2012 BAM Considerations- Acting Categories

This year for easier browsing my awards considerations will be gathered on three lists similar to those in which winners are announced.

Best Cast

Contraband
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
La Rafle
The Woman in Black
The Turin Horse
The Grey
21 Jump Street
The Cabin in the Woods
Boy
Meeting Evil
Being Flynn
Amador
The Hunger Games
We Need to Talk About Kevin
Ghoul
Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life
Monsieur Lazhar
From Time to Time
A Bag of Hammers
Michael
Hospitalité
Hick
Chernobyl Diaries
Citizen Gangster
Corpo Celeste
Keyhole
Found Memories
In the Family
The Amazing Spider-Man
The Matchmaker
Ted
Goon
Safety Not Guaranteed
North Sea Texas
Sassy Pants
The Dark Knight Rises
To Rome with Love
The Samaritan
Quill: The Life of a Guide Dog
People Like Us
The Whisperer in Darkness
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days
Intruders
Absentia
The Odd Life of Timothy Green
The Campaign
ParaNorman
Spud
[REC] 3: Génesis
The Possession
The Hidden Face
Vorstadtkrokodile 2
Pan Negro
Vorstadtkrokodile 3: Freunde Fur Immer
The Master
Nimmermeer
Amors Baller
Girl vs. Monster
Bringing Up Bobby
Sinister
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Robot & Frank
Looper
Magic Silver
The Monitor
Fun Size
Seven Psychopaths
Elena
Heat Wave
The Day I Saw Your Heart
Off White Lies
Shun Li and the Poet
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Argo
Simon and the Oaks
Cloud Atlas
Skyfall
A Separation
Bernie
Anna Karenina
The Other Son
Lincoln
Life of Pi
Anna Karenina
The Other Son
Holy Motors


Get the Gringo

Neighboring Sounds
Casa de mi Padre

Kauwboy
A Separation


Sound of My Voice

Silent Night

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Goodbye First Love

Killer Joe

A Royal Affair

Best Actress

Aimee Teegarden Beneath the Darkness
Sandra Bullock Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
Kate Beckinsale Underworld: Awakening
Mélanie Laurent La Rafle
Sara Paxton The Innkeepers
Drew Barrymore Big Miracle
Erika Bók The Turin Horse
Lynn Collins John Carter
Magaly Solier Amador
Tilda Swinton We Need to Talk About Kevin
Elizabeth Olsen Silent House
Jennifer Lawrence The Hunger Games
Kristen Connolly The Cabin in the Woods
Maggie Smith From Time to Time
Mekia Cox Battlefield America
Kumi Hyodo Hospitalité
Chloe Grace Moretz Hick
Kelly Reilly Citizen Gangster
Yle Vianello Corpo Celeste
Sonia Guedes Found Memories
Emma Stone The Amazing Spider-Man
Mila Kunis Ted
Aubrey Plaza Safety Not Guaranteed
Eva van der Gucht North Sea Texas
Ashley Rickards Sassy Pants
Ruth Negga The Samaritan
Elizabeth Banks People Like Us
Jennifer Garner The Odd Life of Timothy Green
Gretchen Lodge Lovely Molly
Leticia Dolera [REC] 3: Génesis
Natasha Calls The Possession
Cristina Brindo Penumbra
Martina Garcia The Hidden Face
Jessica Biel The Tall Man
Nora Navas Pan Negro
Jennifer Lawrence House at the End of the Street
Eira Stuedhal Amors Baller
Emma Watson The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Ane Viola Semb Magic Silver
Noomi Rapace The Monitor
Nadhedza Markina Elena
Adèle Haenel Heat Wave
Mélanie Laurent The Day I Saw Your Heart
Elsebeth Steentoft Teddy Bear
Elya Inbar Off White Lies
Tao Zhao Shun Li and the Poet
Judi Dench The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Helen Sjöholm Simon and the Oaks
Hall Berry Cloud Atlas
Judi Dench Skyfall
Leila Hatami A Separation
Keira Knightley Anna Karenina
Emmanuelle Devos The Other Son
Ann Margaret Hollyman 
Small, Beautifully Moving Parts
Edith Scob 
Holy Motors

Aggeliki Papoulia Alps

Irma Brown Neighboring Sounds
Genesis Rodriguez 
Casa de mi Padre

Jennifer Westfeldt Friends with Kids
Rachel Weisz 
Deep Blue Sea
Karina Gidi 
Abel
Helen Mirren 
Hitchcock

Rachel Mwanza War Witch
Leila Hatami A Separation
Nicole Vicius 
Sound of My Voice

Na-yeong Lee Howling
Jessica Biel Playing for Keeps
Jamie King 
Silent Night

Michelle Williams Take This Waltz

Lola Creton Goodbye First Love
Juno Temple 
Killer Joe
Alicia Vikander 
A Royal Affair
Jamie King Silent Night

Best Actor

Mark Wahlberg Contraband
Thomas Horn Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
Gad Elmaleh La Rafle
Pat Healy The Innkeepers
Daniel Radcliffe The Woman in Black
John Krasinski Big Miracle
Jeffrey Dean Morgan Texas Killing Fields
Jánis Derszi The Turin Horse
Josh Hutcherson Journey 2: The Mysterious Island
Liam Neeson The Grey
Nicholas Cage Ghost Rider: The Spirit of Vengence
Vincent Lindon Moon Child
Taylor Kitsch John Carter
Ryan Reynolds Safe House
Jonah Hill 21 Jump Street
Ezra Miller We Need to Talk About Kevin
Josh Hutcherson The Hunger Games
Paul Dano Being Flynn
Luke Wilson Meeting Evil
James Rolleston Boy
Iko Uwais The Raid: Redemption
Fran Kanz The Cabin in the Woods
Fellag Monsieur Lazhar
Jason Ritter A Bag of Hammers
Dane DeHaan Chronicle
Michael Fuith Michael
Chris Hemsworth Snow White & the Huntsman
Kanji Furutachi Hospitalité
Eddie Redmayne Hick
Sacha Baron Cohen The Dictator
Scott Speedman Citizen Gangster
Ricardo Merkin Found Memories
Patrick Wang In the Family
Andrew Garfield The Amazing Spider-man
Tuval Shafir The Matchmaker
Seann William Scott Goon
Mark Duplass Safety Not Guaranteed
Jelle Floorizoone North Sea Texas
Christian Bale The Dark Knight Rises
Jeremy Sumpter Hiding
Samuel L. Jackson The Samaritan
Kaoru Kobayashi Quill: The Life of a Guide Dog
Chris Pine People Like Us
Matt Foyer The Whisperer in Darkness
Zachary Gordon Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days
Mark Gibson Exit Humanity
Clive Owen Intruders
CJ Adams The Odd Life of Timothy Green
Will Ferrell The Campaign
Zach Galiafinakis The Campaign
Kodi Smit-McPhee ParaNorman
Troye Sivan Spud
Javier Botet [REC] 3: Génesis
Jeffrey Dean Morgan The Possession
Quim Gutierrez The Hidden Face
Nick Romeo Reimann Vorstadtkrokodile 2
Francesc Colomer Pan Negro
Nick Romeo ReimannVorstadtkrokodile 3: Freunde Fur Immer
Joaquin Phoenix The Master
Philip Seymour Hoffman The Master
Leonard Proxauf Nimmermeer
Max Thieriot House at the End of the Street
Kåre Hedebrant Amors Baller
Ethan Hawke Sinister
Logan Lerman The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Frank Langella Robot & Frank
Joseph Gordon-Levitt Looper
Mathias Melloul Sexual Chronicles of a French Family
Colin Farrell Seven Psychopaths
Andrey Smirnov Elena
Ulysse Grosjean Heat Wave
Alden Richards The Road
Michel Blanc The Day I Saw Your Heart
William Patrick Ruffin The Dynamiter
Kim Kold Teddy Bear
Gur Bentvich Off White Lies
Rade SerbedzijaShun Li and the Poet
Bill Nighy The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Ben Affleck Argo
Bill Skarsgård Simon and the Oaks
Tom Hanks Cloud Atlas
Daniel Craig Skyfall
Payman Maadi A Separation
Jack Black Bernie
Aaron Taylor-Johnson Anna Karenina
Jules Sitruk The Other Son
Mehdi Dehbi The Other Son
Daniel Day-Lewis Lincoln
Suraj Sharma Life of Pi
Denis Lavant Holy Motors
Johnny Verkis Alps
Mel Gibson 
Get the Gringo

