a lot harder than I thought it would be, but let’s just say these aren’t the ONLY movies I’m looking out for this year. The Grey, The Woman In Black, ParaNorman, potentially Malick’s next film, and so on…2012 is much more than just these 15 films.
I think I’ll be doing a Rings-a-thon as we close in on The Hobbit. I can’t describe in words how excited I am for that.
I’m so loving the list! I am rather disconcerted to see Joss Whedon doing a horror flick. I’ve loved all of his stuff so far, but really don’t like the hard-core horror movies. Can’t wait to see The Hobbit, Master, Brave, and Moonlight Kingdom. I’ll be following you! (in a non-stalkerish way) 🙂
I approve of being followed in non-stalkerish ways. Thank you for your consideration!
In seriousness– I don’t know that I ever envisioned Whedon doing horror, but I always applaud directors for stepping outside of their comfort zones. Besides, Buffy, to a limited extent, is inspired by horror; it’s not a totally alien genre to him, though Cabin looks very unlike anything he’s done before. That’s exciting to me. Hell, I was excited for Red State and still consider it admirable even though it was absolutely dreadful.
Other than that it sounds like you and I are on the same page in terms of anticipation. Hope to see you around more!
I am really excited for The Hobbit and The Hunger Games. I’m not sure that the actor who plays Peeta is quite how I imagined him, but hopefully he’ll grow on me.
I quite like Josh Hutcherson as an actor, and I think he’s versatile enough to play Peeta even if he’s not necessarily a match for the way Collins describes him.
I think that this is a great list and I’m looking forward to quite a few of them. I’d definitely love to see ‘The Hunger Games’, ‘Brave’, and definitely ‘The Hobbit’ too. I think that you did a really good job describing the movies you are looking forward to see and giving us background on all of the movies that you listed.
I’m so glad you mentioned Brave! I want to see that also. My family was dubious but maybe I can convince them. I’m dying for the Hunger Games. LOVED the books.
Just curious? Did you see the American adaptation of Girl With the Dragon Tattoo? I saw both versions and enjoyed each. Whenever the book is well portrayed I think the movie deserves props.
Congrats on being Freshly Pressed!
Brave has been on my radar since it was called The Bear and the Bow! I would be kidding myself if I didn’t hold it up as one of the 2012 releases I’m thrilled about.
I haven’t seen The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Amercanized, yet. I plan to. I just haven’t gotten the chance. That said, I don’t have much stock in the series; I haven’t read the books, but I really hated the Swedish film and am not particularly invested in the series as much as others.
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1) Prometheus: Maybe you could file this under “genre franchise film”, but Prometheus has enormous promise. We all know at this point that it’s some manner of Alien prequel; how explicitly the two films connect remains to be seen, of course, and the severity of their intertwining could either make Prometheus into something really special or a painfully by-the-numbers over-explanation of the mythology behind the iconic xenomorph of Ridley Scott’s sci-fi horror masterwork. Taking into consideration the film’s pedigree– not only Scott but writer Damon Lindelof, a plus or a minus depending on who you talk to, as well as Michael Fassbender, Noomi Rapace, Charlize Theron, Idris Elba, and Guy Pearce– there’s no reason not to be enthused over Prometheus outside of fan caution.
3) Django Unchained: Hey, I’m actually looking forward to a Quentin Tarantino film. Imagine that. 2009’s Inglourious Basterds blew me away, clearly marking QT’s best, most personal work to date, and so it’s with little trepidation that I anticipate Django‘s release. The cast is terrific– notably Leonardo DiCaprio as the villain, which tickles me, and most of all Jamie Foxx, who hasn’t really done anything great since 2007’s The Kingdom— and the film reads like an opportunity for Tarantino to let his inspirations inform his own personal vision, instead of allowing them to run rampant. (Plus? Poster of the year, hands down.)
4) Brave: At this point I’ve written about Brave enough that my excitement for it need not be conveyed further. Put simply, it’s a wonderful to see Pixar turn out an original film after two sequels in a row, and to see them tackle a specific narrative convention by putting their own twist on the princess story.
