Here in America, it's Thanksgiving, and most of us at Cinema Blend are spread at our various families' homes across the country, eating ourselves silly and trying to talk our families into going to the movies to see Skyfall another time. We hope you're doing something similar-- or at least eating something delicious-- while also taking time to think of how much you have to be thankful for this year. Because, while we spend a lot of time throughout the year complaining about this and that ridiculous thing that Hollywood does, this year has had a lot of great stuff both large-- Hulk-sized, you might say-- and as tiny as the stop-motion puppets of ParaNorman.
So in the spirit of celebration, we've put together a list of what we're thankful for from the movies of 2012. From shirtless strippers to magnificent mustaches to two screen depictions of the same President, there's been a lot to be grateful for this year.
Joss Whedon.
The Big Board in Cabin in the Woods.
The expansion of VOD and how easy it is to see great, tiny movies no matter where you are.
The fact that there are two documentaries about the West Memphis Three, and all of them are out of prison to help promote them.
That 2016: Obama’s America and Atlas Shrugged Part II do not appear to have influenced the election whatsoever.
Not one but two movies celebrating the United States’ greatest President, Abraham Lincoln.
The explosion of stop-motion animation: ParaNorman, Frankenweenie and Pirates! Band of Misfits.
Hulk beating the shit out of Loki in The Avengers.
Game Central Station in Wreck-It Ralph.
The resurrection of James Bond.
Daniel Craig fixing his cufflink as a train is ripped in half in Skyfall.
The ambitiousness of Cloud Atlas.
Fuck you, science!
Ben Affleck definitively earning back our trust with Argo. Seth MacFarlane graduating to the big screen with Ted.
Woody Harrelson’s doggy love in Seven Psychopaths.
Joss Whedon.
Matthew McConaughey’s dance lesson scene in Magic Mike.
The magnificent mustaches and bold beards of Lincoln.
Action that’s nearly non-stop and breathtakingingly gritty in Haywire, The Raid: Redemption and Sleepless Night.
Amazing independent films from female directors: Take This Waltz, The Loneliest Planet, Wuthering Heights.
Jennifer Lawrence’s vow not to lose weight for movie roles.
Ar-go Fuck Yourself.
R-Rated science fiction making money.
A capella Puns.
Combination sex tapes and political ads in The Campaign.
Disney buying Lucasfilm.
Three Hobbit films.
Everything about Moonrise Kingdom The extravagance of Anna Karenina, and Aaron Johnson’s sexy hipster cherub.
The WTF factor of Holy Motors.
Joss Whedon.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt triple threat in TDKR, Looper, Lincoln.
Ben Whishaw double threat in Skyfall and Cloud Atlas.
Neeson vs Wolf.
De Niro acting again in Being Flynn and Silver Linings Playbook.
Goon.
Tom Hardy showing how badass a man in a cardigan can be.
New Tarantino in time for Christmas.
Knocked Up's sort of sequel This is 40.
Joe Wright and Keira Knightley’s creative partnership.
The airplane-crash sequence in Flight.
The shipwreck scene in Life of Pi. (See it in 3D!)
Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) perfecting his agility in a Queens warehouse in The Amazing Spider-Man.
Rob Riggle’s head turning into a soft-serve ice cream in 21 Jump Street. Actually, all of 21 Jump Street, but really, that scene kills.
The one-legged Marine punching out an alien’s tooth in Battleship.
Jason Schwartzman in Moonrise Kingdom. Dude just knows how to deliver Wes Anderson’s dialogue.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower soundtrack.
Richard Gere in Arbitrage.
Patton Oswalt in Seeking a Friend for the End of the World.
Jake Johnson’s self-obsessed turn in Safety Not Guaranteed. And Mark Duplass’s ego-free turn in the same movie.
Jiro Dreams of Sushi.
The fact that something called Oogieloves In The BIG Balloon Adventure made more than $1 million at the box office.
The fact that The Paperboy, with Nicole Kidman, did not.