Sebastiao Formiga 
Neighboring Sounds
Will Ferrell Casa de mi Padre

Aksel Hennie Headhunters
Anders Danielsen Lie 
Oslo, August 31st
Gerard Butler Playing for Keeps
Adam Scott Friends with Kids

Rick Lens Kauwboy
Anothony Hopkins Hitchcock
Payman Maadi A Separation

Christopher Denham 
Sound of My Voice
Kang-ho Song 
Howling

Jimmy Bennett Bones

Matthew McConaughey Killer Joe
Mads Mikkelsen 
A Royal Affair

Best Supporting Actress

Suzan Crowley The Devil Inside
Kate Backinsale Contraband
Viola Davis Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
Sylvie Testud La Rafle
Kelly McGillis The Innkeepers
Chloë Grace Moretz Texas Killing Fields
Janet McTeer The Woman in Black
Vinessa Shaw Big Miracle
Nora Anezedar Safe House
Brie Larson 21 Jump Street
Nora Anezedar Safe House
Willow Shields The Hunger Games
Anna Hutchison The Cabin in the Woods
Mira Sorvino Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life
Carice Van Houten From Time to Time
Rebecca Hall A Bag of Hammers
Charlize Theron Snow White & the Huntsman
Bryerly Long Hospitalité
Pasqualina Scuncia Corpo Celeste
Lisa Fávero Found Memories
Kelly McAndrew In the Family
Sally Field The Amazing Spider-Man
Yarden Bar-Cochba The Matchmaker
Allison Pill Goon
Kateljin DamenNorth Sea Texas
Anna Gunn Sassy Pants
Anne Hathaway The Dark Knight Rises
Marion Cotillard The Dark Knight Rises
Ellen Page To Rome with Love
Penelope Cruz To Rome with Love
Alessandra Mastonardi To Rome with Love
Olivia Wilde People Like Us
Dee Wallace Exit Humanity
Carice Van Houten Intruders
Ella Purnell Intruders
Pilar Lopez de Ayala Intruders
Alexandra Holden Lovely Molly
Sarah Baker The Campaign
Clara Lago The Hidden Face
Marina Comas Pan Negro
Amy Adams The Master
Ursula Graeff Nimmermeer
Elisabeth Shue House at the End of the Street
Liv Tyler Robot & Frank
Emily Blunt Looper
Valérie Maës Sexual Chronicles of a French Family
Elena Lyadova Elena
Carmina Villaroel The Road
Lamaiporn Hougaard Teddy Bear
Maggie Smith The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Leatitia Casta War of the Buttons
Katharina Schüttler Simon and the Oaks
Doona Bae Cloud Atlas
Sareh Bayat A Separation
Rosabelle Kunnanna Rexford On the Ice
Shirley MacLaine Bernie
Kelly MacDonald Anna Karenina
Emily Watson Anna Karenina
Areen Omari The Other Son
Sally Field Lincoln
Vera Farmiga 
Goats
Kylie Minogue 
Holy Motors
Ariane Labed Alps


Toni Collette Jesus Henry Christ
Toni Collette Hitchcock

Sareh Bayat A Separation

Brit Marling 
Sound of My Voice

Gena Varela 
Devil’s Rock

Sarah Silverman Take This Waltz
Gina Gershon 
Killer Joe

Best Supporting Actor

Ben Foster Contraband
Caleb Landry Jones Contraband
Giovanni Ribisi Contraband
Dennis Quaid Beneath the Darkness
Tom Hanks Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
Max Von Sydow Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
Michael Ealey Underworld: Awakening
Jean Reno La Rafle
Udo Schenk La Rafle
Sam Worthington Texas Killing Fields
John Pingayak Big Miracle
Ciaran Hinds The Woman in Black
Dwayne Johnson Journey 2: The Mysterious Island
Michael Caine Journey 2: The Mysterious Island
Mihaly Kormos The Turin Horse
Quentin Challal Moon Child
Channing Tatum 21 Jump Street
John C. Reilly We Need to Talk About Kevin
Woody Harrelson The Hunger Games
Stanley Tucci The Hunger Games
Celso Bugallo Amador
Taika Waititi Boy
Joe Pantoliano Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life
Refet Abazi The Forgiveness of Blood
Hugh Bonneville From Time to Time
Jake Sandvig A Bag of Hammers
Michael B. Jordan Chronicle
Gully McGrath Dark Shadows
David Rauchenberger Michael
Tatsuya Kawamura Hospitalité
Jesse McCartney Chernobyl Diaries
Josh Brolin Men in Black 3
Renato Carpentieri Corpo Celeste
Christopher Lloyd Piranha 3DD
Trevor St. John In the Family
Martin Sheen The Amazing Spider-Man
Adir Miller The Matchmaker
Seth McFarlane Ted
Jay Baruchel Goon
Marc-André Grondin Goon
Jake M. Johnson Safety Not Guaranteed
Mathias Vergels North Sea Texas
Luk Wyns North Sea Texas
Thomas Coumans North Sea Texas
Haley Joel Osment Sassy Pants
Diedrich Bader Sassy Pants
Michael Caine The Dark Knight Rises
Joseph Gordon-Levitt The Dark Knight Rises
Tom Hardy The Dark Knight Rises
Alec Baldwin To Rome with Love
Jesse Eisenberg To Rome with Love
Roberto Begnini To Rome with Love
Fabio Armitiliato To Rome with Love
Tom Wilkinson The Samaritan
The Whisperer in Darkness
Steve Zahn Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days
Devon Bostick Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days
Izán Corchero Intruders
Richard Ayoade The Watch
Joel Edgerton The Odd Life of Timothy Green
Dylan McDermott The Campaign
Tucker Albrizzi ParaNorman
Jamie Royal Spud
Lance Henriksen The Tall Man
Lázaro Mur Pan Negro
David Hürten Vorstadtkrokodile 3: Freunde Fur Immer
Rolf Becker Nimmermeer
Sylvester Gross Nimmermeer
Harald W. Bord Weedon Amors Baller
James Ransone Sinister
Ezra Miller The Perks of Being a Wallflower
James Marsden Robot & Frank
Bruce Willis Looper
Nathan Duval Sexual Chronicles of a French Family
Finn Schau Magic Silver
Kristoffer Joner The Monitor
Christopher Walken Seven Psychopaths
Jim Broadbent The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
John Goodman Argo
Alan Arkin Argo
Guillaume Canet War of the Buttons
Jan Josef Liefers Simon and the Oaks
Ben Whishaw Cloud Atlas
Hugo Weaving Cloud Atlas
Jim Broadbent Cloud Atlas
Hugh Grant Cloud Atlas
Ben Whishaw Skyfall
Javier Bardem Skyfall
Shahab Hosseini A Separation
Matthew McConaghuey Bernie
Jude Law Anna Karenina
Pascal Elbé The Other Son
Khalifa Natour The Other Son
Tommy Lee Jones Lincoln
Michael Sheen The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2
Irrfan Khan Life of Pi
David Duchovny 
Goats
Ty Burrell Goats
Ray Wise 
The Aggression Scale
Kevin Hernandez Get the Gringo

Irandhir Santos Neighboring Sounds

Gael Garcia Bernal 
Casa de mi Padre
Diego Luna Casa de Mi Padre
Nicolaj Coster-Waldau 
Headhunters
Hans Olav Brenner 
Oslo, August 31st
Loek Peters 
Kauwboy

Shahab Hosseini A Separation

Peter DaCunha The Barrens
Donal Logue 
Silent Night
Malcolm McDowell Silent Night
Matthew McConaughey 
Magic Mike
Emile Hirsch 
Killer Joe
Mikkel Boe Foesgaard 
A Royal Affair

Best Youth Ensemble

Contraband
Film Socialisme
La Rafle
The Woman in Black
Texas Killing Fields
Snowtown Murders
Moon Child
We Need to Talk About Kevin
The Hunger Games
Boy
Ghoul
Harley’s Hill
Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life
Smitty
Monsieur Lazhar
The Forgiveness of Blood
From Time to Time
Dark Shadows
Michael
Snow White & the Huntsman
Battlefield America
Citizen Gangster
Corpo Celeste
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
The Amazing Spider-Man
The Matchmaker
Ted
North Sea Texas
The Dark Knight Rises
Quill: The Life of a Guide Dog
The Whisperer in Darkness
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Day
Intruders
The Odd Life of Timothy Green
The Campaign
Spud
The Possession
Vorstadtkrokodile 2
The Tall Man
Pan Negro
Vorstadtkrokodile 3: Freunde Fur Immer
Nimmermeer
Amors Baller
Sinister
Looper
Sexual Chronicles of a French Family
Magic Silver
The Monitor
Seven Psychopaths
The Road
The Dynamiter
War of the Buttons
Simon and the Oaks
Skyfall
Argo
Cloud Atlas
A Separation
Anna Karenina
The Other Son
A Christmoose Carol
Home Alone: Holiday Heist
Life of Pi

