Everyone waits until the year is over to compile their “Best of whatever” movie lists. This has become a mundane practice. Time for a bit of a change, kids.

While the 2012 summer movie season ended with, “Meh,” overall, it ended up being a decent jaunt. Mainly because the non-blockbusters picked up the slack, as evident by some of the players that occupy spots in the top 35 of the below rankings.

Closing out the studio’s cash-cow frame was a gritty gangster posing as a wannabe western in Lawless, along with another exorcism horror product, The Possession, which provided a sliver of hope for the genre.

The new releases for the respective week will have a capsule review at the end of the column. An updated list comes out every Monday. Here’s how things are shaking up so far in 2012:

1. Chronicle
2. The Dark Knight Rises
3. The Cabin in the Woods
4. Moonrise Kingdom
5. ParaNorman
6. The Avengers
7. Red Tails
8. The Grey
9. Game Change
10. The Secret World of Arrietty
11. Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax
12. Friends with Kids
13. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
14. The Raid: Redemption
15. The Odd Life of Timothy Green
16. Tyler Perry’s Good Deeds
17. Big Miracle
18. Think Like a Man
19. Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted
20. Brake
21. Robot and Frank
22. Hope Springs
23. Rock of Ages
24. HeadHunters
25. Hemingway and Gellhorn
26. Mirror Mirror
27. People Like Us
28. Magic Mike
29. Total Recall (2012)
30. The Campaign
31. Ted
32. Celeste and Jesse Forever
33. 21 Jump Street
34. Snow White and the Huntsman
35. This Means War
36. God Bless America
37. The Three Stooges
38. Gone
39. The Amazing Spider-Man
40. Blue Like Jazz
41. Ruby Sparks
42. American Reunion
43. Jeff, Who Lives at Home
44. Journey 2: The Mysterious Island
45. Brooklyn Brothers Beat the Best
46. Katy Perry: Part of Me
47. The Expendables 2
48. Ice Age: Continental Drift
49. Juan of the Dead
50. Prometheus
51. Hysteria
52. The Dictator
53. Safe
54. Searching for Sonny
55. Brave
56. Lawless
57. The Hunger Games
58. John Carter
59. Wrath of the Titans
60. Dead Dad
61. Underworld: Awakening
62. The Devil Inside
63. The Possession
64. Premium Rush
65. Livid
66. The Five-Year Engagement
67. Downtown Express
68. Sparkle
69. Savages
70. Sound of My Voice
71. Project X
72. Men in Black 3
73. Hit and Run
74. Piranha 3DD
75. Dark Shadows
76. The Raven
77. The Bourne Legacy
78. [Rec] 3 Genesis
79. Silent House
80. That’s My Boy
81. Darling Companion
82. Bully
83. The Watch
84. What to Expect When You’re Expecting
85. Seeking a Friend for the End of the World
86. Peace, Love, & Misunderstanding
87. Lockout
88. The Woman in Black
89. The Vow
90. Man on a Ledge
91. Step Up Revolution
92. Extraterrestrial
93. The Lucky One
94. Contraband
95. The Samaritan
96. Act of Valor
97. 4:44 Last Day on Earth
98. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
99. Safe House
100. Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance
101. To Rome with Love
102. The Apparition
103. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days
104. Why Stop Now
105. The Pirates! Band of Misfits
106. Kill List
107. Chernobyl Diaries
108. Haywire
109. Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Witness Protection
110. A Thousand Words
111. Joyful Noise
112. Battleship
113. Wanderlust

Not Screened: One for the Money, Casa De Mi Padre, Chimpanzee, High School, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Nitro Circus 3D, Cosmopolis, Oogieloves In The Big Balloon Adventure

REVIEWS (click on title for full write-up)

LAWLESS

Despite the level of historical accuracy, the main issue to take up with this product is that it is too steady; which is kind of odd, considering it is about backwoods bootlegging between notable big-city gangsters and three small-town brothers – who have a reputation of not trifling with. Then again, the flick’s director, John Hillcoat, did helm the 2009 bore-fest known as The Road – a lethargic journey to nowhere.

THE POSSESSION

This ends up being a decent little exorcism tale, when factoring in the recent hoo-hash that has infected audiences the last few years. And some of this decency has to do with horror aficionado Sam Raimi (The Grudge, Drag Me to Hell), with his production company Ghost House Pictures, coming on to produce this dreary 92 minute flick. Drenched in amplified haunted house musical tones, the title pretty much says exactly what this is about.

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