Before we get to this week, a few holdovers:

Anders Wright and Diana Saenger on Steven Soderbergh’s Side Effects.

Now, on to the good stuff.

A Good Day to Die Hard

Brian Lafferty – East County Magazine
“I suppose it was only a matter of time before someone derailed the franchise.”

Ian Forbes – Sobering Conclusion
“Seriously, if you have any desire at all to see A Good Day to Die Hard, I want you to stop, take out $20 from your wallet, and toss it in a fire.”

David Pinson – CinemaStance
“More Bond Knockoff than Bruce Vehicle.”

Alison Gang – U-T San Diego

“Not entirely clear if it’s McClane, Willis, or maybe the franchise itself that’s barely mustering up the strength to carry on.”

Safe Haven

Diana Saenger – Review Express
“A great date movie with action and intrigue that might entertain guys as well as the ladies.”

Ian Forbes – Sobering Conclusion
“… if I can sit through this somewhat comfortably, it should mean the Sparks’ fan club should feel right at home here.”

Josh Board – Fox 5 San Diego
Review.

Beautiful Creatures

Ian Forbes – Sobering Conclusion
“I kind of liked Beautiful Creatures. (Please, stop the snickering. It’s rude.)”

David Pinson – CinemaStance
“Simple: Better than Twilight, Not as good as The Hunger Games.”

Alison Gang – U-T San Diego
“A clumsy mess of supernatural hooey…”

Check out Alison’s interview with the stars.

Brian Lafferty – East County Magazine
“To say Beautiful Creatures has the fingernails on the blackboard effect would be an insult to both fingernails and blackboards.”

Josh Board – Fox 5 San Diego
Review.

John Dies at the End

Brian Lafferty – East County Magazine
“Flooded with bizarre images and dark offbeat humor.”

Anders Wright has an interview with Paul Giamatti and Don Coscarelli about John Dies at the End.

First, some leftovers from last week.

Brian Lafferty reviews Bullet to the Head and the Academy Award nominated Shorts (Animated and Live Action) for East Count Magazine.

Rebecca Murray reviews Warm Bodies for About.com.

Steven Soderbergh’s Side Effects

Ian Forbes – Sobering Conclusion
“Spending money to see something you can get for free on nearly any cable movie channel just doesn’t seem like the smartest plan.”

Ted Gideonse – LGBT Weekly
“Basically a long, relatively well-acted Law & Order episode.”

Brian Lafferty – East County Magazine
“A masterful example of screenwriting and character development.”

A Letterboxd capsule by Glenn Heath Jr.

Seth Gordon’s Identity Thief

Ian Forbes – Sobering Conclusion
“I’ve enjoyed layovers in airports more than this waste of nearly two hours.”

David Pinson – CinemaStance
“Identity Thief gives some Funny People Nothing Funny to do.”

Walter Hill’s Bullet to the Head

David Pinson – CinemaStance
“An entertaining Throwback.”

Lance Carter – The Daily Actor
“A totally enjoyable, leave-your-brain-at-the-door kind of flick.”

Glenn Heath Jr. – Slant Magazine
“Thoughtfully regards the pummeling power of weaponry at work.”

Scott Marks – SD Reader
“…you’re not likely to find a more enjoyable action picture this year.”

Josh Board – Fox 5 San Diego
“You’re not getting Citizen Kate here, or even Bullitt; but you’ll have fun with Bullet to the Head.”

Ian Forbes – Sobering Conclusion
“If all you’re looking for is a throwback to simpler times, then Bullet to the Head will scratch that itch.”

Jonathan Levine’s Warm Bodies

Ian Forbes – Sobering Conclusion
” I’ve got my fingers crossed that this is a sign of things to come in 2013.”

Josh Board – Fox 5 San Diego
“If only the movie were as good as the soundtrack.”

Fisher Stevens’ Stand Up Guys

Alison Gang – U-T San Diego
“..a thoughtful little buddy caper comedy that wisely exploits the audience’s natural affection for its aging stars.”

Diana Saenger – Review Express
“Funny, engaging and reminds us Hollywood rarely turns out actors like this anymore.”

Scott Marks – SD Reader
” A love story with guns.”

