There is the old adage that time waits for no one - how true this is with our modern film industry. With hundreds of films released every year by major studios and independent shops, it's impossible to see every film that hits your local theater. Still others suffer from the fate of a poorly-envisioned marketing campaign, or worse are granted no campaign at all. Call them what you will, but these 'overlooked' titles still have value and probably deserve a second glance.
Even though we were lucky to be invited to 65 films this year, it was clear by December that we hadn't seen everything of value. But with home releases now available in almost any format, catching up on some of the most overlooked titles is fairly easy.
Here now are the top 5 most overlooked films of 2012. Our titles are mostly first-run films filled with A-List actors, but you'll find some real independent gems in here as well. This list is purposely presented out of order.
Haywire (Dir. Steven Soderbergh)
Although Soderbergh had a massive hit this year with Magic Mike, he really deserved two. MMA fighter Gina Carano was introduced to audiences as one tough female assassin, content to drop kick or shoot you rather than talk. She did a lot of ass-kicking on the likes of Channing Tatum, Michael Fassbender, Ewan McGregor, and just about every male co-star in this film. Performing all of her own stunts, while looking killer in a black party dress, Carano showed that tough cage fighters can look good dispensing swift justice. Haywire felt extremely realistic, content to allow the action to dictate the scene, rather than being led by the typical electronic drum beat. Soderbergh doesn't make bad films, and considering the star power he's amassed, it was shocking to learn that duds such as The Guilt Trip, Cloud Atlas, and Alex Cross did better at the box office. Give this film a chance and you won't be let down.
Lawless (Dir. John Hillcoat)
Of the films on this list, Lawless is probably the hardest to explain why it was overlooked. It features one of the best casts of the year - Jessica Chastain, Jason Clarke, Tom Hardy, Shia LaBeouf, and Guy Pearce - and Director Hillcoat creates the perfect environment to tell his period piece about Appalachian bootleggers during the Prohibition Era. Pearce is simply creepy as the dandily-dressed County DA who enjoys rough sex and the power that comes with his position. For proof of his work, check out the ass-kicking Pearce delivers on the vain and powerless LaBeouf in Act 1. Lawless goes beyond the typical violence to deliver a powerful story about a system so corrupt that even the cops were taking handouts to keep quiet. Chastain's full frontal scene doesn't hurt the film as you might expect. Lawless is well acted and certainly worth your time.
Seven Psychopaths (Dir. Martin McDonagh)
There's two things that stand out with Psychopaths: it never made it to more than 1,500 theaters (thus contributing to its poor performance), but its lead characters were as rich any others we saw in 2012. I loved the wacky nature of the script about a failed writer (Colin Farrell) who enlists the help of his psychotic friend (Sam Rockwell) and a former hitman (Christopher Walken) to help juice up his long-tabled idea of a modern-era Magnificent Seven. Woody Harrelson also makes an appearance as a local crazed thug and owner of a dog stolen by Rockwell and Walken to be returned for a ransom. I hope this film gains the cult following it deserves when it's released on Blu-ray in January.
For A Good Time Call... (Dir. Jamie Travis)
Simply put, Time is one of the funniest, most irreverent movies of 2012. Actor/Co-writer Ari Graynor teams up with co-writer Lauren Miller to create a film about two women who sell their bodies over a homemade phone sex line. There's a few cameos dropped in for good measure, and the general wackiness factor is matched only by the sheer amount of sex toys and raunchy talk these two girls employ. Time is also a good movie about the intricacies of female friendships and the single-mindedness of men to 'hit that' and move on. It's a sly and deliciously-paced romp from the get-go and should not be missed.
The Raid: Redemption (Dir. Gareth Evans)
Of the most violent movies of 2012, The Raid: Redemption has to top that list. It's hard to explain the film as anything but 101 minutes of pure adrenalin pumped into your eyes and ears. The fight scenes are some of the most memorable of all time, involving a style of fighting called "Pencak Silat" that's one part ballet, another part pure ass-kicking. This film was in limited release for all of about 10 minutes, never gaining the foothold it so richly deserves. If you and your posse have time, you cannot miss The Raid. It will easily become your favorite mixed-martial arts movie of all time.
Do you have a favorite movie that bombed in 2012?
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