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| HAPPY NEW YEAR! A LIST OF MY FAVORITE DOG STORIES FROM 2012: - CHIHUAHUA HELPS PIT BULL COPE WITH EXTREME FEAR OF ABANDONMENT (April 12, 2012) - A rescue organization helped a Pit Bull cope with fear of abandonment by pairing him up with a Chihuahua.
- A DOG JOURNAL INTERVIEW WITH ACTOR STEPHEN TOBOLOWSKY(June 26, 2012) - I am a fan of Stephen Tobolowsky’s podcast and film/TV roles, so it was a thrill to be able to interview him.
- DOG GOES DOOR-TO-DOOR TO GET HELP FOR OWNER, WINS AWARD (May 8, 2012) -After his owner passed out, a dog went from house to house and tried to get help by scratching on doors.
- SHELTER DOGS GO ON A FIELD TRIP (April 9, 2012) - This is a simple concept, but it was great to see dogs get a break from the shelter and get outside.
- FROM DEATH ROW DOG TO THERAPY DOG TO ACTOR (July 27, 2012) - A remarkable dog was rescued from euthanization, became a therapy dog, and was cast in a play this past year.
- JOGGERS PROMOTE ADOPTION OF HOMELESS DOGS (April 20, 2012) - I liked this story because it’s a reminder that shelters everywhere are working hard and using various means to find homes for the shelter dogs.
- MAN SAVES HANDICAPPED DOG IN THAILAND (July 12, 2012) - A man rescued an injured dog and brought him back to the U.S. His compassion is an inspiration to those whom he encounters.
- STRAY DOG IN AFGHANISTAN REFUSES TO BE LEFT BEHIND(October 19, 2012) - A dog befriended a soldier and refused to be left behind.
- DOG DOES TRICKS TO AVOID EUTHANIZATION (January 21, 2012) -A dog was so sweet and smart that he was able to be put up for adoption instead of being put to sleep.
- VOLUNTEERS RUN COVERT OPERATION TO SAVE PIT BULLS IN ONTARIO (November 15, 2012) - A group of volunteers are working behind the scenes to move Pit Bulls out of areas with breed-specific legislation.
This was taken from dogjournal.tumblr.com | | |
| My favorite film of the year is "Les Miserables." Having never seen the stage version, I did not expect to like it so much, but now I can't stop thinking about it. Just about all the major actors/actresses deserve an Oscar nomination. "Silver Linings Playbook" suffered somewhat from having a typical Hollywood third act, but it was still very funny and heartfelt. Jennifer Lawrence was amazing. "Looper" was the best sci-fi/action movie of the year. The most original script in years. "Flight" received some negative reviews, but I though it was Denzel Washington's best role in years. The most disappointing film to me was "The Hobbit," partly because I had wildly high expectations. I still liked it, but it was too disorganized for my liking. However, some scenes were just as good, if not better, than anything in the LOTR trilogy. Hoping that the other two films in the trilogy have more coherent scripts. It was a pretty strong year for movies. - Les Miserables
- Silver Linings Playbook
- Looper
- Flight
- Argo
- The Dark Knight Rises
- The Hobbit
- The Sessions
- The Grey
- The Avengers
Others: - The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
- Life of Pi
- Prometheus
- The Hunger Games
- 21 Jump Street
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| If you told me 10 years ago that there would come a day where I would barely log on to Xanga, I would've said you were crazy. Heck, I almost forgot my password earlier. I remember being addicted to checking for new comments and "eProps." It was a lot of fun. Times change. | | |
| *crickets*
*tumbleweed rolls by*
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| There may be a few notable omissions to this list because I haven't seen such movies as War Horse, Martha Marcy May Marlene, The Help, Drive, or Meek's Cutoff. Overall, I think it was a surprisingly strong year for movies. The top 5 or so on my list all could have been my favorite of the year, depending on my mood. Next year looks to be a strong year too, especially with the release of The Hobbit. Well, here we go:
- MIDNIGHT IN PARIS - Probably the most fun I've had at a movie in a long time, and Woody Allen's best movie in years. The atmosphere and romanticism drips off the screen. A bit sappy at times, but I'd definitely recommend it to those who like romantic comedies. Probably best to see the movie without watching too many trailers (so as to not spoil certain surprises).
- THE ARTIST - This film is about a silent film star and his struggles when the movie industry starts shifting towards "talkies." The Artist itself is a silent film and it's one of the best of 2011. Even better, a dog named Uggie plays a big part in the story and he is essentially a supporting actor. I had a huge smile on my face as the ending credits started rolling.
