Best TV of 2012

10/ Spartacus - Vengeance
Now in it’s third season, Spartacus is still a great period drama that is enormously enhanced by its boundry pushing language, sex and extreme bloody violence. Yey.

9/ Castle
Each season has surpassed the previous one in terms of the memorable, high concept episodes produced. Plus you’ve got ‘World’s Best Actor’ in Nathan Fillion and the divine Stana Katic. What else does a grown man need?

8/ Sherlock
Classy direction, sublime scripting and the perfect casting of Cumberbatch in the lead role. Fuck off Johnny Lee Miller, this is how to do a contemporary Sherlock Holmes series.

7/ Fringe
Great characters, great sci-fi concepts and an urgent, much welcome change of pace for the final season. Fringe; you will be missed.

6/ Family Guy
Still braver and funnier than the other Seth MacFarlane shows out there, Peter Griffin still has the best animated show on the air.

5/ Community
While The Big Bang Theory is prepared to portray geeks as social outcasts, Community thankfully portrays geeks as they truly are. Multi-layered, intelligent, post-modern and meta, with an endearingly loveable cast and a massive volume of in-jokes that makes consistent watching rewarding like no other show can offer. Classic Episode = Modern Warfare

4/ Doctor Who
  Only 6 episodes this year but we had three classic Steven Moffatt episodes, so who’s complaining. Celebrating the complexity of time travel, intricate, emotional stories, all served up like a science fiction fairytale. Classic Episode = Asylum Of The Daleks



3/ Game Of Thrones
  It still awes me that there is a big budget, fantasy series on TV and that it takes itself seriously. But Game Of Thrones proved that season one was no accident and climaxed in one of the most epic episodes of television ever in the amazing Blackwater. Plus it has dragons. And zombies. Oh, and evil vagina demons. Classic Episode = Blackwater



2/ The Newsroom
  Any new series from The West Wing creator Aaron Sorkin was bound to be good, but The Newsroom is stunning. Jeff Daniels makes for one great anti-hero while it being set 2 years ago allows for real life politics and media coverage to be mocked and critiqued. And the shows opening monologue sums up everything wrong with America making it worth the ranking of this series alone.
 Classic Episode = The 112th Congress



1/ The Walking Dead
  The Walking Dead producers seemed to take the criticism that the first half of the last season was a little slow, so for season three they promised a faster pace. That promise is more than fulfilled in one of the most intense half seasons of TV I’ve ever experienced. Unforgivingly brutal with shocks, unpredictable characters, imaginative situations and a willingness to play by no rules. Edge of your sphincter stuff. Classic Episode = Killer Within




Bubbling under = Red Dwarf X, Real Time with Bill Maher, The Daily Show, 30 Rock, Robot Chicken, Being Human, The Thick Of It

PART SIX

 

 

Oops! Nearly forgot this little lot were being released as well…


53/ After Earth

Will Smith & son Jaden team with M Night Shyamalan in this survival tale set on a post apocalyptic Earth, 8,000 years in the future.

54/ GI Joe - Retaliation

The bullshit is back with Channing ‘dead eyes’ Tatum relegated to cameo duty leaving Dwayne Johnson and Bruce Willis to battle the forces of Cobra.

55/ Bullet To The Head

Producer Joel Silver & director Walter Hill re-team for a buddy cop movie starring Sylvester Stallone.

56/ Much Ado About Nothing

 

In 2012 Joss Whedon could do no wrong. In 2013 he adapts the bard into a contemporary, political vision. Plus his regulars Nathon Fillion, Amy Acker, Fran Kranz, Alexis Denisof & Sean Maher
are onboard too.

57/ Upside Down

Romantic fantasy starring Kirsten Dunst and Jim Stugess.

58/ Hansel & Gretel - Witch Hunters

The Brothers Grimm tale goes to big budget exploitation town in this bloody and silly fantasy adventure starring Gemma Arterton and Jeremy Renner.

59/ Snitch

Action bullshit undercover cop thriller starring Dwayne Johnson and Susan Sarandon.

60/ Parker

Revenge thriller directed by Taylor Hackford and starring Jason ‘The Stath’ Statham and Jennifer Lopez.

61/ Oldboy

 

Remake of the classic Korean thriller directed by Spike Lee and starring Josh Brolin in the lead role.

62/ The Heat

Comedy buddy cop movie from the director of Bridesmaids starring Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy.

63/ Percy Jackson - Sea Of Monsters

 

More Greek mythology in the sequel to The Lightning Thief this time directed by the guy who brought you Diary Of A Wimpy Kid.

64/ I, Frankenstein

 

 

Aaron Eckhart and Bill Nighy star in this futuristic/fantasy comic book adaptation directed by Stuart Beattie.


