Summary: Sisters are left on their own in a cabin in the woods after their psycho father tries to kill them. A ghost looks after the sisters for five years until they are discovered — so much for a search and rescue team! The ghost, known as Mama, is a bit protective over the little darlings and has a past of her own.

Review: Jessica Chastain is the “It” girl in Hollywood with her award-winning performance in Zero Dark Thirty. However, there is a different Chastain in Mama — an up-and-coming actress in a D-rated horror flick who probably had no idea she would become Tinseltown royalty when signing up for this celluloid yawn-fest. Presented by Guillermo del Toro and first-time director Andres Muschietti, Mama is monotonous ridiculousness.

Channeling the atrociousness of Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark, one can tell Mama will be a dud within the first 15 minutes: a crazed daddy, a lone cabin in the snowy woods, a ghost that flies around like a Disney villain and Jessica Chastain’s Carol Brady meets a Mary J. Blige circa 1994 wig. Plus, a disconnected plot of a jealous ghost who attaches herself to two abandoned children.

The disaster of Mama is not any fault of Jessica Chastain — she is barely promoting the film. One can imagine she hopes the movie will quietly disappear as she snags her well-deserved Oscar. But even in this terrible flick, Miss Jessica is still fun to watch. She bounces around as a rock ‘n roll chick and girlfriend of the uncle who finds the disturbed sisters. The trouble with Mama is due to a humdrum script, roll-your-eyes special effects and zero scares. For first-time director Muschietti, hopefully there is more we can see from him — no one could’ve made Mama a good movie and no one should’ve tried.

Unimaginative and far from scary, don’t believe anyone who tells you Mama is worth your money or time.

Mama is in theaters today.

(Photo: Lionsgate)

Summary: A follow-up to the 1974 original (even though there was already a follow-up in 1986), a surviving infant of Leatherface’s kin doesn’t know she is related to the family of serial killers. After they all die off, Heather (the beautiful Alexandra Daddario) is now a teenager who is left a massive mansion with only the sadistic Leatherface — her cousin — still kicking. Will Leatherface accept his lil’ cousin and her teen-dream friends or will they get the iconic chainsaw?

Review: Texas Chainsaw 3D is the sixth installment of Leatherface in drag and the absolute worst: illogical plot, bland scares and trite horror flick shenanigans. The pretty people in crisis bounce around in midriffs, boobs jiggling, booties shaking and repeatedly falling while being chased by the chainsaw-yielding madman — if Leatherface were a real person he would chainsaw through any movie studios that tried to give this battered franchise another reboot. Out of respect for all horror fans — leave The Texas Chainsaw Massacre alone!

There is no way to reinvent the story — it has been massacred of any horror movie fun. Actually, the plot of Texas Chainsaw 3D might’ve functioned better if it wasn’t attached to the franchise. Clearly, the creators tried to satisfy the necessities of being connected to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, which only resulted in farfetched twists and unexplainable plot holes. For example, if this is the sequel to the 1974 original, then how can the surviving infant be a perky-bosomed gal in her early twenties with horny BFFs? She would be nearly 40!

Texas Chainsaw 3D is Tremaine “Trey Songz” Neverson’s debut film and he gives fans what they want when he pulls a Taylor Lautner and is shirtless in his first scene. Ignoring the bad movie, the “Neighbors Know My Name” singer is a solid actor.  It was wise to get his feet wet in a comfortable supporting role — even if the film is a dud.  There will be more to come from Mr. Songz on the big screen.

That said, Texas Chainsaw 3D is pointless, atrocious on every level and gives horror films a bad name.

Texas Chainsaw 3D is in theaters today.

This year in film focused on epics (Lincoln, Cloud Atlas, Les Misérables) with movies clocking in nearly three hours yet not saying much. That could be why this was a rough 12 months at the box office. However, there were a handful of memorable movies, which may have took some digging to find.

Check out my fourth annual list for the best films of 2012 (click on the quote to go directly to the review).

10. Beasts of the Southern Wild

(Photo: Courtesy Court 13 Productions)

“The film with the biggest heart of 2012. ”

9. Flight

(Photo: Paramount Pictures)

“Cinematically, the best moment is a terrifying plane crash scene that is sure to haunt frequent travelers.  What Psycho did for motel showers is what Flight will do for the ‘friendly’ skies.”

