[QUOTE="Buck_Hotep"]

Skyfall, Cabin in the Woods, Life of Pi, Moonrise Kingdom, Wreck-It Ralph

Lord_Daemon

I was definitely surprised by how bland and ineffective I found Cabin in the Woods in achieving its goals considering how many accolades were heaped upon it. As for me, I didn't get many opportunities to watch too many 2012 films this year, but off the top of my head Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance was far worse than I had anticipated even by my relatively low standards for such fare. Of course...I'm not really counting all those SyFy channel flicks I dote upon all year as they're kinda in their own category.

Oh wait, I thought the topic meant pick the opposite of worst film of 2012 from some of the choices being made that reeks of hipterism and elitism at it's worst. XD

I've stopped judging the Asylum and Nu Image flicks that SyFy releases every Saturday. They're like the guiltiest of all guilty pleasures.

Skyfall, Cabin in the Woods, Life of Pi, Moonrise Kingdom, Wreck-It Ralph

Scalien, I love you oh so very much.Jazz_Fan

LOL, I'm sure you do and most of FAU, but it doesn't change the fact that no matter how he justifies the meaning of this topic it's film elitism at its worst and quite misguided, uninformed and, in the end, made through rose-colored glasses when it comes to Hollywood's history.

I can understand why he doesn't think very much of Spielberg's films but that's his opinion which really isn't based on quantifiable fact. While Spielberg does have a tendency to let his sentimentality make some of films not reach greatness that trait is not his alone. Other great filmmakers of the past have fallen to such sentimentality. He's just always brought up in conversation since he also happens to be the most successful filmmaker of all-time in terms of box-office.

But I can mention many Spielberg films which I consider to be very unsentimental and dark: A Color Purple, Empire of the Sun and Munich are three which jump right out.

Spielberg and those filmmaker who came up the same era as he did were their generation's pulp and serial filmmakers. Spielberg and Lucas dealt mostly in elevating B-movies and serials. Coppola and Scorsese elevated the gangster and crime thrillers of the past. Zemeckis, McTiernan and the rest did the same for comedies, camp, action, etc.

The only way anyone can say that Hollywood has ruined filmmaking (which they haven't) is to watch and study every era that the system has existed. Compare and contrast the differing eras then make a sound and researched decision. To make it after just watching a small sampling size (anyone who has seen less than 500 films I consider only seeing a fraction) adds little weight to their argument outside of trying to justify why their dislike for a certain type of filmmaker and/or film-style has merit over every other argument.

With respect to the TC and all, but his proclamation is elitist crap.

I'm all for high-quality, smart and evocative films like those he mentioned, but such films were always the exception and not the rule when it came Hollywood pre-1975 aka pre-Jaws.

Hollywood has always been a factory for churning out populist-type films. While they weren't high-budget and effects-driven productions most of the time the way they are now they were made not to win awards but to make money for the studios.

During the 1940's which many consider the start of the Golden Age of Hollywood cinema the most popular films of the day were cheaply-made comedies and crime dramas and thrillers. Not to mention horror films and scifi serials. In the 1950's you got Red Scare and nuclear-scare scifi and horror films which were mostly bad, but it didn't matter to the audience who ate them up that Hollywood studios kept pumping them out.

The technicolor came into being in the early 60's and Hollywood found a new cash cow in musicals. These were the late 50's and early 60's version of summer blockbusters. Yet, for all the great music and lyrical composition of such greats as Sondheim these musicals were cookie-cutter in terms of storytelling, plot and characters. They were even big-budget productions.

Remind you of anything we have since Jaws?

The 1970's saw a resurgence in horror and exploitation films that had nothing to do with big-budgets yet they were probably some of the most profitable productions for studios big and small. The 80's just continued the process but adding a new genre in the form of lone hero action flicks which franchised not the titles but the actors who headlined them.

There's a reason why we have awards such as the Oscars and film festivals like Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Sundance and Toronto. These are the places were people who want something other than what Hollywood has been churning out for the past 80-85 years.

Yes there's a date for Hollywood's death, but it definitely wasn't on Jaws release. If any one should look to when Gone with the Wind came out or earlier to find the anniversary.

Mmmmmm, McGriddles....

Not even close. As others have said best most likely when compared to all other series past and present is The Wire. Not even second which I give to Deadwood. Not even in the top 5 for me. I've seen the series and was a favorite but when I stand it up to The Shield even that series was better overall.

Not the best movie ever. Not even the best Pixar movie. Not even the best Toy Story in the trilogy.

The Beck is not crazy but just way ahead of the curve. The only problem is that ahead of the curve on what we don't know.

Pavelski is a beast.

Los9090

I wouldn't be surprised if The Big Pavelski ends up wearing the "C" next season.