2013 Oscar Nominated Shorts

Alison Gang – U -T San Diego
“..sample a delightful set of films spanning genres, styles and the globe in just one outing.”

Anders Wright – San Diego City Beat
“Some are better than others, but there’s not a bad one in the bunch.”

Scattering of diverse reviews this week.

Tommy Wirkola’s Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters

Ted Gideonse – LGBT Weekly
“I had a sad.”

Ian Forbes – Sobering Conclusion
“Dumb, but moderately fun.”

Josh Board – Fox 5 San Diego
“Passable Entertainment.”

Michael Apted’s 56 Up

Brian Lafferty  - East County Magazine
“Nothing in these people’s lives are predetermined.”

Dustin Hoffman’s Quartet

Josh Board – Fox 5 San Diego
“Amazing magic artistry in an intimate theater.”

Robert Patrick – CinemaSpartan
“The script is like staring down the barrel of a Benadryl bottle.”

Three new major releases this week, including two that star Arnold Schwarzenegger and Mark Wahlberg respectively.

Kim Jee-woon’s The Last Stand

Ian Forbes – Sobering Conclusion
“The January curse maintains its hold on the film industry with this one.”

Brian Lafferty – East County Magazine
“Will he [Arnold] regain his superstar status?  Only time will tell.  But The Last Stand is a good start.”

Rebecca Murray – About.com
“Never, ever get your hopes up based on a RottenTomatoes rating…”

Josh Board – FOX 5 San Diego
“Isn’t this exciting? No, it wasn’t.”

David Pinson – CinemaStance
“The Last Great Action Hero’s return made my inner-eight-year-old very happy.”

Robert Patrick – CinemaSpartan
“Like watching your friend play Need for Speed on a video game console for an undetermined amount of time.”

Jeri Jacquin – Movie Maven
“A totally overblown and hokey film.“

Ted Gideonse – LGBT Weekly
“Schwarzenegger can’t say ‘Last’.”

—————————————————————————————————
Allen Hughes’ Broken City

Lance Carter – The Daily Actor
“The actors performances are so muted that it feels like Hughes filmed the rehearsals.”

Jeri Jacquin – Movie Maven
“Proof can be a powerful weapon.”

Josh Board – FOX 5 San Diego
“So much of this goes wrong…”

—————————————————————————————————-
Andres Muschietti’s Mama

Jeri Jacqiun – Movie Maven
“Dark, scary stuff.”

David Pinson – CinemaStance
“There is an effective unease that seeps through most of the film.”

The first big release of 2013 is getting a shellacking from our critics. Click on the links below for full reviews.

Ruben Fleischer’s Gangster Squad 

Glenn Heath Jr – Slant Magazine 
“A Cartoonish Gangster Exercise…”

Ian Forbes – Sobering Conclusion
A ho-hum gangster flick that’s not worth much more than a lazy afternoon on free cable.

David Pinson – CinemaStance
“Not the Noir You Were Looking For.”

Josh Board – Fox 5
“The script from The Untouchables, and characters from Dick Tracy…”

Ted Gedeonse – San Diego LGBT Weekly
“Rat-a-tat-tat.”

Diana Saenger – Review Express
“I was glued to the screen.”

Updated 1/15.

Happy New Year! Our first resolution of 2013 is to help inform more readers about our diverse membership and their work. So starting now, SDFCS will begin a weekly roundup of collected works by our critics.

First up in 2013: Top 10 Lists galore!

See the 2012 films our members found most worthy by clicking on the links below.

Rebecca Murray from About.com has a surprising #1 pick: Silver Lining’s Playbook.

David Pinson of CinemaStance.com recognizes the under-appreciated Hit and Run, in at #10.

Kevin Finnerty of Showbiz Junkies has selected a diverse group indeed, including End of Watch, ParaNorman, and Seven Psychopaths.

Glenn Heath Jr. of Slant Magazine champions Jafar Panahi and Mojtaba Mirtahmasb’s This is Not a Film.

Scott Marks of The San Diego Reader offers his 2012 film year in review: Best, worst, and even a few guilty pleasures.

At his blog Sobering Conclusion, Ian Forbes muses about the highs and many low lows of 2012.