8) Cabin in the Woods: This played at the annual Butt-Numb-A-Thon hosted by Ain’t It Cool News to great praise, evaporating any concerns I had about the film’s relevance. Cabin in the Woods has been on the shelves for more than two years; as a meta-referential horror film, the passage of time could be most unkind. In the case of Cabin, that doesn’t seem to be the case. Between baby face masks, bird-electrocuting laser grids, the promise of monsters, genre examinations, and of course the hugely positive BNAT response, Cabin sounds like a must-see horror flick.
11) The Hunger Games: I don’t think I’ve made it a secret that I like Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games— maybe not so much for the book itself, though it is engrossing in its fashion, but for the fact that it’s teen lit that amounts to more than just hormonal pandering. The Internet-housed criticism against it– that it’s just a Battle Royale rip-off– makes me root for its success on the big-screen all the more. I don’t know that Lionsgate is marketing it correctly, still (though the puzzle piece hunt was intriguing enough), but buzz from the readership and from media outlets could be enough to get people into theaters just to see what everyone’s talking about. If nothing else I know that I’ll be there to check it out.
14) Casa de mi Padre: There is no reason this film should not turn out to be absolutely one hundred percent hilarious. If this turns out to be a failure, I think I’ll be devastated.
Great list! I’m very excited to see The Hobbit. I’ve been a fan of the Lord of the Rings since I first got my hands on the books. Hopefully I’ll find the time to watch most of the movies on this list, if not more.
Thanks for sharing!
Me too– I’ve loved Tolkien’s books since I was a teen, and Jackson’s films since I was in college. It’ll be nice to revisit Middle Earth with him.
Thanks for the list. I mostly anticipate for the Hunger Games! It’s time for the senseless Twilight to be replaced by a great and exciting series.
Just can’t wait to watch “The Dark Knight Rises”… The 6 min prologue jus blew me away…
And yeah, Sly back to action in Expendables-2 with an amazing pile of actors…
This year’s gonna be an awesome year for movie fanatics…
I hope that The Dark Knight Rises really knocks me off my feet; I liked but didn’t love both of Nolan’s other Batman movies, and I’d be pretty happy to see him really pull out all the stops with the final film. If nothing else I’ll be glad to see him finish with the franchise to make more original movies like Inception.
Very interesting movies lined up…I am greatly anticipating The Hobbit and have never heard of Brave until now — it looks like a real treat!
I expect nothing but greatness from Brave— I think if it fails to deliver on its promise, it’ll be something of a cruel miracle.
Eagerly waiting for “The Great Gatsby”… Want to feel it…
I am SO behind on movies. My list of “Must-Watch” goes back three years, and I’ve done nothing to shorten it. Maybe my New Years resolution should be to watch more movies! Ha, imagine that! I never thought that would be a problem for me but, alas, life is a funny thing. I am very intrigued by your list of films, and I must certainly hurry and watch the 2011 movies so I could make it in time to watch those that will come out in 2012. Congratulations on being Freshly Pressed!
http://indiraadams.wordpress.com
It’s easy to get behind on movies, but things like Netflix Instant can help with backlogs– trust me, it’s partly how I’ve managed to see so many movies this year!
I’m also giddy with excitement while waiting for The Hunger Games!
And The Avengers, too. 🙂
How come there is no Men in Black III? 😕
I’ll admit I’m not all that excited for MIB 3. Josh Brolin’s Tommy Lee Jones impression in the trailer is great, but nothing else about the footage grabbed me and I don’t really think the world needed another entry in that franchise.
Great list but I think you forgot about the new batman movie.
I left it off intentionally– there are just other movies that I’m more excited for in 2012.
Brave, The Hunger Games and The Hobbit… I cannot wait!! Gonna have to read The Great Gatsby soon…
Same here! I think 2012 is going to be a really awesome year for the movies.
Thanks to this post, I got ideas. 😉
entertaining! thankz for the list, im looking forward to the hobbit.. love LOTR so much so it would be paramount to watch the new film… 😀
http://travellersdiningdepot.wordpress.com/2012/01/01/a-melting-pot-of-cuisines/
Good job on getting pressed man! Nice list, Django would top mine, but it’s not out in the UK ’til December… FML!
