“If all serious lyrical poets, composers, painters, and sculptors were forced by law to stop their activities, a rather small fraction of the general public would become aware of the fact and a still smaller fraction would seriously regret it. If the same thing were to happen with the movies, the social consequences would be catastrophic.” – Erwin Panofsky, 1934.

2012. 365 Days. 140 Films. 280 Hours. That’s 11.66 days I’ve dedicated this year to watching new releases. Obviously, I haven’t seen every film this year (That’s My Boy, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2), but I have seen enough great movies to make the task of creating a Top 10 List a total pain in the ass.

The annual ritual of narrowing down hundreds of titles to just 10 is a cruel but necessary discipline as a film critic. I, however, lack discipline and have found it necessary to cheat. I’ve expanded my Top 10 to include 10 Honorable Mentions (in alphabetical order) and a Top 5 Documentaries list, making for my 25 Best (or Favorite, if you prefer) Films of 2012.