8. Argo

(Photo: Warner Bros Pictures)

“Directed and starring Ben Affleck, this is J.Lo’s ex (sorry, I couldn’t resist) at his film-making  best. Slick, polished and enough suspense to keep viewers interested, Argo deserves accolades this awards season yet is still accessible to the average audience.”

7. Bully

(Photo: Sundance Institute Documentary Fund)

“An intense examination of bullying from the perspective of the victims.”

6. Middle of Nowhere

(Photo: Forward Movement Pictures)

“A heartbreaking but teachable story about love and the morbid sacrifices we make to find it.  If you walk out of Middle of Nowhere with no feeling then you are missing some soul.”

5.  The Paperboy

(Photo: Benaroya Pictures)

“The Paperboy will get the respect it deserves years later. One day, film schools will dissect the movie and marvel at the flick’s wondrous deconstruction of race, gender and class.”

4. Marley

(Photo: Cowboy Films)

“Marley will go down in cinematic history as one of the greatest music documentaries of all time. The first must-see movie of 2012.”

3. How to Survive a Plague

(Photo: Public Square Films)

“A brilliant blueprint on how to spark a revolution. The activists who were highlighted in this film are American heroes to us all — gay, straight, black, white, male or female.”

2. The Central Park Five

(Photo: Florentine Films)

“The execution of the story is flawless, detailing an injustice that jailed innocent men who only got media attention when they were labeled criminals — not when they were proven to be innocent.  The documentary is fascinating yet sobering to watch. Well over 20 years since the incident, the film’s story is unfortunately still relevant.”

1. Django Unchained

(Photo: Columbia Pictures)

“Django Unchained thunders across the big screen as a fireball of celluloid flawlessness. I will not argue the trite debate whether the film is or isn’t that hot-button word: racist. Racism is The Central Park Five, the execution of Troy Davis and wannabe cops who “stand their ground” to unarmed Black boys — not a Hollywood film, which is meant for entertainment and includes some of the most respected and intelligent Black actors of today. Quentin Tarantino’s greatest work since Pulp Fiction and, undoubtedly, the best film of 2012.“

(Photo: Warner Bros Pictures)

Summary: Based on a true story, CIA specialist Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck) hatches a creative plan to free six Americans held hostage in Iran. They pose as a movie crew scouting Iran as a possible shooting location for the fictional high-budget sci-fi film Argo.

Review: The story of Argo is so unbelievable that it would have to be a true story for it to work on camera. Is it possible to pose as a movie crew to free six hostages? Well, Argo proves it is true only with Hollywood on your side. Directed and starring Ben Affleck, this is J.Lo’s ex (sorry, I couldn’t resist) at his film-making best. Slick, polished and enough suspense to keep viewers engaged, Argo deserves the accolades this awards season yet is still accessible to the average audience. However, with Lincoln, Les Miserables and Zero Dark Thirty, Argo will get lost this season.

Written by Chris Terrio, the story takes place in 1979. It is almost comical to watch Affleck and team  with the thick mustaches, campy suits and big eyeglasses of the ’70s — the only element missed were some disco beats. But the setting is another example of the polish Argo possesses. Each scene smoothly moves to the other, building tremendous tension. It’s quite an accomplishment, especially if you know how the story ends. That said, even if you know the history-making ending for the six American hostages, the suspenseful journey of Argo is worth the watch. Furthermore, the Warner Bros. film is much more cohesive and skillful than the other “epics” released this year — Argo only clocks in at a two-hour running time and tells a much better story than the films that over-stuff audiences with nearly three-hours.  Editing is an art form!

(Photo: Universal Pictures)

Summary: Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman) is an ex-con on the run and under the suspicious eye of evil policeman Javert (Russell Crowe). When factory worker Fantine (Anne Hathaway) loses her job and becomes a prostitute, Valjean agrees to care for her daughter, Cosette — drama ensues with a whole lot of singing.