Haha, well, I’m sure it’ll be worth the wait! Thanks!
No Avengers or Batman, huh? Well, regardless this is the first year in a long time that I’m excited about some movies again.
Like I’ve said before, I’m going to see them, but they’re not at the top of my “list of movies to see”. I’m not as crazy about Nolan’s Batman films as others, and I’m on the edge of being burnt out on Marvel films. I want to see them– but there are things that I’m more excited for.
And like you, I think 2012 is going to be an awesome year at the multiplex.
I’m excited about The Hobbit too. However, being a Dr. Seuss fan, i’m wanting to see how well they did The Lorax.
Yeah, the trailers for The Lorax have me scratching my head a bit– looks very unlike Seuss’ book but I did like Despicable Me enough to give it a shot.
I also heard that in 2012 will come a new film with Angelina Jolie called Cleopatra and another one from the Terminator series. 🙂
I haven’t heard anything about the Terminator series continuing, since the last one wasn’t very well received, but hey, anything’s possible! As for Jolie she does seem to be making a serious bid to get behind the director’s chair– not just with Cleopatra but also The Land of Blood and Honey, if I’m not mistaken on the name.
So excited for The Hunger Games!
I completely second your excitement for The Hobbit! Even the ‘official’ press release of all those famous names involved was enough to send me into a frenzy – was Benedict Cumberbatch a stroke or genius, or what?! Although I was terribly disappointed when Del Toro dropped out, surely no one else could have been considered other than Peter Jackson. We have very high hopes here, mister.
Other than that, very good choices. I am really hoping that Joss Whedon can pull it out of the bag when it comes to ‘Cabin’, although I’m not the hardest person to please when it comes to him. I think I’m one of the only people in the world who may choose the sort-of-abysmal Alien: Resurrection as her favourite Alien sequel, thanks to his writing… Having said that, Prometheus has to be my most highly anticipated film of the 2012. Summer just can’t get around quick enough!
Originally I thought that GDT’s departure from The Hobbit meant only bad things for the production, but it really looks like my suspicions were wrong. Jackson’s production diaries show him at his best, I think, which could well be by design– but I doubt any notions of chicanery here. He really looks energized being back in the Shire and in Middle Earth as a whole.
The casting, I agree, is great. Freeman is totally spot on.
Cabin received huge praise at Butt-Numb-A-Thon this year, and has been getting lots of love from the people who have seen it outside of that movie fest to boot. I’m really excited to see Whedon tackle horror. As far as Prometheus, it’ll either be an enormous success or a colossal failure– I don’t see it falling anywhere in between.
2012 is looking like a fantastic year for film. Myself I can’t wait for the Hobbit, just wish I didn’t have to wait until November to see it. Will also be interesting to see if the film is able to show the difference in style between the Hobbit and LOTR which despite being based in the same world are really worlds apart.
From the trailer, the aesthetics match (which they should), but the tone seems lighter– which is correct. I think to maintain continuity between the Rings films and The Hobbit, Jackson may have to darken up the new film somewhat, but it definitely looks to have more of an adventuresome, fairy tale feel to it versus the mythological epic scope and tone of the Rings novels.
It goes without further saying that I’m REALLY excited to see it.
Great read! I am more of a comic book movie goer but I am just diving into The Hunger Games (book) and I’m excited to see where it goes as a film.
Same here– just read the first book and I’m curious to see how it makes it to the big screen. Thanks for stopping in!
Wow. 2012 just got started and here you are, satiating our film lust. Hehe
Thanks for the list. It will surely come in handy if friends won’t be able to make up their minds on what to watch. 😀
So glad I read this otherwise I wouldn’t have known about Cogan’s Trade. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (never sure whether to abridge the title or not) is one of my favorite movies period. Got completely robbed at the 2007 Oscars. Cogan’s Trade looks pretty interesting too. Dominik gets something from Pitt that few others can.
Great choices all around.
If he can keep me from feeling worn out on Pitt, then all the better, I say.
