Greetings ghosts’n’goblins,

       A while back I started posting my list of Best 15 Movies of 2012 which you can read here. The plan was to do it in three parts so here’s part two of the whole shindig.

      We’ll have action, horror, romance, adventure! Intrigue! Danger! Kids that see dead people! Creepy Americans that appeared in X-Men First Class!

       Anyway, I guess it’s time to get this mother on the road once more with numbers 9 through 5.

9. Antiviral

       The son of David Cronenberg went and proved that, even though his father managed to churn out one of the biggest disappointments of 2012 (the horrendously static and flaccid Cosmopolis), he can somewhat carry on the legacy of awesome body horror. Beautifully shot and wickedly enthralling, Antiviral is a subversive satire about celebrity.

8. Nameless Gangster

       I mentioned in Part 1 of my list that I will have two Asian movies on my list. The plan was to have three initially but I decided against it eventually as the list started to grow and things would fall through the cracks. But that’s not important right now as I’m here to talk about Jong-bin Yun’s superb gangster movie starring the one and only Min-Sik Choi of I Saw The Devil and Oldboy fame. Nameless Gangster is a gripping thrill ride  that is thematically rich and engaging with some excellent performances that should be getting more attention from everyone (it had a very limited release outside of South Korea).

7. Safety Not Guaranteed

      You can read my review of Safety Not Guaranteed by clicking here. But, I’ll just go ahead and quote myself: “ It’s about hitting rock bottom and trying your best to make good of everything as your life spirals into a complete mess and Aubrey Plaza’s character, Darius, is the center of it all. Used as a bait for Kenneth, the time travel enthusiast, she slowly starts to have strong feelings for him as she gets to know him better. All the while, her boss, played by Jake Johnson from the wonderful New Girl, desperately tries to relive his youth as he’s intent of reconnecting with a former affair. Her third companion, the awkward 21-year old Arnau, is faced with growing up, becoming a man and breaking out of his shell, cracking under the pressure his boss exerts upon him.”

6. ParaNorman

       I’m sorry for Wreck-It Ralph that it did not make the list but after Frankenweenie and ParaNorman, there’s really no room for it. ParaNorman makes the list (and at such a high position, even) because it’s decidedly adult about its subject matter and it is also one of the funniest films I’ve seen in 2012. While it was marketed as a kid-friendly movie, I really fail to imagine that kids will get all of the jokes or that they won’t be grossed out by this hysterically horrid animation.

5. Killer Joe

        I’m never having KFC ever after watching this (although the whole scene was eerily erotic in a very lurid way). William Friedkin’s (you know, the director of The Exorcist) dark and violent Americana tale is a career highpoint for Matthew McConaughey who delivers the best performance of his entire career. Add to that Juno Temple as the spaced-out ingénue and all the puzzles of a vile puzzle click together.

        Well, this is it for numbers 9 through 5. We shall meet again for the rest of the list: the list with the heavy hitters, the big ones, the 4th to 1st positions. And the honorary mentions (a.k.a. movies that should’ve and could’ve been on the list).