U-T San Diego film critic Alison Gang offers up some wonderful insight about her favorite films of the year.

Diana Saenger’s Top 10 list is now up at Review Express.

Lance Carter of The Daily Actor includes the lovely Hello I Must Be Going, among others unique choices.

Yazdi Pithavala champions Life of Pi and Cloud Atlas, among others at his blog, Spaces in My Mind.

Josh Board’s Top 10 List is a mosaic of great offbeat choices. Check it out over at Fox 5.

The Movie Maven, aka Jeri Jacquin, logs her Top 10 films of 2012 with notes.

San Diego CityBeat film critic Anders Wright gives love to a range of films as diverse as Starlet and Zero Dark Thirty.

Ted Gideonse expresses his love for gems like Bernie, How to Survive a Plague, and Moonrise Kingdom at LGBT Weekly.

As always, thanks for reading!

BEST FILM –
WINNER: ARGO
DJANGO UNCHAINED
SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
THE MASTER
ZERO DARK THIRTY

BEST DIRECTOR –
WINNER: Ben Affleck, ARGO
Ang Lee, LIFE OF PI
David O. Russell, SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
Kathryn Bigelow, ZERO DARK THIRTY
Paul Thomas Anderson, THE MASTER

BEST ACTRESS –
WINNER: Michelle Williams, TAKE THIS WALTZ
Helen Hunt, THE SESSIONS
Jennifer Lawrence, SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
Jessica Chastain, ZERO DARK THIRTY
Naomi Watts, THE IMPOSSIBLE

BEST ACTOR –
WINNER: Daniel Day-Lewis, LINCOLN
Bradley Cooper, SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
Hugh Jackman, LES MISERABLES
Joaquin Phoenix, THE MASTER
John Hawkes, THE SESSIONS

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS –
WINNER: Emma Watson, THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER
Amy Adams, THE MASTER
Anne Hathaway, LES MISERABLES
Rebel Wilson, PITCH PERFECT
Samantha Barks, LES MISERABLES

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR –
WINNER: Christoph Waltz, DJANGO UNCHAINED
Alan Arkin, ARGO
Christopher Walken, SEVEN PSYCHOPATHS
Matthew McConaughey, KILLER JOE
Philip Seymour Hoffman, THE MASTER

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY –
WINNER: Paul Thomas Anderson, THE MASTER
Quentin Tarantino, DJANGO UNCHAINED
Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola, MOONRISE KINGDOM
Sarah Polley, TAKE THIS WALTZ
Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon, THE CABIN IN THE WOODS

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY –
WINNER: Chris Terrio, ARGO
David Magee, LIFE OF PI
Tony Kushner, LINCOLN
David O. Russell, SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
Stephen Chbosky, THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM –
WINNER: THE KID WITH A BIKE
AMOUR
HEADHUNTERS
HOLY MOTORS
THE INTOUCHABLES

BEST DOCUMENTARY –
WINNER: THE INVISIBLE WAR
BULLY
JIRO DREAMS OF SUSHI
QUEEN OF VERSAILLES
SAMSARA

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY –
WINNER: Claudio Miranda, LIFE OF PI
Ben Richardson, BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD
Robert Richardson, DJANGO UNCHAINED
Danny Cohen, LES MISERABLES
Mihai Malaimare Jr., THE MASTER

BEST ANIMATED FILM –
WINNER: PARANORMAN
BRAVE
FRANKENWEENIE
RISE OF THE GUARDIANS
WRECK-IT RALPH

BEST EDITING –
WINNER: William Goldenberg, ARGO
Brian A. Kates and John Paul Horstmann, KILLING THEM SOFTLY
Tim Squyres, LIFE OF PI
Leslie Jones and Peter McNulty, THE MASTER
William Goldenberg and Dylan Tichenor, ZERO DARK THIRTY

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN –
WINNER: Hugh Bateup and Uli Hanisch, CLOUD ATLAS
Sarah Greenwood, ANNA KARENINA
Sharon Seymour, ARGO
Eve Stewart, LES MISERABLES
Adam Stockhausen, MOONRISE KINGDOM