Goats

The Aggression Scale


Neighboring Sounds
The Bad Intentions

Jesus Henry Christ


Kauwboy


Abel

Bones

A Royal Affair

Best Performance by a Young Actress in a Leading Role

Kirstin Dorn Harley’s Hill
Ryan Simpkins Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life
Sophie Nélisse Monsieur Lazhar
Sindi Lacej The Forgiveness of Blood
Chloe Grace Moretz Hick
Yle Vianello Corpo Celeste
Natasha Calls The Possession
Leonie Tepie Vorstadtkrokodile 2
Leonie Tepie Vorstadtkrokodile 3: Freunde Fur Immer
Olivia Holt Girl vs. Monster
Ane Viola Semb Magic Silver
Ane Viola Semb Magic Silver 2
Kathryn Newton Paranormal Activity 4
Elya Inbar Off White Lies
Ilona Bachelier War of the Buttons
Rachel Mwanza War Witch
Fatima Buntinx Bad Intentions

Best Performance by a Young Actor in a Leading Role

Hugo Leverdez La Rafle
Thomas Horn Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
Quentin Challal Moon Child
James Rolleston Boy
Nolan Gould Ghoul
Maxwell Beer Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life
Brandon Tyler Russell Smitty
Émilien Néron Monsieur Lazhar
Tristan Halilaj The Forgiveness of Blood
Alex Etel From Time to Time
Jelle Florizoone North Sea Texas
Zachary Gordon Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days
CJ Adams The Odd Life of Timothy Green
Troye Sivan Spud
Nick Romeo Reimann Vorstadtkrokodile 2
Francesc Colomer Pan Negro
Nick Romeo Reimann Vorstadtkrokodile 3: Freunde Fur Immer
Leonard Proxauf Nimmermeer
Kåre Hedebrant Amors Baller
Spencer List Bringing Up Bobby
Johan Tinus Lindberg Magic Silver
Johan Tinus Lindberg Magic Silver 2
Jackson Nicholl Fun Size
William Patrick Ruffin The Dynamiter
Jean Texier War of the Buttons
Jonatan S. Wächter Simon and the Oaks
Christian Martyn Home Alone: Holiday Heist
Raban Bieling A Christmoose Carol
Ryan Hartwig The Aggression Scale

Jason Spevack Jesus Henry Christ
Rick Lens 
Kauwboy

Mason Cook Help for the Holidays
Jimmy Bennett Bones
Gavin Casalegno I Am Gabriel

Best Performance by a Young Actress in a Supporting Role

Agatha Couture Film Socialisme
India Eisley Underworld: Awakening
Adèle Excharpolous La Rafle
Salomé Sebagg La Rafle
Chloë Grace Moretz Texas Killing Fields
Aofie Doherty The Woman in Black
Alexia Osborne The Woman in Black
Molly Harmon The Woman in Black
Emma Shorey The Woman in Black
Ashley Gerasimovich We Need to Talk About Kevin
Amandla Stenberg The Hunger Games
Veronica Hampson Ghoul
Moerangi Tihore Boy
Lexi DiBenedetto Harley’s Hill
Marie-Ève Beauregard Monsieur Lazhar
Eliza Bennett From Time to Time
Chloë Grace Moretz Dark Shadows
Raffey Cassidy Snow White & the Huntsman
Chandler Kinney Battlefield America
Eriko Ono Hospitalité
Cynthia GalantCitizen Gangster
Nina Marie Kortekaas North Sea Texas
Yukika Sakuratani Quill: The Life of a Guide Dog
Joey King The Dark Knight Rises
Autmn Wendel The Whisperer in Darkness
Peyton List Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days
Laine MacNeil Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days
Ella Purnell Intruders
Odeya Rush The Odd Life of Timothy Green
Madison Wolfe The Campaign
Charlbi Kriek Spud
Madison Davenport The Possession
Jodelle Ferland The Tall Man
Marina Comas Pan Negro
Katherine McNamara Girl vs. Monster
Clare FoleySinister
Hannah Feltus The Dynamiter
Mackenzie Foy The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2
Jodelle Ferland Home Alone: Holiday Heist
Sarina Farhadi A Separation
Diana Zriek The Other Son
Mary Wisselmann The Other Son
Jeanne Disson 
Holy Motors


Susan Radder 
Kauwboy
Sarina Farhadi A Separation

Avery Kristen Pohl Sound of My Voice
Izabela Vidovic Help for the Holidays

Best Performance by a Young Actor in a Supporting Role

Connor Hill Contraband
Bryce McDaniel Contraband
Gulliver Hecq Film Socialisme
Quentin Grosset Film Socialisme
Mathieu and Romain Di Concerto Le Rafle
Oliver Cywie Le Rafle
Ahmaogak Sweeney Big Miracle
Misha Handley The Woman in Black
Alfie Field The Woman in Black
Sidney Johnston The Woman in Black
Fergus Riordan Ghost Rider: The Spirit of Vengeance
Jasper Newell We Need to Talk About Kevin
Liam Broggy Being Flynn
Ryan Lee Meeting Evil
Te Aho Aho Eketone-Whitu Boy
John Bell Wrath of the Titans
Trevor Harker Ghoul
Jacob Rodler Harley’s Hill
Elmo Riley Harley’s Hill
Louis-David Leblanc Monsieur Lazhar
Vincent Millard Monsieur Lazhar
Seddik Benslimane Monsieur Lazhar
The Forgiveness of Blood
Kwayedza Kureya From Time to Time
Gully McGrath Dark Shadows
Chandler Canterbury A Bag of Hammers
Matthew Lintz Piranha 3DD
Philipp Stöger Michael
Niki Guya Michael
Emrah Dzemailoski Michael
Xavier Atkins Snow White & the Huntsman
Neiko Keiyan Battlefield America
Kyle Brooks Battlefield America
Edward Mandell Battlefield America
Christian Martyn Citizen Gangster
Curtis Harris Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
Lux Haney-Jardine Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
Cameron M. Brown Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
Sebastian Banes In the Family
Jacob Rodler The Amazing Spider-Man
Charlie DePew The Amazing Spider-Man
Skyler Gisondo The Amazing Spider-Man
Tom Gal The Matchmaker
Aedin Mincks Ted
Bretton Manley Ted
Ben van Den Heuvel North Sea Texas
Nathan Naenen North Sea Texas
Mathias Vergels North Sea Texas
Max Schuler The Dark Knight Rises
Aramis Knight The Dark knight Rises
Harry Coles The Dark Knight Rises
Rory Nolan The Dark Knight Rises
Charles Jackson Coyne The Dark Knight Rises
Kazu Matsuda Quill: The Life of a Guide Dog
Michael Hall D’Addario People Like Us
Robert Capron Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days
Grayson Russell Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days
Karan Brar Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days
Christian Martyn Exit Humanity
Izán Corchero Intruders
Grant Goodman The Campaign
Kya Haywood The Campaign
Fabi Halbig Vorstadtkrokodile 2
Jakob Davies The Tall Man
David Hürten Vorstadtkrokodile 3: Freunde Fur Immer
Tom Lass Nimmermeer
Michael D’Addario Hall Sinister
Pierce Gagnon Looper
Vetle Qvenild Werring The Monitor
Torkil Johannes Swensen Høeg The Monitor
Aiden Lovekamp Paranormal Activity 4
William Juan Prieto Paranormal Activity 4
Renz Valerio The Road
John Alex Nunnery The Dynamiter
Aidan Sussman Argo
Karl Martin Eriksson Simon and the Oaks
Brody Nicholas Lee Cloud Atlas
Clément Godefroy War of the Buttons
Théophile Baquet War of the Buttons
Louis Dussol War of the Buttons
Harold Werner War of the Buttons
Nathan Parent War of the Buttons
Eros Vlahos Anna Karenina
Oskar McNamara Anna Karenina
Gulliver McGrath Lincoln
Peter DaCunha Home Alone: Holiday Heist
Gautam Belur Life of Pi
Ayush Tandon Life of Pi
Kevin Hernandez Get the Gringo

Serge KanyindaWar Witch
Peter DaCunha The Barrens

2012 BAM Considerations- Film Categories

This year for easier browsing my awards considerations will be gathered on three lists similar to those in which winners are announced.