On top of that you’ve got Martin Scorcese and Leonardo DiCaprio collaboration The Wolf Of Wall Street, Tom Hanks and Paul Greengrass team up for biopic Captain Phillips, there’s magician comedy with Steve Carell and Jim Carrey in The Incredible Burt Wondersone. Ridley Scott is back with Michael Fassbender in The Counsellor, Michael Bay drops the big budget for Pain and Gain with Mark Wahlberg and Dwayne Johnson, Pixar return with the sequel Monsters University, Ben Stiller stars and directs the remake of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty and there’s Scary Movie 5 too. Plus Stephen Sommers reigns in the excess with the low budget Odd Thomas, Denzel Washington is pitted against Mark Wahlberg in thriller 2 Guns plus there are sequels to Sinister and Paranormal Activity.

PART ONE

Here's a look at some of the great movies on release next year, one for every week of 2013. Of course, some will end up being a bit shit and a few gems are bound to sneak in under the radar. But it's looking good peeps, it's looking good...

1/ Star Trek Into Darkness

I’m a Star Trek fan. Here is a new Star Trek movie. Of course I’m excited. A sequel to the brilliant 2009 reboot, this has JJ Abrams returning to direct and a sinister Bennedict Cumberbatch on villain duties. The first 10 minutes currently previewing in IMAX theatres is enormous fun suggesting this is the one to beat in 2013.

2/ Man Of Steel

After a Bryan Singer’s 2006 Superman reboot was perceived to be lumbering and old fashioned, the can-do-no-wrong (in my eyes) Zack Snyder comes alone to give Supes a cutting edge kick in the Kryptonite. With Christopher Nolan producing and a fresh take by superhero mystro David Goyer on scripting duties, this might just be Snyders best work to date.

3/ Pacific Rim

Giant fucking monsters and giant fucking robots fucking fighting each other!!! How mint is that!?! While on the surface that might sound like Cloverfield vs. Transformers, this has the assured hand of monster-maestro Guillermo Del Toro behind the lens so expect a mindboggling reinvention of the Godzilla-style monster movie.

4/ The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug

 

While I wasn’t completely blown away with An Unexpected Journey, I’d be a fool for writing Peter Jackson off. With the story and characters set up in Part One, the pace and intensity should pick up for a rollercoaster Part Two. Plus the ace up it’s sleeve; the Dragon itself!

5/ Sin City: A Dame To Kill For

 

It might have taken 8 years for co-directors Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller to get this sequel made but if it’s anything like the stylish, ultra-cool 2005 original, it’ll be worth the wait. Jessica Alba, Micky Rourke, Clive Owen and Rosario Dawson all return while we waited with baited breath to see who will be playing the Dame of the title.

6/ Django Unchained

Tarantino. Nuff said. The film’s been getting rave reviews, it’s ending up in the end of year awards nomination categories, the cast is superb and it’s a genre QT hasn’t played with before. But let’s face it, even if this was a single room tele-play with 2 characters, this would still be a must watch.

7/ Gravity

Children Of Men’s Alfonso Cuaron directs this contemporary science fiction drama of an astronaut (Sandra Bullock) trapped in a Space Station plummeting to earth while George Clooney at mission control tries to help. It’s using cutting edge animation technique to shoot the whole film in just a handful of takes, this might be the sleeper of the year.,

8/ The World's End

 

Reuniting Sion Pegg, Nick Frost and director Edgar Wright in the third of the much anticipated Cornetto Trilogy, it has our heroes embark on an epic pub crawl only for the apocalypse to happen along the way. Following Scott Pilgrim, Wright has proven himself a genius.

9/ Elysium

 

A future set, apocalyptic story from the director of District 9 which stars Matt Damon.

10/ Cloud Atlas

An ambitious epic of interweaving, inter-related stories spanning centuries from directors Tom Twyker and the Wachowski siblings.

PART TWO

 

 

 

11/ Iron Man 3

Robert Downey is back in his signature role guided by superstar writer/director Shane Black of Lethal Weapon, The Last Boy Scout and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang fame.

12/ Oblivion

Another far future, apocalyptic epic, this time from Tron Legacy director Joseph Kosinski and starring Tom Cruise and Morgan Freeman.

13/ Riddick

 

Despite the critical backlash against 2004’s The Chronicles of Riddick, the anti-hero is back in a darker, smaller scale story akin to Pitch Black.

14/ A Good Day To Die Hard

Despite being terribly handicapped by the king of bland, director John Moore, a new Die Hard film is difficult to not get excited about. This one’s set in Moscow with Bruce Willis’ John McClane teaming up with his son.

15/ The Wolverine

 

Hugh Jackman returns to his signature X-Men role in a stand-alone story based on Frank Miller’s graphic novel.

16/ Mad Max: Fury Road

 

Twenty eight years after Beyond Thunderdome, director George Miller returns with a sequel starring Tom Hardy as the recast Max as well as Charlize Theron.

17/ Jack The Giant Slayer

X-Men’s Bryan Singer can’t make a bad film as far as I’m concerned and here he turns his attention to a fairy tale adventure reworking of Jack & The Beanstalk.
18/ World War Z

Brad Pitt stars in something that’s never been done before; a zombie apocalypse EPIC!. A mega-budget means zombies comin’ at ya at a million undead a minute!

19/ Oz - The Great & Powerful

The imaginative Sam Raimi directs this Wizard Of Oz prequel starring Mila Kunis, Michelle Williams and Rachel Weitz as three witches. As long as hero James Franco isn’t shit, this should rock.

