10 Big Film Events of 2012

Yesterday Cleaver Paterson provided us with his top 5 best and worst films of 2012, It’s now turn of Writer Sophie Stephenson who isn’t providing a list of her best films but 10 Big Film Events of 2012. As you’ll see there was some big movers, return of iconic British Spy, A finger licking comeback for an actor providing plenty of opportunities for ladies to ‘lawbreak’ . Documentaries and the year female actors rule the roost at the box office and that year is 2012!

1. Joss Whedon hit the big time
As of now James Cameron is the only person standing between Joss Whedon and world domination. His witty writing and skill for assembling ensemble casts led to The Avengers taking the no. 3 spot at the all-time worldwide box office, having grossed $1,511.8 to date. This resulted in a deal with Disney that will see him at the helm of the sequel and producing a Marvel based TV series, S.H.I.E.L.D. However this was not Whedon’s only achievement this year. Arguably, his meta-horror flick The Cabin in the Woods was an even better film than The Avengers, consolidating why this man has such a devoted fan following.

2. We finally got a great James Bond movie (and a very royal Bond girl)
Having never been a fan of the Bond franchise, but a big fan of Sam Mendes, I was extremely satisfied with Skyfall. From Istanbul, to Turkey, to China, London and the Highlands of Scotland; Skyfall’s epic scenery never failed to impress (and what about that opening tracking shot?!) Javier Bardem’s Silva was a great villain and although Judi Dench’s M will be missed, I look forward to seeing more of Ralph Fiennes in the future.

3. Matthew McConaughey made his big comeback
Who was expecting this? After a string of lacklustre rom-coms (see Ghosts of Girlfriends Past and Failure to Launch), I’m sure McConaughey shocked everyone who saw his turn in William Friedkin’s Killer Joe. Needless to say, many will not look at a piece of fried chicken the same way ever again.His next role will be the film Dallas Buyers Club, and IMDB describes his character as ‘a drug taking, women loving, homophobic man who in 1986,was diagnosed with full blown HIV/AIDS and given thirty days to live’.

4. The Hobbit debacle
Ah The Hobbit, the film fanboys and girls have been waiting on for years. After the success of Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, how could this not be a success? Most fans think it is, while most critics deem it a failure (I myself loved every minute). But the most discussed aspects of the movie were not really the film itself but Jackson’s controversial choice to film at 48fps (as well as the death of some horses during a yearlong filming period). The term ‘bad BBC production’ has been bandied around the net so much, I’m convinced most of these people haven’t even any knowledge of what they speak of. Whether or not you love or loathe 48fps, the fact is, most won’t even have the opportunity to see this version due to its limited availability in cinemas.

5. Disney’s Star Wars takeover
Yes, this year George Lucas sold his Star Wars franchise to Disney for a whopping $4.05bn. The jury is out on this. On the one hand: no more George Lucas; on the other, more Star Wars films. Episode VII is due to be released in 2015, and Michael Arndt (of Toy Story 3 fame) has signed on to write the script. It is unknown yet who will direct. If only a certain someone wasn’t already releasing a film for Disney that year…

6. The return of Joaquin Pheonix
The Master was the first film starring Joaquin Pheonix after 2010’s mockumentary I’m Still Here. The film has made most of this year’s best of lists, and this is mainly due to Pheonix’s performance. Although he has spoken out about his negative feelings towards film awards ceremonies, he is likely to pick up a few gongs for Paul Thomas Anderson’s film. Welcome back!

7. The year women proved they could make big bucks for the box office
It is commonly known that few great film roles are given to women, but this year some of the box office’s biggest hits have had female leads. The Hunger Games is the eighth highest grossing film of the year, with Brave at number 10 and Snow White and the Huntsman at number 14. Notably, Brave is the first Pixar film to have a leading female. A special mention should also be given to Jason Reitman’s Young Adult. Although this did not make big bucks,Charlize Theron’s performance was fearless, possibly her best to date (and that’s saying a lot).

8. Some wept while others rejoiced as The Twilight Saga finally came to an end
2012 witnessed an end of an era: the finale of Stephanie Mayer’s Twilight Saga. This is likely to please as many as it will disappoint, the former comprising of studio Summit Entertainment and the latter including R-Patz himself. No doubt some kind of spin-off will be produced, but for now we must say goodbye to the Cullen’s and co.

9. The tragic loss of Tony Scott
Although not as well-known as his brother Ridley, Tony Scott made many iconic films. He made a star of Tom Cruise and undoubtedly directed a much better version of True Romance than Tarantino ever could, assembling (in my opinion) an ensemble cast that remains unrivalled. While the motives behind his suicide remain unknown, he will be remembered by his great (but cheesy) films such as Top Gun, Days of Thunder, Enemy of the State, and of course, True Romance.

10. The Rise of the Documentary
This year there has been a tremendous amount of great documentaries released. My personal favourite is The Queen of Versailles, which follows a billionaire family during the 2008 financial crisis. Some especially bizarre moments of this film include the wife’s two deceased dogs having been stuffed and encased in a glass box and the other made into a very small rug (morbid much?) Other awesome doc’s out this year include The Imposter, Room 237, Into the Abyss and my much anticipated West of Memphis.

Sophie Stephenson