Eligible Titles

Beneath the Darkness
The Devil Inside
Film Socialisme
Contraband
11/11/11
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
Underworld: Awakening
The Innkeepers
La Rafle
Cold War on Ice: Summit Series ’72
Big Miracle
The Woman in Black
Texas Killing Fields
The Grey
The Turin Horse
Journey 2: The Mysterious Island
Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance
The Secret World of Arrietty
Snowtown Murders
Moon Child
Prairie Love
John Carter
Safe House
21 Jump Street
We Need to Talk About Kevin
Silent House
The Hunger Games
Amador
Being Flynn
The Announcement
Meeting Evil
Boy
Wrath of the Titans
The Raid: Redemption
The Cabin in the Woods
Bully
Ghoul
7 Below
Harley’s Hill
Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life
Smitty
Monsieur Lazhar
The Forgiveness of Blood
From Time to Time
A Bag of Hammers
Chronicle
Battleship
Dark Shadows
Piranha 3DD
Michael
Snow White & the Huntsman
Battlefield America
Hospitalité
First Position
Hick
Chernobyl Diaries
Men in Black 3
The Dictator
Citizen Gangster
Corpo Celeste
Keyhole

Found Memories
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
Madagasgar 3
Brave
Theatre Bizarre
In the Family
Playback
Prometheus
Beautiful Wave
The Amazing Spider-man
The Matchmaker
Ted
Goon
Safety Not Guaranteed
North Sea Texas
Sassy Pants
The Dark Knight Rises
To Rome with Love
Hiding
The Samaritan
Quill: The Life of a Guide Dog
People Like Us
Absentia
The Watch
Intruders
Exit Humanity
The Whisperer in Darkness
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days
Detention
The Odd Life of Timothy Green
The Campaign
Lovely Molly
The Apparition
The Moth Diaries
ParaNorman
Spud
V/H/S
[REC] 3: Génesis
The Possession
Penumbra
The Hidden Face
Vorstadtkrokodile 2
The Tall Man
Pan Negro
Vorstadtkrokodile 3: Freunde Fur Immer
The Master
Nimmermeer
House at the End of the Street
Amors Baller
Girl vs. Monster
Bringing Up Bobby
Sinister
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Robot & Frank
Looper
Sexual Chronicles of a French Family
Magic Silver 2
Magic Silver
The Monitor
Fun Size
Paranormal Activity 4
Seven Psychopaths
Benji
Ghosts of Ole Miss
Elena
Heat Wave
The Pact
The Road
The Day I Saw Your Heart
The Dynamiter
Teddy Bear
Off White Lies
Shun Li and the Poet
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
ATM
Argo
War of the Buttons
Simon and the Oaks
Cloud Atlas
Skyfall
Wreck-It Ralph
Goats

The Aggression Scale

The House of Tomorrow
Small, Beautifully Moving Parts

Holy Motors

Alps

Rites of Spring

Get the Gringo

Red Dawn

Neighboring Sounds

A Trip

Casa de mi Padre

Flying Swords of Dragon’s Gate

Playing for Keeps

Beyond the Black Rainbow

Parasitic

Headhunters

Oslo, August 31st

Friends with Kids

The Bad Intentions

Jesus Henry Christ

The Devil’s Carnival

Kauwboy

Deep Blue Sea

Abel

Klown

Hitchcock

War Witch

A Separation

The Barrens

Area 407

Sound of My Voice

Howling

The Fields
Help for the Holidays
Bones
I Am Gabriel

Silent Night

Devil’s Rock

Take This Waltz

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

The Salt of Life

Once Upon a Time in Anatolia

Goodbye First Love

Magic Mike

Killer Joe

A Royal Affair

Best Picture

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
La Rafle
The Woman in Black
The Turin Horse
21 Jump Street
We Need to Talk About Kevin
Boy
Raid: The Redemption
The Cabin in the Woods
Amador
Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life
Monsieur Lazhar
First Position
Corpo Celeste
Keyhole

Found Memories
In the Family
The Amazing Spider-Man
Ted
Goon
Safety Not Guaranteed
North Sea Texas
Sassy Pants
The Dark Knight Rises
Intruders
The Whisperer in Darkness
The Odd Life of Timothy Green
The Campaign
ParaNorman
Sinister
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Looper
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Argo
War of the Buttons
Skyfall
Anna Karenina
The Other Son
Rise of the Guardians
Lincoln

The Aggression Scale


Holy Motors


Headhunters


Kauwboy

Klown


Killer Joe

Best Foreign Film

Film Socialisme
La Rafle
The Turin Horse
The Secret World of Arrietty
Moon Child
Raid: The Redemption
Amador
Monsieur Lazhar
The Forgiveness of Blood
Michael
Hospitalité
Corpo Celeste

Found Memories
The Matchmaker
North Sea Texas
Quill: The Life of a Guide Dog
[REC] 3: Génesis
The Hidden Face
The Tall Man
Pan Negro
Vorstadtkrokodile 3: Freunde Fur Immer
The Master
Nimmermeer
Amors Baller
Magic Silver
Elena
Teddy Bear
Off White Lies
Shun Li and the Poet
War of the Buttons
Simon and the Oaks
A Separation
Jiro Dreams of Sushi
The Other Son
A Christmoose Carol

Holy Motors

Alps

Neighboring Sounds

A Trip

Casa de mi Padre

Flying Swords of Dragon’s Gate


Headhunters

Oslo, August 31st
The Bad Intentions


Kauwboy


Abel

Klown

War Witch

A Separation

Sound of My Voice

Howling

Once Upon a Time in Anatolia

Goodbye First Love

A Royal Affair

Best Documentary



Cold War on Ice: Summit Series ’72
The Announcement
Bully
First Position
9.79*
Benji
Ghosts of Ole Miss
A Separation
On the Ice
The American Scream
Jiro Dreams of Sushi
Broke
The Dust Bowl
The House of Tomorrow

Most Overrated Picture

The Grey
V/H/S
The Master
Paranormal Activity 4
Once Upon a Time in Anatolia

Worst Picture

The Devil Inside
Snowtown Murders
Ghoul
Piranha 3DD
Beautiful Wave
Detention
The Apparition
V/H/S
Bringing Up Bobby
Life of Pi
Red Dawn
Deep Blue Sea

Area 407
Bones
I Am Gabriel

Take This Waltz



Most Underrated Picture

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
Beneath the Darkness
Big Miracle
Journey 2: The Mysterious Island
The Turin Horse
Moon Child
Meeting Evil
Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life
A Bag of Hammers
First Position
Citizen Gangster
Corpo Celeste

Found Memories
In the Family
The Matchmaker

To Rome with Love
The Samaritan
Quill: The Life of a Guide Dog
People Like Us
Intruders
The Whisperer in Darkness
The Odd Life of Timothy Green
Spud
The Possession
The Tall Man
Pan Negro
Vorstadtkrokodile 3: Freunde Fur Immer
Nimmermeer
Amors Baller
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Robot & Frank
Magic Silver
The Monitor
Seven Psychopaths
The Dynamiter
Teddy Bear
Shun Li and the Poet
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
War of the Buttons
Simon and the Oaks
Cloud Atlas
A Separation
On the Ice
Bernie
Anna Karenina
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2
Home Alone: Holiday Heist

The Aggression Scale


Get the Gringo


Kauwboy

Klown

Silent Night

Magic Mike

Killer Joe


Contenders for Favorite Older Film First Seen in 2012

Lee Montgomery in Burnt Offerings one of my favorite older films of 2011. (United Artists)

UPDATE: Due to the strong focus I give to 2012 titles in late November and December, this list of possibilities is virtually complete. It will be whittled down and written up for posting in early January!

This post really serves a few purposes. First it’ll track the possibilities for a year end list. The first edition of it can be found here. Second, I’ll also be posting this list on my Letterboxd account, if you use it you can follow me there my user name is Bernardo Villela just as it is on Twitter.

This year I may include a shorts section but that will remain a secret. here are but the features.