20/ Anchorman 2

The comedy sequel we’ve all been waiting for. Will Ferrell and company return as The Channel Four news team.

PART THREE

 

 

21/ The Lone Ranger

Bruckheimer, Verbinski and Johnny Depp reunite for this supernatural tinged western reboot. As long as it’s more Rango than Dead Man’s Chest, we’re onto a winner.

22/ Thor 2

 

Game Of Thrones Alan Taylor sits in the directors chair for Marvel’s sequel which reunited Hemsworth Portman and Hiddleston.

23/ 300 - Rise Of An Empire

 

The long-delayed prequel to 300 starring Eva Green follows events from the Persian invades perspective, although director Noam Murro is an untested commodity.

24/ Machete Kills

 

Robert Rodriguez and Danny Trejo return for more Mexploitation craziness which co-stars Amber Heard, Zoe Saldana, Jessica Alba, Vanessa Hudgens and Mel Gibson as the bad guy!

25/ Jack Ryan

 

Tom Clancy’s nerd-spy returns with Chris Pine taking over from Ben Affleck, Harrison Ford and Alec Baldwin. Kenneth Brannagh directs.

26/ The Hunger Games - Catching Fire

 

I Am Legend’s Francis Lawrence directs this adaptation of the sequel to this years brilliant original.

27/ R.I.P.D

 

Ryan Reynold and Jeff Bridges team up as undead cops for the Rest In Peace Department in an offbeat comic adaptation.

28/ The Evil Dead

The Sam Raimi produced remake of his 1981 orginal promises fewer laughs and greater scares.

29/ Trance

 

A genre bending thriller from Oscar winner Danny Boyle starring James McAvoy and Rosario Dawson.

30/ Zero Dark Thirty

Director Kathryn Bigelow returns to the world of contemporary military combat with this account of the hunt for Osama Bin Laden.

PART FOUR

 

 

31/ Lincoln

Steven Spielberg ‘s long gestating biopic of the American President finally reaches us starring Daniel Day Lewis.

32/ White House Down

 

Die Hard in The White House, version 1. Directed by Roland Emmerich and starring Channing Tatum and Jamie Foxx as the President.

33/ Olympus Has Fallen

 

Die Hard in The White House, version 2. Directed by Antoine Fuqua and starring Gerard Butler and Aaron ckhart as the President.

34/ The Last Stand

Arnold Schwarznegger’s first starring role since exiting the world of U.S. Politics sees his aging Border Sheriff and rag tag deputies take on a dangerous, fleeing drug kingpin.

35/ The Tomb

Arnie re-teams with Stallone in a prison set action drama.

36/ Lords Of Salem

Auteur Rob Zombie returns behind the camera for an arty, Rosemary’s Baby-esque tale featuring a middle-American witches coven.

37/ Enders Game

 

An adaptation of Orson Scott Card’s future set, alien invasion epic starring Harrison Ford and Asa Butterfield.

38/ Red 2

 

Bruce Willis, John Malkovich, Helen Mirren and Mary Louise Parker return for the action comedy sequel.

39/ Kick Ass 2

 

Jeff Wadlow directs the sequel to Matthew Vaughan’s brilliant original with added Jim Carrey.

40/ Warm Bodies

Nicholas Hoult and Teresa Palmer star in this quirky zombie rom-com from the director of 50/50 and All The Boys Love Mandy Lane.

PART FIVE

 

41/ Despicable Me 2

Sequel to the sleeper animation hit of 2010 with Steve Carell and his minions returning.

42/ The Last Exorcism, Part 2

 

This sequel to the brilliant 2010 movie has Ashley Bell’s previously possessed victim trying to settle down for a normal life.

43/ Gangster Squad


An L.A. set, big budget reworking of The Untouchables with Nick Nolte, Ryan Gosling, Josh Brolin and Sean Penn plus Emma Stone.

44/ Flight

Robert Zemekis returns to live action film making after fannying around with creepy mo-cap animation for a true life story starring Denzel Washington.

45/ Mama

Oscar darling, Jessica Chastain, stars in this creepy horror yarn from the production house of Guillermo Del Torto.

46/ Carrie

Boys Don’t Cry’s Kimberly Peirce directs this remake of Stephen King’s classic starring Chloe Moretz in the title role.

47/ The Great Gatsby

Visionary Baz Luhrman directs this sumptuous adaptation of the American literary classic starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan.

48/ Fast & Furious 6

 

Vin Diesel and walking plank Paul Walker return for more high speed hijinks.

49/ Now You See Me

Ruffalo, Eisenberg, Freeman, Harrelson and Caine star as a team of illusionists who pull off bank heists. Directed by Louis Letterier.

50/ Rush

 

Ron Howard’s biopic of legendary F1 driver James Hunt with Chris Hemsworth in the lead role.

51/ 47 Ronin

 

Keanu Reeves returns in this 18th century set, samurai revenge epic.

52/ Attack Of The Clones & Revenge Of The Sith 3D!!!

Star Wars. Back in cinemas. Has to be seen. And in added 3D!