I am dying to see the Hunger Games, and I forgot that the Great Gatsby is coming out as well! It is one of my favourite novels from high-school, and the message is so relevant to todays society and consumerism as well as the situation of the United States today. You didn’t mention Extremely loud and incredibly close though!! Have you read the book by Jonathan Safran? If not you really should prior to seeing the movie b/c that is a powerful read!!
Fantastic list! Definitely looking forward to a bunch of the movies on your list…but most definitely not Cabin in the Woods – that’s not at all up my alley! But most of the other movies are on my radar 🙂 Thanks for sharing and congrats on being freshly pressed!
Thanks Dounia! And if horror’s not your thing, Cabin is probably best avoided, I agree. Glad everything else strikes your fancy though!
Looking forward to The Hunger Games and The Hobbit. A good year of viewing to come.
I am excited about the Hobbit, Dark Knight and the HUnger games too. Well, who isn’t ? I love the Tolkien series too. The list, nicely done. Django sounds interesting. Will def catch it.
good list! Some documentaries that look good that I think people should check out are “Last Will and Testament”, “Room 237” and “Bettie Page Reveals All”. 🙂
This was a great post! I would have loved it if the release dates were on there as well. I am too excited about some of these not to know when they’ll be out!
I’ll make sure to do that next time– fortunately, these things are easily found on IMDB/Wikipedia/Box Office Mojo, too, but I’ll make a note for future posts of this sort.
It’s about time a good bunch of movies came out. You know what I’m talking about, when you can’t decide whether you want to see the huge action flick with the big name actors and even bigger effects or the newest psychological thriller….. glad to know there are some good ones to look forward to because there’s nothing better than a night at the movies.
http://www.saracardoza.wordpress.com
I completely agree– variety is the spice of life. The more diverse a release slate, the better!
Great picks. I gotta get out to the theaters more often. I’m looking forward to many of these.
Lovely and Amazing list, if got some new movies to look up to
The Hobbit, The Hunger Games, Moonrise Kingdom and Brave
The hobbit:
If already liked the lord of the rings series and can’t wait to see another movie of the makers of lord of the rings
The hunger games:
Since my friend told me about it I’m very excited to read the books and see the movie.
After I saw the trailer I just can’t wait to see the movie
Moonrise Kingdom:
It’s just the title 😀
Brave:
I just want to see what Disney and Pixar gives us another good movie. I always liked the Disney movies, from Animation to real life pirates. (By pirates I mean untill the latest film with real people in it)
Those are some movies I really would like to see.
I think The Hobbit and Brave might be my two most anticipated movies off of this list. I know the former is at #1; I can say that with certainty.
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Thanks for the list. I’d only heard of the Hobbit and Hunger Games. Now I’ve got others to add to my list.
I cannot wait for The Hunger Games to come out!
It’s going to be a great year for movies, it’s true! So many great movies from a variety of genres coming out. I’m excited!
Yeah, this is definitely true. 2012 looks like it has not only an exciting array of films on the release slate, but a diverse one as well. I think that’s what’s really got me amped over the upcoming year in cinema.
Awesome. Can’t wait to see a lot of them. Can’t wait to review them too.
What about The Avengers and The Dark Knight Rises?
I’ve mentioned this a few times, but the simple truth for me is that I’m not as excited about either of those films as I am about these. I liked, and did not love, The Dark Knight, and I haven’t been wowed by the Marvel films leading up to The Avengers— I’ve liked them, or found them middling, or disliked them, but none of them have felt truly essential to me. And I’m also getting a bit tired of superheroes in general. We’ll see if either of these can change that for me.
I just can’t wait for The Hobbit~
Makes me wonder if there’s gonna end up being a movie for the Silmarillion. o3o
If memory serves they actually drew on The Silmarillion for The Hobbit to help bridge the two halves of the film together.
i agree with your list for the most part, but you don’t find the new avengers film or spiderman reboot exciting?
Please don’t take me as being brusque here, but I’ve spoke about this a few other times in this thread. Short answer: Super-hero burnout. Longer answer: None of the superhero movies coming out excite me more than these, though I AM looking forward to Avengers and TDKR. The Spider-Man reboot looks, to be frank, very, very bland, but maybe Webb will surprise me.