Review: Les Misérables is the world’s longest-running musical and an ambitious choice for an adaption to the big screen. Directed by Tom Hooper, one can’t deny the flick’s beauty.  However, Les gets tiresomely lost in its own hullabaloo: Grand numbers, over-the-top special effects and performances that scream, “Give me my Oscar!”  Wildly self-indulgent at a whopping two hours and thirty-eight minutes, how much of Les Mis can one really take? Even the musical slips in an intermission. Les Misérables isn’t for your viewing pleasure, it’s strictly for awards season.

All of that said, Les Misérables is not a bad film. It’s probably as good as a musical set in the epic poverty of 19th-century France could be. Anne Hathaway has her “And I Am Telling You” moment when singing “I Dreamed a Dream” as Fantine, factory worker turned hooker. Her performance of the torch song will certainly go down as one of the best renditions of a musical number in movies. The future Oscar-winner is the high-point of the film, but when her character disappears there isn’t much left.

Hugh Jackman’s performance is undeniably powerful and he clearly wants his Oscar. There is also an awkward Russell Crowe busting out show tunes. He looks laughably out of place at times but, overall, surprisingly makes the character work. Other notables are Amanda Seyfried, Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen (Bruno!). Still, much of the flick’s alleged passion is drowned in Hollywood shenanigans — we needed more grit and less shine.  Yes, Les Misérables delivers stunning moments, but there is more pomp and circumstance than needed heart and soul.

Les Misérables is in theaters December 25.

(Photo: Sundance Institute Documentary Fund)

Summary: A documentary on bullying, focusing on the tragic suicides of Tyler Long and Ty Smalley.

Review: Bullying is not a new phenomenon. Many of us can tell tragic stories of being tortured in our youth. Whether it is due to the Internet, social media or the pervasive meanness that dominates our culture, bullying today is an epidemic and Bully arrives with important timing.

Directed by Lee Hirsch, the film takes an intense look at bullying from the perspective of the victims. Through various stories, which include a young girl from Mississippi who brought a gun to school to protect herself, a lesbian teen ostracized from her community and a boy named Alex who is beaten on school bus rides. Bully documents the war zones many of our children endure. Shocking footage of children being attacked or mourning parents at the funerals of kids who committed suicide tug at your heart.

The stories in Bully are powerful and at times frustrating, especially despicable scenes of school officials failing to hear the outcries of their students. Hirsch clearly has a message: bullying is wrong and what are we, as Americans, going to do about it? However, one angle Hirsch missed was the voice of the bully.  What drives them to torture someone else? People aren’t born bullies, they are taught to bully. Is it their parents? Socioeconomic background? Were they once bullied?  None of this was explored, which left the doc feeling unbalanced, especially when the main question is, “Why?”

Regardless of the flick’s shortcomings, one cannot deny the awful stories of these teens and the results bullying had on their entire family. Hopefully the film will inspire parents to have a candid conversation with their children about being bullied and bullying. There is no pretty way to tie-up the horrors of children who are no longer with us, but Bully brings some needed attention.

(Photo: The Weinstein Company)

Summary: Bounty hunter King Schultz (Christoph Waltz) frees Django (Jaime Foxx) for him to point out three overseers he is ordered to kill. Quickly realizing Django has a knack for shooting, Schultz hires Django as his right-hand man. Django only agrees if Schultz will help him rescue his enslaved wife, Bromhilda (Kerry Washington).

Review: The antebellum was a heinous time in American history, yet, it is a sacred era. Anyone who touches slavery on screen will get a cynical side-eye (Beloved, Amistad, Queen). In this review, I will not argue the trite debate whether the film is or isn’t that hot-button word: racist. Racism is the Central Park Five, the execution of Troy Davis and wannabe cops who “stand their ground” to unarmed Black boys — not a Hollywood film, which is meant for entertainment and includes some of the most respected and intelligent Black actors of today. My perspective: Is Django Unchained a good or bad film?  Neither — Quentin Tarantino’s seventh film is phenomenal.