1. Big Red
2. This is England
3. Peeping Tom
4. Make a Wish
5. The Boy Who Cried Werewolf (1973)
6. The Glass Child
7. Rawhead Rex
8. Blood & Roses
9. The Drum
10. The Comedy of Terrors
11. House of Dark Shadows
12. The Fallen Idol
13. Scrooge
14. Indiscretion of an American Housewife
15. Wait Until Dark
16. Wild Boys of the Road
17. The Window
18. Frenzy
19. Thief of Bagdad
20. Mrs. Parkington
21. Bless the Beasts & Children
22. The Masque of the Red Death
23. Visages d’enfants
24. Spectre
25. A Child Called Jesus
26. Christmas Tale
27. Big Business
28. Death and Cremation
29. Goobers! (fka Mystery Monsters)
30. 28 Up
31. Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog
32. 42 Up
33. The Life and Passion of Jesus (1905)
34. From the Manger to the Cross (1912)
35. Coriolanus
36. No Greater Glory
37. The Manster
38. Only When I Dance
39. The Birds
40. Island of Lost Souls
41. The House of Usher
42. Summer Interlude
43. Tales from the Hood
44. The War of the Buttons (1994)
45. Where the River Runs Black
46. Only When I Dance
47. Lil’ A (Short)
48. The Birds
49. Island of Lost Souls
50. Summer Interlude
51. The House of Usher
52. Brats (1930)
53. Always
54. Jet Boy
55. Emil and the Detectives
56. Student Bodies
57. The Devil and the Statue
58. Gulliver’s Travels Among the Lilliputians and Giants
59. The Kingdom of the Fairies
60. The Eclipse, or The Courtship of the Sun and Moon
61. The Conquest of the Pole
62. Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell
63. Ghost Town (1988)
64. Lady in White (1988)
65. The Mummy (1932)
66. Planet of the Vampires
67. O Pagador de Promessas (The Promise Keeper)
68. Salome
69. The Forbidden
70. The Omen III: The Final Conflict
71. Chabelo y Pepito Contra los Monstruos
72. Hellphone
73. Hansel & Gretel
74. Aro Tolbukhin: In the Mind of a Killer
75. House of Long Shadows
76. The Final
77. The Thing from Another World
78. A Shot in the Excitment
79. The Rape of the Vampire
80. Wes Craven’s New Nightmare
81. The White Shadow

VHS Gems

Here’s another great list idea courtesy of @bobfreelander. Whenever contributing to a popular list I believe that once must always include their slant on it so you understand the selector’s criteria, perspective and so forth.

I do have a horror story of foolishly trusting a VHS-DVD dubber and then tossing the back-ups only to find the DVDs incompatible with any other players, save the one that broke from overuse; despite that VHS is not my favorite format. I’m fine with progress in that regard.

What I’m not fond of is losing access to titles and that’s what format changes have done. Granted, with streaming, DVD, Blu-Ray and movie on demand distribution we’re getting closer, eventually to having most of what is still extant available, completism is all that will satisfy me. Therefore, here are some of my top choices of films I saw on VHS but have not had an official region 1 DVD version (BTW, going multi-region will change your life, and blow your face off your head).

I did pick some titles to try and make them representative of a niche that is likely replete with missing titles and you may see some of these titles pop-up on another similar list soon.

Ghost Town (1988)

This is a film I actually heard of thanks to Rupert Pupkin Speaks. Then, as luck would have it, I found it on sale at the library where all VHS tapes that get donated cost $0.50. Quite a bargain. If you see enough Charles Band movies, and get a taste for them, you’ll find that as a director/producer he’s somewhat in the Roger Corman mold inasmuch as if you sift through enough of his refuse, there’s some good movies to be found, and this is one of them! Western-horror and ghost towns in general have always interested me, and while what’s delivered is not something quite like the box promises it is strong enough to withstand a late second act bout of sloth.

Song of the South (1946)

I’ll save my Song of the South rant for another post. In fact, this selection isn’t really about Song of the South but Disney in general. There are rumors abound that Disney will create its own streaming service. They’ve already put their toes in the water on an international line, and recently into an MOD line. Both of those are very small and release titles infrequently. It’s bad enough the animated classics get vaulted, but for certifiable Disney nuts like myself (and I’m more tame than most) Disney’s squatting on its titles is terribly bothersome and this is at the top of the list.

The Son of the Shark (1993) and Jacqout de Nantes (1991)

I combine these two selections to further illustrate a point, and that’s about foreign-language films in the US. Far too often when formats change, some new home video distributors emerge, others fall by the wayside; and to capitalize on new technology some older titles get overlooked. These two French films couldn’t be more different: the first is a hard, gritty, disturbing look look at juvenile deliquency the second is a delightful, charming warm-hearted portrait of Jacques Demy by his wife Agnes Varda. It is a film she made in memory of him, that features many clips of his films, as well as ho his childhood shaped them and his life.

These films have not made it to DVD or blu-ray in the US.

American Gothic (1988)

I have to be honest and confess that I really can’t recall that much about American Gothic, other than I can differentiate it from the excellent short-lived TV show of the same name. However, I do recall seeing it as a Blockbuster rental and enjoying it a great deal – it’d be perfect to revisit but I cannot.

The Cellar (1989)

The Cellar represents another interesting aspect of distribution inasmuch I first saw it on cable, I believe at some point during the DVD era, but it has not moved past VHS into further means of being viewed.

Blake of Scotland Yard (1937)


I needed an older film here but I also needed one representative of serials, which I do like but don’t get to see enough of. As for Blake of Scotland Yard it’s as good a choice as any. In fact, one of my first posts on this new blog was my consumer outrage at discovering that such a thing as a composite serial, or as I like to call it “Studio Sanctioned Nonsense,” exists. I’ve probably seen it three times through in one for or other and it should be in print.

So those are just 7 films that are on VHS alone as of this writing. If I sat down I could find many more I am sure, but these were the ones that came quickest to my mind and also highlight gaps in distribution patterns that hopefully get picked up.

11 Creepiest Kids in Supporting Roles

Okay, I know what you’re thinking? Where the hell does dude get eleven from, and no, I’m not setting up a Spinal Tap reference. What I am doing is living up to some of the precepts I put forth in this post. So, in this list there were quite a few possibilities that I decided didn’t make the top 10, but one really stood out and it featured in my favorite horror film of 2011.

It’s really no trick to make a kid scary in a film if that’s the premise of your plot such as in Village of the Damned. In fact, it’s old hat. I’m not knocking the scary kid as a horror film motif, far from it, but it is a much simpler task when that’s the main goal and your protagonist or antagonist, as the case may be, is a child.

This list seeks to acknowledge those who through performance, or circumstance, were the Creepiest Kids in Supporting Roles. Those who made a big impact with minimal screen time. Some of them don’t even feature in horror films and some are the beneficiaries of great filmmaking touches and perfectly suited for the effect the director sought.

11. Spencer List as Martin Bristol in Bereavement (2011)

As mentioned above, this was the selection that came closest to making the list before being dropped in consideration of the arbitrarily considered round number of 10. The bottom line is: if something is good enough to be included among the best it should be. This is why I decided on a top 25 film list for 2011. True, there’s a tragically informed backstory that tinges this performance, but what makes this silent turn so frightening is the way Spencer List interprets his character; distant but not disengaged. You always sense wheels are turning far behind a vacuous facade, that makes the conclusion both work and terribly chilling.

10. Mikael Rundquist as Boy in Dream in The Hour of the Wolf (1968)

Ingmar Bergman’s one surrealist horror tale gets one of its great jolts when its protagonist, played by Max Von Sydow, is attacked and bitten on a cliff over looking the sea by a would-be vampiric little boy. The scene is Rundquist’s one appearance in the film but is set up and executed to great effect, and is a standout in a film of many memorable images.
 
9. Jake Thomas as Martin in Artificial Intelligence: A.I.

OK, the next two selections prove out that there’s not only horror on this list. Many readers will already know my great appreciation of this film but it also presents us with a great creepy kid. Prior to Martin’s return home we feel sympathy for him and then we see him plot, much like a real kid would, to be rid of his unwanted artificial brother.
 
8. Eszter Gyalog as Lucifer in The Annunciation (1984)

Aside from intellectual stimulation this existential Hungarian film also brings you a throughly creepy rendition of Lucifer (on the right) as portrayed by a child, as are all the characters in this film. He has his falling, but he also tempts Adam and Eve, follows them through time and plays with the fate of mankind. If you want an effective devil you’re not necessarily seeking horns and sulfur, but cunning and persuasion, and that’s what you get here.
 
7. Fabiano Malantrucco as Giulio in The Last House in the Woods (2006)

First, if you miss old school giallo you need to get this Ghosthouse Underground selection. Second, Malantrucco in this film does the very difficult balancing act of being both convincingly innocent and evil and is one of the many strong points that this film has.
 
6. Will Sandin as Michael Myers (Age 6) in Halloween (1978)

This is one of the more shocking and resonant entries. Michael’s age when he initially perpetrated these heinous crimes is a secret the film holds on to and it is stunning to see it revealed. Not to detract from the brilliant work that Daeg Faerch did in the remake, but there is something to be said for both Michael’s past being more nebulous, and for him looking like an innocent. It is a brilliant touch by Carpenter.