BEST SCORE –
WINNER: Jonny Greenwood, THE MASTER
Alexandre Desplat, ARGO
Benh Zeitlin and Dan Romer, BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD
Mychael Danna, LIFE OF PI
Alexandre Desplat, MOONRISE KINGDOM

BEST ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE–
WINNER: THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER
ARGO
DJANGO UNCHAINED
LES MISERABLES
SEVEN PSYCHOPATHS

BODY OF WORK FOR 2012–
WINNER: Greig Fraser (cinematographer: ZERO DARK THIRTY, KILLING THEM SOFTLY, SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN)

KYLE COUNTS AWARD–
Dan Bennett, Member Emeritus SDFCS, former North County Times Film Critic, Festival Director of the San Diego International Children’s Film Festival

The following are the nominees for Best Achievements in Film for 2012 as selected by the SDFCS. The final vote will take place Tuesday, Dec. 11th and results will appear on the site after they have been determined.

BEST FILM –
ARGO
DJANGO UNCHAINED
SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
THE MASTER
ZERO DARK THIRTY

BEST DIRECTOR –

Ang Lee, LIFE OF PI
Ben Affleck, ARGO
David O. Russell, SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
Kathryn Bigelow, ZERO DARK THIRTY
Paul Thomas Anderson, THE MASTER

BEST ACTRESS –
Helen Hunt, THE SESSIONS
Jennifer Lawrence, SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
Jessica Chastain, ZERO DARK THIRTY
Michelle Williams, TAKE THIS WALTZ
Naomi Watts, THE IMPOSSIBLE

BEST ACTOR –
Bradley Cooper, SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
Daniel Day-Lewis, LINCOLN
Hugh Jackman, LES MISERABLES
Joaquin Phoenix, THE MASTER
John Hawkes, THE SESSIONS

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS –
Amy Adams, THE MASTER
Anne Hathaway, LES MISERABLES
Emma Watson, THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER
Rebel Wilson, PITCH PERFECT
Samantha Barks, LES MISERABLES

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR –
Alan Arkin, ARGO
Christoph Waltz, DJANGO UNCHAINED
Christopher Walken, SEVEN PSYCHOPATHS
Matthew McConaughey, KILLER JOE
Philip Seymour Hoffman, THE MASTER

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY –
Quentin Tarantino, DJANGO UNCHAINED
Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola, MOONRISE KINGDOM
Sarah Polley, TAKE THIS WALTZ
Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon, THE CABIN IN THE WOODS
Paul Thomas Anderson, THE MASTER

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY –
Chris Terrio, ARGO
David Magee, LIFE OF PI
Tony Kushner, LINCOLN
David O. Russell, SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
Stephen Chbosky, THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM –
AMOUR
HEADHUNTERS
HOLY MOTORS
THE INTOUCHABLES
THE KID WITH A BIKE

BEST DOCUMENTARY –
BULLY
JIRO DREAMS OF SUSHI
QUEEN OF VERSAILLES
SAMSARA
THE INVISIBLE WAR

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY –
Ben Richardson, BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD
Robert Richardson, DJANGO UNCHAINED
Danny Cohen, LES MISERABLES
Claudio Miranda, LIFE OF PI
Mihai Malaimare Jr., THE MASTER

BEST ANIMATED FILM –
BRAVE
FRANKENWEENIE
PARANORMAN
RISE OF THE GUARDIANS
WRECK-IT RALPH

BEST EDITING –
William Goldenberg, ARGO
Brian A. Kates and John Paul Horstmann, KILLING THEM SOFTLY
Tim Squyres, LIFE OF PI
Leslie Jones and Peter McNulty, THE MASTER
William Goldenberg and Dylan Tichenor, ZERO DARK THIRTY

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN –
Sarah Greenwood, ANNA KARENINA
Sharon Seymour, ARGO
Hugh Bateup and Uli Hanisch, CLOUD ATLAS
Eve Stewart, LES MISERABLES
Adam Stockhausen, MOONRISE KINGDOM

BEST SCORE –
Alexandre Desplat, ARGO
Benh Zeitlin and Dan Romer, BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD
Mychael Danna, LIFE OF PI
Alexandre Desplat, MOONRISE KINGDOM
Jonny Greenwood, THE MASTER

BEST ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE–
ARGO
DJANGO UNCHAINED
LES MISERABLES
SEVEN PSYCHOPATHS
THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER

BODY OF WORK FOR 2012–
Winner to be determined on day of vote.