Surprisingly historically correct for Hollywood, the pre-Civil War western is a serious take on the cruelty of slavery, but not without Tarantino’s signature style: sensitive, bloody, witty, comedic and respectful in all of the right places.  The Oscar winner authentically breathes life into characters that have morphed into spectacles on the big screen over the years — from the slave master to the slave, Tarantino dug for depth.  He found a new way to tell a story that should never be dismissed. The Black characters aren’t the docile “Negros” we’ve seen in the past. These are fully realized roles and when they are unchained, the tables turn.

The casting of Django Unchained is perfect. Jaime Foxx gives the best performance of his career since Ray. Leonardo DiCarpio as Master Calvin Candie is like we have never seen him before. Kerry Washington is core-shaking, disturbingly letting out the roars of whippings and, again, not the stereotypical mammy, maid or temptress that Black women are relegated to in films about the antebellum South. Christopher Waltz as a smooth-talking bounty hunter provides much needed comic relief and the grace in which he handles King Schultz will certainly shower him with awards. But the king of the show (and the most controversial) is Samuel L. Jackson as a “house Negro” named Stephen. The fervor Jackson brought to the character is historically correct and wonderfully three-dimensional. Cry me a river to anyone complaining Jackson is playing a house Negro, see the film before judging — he is a inventive actor whose résumé speaks for itself.  Damn it — give Samuel L. Jackson his Oscar!

Over the years, Tarantino has been criticized for his use of the N-word. Well, Tarantino didn’t hold back this time around — the N-word is said approximately 108 times in the two hours and 45 minutes. Every main character spat the racial slur with the exception of Kerry Washington. While I could go without hearing the N-word ever again in movies (I love that Nicole Kidman refused to say the word in The Paperboy), as a writer, Tarantino wrote characters, not historical figures (although it is important to note the N-word was used more during Jim Crow, not the Antebellum South).

Django Unchained thunders across the big screen as a fireball of celluloid flawlessness. Part western, part Black exploitation but absolutely stunning film-making, it’s Quentin Tarantino’s greatest work since Pulp Fiction and, undoubtedly, the best film of 2012.

Django Unchained is in theaters December 25.

Summary: Directed by Benh Zeitlin, a six-year-old struggles with poverty, an abusive and mentally ill father and a forgotten community in the bayou. But it is her imagination that helps her survive.

Review: A star is born in Quvenzhane Wallis. She wonderfully plays Hushpuppy in a high-art film that struggles with plot hiccups, but shines because of this gifted child’s bright light. Almost like a dancer, Wallis floats across the screen, putting the audience in a trance. She is fascinating to watch in a film that wouldn’t work without her captivating aura. Even though Wallis is only a child, Hushpuppy is the role she was meant to play.

Beasts mainly relies on the imagination of a six-year-old, therefore, at times the plot is muddy. Bouncing around in the character’s mind made the film a chore to watch, but not without endearing moments. This is Benh Zeitlin’s first film and he shows huge promise, well-deserving of the praise the film has received. Rarely is there such a diverse film that uses fantasy and magic as a storyline, especially with lead actors of color and told in the context of a bayou community. The good certainly outweighs the challenging in Beasts of the Southern Wild.

An unsung presence in the film is Dwight Henry as Hushpuppy’s father, who never acted previously. In real life, he was a survivor of Hurricane Katrina and a co-owner of a bakery shop in New Orleans. Although Henry was hesitant, the filmmakers insisted he play Hushpuppy’s dad and the rest is Beasts of the Southern Wild history. It was fascinating to see a man who has never stepped on a film set a day in his life and conquer such a demanding role.

Though the majority of the flick is completely nonsensical, you can’t deny the movie’s beauty. As a viewer, you must channel your inner child. When playtime and imagination was escapism — that is the moment where the film clicks. Wallis as Hushpuppy has nothing but her thoughts to save her. She is a survivor of poverty and finds the beautiful in the ugly. Unconventional, but Beasts of the Southern Wild is the film with the biggest heart of 2012.

(Photo: Public Square Films)

Summary: A documentary on the HIV/AIDS epidemic and the activists who fought for healthcare from a government who ignored them.