5. Ari Lehman as Jason Voorhees in Friday the 13th (1980)

Slots #6 and #5 are separated by a hair both in effectiveness and in length; they are very short appearances but memorable nonetheless. While the it’s the inferior film, the impact of Jason’s appearance, and the execution thereof, is greater hence it gets the edge. While creepy it is more emotionally rounded since Jason is not the antagonist of the first film so there is some sympathy there.

4. Kyra Schon as Karen Cooper in Night of the Living Dead (1968)

This has become perhaps the iconic image of the film The Night of the Living Dead such that it has been used as the cover image on DVD reissues and the like. Few note that this character is not ever-present in the film just very, very impactive.

3. Joe King as Billy in Creepshow (1983)

This was actually the performance that inspired this list. Joe King, son of Stephen and now best known by his nome de plume Joe Hill, stars in the frame that surrounds the tales in Creepshow (and adds another level to the film) and he is identifiably creepy which makes it more scary. It’s a tongue-in-cheek cautionary tale of what happens when you deprive a kid of his comics.
 
2. Lisa and Louise Burns as the Grady Twin Daughters in The Shining (1980)

OK, while this one may seem kind of obvious it needs to be said: Who knows what The Shining would’ve been if it had not been for the Grady twins being cast such as they are. They are our first and most frequent hosts to what secrets the Overlook holds and just downright creep-tastic.

1. Davide Marrotta as Patua, Bruckner Child in Phenomena (1985)

As if it wasn’t bad enough to make you see it once here you get a mirrored image. Well, such is life. Without giving too much away about in Dario Argento’s film Phenomena this kid and his character steal the show. He ends up being the best and most frightening thing about it. Granted most of that has to do with prosthetic work but that is the nature of the beast, for lack of a better term. The scenes with this character’s involvement elevate the film to a level it would’ve otherwise been unable to achieve. Not to mention that this is the most frightening mug I’ve ever beheld on screen.

Bad Movies I Love (Part Four of Four)

This is yet another post that has been inspired by Bob Freelander and his wonderful blog Rupert Pupkin Speaks. Check it out, if you haven’t already.

I’ve ruminated on this list long enough I believe. In the spirit of my recent post about lists not really being finished, I’ll just go with what I have at my disposal currently and spitball it. For the mutual convenience of myself and whomever may read this, I will split the list into four posts.

Now, I did, as most who have compiled this list recently, have to examine what makes a movie both bad and one I can enjoy because of that. There were a few different directions I could’ve gone with this list. I could’ve picked some films universally considered to be bad that I like and I don’t care who knows it (Many of those can be found here). I could’ve picked the rare film that’s so bad that it’s good, which in my mind are few and far between, but I do have a few that come to mind, and I also won’t argue if you believe there’s no such thing.

What I decided to do instead was to pick movies that I find to be bad, however, that I still enjoy certain things about them (badness included), and in many cases I have given them more than one viewing due to their uniquely awesome badness.

Now, without much further ado, my continued elections:

Death Bed: The Bed That Eats (1977)

For almost any of these selections, as for the most part it was just racking my brain seeking ideas, the story of how I saw it plays role. This was actually a film I only found out about recently, then as I learned things about it; such as the fact that Patton Oswalt included it in comedy bit of his and encouraged audience members to look it up to prove that it exists, I knew I had to see it.

I wanted to know as little as possible going in, aside from what the very blatant title already gave away. In my mind the killings this bed would make was something akin to a mechanized hospital bed gone amuck. Oh, how hysterically wrong I was. How you come up with the idea to imagine the gastrointestinal workings of a mattress I’ll never know.

Also, while the film is very low-rent using such techniques as jump cuts to indicate things “moving” on their own or positioning the camera low and using the bedding as an obstruction, it has a lot of story too it. Too much, and most of it conveyed by voice over. Also, while some scenes have trouble being lit, in others the camera swoops about like a half-drunken attempt to emulate Last Year at Marienbad.

However, it’s really the ancillary gaffes that make that affectation bothersome. The subject matter is treated seriously enough, but certain basics are just so lacking you either have to laugh at it or risk madness. Had the chronology been different, the tale been made more visual, and the idea put into the hands of another director; would it have been better? I can’t say for sure, but I can say that people would likely laugh with it more frequently than at it.

The Garbage Pail Kids Movie (1987)

I recently made the observation that the saga of my friend attempting to find The Garbage Pail Kids Movie, a film he dearly loved, was likely part of what sparked my loathing for the fact that things can and do go out of print.

I don’t like the film on his level, but after having seen it a few times and acquiring it myself, it’s the kind of film I’m a little surprised gets mentioned at times amongst the worst films ever made. Firstly, one should clearly never see this film accidentally. The Garbage Pail Kids are gross. Anyone who has seen the trading cards will know that and so to translate those drawings to the big screen in a live action film, you’re going to have to make a gross movie. The reason it ends up here as opposed to a list of films I really do like is its half-bakedness mostly.

Yes, on the surface basing an entire movie on a comedy skit, a board game, trading cards or any other silly product is ludicrous, but all it really is, is a call to action. In many of those cases, you have to do a bit more to flesh out those vague concepts, grasp the essence of what said thing is and dramatize it. An example, would be either Battleship, wherein the cinematic emulation of the game was the best part, or better yet, the forthcoming Candyland. Candyland, could and should be, a visually striking and compelling, dark film aimed at kids. The kind of stuff that used to fall into your lap as a kid in the ’80s. Instead, it’s being developed as an Adam Sandler project. With Garbage Pail Kids, there’s also a sort of misfire I feel, which is why I can’t genuinely like it.

Mac and Me (1988)

As much as I tried to avoid films I’d seen on lists multiple times, by the time I decided my list would be 20 films long, I knew there’d be some films where I’d need to give my own take on. I would also be hard-pressed to make a Bad Movies I Love list that didn’t feature one movie that borrowed liberally from a film I genuinely do love, E.T. Aside from the similarity in plot, there’s also the fact that MAC is an acronym, which quite a few other ’80s films/shows employed (like D.A.R.Y.L. and ALF to name two). The puppetry in Mac and Me is not good. The acting isn’t helped out in the direction, editing or production value. As many have noted, the product placement is rampant (I’m fine with products appearing, but when it starts emulating that Wayne’s World gag it starts to become an issue). However, the movie is odd, hard to predict and does feature a protagonist whose a bit more of an underdog and outcast than the better film similar to it does.

The Quest (1986)

While we’re on the subject of E.T. that brings me to my next choice The Quest, which is a film that starred Henry Thomas a few years after that role, such that the film is even cited on the poster. It has a good set-up, which is a boy loses his parents and his guardians live in Australia. So most of the audience can identify with feeling like an outsider in a new place. He then observes some unusual happenings at Devil’s Knob National Park, which have something to do with the aboriginal myth of Frog Dreamings (which is part of the Australian title).

It’s the mechanics of the film that let it down: the pacing, editing, some casting and writing decisions. The idea is interesting, the aboriginal angle has me and I’ve used the term Frog Dreamings on occasion, and it does get pretty odd (it was the ’80s it had to, didn’t it?).

Pepito y la Lampara Maravillosa (1972)

Here’s one I caught at first on TV while in Mexico, both through the visuals and my limited understanding of Spanish I was able to follow along, and what I found I was watching was so weird it refused to be ignored. The more I learned about this unlikely comedic duo the more intriguing it became. The adult in the picture is Chabelo, while seemingly always employing the same comedic facade (as this is part of a series of at least three films) in this film he is a genie. In some ways, this reminded me a bit of the comedic troop Os Trapalhões from Brazil whose style is broad and geared towards youth but there is a certain oddity to this one, not that dissimilar from what the Bee Guy on The Simpsons lampoons, that makes it uniquely Mexican. The tandem being an adult and a youth performer also makes it unique, and there’s plenty of weirdness abound in the plot, even more so in another film from the series called Pepito y Chabelo Detectives, where Chabelo plays a kid and they uncover a very strange plot.

I’ll spoil no surprises, but will say that this film indicates another criteria was that after finding this film on DVD I have told some friends about this movie and how off-the-wall it is.

Bad Movies I Love (Part Three of Four)

This is yet another post that has been inspired by Bob Freelander and his wonderful blog Rupert Pupkin Speaks. Check it out, if you haven’t already.

I’ve ruminated on this list long enough I believe. In the spirit of my recent post about lists not really being finished, I’ll just go with what I have at my disposal currently and spitball it. For the mutual convenience of myself and whomever may read this, I will split the list into four posts.