OK, you have me excited for 2012 — looks like I have a lot to watch before the world ends. After spending the last month watching nothing but European films, I’m glad to know there’s something American worth watching on the horizon. It’s been slim pickin’s lately…
PS.I loved Darjeeling Limited but then I have a thing for men with large noses so I suppose I couldn’t be anything but pleased with the cast.
Hey Nanci, glad that I could get your enthusiasm up for the upcoming slate of releases. Hope that we get to them all before Armageddon!
It’s great that 2012 has so many movies i’m looking forward to but i’m mostly excited about The Hobbit, Hunger Games, Django Unchained, The Great Gatsby and last but least The Dark Knight Rises-I trust Nolan’s going to make the best out it.
I definitely need to get into watching films more 😉
Hey congrats on making Freshly Pressed! Kudos for being able to narrow down to only 15 movies to be excited about this year, I think I have way too many so I’m making my list in 4 separate posts. Totally with you on The Hobbit, with that cast, that tops my list of most-anticipated 2012 movie!! Yes, even beat The Dark Knight Rises!
Thanks Ruth!
You know, narrowing the list was a lot harder than I thought it would be, but let’s just say these aren’t the ONLY movies I’m looking out for this year. The Grey, The Woman In Black, ParaNorman, potentially Malick’s next film, and so on…2012 is much more than just these 15 films.
I think I’ll be doing a Rings-a-thon as we close in on The Hobbit. I can’t describe in words how excited I am for that.
I’m so loving the list! I am rather disconcerted to see Joss Whedon doing a horror flick. I’ve loved all of his stuff so far, but really don’t like the hard-core horror movies. Can’t wait to see The Hobbit, Master, Brave, and Moonlight Kingdom. I’ll be following you! (in a non-stalkerish way) 🙂
I approve of being followed in non-stalkerish ways. Thank you for your consideration!
In seriousness– I don’t know that I ever envisioned Whedon doing horror, but I always applaud directors for stepping outside of their comfort zones. Besides, Buffy, to a limited extent, is inspired by horror; it’s not a totally alien genre to him, though Cabin looks very unlike anything he’s done before. That’s exciting to me. Hell, I was excited for Red State and still consider it admirable even though it was absolutely dreadful.
Other than that it sounds like you and I are on the same page in terms of anticipation. Hope to see you around more!
I would love to see Brave, The Hunger Games & The Hobbit!
I am really excited for The Hobbit and The Hunger Games. I’m not sure that the actor who plays Peeta is quite how I imagined him, but hopefully he’ll grow on me.
I quite like Josh Hutcherson as an actor, and I think he’s versatile enough to play Peeta even if he’s not necessarily a match for the way Collins describes him.
How exciting! (writes this down) 😀
Good movies.. so excited to watch the movies in 2012. especially brave and the hobbit.
I think that this is a great list and I’m looking forward to quite a few of them. I’d definitely love to see ‘The Hunger Games’, ‘Brave’, and definitely ‘The Hobbit’ too. I think that you did a really good job describing the movies you are looking forward to see and giving us background on all of the movies that you listed.
Thanks Sarah! Nice to know that my efforts to make my picks feel palatable came through!
I’m so glad you mentioned Brave! I want to see that also. My family was dubious but maybe I can convince them. I’m dying for the Hunger Games. LOVED the books.
Just curious? Did you see the American adaptation of Girl With the Dragon Tattoo? I saw both versions and enjoyed each. Whenever the book is well portrayed I think the movie deserves props.
Congrats on being Freshly Pressed!
Brave has been on my radar since it was called The Bear and the Bow! I would be kidding myself if I didn’t hold it up as one of the 2012 releases I’m thrilled about.
I haven’t seen The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Amercanized, yet. I plan to. I just haven’t gotten the chance. That said, I don’t have much stock in the series; I haven’t read the books, but I really hated the Swedish film and am not particularly invested in the series as much as others.
Thanks for stopping in!