Review: There are several documentaries on HIV/AIDS. But How to Survive a Plague is not just another film on the epidemic, the movie centers around the ferocious warriors who sacrificed their lives so HIV/AIDS would be the “manageable” disease it is today. Directed by David France, the film focuses on ACT UP and TAG (Treatment Action Group), two legendary activist groups that were exhausted by seeing their friends die with no acknowledgement from the government. President Ronald Reagan and President George Bush famously ignored the HIV/AIDS crisis because it was stereotypically limited to white gay men of New York and San Francisco (and the island of Haiti, a fact many people forget).

Without being exploitative, David France showed the gruesome results of the early stages of AIDS. At the time, an AIDS diagnosis meant nearly a 100 percent chance of death. Thankfully, these brilliant young people documented their struggles — sadly knowing a video camera would be the only way to preserve their history.  The majority of the film is vintage footage over several years, detailing each step backward and forward of the crisis.

When we hear about the millions of people who died of HIV/AIDS, the stats often become a number. But How to Survive a Plague attached a face — not to the disease — but to the courage it took to stand up to a mysterious illness and a lazy government. Viewers got to know icons like Bob Rafsky, Ray Navarro, Larry Kramer, Mark Harrington, Peter Staley and countless others. Without these unsung heroes, who knows where the HIV/AIDS epidemic would be today.

One riveting moment was when activists scattered the ashes of their loved one on the White House lawn — an unforgettable visual in documentary cinema.

Through all of the film’s tragedies, there are bright moments. These were activists who laughed through their tears and possessed the creative tools to make their voices heard. Jesse Helms, a Republican State Senator from North Carolina who was wildly homophobic, famously had a condom adorned on his house. President Bill Clinton got a hot lash from Bob Rafsky, a man who was living with the disease and refused to be silenced. Plus, there are endless moments from witty, edgy activists who didn’t just protest, they performed with rainbow smoke, orchestrated elaborate demonstrations and delivered compelling speeches.

How to Survive a Plague is a brilliant blueprint on how to spark a revolution. The activists who were highlighted in this film (and the nameless, faceless people who perished without getting a chance to be in front of the camera) are American heroes to us all — gay, straight, black, white, male or female, they saved us and sacrificed their lives to control the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

(Photo: Benaroya Pictures)

Summary: Set in 1960s South Florida, a small town reporter and his partner are seeking out the truth of a controversial prisoner. Secrets are revealed and the grime of this quaint town is exposed.

Review:  Critics are hollering Lee Daniels‘ interpretation of the bestselling novel by Pete Dexter is common camp. Maybe it is the exposure of the good ‘ole South mixed with racism and sex that makes some uncomfortable — but Daniels’ work has never centered on giving audiences a warm and fuzzy feeling. The Oscar-nominated director wants to push people’s buttons, force them to think and give them a movie-going experience that they’ve never seen. Mission accomplished.

The Paperboy is graphic and shocking, but undoubtedly intelligent. Each character is packed with layers and the story is unexpected at every frame. That said, I could see how the visuals might be a challenge for some to digest. Lee Daniels is refreshingly not presenting a sanitized version of the Jim Crow South. The Paperboy is the right kind of grime, which is a more realistic version of the 1960s South than the Disney-fied The Help. Gone are the passive, “shucking and jiving Negros.” There is no residue of prim and proper Southern whites who spit the N-word and quickly adjust their bouffant. The Paperboy is disturbingly foul — as it should be. This is a film about sexuality, race, crime and class. Congrats to Daniels for having the guts to go there.

The Paperboy includes an all-star cast. There is Nicole Kidman as the sex-crazed but tortured Charlotte Bless. The powers that be won’t take notice, but this is Kidman’s most transformative performance to date. She took every risk an actor should take — but I am still elated she refused to use the N-word.

Zac Efron demolished his former teen dream image, proving he is a gifted actor and it took Daniels to dig it up. Matthew McConaughey was pushed to places he had never been and appeared to be at ease in the madness of his character. Both McConaughey and Kidman might need therapy to recover from the film!

David Oyelowo as an assistant journalist continued his streak of stellar performances. The unsung actor in the film is Macy Gray — she was a beast onscreen and the glue that held a complicated flick together.

Like many other movies, The Paperboy is a film that will get the respect it deserves years later. One day, film schools will dissect the movie and marvel at the flick’s wondrous deconstruction of race, gender and class.