Now, I did, as most who have compiled this list recently, have to examine what makes a movie both bad and one I can enjoy because of that. There were a few different directions I could’ve gone with this list. I could’ve picked some films universally considered to be bad that I like and I don’t care who knows it (Many of those can be found here). I could’ve picked the rare film that’s so bad that it’s good, which in my mind are few and far between, but I do have a few that come to mind, and I also won’t argue if you believe there’s no such thing.

What I decided to do instead was to pick movies that I find to be bad, however, that I still enjoy certain things about them (badness included), and in many cases I have given them more than one viewing due to their uniquely awesome badness.

Now, without much further ado, my continued elections:

Overdrawn at the Memory Bank (1983)

Here is the third and final appearance of a film with some connection to Mystery Science Theater 3000, it in essence highlights one of the better more overlooked aspects of that show; there are many of these movies that people would not be aware of were it not for its being lampooned there. Another odd note is that this TV film has, for reasons I don’t yet understand, been stuck from the IMDb.

As for the film itself, the story is quite out there. It concerns a futuristic dystopia wherein arts are prohibited. There are many other weird facets to the story that, if you would like to know them, can be found on the film’s Wikipedia. However, beware, as is often the case, it is rife with spoilers. Perhaps if the film the protagonist was obsessed with, and that this one cribs from, were not Casablanca my take on the film would be somewhat different, as Casablanca is too often referenced, lampooned and cribbed from. It’s also a very high-concept idea with a seemingly rather low budget. Something else I learned about this film was that is was shot on VHS, which I was not aware of, so that is a mark of distinction as older formats are having a renaissance, most notably as featured in Super 8 and the upcoming V/H/S.

The Beastmaster (1982)

“Born with the courage of an eagle, the strength of a black tiger, and the power of a god.” With a tagline like that you know what you’re getting from The Beastmaster, do you not? Essentially, it combines sword-and-sorcery precepts with a dash of Tarzan and there you have it. Plus, it’s another one wherein if you read any synopses you can see how it would end up on a list such as this one. One thing that has occurred to me is that aesthetically this is rather more like what Masters of the Universe would have been had they not employed the-fish-out-of-water element in their telling.

The Redeemer: Son of Satan! (1978)

I love distributors like Code Red, who not only specialize in rare, hard-to-find titles but are also fairly honest about them. I recall the box to this one mentioned something about the opacity of its plot, and boy is it ever opaque! Another way a film can end up on this list is if I thought it could use a remake, and this one could, if anyone wanted to tackle it. There are elements in place that work, and some that come into play that serve to obfuscate what could be a really effective film. It feels longer than it is; it’s confounding at times; gets slow but it never really loses me, which is pretty hard for any bad film to accomplish. An interesting editing experiment comes to mind as I think on it, edit it down into an effective short. In it’s current state it either needs a bit of expansion or contraction to work as a proper good film.

The Nutcracker in 3D (2009)

All credit for this selection making the list goes to Emily Intravia who wrote a guest post on Bob Freelander’s blog that jogged my memory. What really makes this film stand out is that any of the decisions taken in isolation wouldn’t be completely insane, but they all occur in the same film: Involving a thinly veiled Einstein; casting Nathan Lane to play him; making it a musical; having the Rat King and his minions symbolic of Nazis. However, I must say that it is a prime example of the fact that a film does not represent a crystalized version that has to adhere to everyone’s vision of a tale, which is something I’ve written of before. A film adaptation of a tale represents a version of a narrative, the director’s, writer’s and the production. This is why there have been so many adaptations of some of the most popular works in literature, film and cover songs in music and so on.

I have seen myriad versions of the Nutcracker. In fact, in the world of dance interpretations of narrative and choreography differ. As a director, I truly do appreciate Konchalovsky’s uncompromising vision, and some of the elements do work. I saw it upon its initial release and in 3D and that was a good element. The music, as I recall, the instrumentals that is, are pretty good whether Tchaikovsky’s or otherwise. Charlie Rowe, who would later appear in a very different and good interpretation of the Peter Pan myth in, Neverland is also good. As is Elle Fanning, who truly broke out with two amazing performances last year.

It also underscores another common element in the films I tend to choose for this list is that there’s something so unique, an intent so honest that I could never fully disparage the film without some qualifier. It’s one I haven’t revisited yet, but definitely will.

Sidekicks (1992)

The Chuck Norris joke as a cultural phenomenon is rather dead in the water, aside from the rare soul who hears one for the first time and then builds a newfound obsession with them for a time. I’m not sure anyone ever traced the exact source of that phenomenon, and if that would serve any real purpose, but this film may have something to do with it. The reason is, of course, that in this film Chuck Norris plays himself and the idol of a downtrodden kid. At this point Norris had already been in enough bad movies where he improbably beat the crap out of everyone that it made sense and this just adds to his odd mystique, and, of course, up until The Expendables sequel was announced he was the most one of the most notable action star who wasn’t in the club.

Come back tomorrow for the conclusion!

Bad Movies I Love (Part Two of Four)

This is yet another post that has been inspired by Bob Freelander and his wonderful blog Rupert Pupkin Speaks. Check it out, if you haven’t already.

I’ve ruminated on this list long enough I believe. In the spirit of my recent post about lists not really being finished, I’ll just go with what I have at my disposal currently and spitball it. For the mutual convenience of myself and whomever may read this, I will split the list into four posts.

Now, I did, as most who have compiled this list recently, have to examine what makes a movie both bad and one I can enjoy because of that. There were a few different directions I could’ve gone with this list. I could’ve picked some films universally considered to be bad that I like and I don’t care who knows it (A few of those can be found here). I could’ve picked the rare film that’s so bad that it’s good, which in my mind are few and far between, and I won’t argue if you believe there’s no such thing.

What I decided to do instead was to pick movies that I find to be bad, however, that I still enjoy certain things about them (badness included), and in many cases I have given them more than one viewing due to their uniquely awesome awfulness.

Now, without much further ado, my selections:

Demons 2 (1986)

In one a screenwriting course I took, one exercise we did was to read our short scripts aloud, this was done so we could simultaneously share knowledge and offer each other constructive comments. A script I wrote reminded a classmate of mine of Demons. At the time I had not seen Demons, so the only responsible action I could take was to see it ASAP. I loved it. My short and it shared similarities, but were also different enough.

Eventually curiosity got the better of me and I just had to see Demons 2. The film is directed by Lamberto Bava, co-written by Dario Argento, features one of the first screen appearances by Asia Argento and more of the freaky demons. What ends up not working is the film shifts away from the movie theater setting. However, being an Italian horror film, it will be stylish, bloody and at times bizarre and at others nonsensical, which makes it engaging, if not quality.

The Church (1989)

One not-so-good but watchable Italian horror film deserves another. This film has a lot of the same pedigree that Demons 2 has and a lot of the same issues: Argento has a writing credit, Asia makes an appearance, one of its alternate titles is Demons 3, it has a really good idea that doesn’t quite click and I really want it to. I’ve seen this one a few times, I’ve even listened to the score in isolation and I like that. There’s a draw to it that’s brought me back a few times, perhaps with this one more so than the prior choice, it really is the unfulfilled promise that’s been the reason.

Tommy Tricker and the Stamp Traveller (1988)

There will be another film that makes this list based in part on the audaciousness of its conception. However, I do have to admit that this one handles the execution of its outlandish concept better than the one to come.

As the title implies, in the world of this film you can literally travel by stamp. Now, as a concept that’s something you’re going to either buy or you won’t. The film has its heart in the right place through a lot of it (Such that I almost feel bad including it), it’s just really misguided much of the time, and the caper of bringing back someone lost via ‘stamp travel’ takes a bit away from it I feel. The acting’s not great, nor is the writing, but there is a boldness to the concept.

Also, as a bit of trivia, the film also features a cameo by a young Rufus Wainwright who sings a very catchy song, which is one of the redeeming qualities of the film, another one which becomes obvious as you watch the clip is how incredibly ’80s this film is.

Uncle Sam (1996)

Perhaps one of the best ways to determine a bad movie you love is to gauge just how mixed your feelings on the film are. There are films written by Larry Cohen such as It’s Alive, The Stuff, Q: The Winged Serpent that I would say I love. This one I can’t really defend as staunchly but there are things about it that I do appreciate. Namely, it incorporates militaristic zeal in a horror film in a way I’ve rarely seen. Not only that but note the release date, there was no unpopular or costly (in terms of American casualties) war going on at that time, so there’s a certain gutsiness in telling this kind of tale when dissenting opinions are fairly quiet. The film does end up being sloppy and a bit slow, there’s no Michael Moriarty in it to up the caliber of the cast, but the satire is definitely there which makes it worth mentioning.

