"Frankenweenie" and "The Cabin in the Woods" are tied for the 10th spot on this list of 2012's best films. Horror movies rarely get respect in year-end lists, but of the three films scripted or co-scripted by Joss Whedon this year ("The Avengers" and "Much Ado About Nothing" were the others), "The Cabin in the Woods" was the most fiendishly ingenious -- a horror movie that was truly out of the box. As for "Frankenweenie," pictured, this 3-D black-and-white tribute to classic Universal monster movies showed yet again that Tim Burton is most himself in animated film.
10. 'Frankenweenie,' 'The Cabin in the Woods' —
"Frankenweenie" and "The Cabin in the Woods" are tied for the 10th spot on this list of 2012's best films. Horror movies rarely get respect in year-end lists, but of the three films scripted or co-scripted by Joss Whedon this year ("The Avengers" and "Much Ado About Nothing" were the others), "The Cabin in the Woods" was the most fiendishly ingenious -- a horror movie that was truly out of the box. As for "Frankenweenie," pictured, this 3-D black-and-white tribute to classic Universal monster movies showed yet again that Tim Burton is most himself in animated film.
Walt Disney Pictures
Agent 007 turned 50 with rare panache: Directed by Sam Mendes, "Skyfall" is a contender for one of the top Bonds ever. It's not so much the probing, psychological script, but the nuanced, inspired performances by Judi Dench, Javier Bardem and Daniel Craig, of course -- and stunning cinematography by Roger Deakins.
9. 'Skyfall' —
Agent 007 turned 50 with rare panache: Directed by Sam Mendes, "Skyfall" is a contender for one of the top Bonds ever. It's not so much the probing, psychological script, but the nuanced, inspired performances by Judi Dench, Javier Bardem and Daniel Craig, of course -- and stunning cinematography by Roger Deakins.
Columbia Pictures
A "small" movie that deserved a wider audience, Richard Linklater found something funny, sad, eccentric and timely in the true story about a mortician (Jack Black) who befriends but bumps off the richest and most spiteful woman (Shirley MacLaine) in a small Texas town, then proceeds to give away her money to bail out the local economy.
8. 'Bernie' —
A "small" movie that deserved a wider audience, Richard Linklater found something funny, sad, eccentric and timely in the true story about a mortician (Jack Black) who befriends but bumps off the richest and most spiteful woman (Shirley MacLaine) in a small Texas town, then proceeds to give away her money to bail out the local economy.
Millennium Films
Audiences haven't warmed to this nonthrilling crime movie with Brad Pitt, adapted from George V. Higgins' novel "Cogan's Trade" and updated to New Orleans during the 2008 economic meltdown. It's actually a brilliant polemical satire on base dog-eat-dog capitalism, played out against the rhetoric of the Obama-McCain election campaign.
7. 'Killing Them Softly' —
Audiences haven't warmed to this nonthrilling crime movie with Brad Pitt, adapted from George V. Higgins' novel "Cogan's Trade" and updated to New Orleans during the 2008 economic meltdown. It's actually a brilliant polemical satire on base dog-eat-dog capitalism, played out against the rhetoric of the Obama-McCain election campaign.
Weinstein Company
Maybe the best use of 3-D yet, Ang Lee's visually intoxicating treatment of Yann Martel's prize-winning novel about a boy (Suraj Sharma) lost at sea with only a tiger for company is an exquisite poetic fable that also bares ferocious teeth.
6. 'Life of Pi' —
Maybe the best use of 3-D yet, Ang Lee's visually intoxicating treatment of Yann Martel's prize-winning novel about a boy (Suraj Sharma) lost at sea with only a tiger for company is an exquisite poetic fable that also bares ferocious teeth.
Courtesy Twentieth Century Fox
Like "Life of Pi," "Beasts of the Southern Wild" is another magical-realist fable, this time on an indie budget. This imaginative, emotional debut film by Benh Zeitlin is a euphoric experience. Quvenzhané Wallis stars as 6-year-old Hushpuppy.
5. 'Beasts of the Southern Wild' —
Like "Life of Pi," "Beasts of the Southern Wild" is another magical-realist fable, this time on an indie budget. This imaginative, emotional debut film by Benh Zeitlin is a euphoric experience. Quvenzhané Wallis stars as 6-year-old Hushpuppy.
Fox Searchlight Pictures
David O. Russell is the perfect director to undercut the schmaltzy bromides without selling short his characters in this screwball romance about the bipolar product (Bradley Cooper) of your typical American dysfunctional family (Robert De Niro and Jacki Weaver). There's also a standout performance from Jennifer Lawrence.
4. 'Silver Linings Playbook' —
David O. Russell is the perfect director to undercut the schmaltzy bromides without selling short his characters in this screwball romance about the bipolar product (Bradley Cooper) of your typical American dysfunctional family (Robert De Niro and Jacki Weaver). There's also a standout performance from Jennifer Lawrence.
Weinstein Co.
Don't let the controversy over torture scenes put you off: Kathryn Bigelow's gripping, lean and anguished account of the hunt for Osama bin Laden is designed to stir soul-searching. Jessica Chastain has won raves as a CIA agent who leads the search.
3. 'Zero Dark Thirty' —
Don't let the controversy over torture scenes put you off: Kathryn Bigelow's gripping, lean and anguished account of the hunt for Osama bin Laden is designed to stir soul-searching. Jessica Chastain has won raves as a CIA agent who leads the search.
from Columbia Pictures
Joaquin Phoenix, right, cements his reputation as a top actor in Paul Thomas Anderson's cryptic drama about a World War II veteran looking for spiritual nourishment with a cult guru (Philip Seymour Hoffman as a thinly disguised L. Ron Hubbard-type).
2. 'The Master' —
Joaquin Phoenix, right, cements his reputation as a top actor in Paul Thomas Anderson's cryptic drama about a World War II veteran looking for spiritual nourishment with a cult guru (Philip Seymour Hoffman as a thinly disguised L. Ron Hubbard-type).
Weinstein Company
Quentin Tarantino's potent blend of blaxploitation and spaghetti western is provocative, laugh-out-loud funny and full of fire. The director reminds us that slavery is outrageous -- an outrage -- not least for the way it was ensconced in a notion of aristocratic gentility. Christoph Waltz, left, and Jamie Foxx are among the stars. <a href="index.php?page=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F2012%2F12%2F28%2Fshowbiz%2Fmovies%2F10-worst-movies-2012%2Findex.html">Check out the worst movies of 2012 here.</a>
1. 'Django Unchained' —
Quentin Tarantino's potent blend of blaxploitation and spaghetti western is provocative, laugh-out-loud funny and full of fire. The director reminds us that slavery is outrageous -- an outrage -- not least for the way it was ensconced in a notion of aristocratic gentility. Christoph Waltz, left, and Jamie Foxx are among the stars. Check out the worst movies of 2012 here.
Weinstein Co.