Ladies and Gentlemen, what a year this has been for filmakers, independent and blockbuster directors. I can't say there were any true disappointments this year. Definitely some great crowd pleasers and guilty pleasures for everyone of every age this year. Also original stories that caught my attention. 

1. The Master- Something so brave, so new for films to come by in a long time. Phillip Seymour Hoffman was great as a troubling religious cult leader speaking and helping Joaquin Phoenix a much more troubled man with a horrifying alcohol addiction and even more troubling sexual past. This is a bold movie, and should not be taken lightly, Joaquin Phoenix proved to me he is a true actor, and come up with a character out of the blue and fight his demons. A seriously unforgettable movie that tries to answer some of life's questions when it wanders and handles hard challenges. 

2. Django Unchained- Much hyped about, and Quentin Tarantino is a master at the art of filmmaking. Here is proof of coming up with a great revenge story set in the 1850 with a vengence. 

3. Killing Them Softly- Brad Pitt's role was not soft at all and stood out as a true anti hero and the death scenes were shot very cinematically and very truthful for hard times in the economy and recession. Great music choices too "Heroin" during a scene where a man is shooting up. Getting Ray Liotta, Brad Pitt, James Gandolfini all in one movie was a great casting choice. 

4. Lawless-Great cast, great true story, and unforgettable when it came to the finale and unflinching violence. This brought back when men were men and true fighters. Tom Hardy's character is beyond tough, The male cast were greatly chosen, problems with the storytelling style and ending though. 

5. Prometheus-Excellent Cinematography, on an epic scale, and brought back anticipation and moments destined to catch you off guard. 

6. Ted-Hilarious and well done comedy. Didn't drag on like most comedies such as Judd Apatow's movie, the Love story in it was clever and didn't cut back to stupid flashbacks as much as Family Guy. Seth Mcfarlane is a great writer and pushed some boundaries with humor. Hilarious "Airplane' reference

7. The Dark Knight Rises- A great 3rd act to the fantastic series, don't know why everyone didn't enjoy this, The Airplane take down and taking over Gotham City from Bane was epic. The Cast was also great different for Anne Hathaway. 

8. The Cabin in the Woods-A true crowd pleaser, with so many horror references!  A breath of fresh air and hilarious and scary at the same time. A movie that surprised me with moments that caught me and the audience off guard. Loved the finale and had it's flaws too with plot holes. That was forgettable and the writers and director were using some hilarious imaginations. 

9. The Avengers-a slam bam action comic book movie done right with all of my heroes, my teenage dreams come true! Iron Man and Captain America still make me laugh and Black Widow is so fine. Loved Tony Stark's Black Sabbath Shirt and pop culture references to everyone.

10. Looper- Finally some originality when it comes to a hitman/traveling in time movie, Joesph Gordon Levitt captured Bruce Willis counterpart's mannerisms, The third act really was jumbled and confusing but a terrific new story line from the director of Brick. The Terminator meets Blade Runner meets The Omen and Witness

Honorable Mentions-Fun Crowd Pleasers

Total Recall

Seven Psychopaths

The Expendables 2

The GREY 

Dredd 3D

Skyfall

Wreck it Ralph

Premium Rush

Brave

Hit and Run

The Hobbit- Great but WAY TOO LONG