The Space Children (1958)

This is a case of Mystery Science Theater 3000 in reverse. Here’s one I saw first and then found an MST3K for, which I don’t do often. I was on kind of on the fence after I saw it and while I can’t ultimately say it’s a quality piece of work, as logic and reason vanish somewhere in the middle of act two, there are things about it I do like. As for the MST3K treatment it’s funny, not one of their best and this is nowhere near one of the legendary duds they’ve covered; in many of the films they watch it’s hard to even ferret out what the plot is supposed to be. Here there are issues but the plot is clear. The tropes of a hivemind amongst children, and some form of other-worldy radiation or possession, are not new but they’re also not the biggest problem. The film is actually consistently interesting, it just emotionally flatlines after a while, which is a cardinal sin, especially when any atomic age sci-fi tale is likely to hook me based on its implications. Michel Ray’s turn as the ringleader is also quite effective.

Part three will be up tomorrow!

Bad Movies I Love (Part One of Four)

This is yet another post that has been inspired by Bob Freelander and his wonderful blog Rupert Pupkin Speaks. Check it out, if you haven’t already.

I’ve ruminated on this list long enough I believe. In the spirit of my recent post about lists not really being finished, I’ll just go with what I have at my disposal currently and spitball it. For the mutual convenience of myself and whomever may read this, I will split the list into four posts.

Now, I did, as most who have compiled this list recently, have to examine what makes a movie both bad and one I can enjoy because of that. There were a few different directions I could’ve gone with this list. I could’ve picked some films universally considered to be bad that I like and I don’t care who knows it (A few of those can be found here). I could’ve picked the rare film that’s so bad that it’s good, which in my mind are few and far between, and I won’t argue if you believe there’s no such thing.

What I decided to do instead was to pick movies that I find to be bad, however, that I still enjoy certain things about them (badness included), and in many cases I have given them more than one viewing due to their uniquely awesome awfulness.

Now, without much further ado, my selections:

Troll 2 (1990)

To put it simply, Troll 2 was the first movie that ever struck me as being so bad that I had to have it. That and its all out ridiculousness are what really prompted me to acquire it after I randomly saw it on TV. Little did I know at the time that I was not alone in my ‘enjoyment’ of it. Only when I read online about Best Worst Movie‘s impending release did I learn about its cult status. For that alone, it belongs here because that doc proves there’s something unique about bad movies as opposed to other artforms, and the fact that Stephenson embraced the phenomenon and spun it into something quite special makes it even better.

This Island Earth (1955)

The story I have with this movie is a bit similar to the one above; I only came to know This Island Earth through Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie. Later on, I learned that it was seen by some as a bit of a controversial choice as it does have a legion of admirers, and I started noticing it popping up in many films like E.T. and Explorers.

However, when you’ve seen something enough (and sometimes it doesn’t have to be that much) it’s easy enough to separate how bad it is from how bad MST3K is making it look. The film is quite silly, it’s characters range from transparent to dimensionless, the dialogue ranges from trite to awkward and it’s more unintentionally funny than anything else.

When thinking upon it, I can see the attraction to some, but it’s no Forbidden Planet or anything of that ilk in my book. This is a movie I’d find hilarious without MST3K’s help. However, the dialogue, the characters, the pauses and the plot all serve up so many softballs that the guys really hit it out of the park early and often. It is almost as if the movie was made to be lampooned by them. In fact, a friend of mine unfamiliar with both this film and the MST3K format, thought it was!

Essentially, it’s the kind of bad movie you could never, ever hate, but I do find it bad and hilarious. “Not even a moth equipped with a lighting bug could fly through that!” says Joe about the fog. Hilarious indeed.

Maximum Overdrive (1986)

This entry is one of quite a bit of distinction; when I was writing a paper on Stephen King in a horror/sci-fi class I made this film the fulcrum because not only is it the only feature film King ever directed, but it’s also based on one of his short stories, “Trucks.”

Partially due to the paper, I’ve seen this film quite a few times. Try as I might to like it, and though I can find good in it, it’s a film where I have to agree with his own assessment of it; it’s not good. However, it’s the kind of not good worthy of repeat viewings simply due to some of the factors involved: His direction, an on camera appearance by Yeardley Smith (aka The voice of Lisa Simpson), Emilio Esteves’s awesomeness, the AC/DC score, the vending machine kill, Holter Graham, Pat Hingle, Stephen King’s almost Creepshow-over-the-top cameo, and some of the humor.

By this point, I’ve listed so much stuff that you’d wonder what makes it bad? Well, the story just doesn’t work, it’s not one of his better short stories to start with and the film ends up being too scattered to be as effective as it could be. For a more in-depth explication, I will be posting the aforementioned paper in a serialized format in September.

Santa’s Slay (2005)

Here’s one I did a 61 Days of Halloween post on. This movie is essentially what this list is about for the most part; if you’re going to go down, go down with guns blazing. You’d think that a film that featured wrestler-turned-actor Goldberg as Santa would have that as its weirdest component, but that’s not nearly the oddest thing about this film. This film is essentially about how Santa’s homicidal maniac tendencies have been thwarted by the fact that he lost a game of something akin to curling 1000 years ago. The casting is odd, but at times inspired and features a good turn by Douglas Smith, and it is trying to be funny often and succeeds. Therefore, it’s one of the better bad movies on this list.

Tourist Trap (1979)

Another way of sneaking on to the list aside from general watchability, some originality and being funny is by having one truly standout scene. Tourist Trap after a while just doesn’t cut it for me, it really doesn’t. However, I will always recall the plaster death scene. It’s the kind of thing that can redeem the decision to watch the movie in its entirety. The rest of it is either been there done that or not really that well executed, but this one idea, is sure to get under almost anyone’s skin and is truly well done.

The next five will be up tomorrow!

Nominate Films for the 2012 National Film Registry

Recently, while scrolling through Twitter I noticed quite a few people posting that the National Film Preservation Board is allowing the general public to suggest titles to be entered to the National Film Registry for the first time. You can read the pertinent details here. The only thing I found a bit confusing was whether an individual can select 50 titles from a calendar year (e.g. 1933) or if and individual may only suggest 50 per year. I erred toward the latter option. My choices feature many Hitchcock, Disney, horror, Looney Tunes; a few silents, docs, and the occasional footnote. What’s great is that since 575 films have been picked in 23 years they provide a list of significant films not yet selected for you to peruse. Of course, you can submit whatever you like if it fits their criteria. I made all my selections 25 years or older, however, the official cut-off is 10 years.

The National Film Registry was instituted after a bill was passed “Congress first established the National Film Registry in the 1988 National Film Preservation Act, and most recently extended the Registry with passage of the Library of Congress Sound Recording and Film Preservation Programs Reauthorization Act of 2008 (PL110-336).” So, essentially these are your tax dollars at work, America, so make some suggestions. If you’re curious you can read mine below:

1. Suspense (1913)
2. The Perils of Pauline (1914)
3. Charlie the Champion (1915)
4. Mickey’s Orphan’s (1931)
5. Skippy (1931)
6. Island of Lost Souls (1931)
7. Wild Boys of the Road (1931)
8. Babes in Toyland (1934)
9. Manhattan Melodrama (1934)
10. A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1935)
11. Son of Frankenstein (1939)
12. Rebecca (1940)
13. Dumbo (1941)
14. The Little Foxes (1941)
15. The Wolf Man (1941)
16. Gaslight (1944)
17. Mrs. Parkington (1944)
18. Three Caballeros (1945)
19. The Yearling (1946)
20. Panic in the Streets (1950)
21. Strangers on a Train (1951)
22. Limelight (1952)
23. House of Wax (1953)
24. It Came from Outer Space (1953)
25. Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)
26. Them! (1954)
27.Lady and the Tramp (1955)
28. The Trouble with Harry (1955)
29. Forbidden Planet (1956)
30. Ali Baba Bunny (1957)
31. Witness for the Prosecution (1957)
32. The Children’s Hour (1961)
33. The Pit and the Pendulum (1961)
34. Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)
35. The Birds (1963)
36. Hush…Hush Sweet Charlotte (1964)
37. Wait Until Dark (1967)
38. Rosemary’s Baby (1968)
39. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971)
40. Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
41. Carrie (1976)
42. Burden of Dreams (1982)
43. The Big Chill (1983)
44. A Christmas Story (1983)
45. National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983)
46. Terms of Endearment (1983)
47. Amadeus (1984)
48. The Times of Harvey Milk (1984)
49. The Breakfast Club (1985)
50. Stand by Me (1986)