KYLE COUNTS AWARD–
Winner to be determined on day of vote.

BEST FILM – 
WINNER: THE ARTIST
DRIVE
HUGO
MIDNIGHT IN PARIS
THE TREE OF LIFE

BEST DIRECTOR – 
Winner: Nicolas Winding Refn, DRIVE
Martin Scorsese, HUGO
Michel Hazanavicius, THE ARTIST
Terrence Malick, THE TREE OF LIFE
Woody Allen, MIDNIGHT IN PARIS

BEST ACTRESS – 
Winner: Brit Marling, ANOTHER EARTH
Elizabeth Olsen, MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE
Michelle Williams, MY WEEK WITH MARILYN
Tilda Swinton, WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN
Viola Davis, THE HELP

BEST ACTOR – 
Winner: Michael Shannon, TAKE SHELTER
Brad Pitt, MONEYBALL
Brendan Gleeson, THE GUARD
George Clooney, THE DESCENDANTS
Jean Dujardin, THE ARTIST

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS – 
Winner: Shailene Woodley, THE DESCENDANTS
Bérénice Bejo, THE ARTIST
Carey Mulligan, SHAME
Jessica Chastain, THE HELP
Mélanie Laurent, BEGINNERS

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR – 
Winner: Nick Nolte, WARRIOR
Albert Brooks, DRIVE
Andy Serkis, RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES
Christopher Plummer, BEGINNERS
Max von Sydow, EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSE

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY – 
Winner: Woody Allen, MIDNIGHT IN PARIS
Michel Hazanavicius, THE ARTIST
Mike Mills, BEGINNERS
Thomas McCarthy, WIN WIN
Will Reiser, 50/50

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY – 
Winner: Steve Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin, MONEYBALL
Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, THE DESCENDANTS
Hossein Amini, DRIVE
John Logan, HUGO
Steve Kloves, HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 2

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM – 
Winner: LE QUATTRO VOLTE
A SOMEWHAT GENTLE MAN
HAPPY HAPPY
OF GODS AND MEN
THE DOUBLE HOUR

BEST DOCUMENTARY – 
Winner: PROJECT NIM
BUCK
CAVE OF FORGOTTEN DREAMS
INTO THE ABYSS
PAGE ONE: INSIDE THE NEW YORK TIMES

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY – 
Winner: Emmanuel Lubezki, THE TREE OF LIFE
Adam Stone, TAKE SHELTER
Guillaume Schiffman, THE ARTIST
Newton Thomas Sigel, DRIVE
Robert Richardson, HUGO

BEST ANIMATED FILM – 
Winner: ARTHUR CHRISTMAS
HAPPY FEET TWO
KUNG FU PANDA 2
RANGO
WINNIE THE POOH

BEST EDITING – 
Winner: Oliver Bugge Coutté, BEGINNERS
Anne-Sophie Bion & Michel Hazanavicius, THE ARTIST
Hank Corwin, Jay Rabinowitz, Daniel Rezende, Billy Weber, & Mark Yoshikawa, THE TREE OF LIFE
Mat Newman, DRIVE
Thelma Schoonmaker, HUGO

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN – 
Winner: Dante Ferretti, HUGO
Anne Seibel, MIDNIGHT IN PARIS
Jack Fisk, THE TREE OF LIFE
Laurence Bennett, THE ARTIST
Stuart Craig, HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 2

BEST SCORE – 
Winner: Alexandre Desplat, HARRY POTTER & THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 2
Alexandre Desplat, EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSE
Alexandre Desplat, THE TREE OF LIFE
Howard Shore, HUGO
Ludovic Bource, THE ARTIST

BEST ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE – 
Winner: HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 2
CARNAGE
MARGIN CALL
MIDNIGHT IN PARIS
THE HELP

BODY OF WORK FOR 2011
Winner: Jessica Chastain

KYLE COUNTS AWARD
Lee Ann Kim, San Diego Asian Film Foundation