- DESCENDANTS - This film takes place in Hawaii so it was especially entertaining for me. This is definitely one of George Clooney's best roles. Despite the drama involved in the story, it is never saccharine or overly wrought out. It is both funny and extremely moving.
- 50/50 - Of all the films this year, this is the one with the most heart. On the surface, this is a comedy about a serious topic - cancer. Yet the movie never goes overboard with the humor and has some genuinely tender moments. The script is tight and the soundtrack is one of the best of the year.
- HUGO - I was drawn into the world within the film of this movie from the first frame. It's a love letter to the cinema in the form of a mystery/adventure. The cinematography is beautiful and you should definitely see the 3-D version. I felt like a kid again after seeing this movie.
- MONEYBALL - This is not just another sports movie. Although baseball is the backdrop, the film is ultimately about believing in oneself and taking chances. It was both funny and heartfelt. Jonah Hill stars along with Brad Pitt. It's a side of Hill I haven't seen before.
- LIKE CRAZY - The most honest portrayal of relationships I've seen in a long time. What makes the movie good is the acting by the two main leads. Perhaps a little too realistic for some, but if you buy into the angst of the characters, you will love this movie. Great soundtrack.
- ANOTHER EARTH - This is a film about regret and forgiveness with a slightly sci-fi element to the story. However, at its core this movie is a straight-up drama. Probably the movie that made me think the most and the movie that I will most remember from 2011.
- CRAZY STUPID LOVE - I think this is Steve Carrel's best movie so far. I laughed hard throughout the movie. It's formulaic at times but its shortcomings are far outweighed by the humor and acting. Ryan Gosling is great in this movie.
- INSIDIOUS - A classic "haunted house" story, this film had genuinely scary moments. Despite the fact that it's a genre that is over-saturated, this movie was really fun to watch. Not groundbreaking by any means, but a solid addition to the horror genre.
- J. EDGAR - Another great movie by Clint Eastwood. This film got mediocre reviews at best, but I disagree with the critics on this one. If you accept the slow pacing that is typical of Eastwood films, you will enjoy this movie and the acting by Leonardo DiCarprio.
- X-MEN: FIRST CLASS - Probably the best of the "comic-book" movies this year. The acting was solid and the actions scenes were fun. The movie is about the origin of the X-Men but it is compelling to watch because it is also a commentary on the instability and unrest of the 1960's.
- MARGIN CALL - This may be the first "financial thriller" I've seen. The director does a good job of building up the tension despite the fact that we all know that a financial crisis is about to explode. The movie is filled with first-rate actors such as Jeremy Irons, Kevin Spacey, Demi Moore, and others. The only downside is that, frankly, it's hard to feel compassion for the characters as they are essentially rich, cocky investment bankers. But a great movie overall.
- SUPER 8 - Very, very close to being a truly great movie. However, this movie falters in the 3rd act and fails to fully develop the relationship between the main character and antagonist. However, very well made and fun to watch.
- CONTAGION - Very efficiently made with good actors and a very tight script. What it lacks in emotional resonance, it makes up with intellectual, documentary-type storytelling. This film made me want to stop the practice of hand-shaking and take nightly baths in hand sanitizer gel.
- THOR - Overall, this was an enjoyable movie but ultimately it lacked a compelling storyline. The climax was not climactic at all and lacked a sense of grand scale.
- BATTLE: LOS ANGELES - I'll start with the bad news first. The bad news is that the dialogue and character development in this movie was not good...terrible, actually. The good news is that the number of non-action scenes were so few that the movie was still enjoyable. This movie felt like one long action sequence which was interrupted by a horrendous "dramatic" scene towards the end. The filmmakers should have just skipped all attempts to instill sentiment and drama, and stuck with what they did best -- wall-to-wall action with soldiers, aliens, guns, explosions, and spaceships. The action set pieces were amazing and it was worth watching for that alone. You have to take this movie for what it is -- mindless, fun action with shallow characters and little attention to plot.
- HANNA - I thought this would be higher on my list, and it was a good movie, but the film could have delved deeper into the story.
- RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES - This movie got pretty good reviews because it was a summer action movie that was not simply mindless action. I had high expectations going into the movie and was somewhat disappointed. Having said that, it's still a solid movie, but ultimately forgettable. If you're really into the Planet of the Apes series, you will love this movie. If not, this is just a good action movie.
- HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS 2 - Exciting and a great ending to the series, but frankly I almost fell asleep (I was really tired that day). It felt like you needed to watch Part 1 immediately prior to watching this movie to fully appreciate it.
Have a healthy and Happy 2012!
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