Who's "Barbara"? What's wrong with "Zero Dark Thirty"? Why are critics ganging up on "It's a Wonderful Life"? What is the connection between "American Horror Story" and The Glen Workshop?

Writing, I find, is a joy and an adventure. But it's not much of a job. In fact, you need another job in able to afford to do it.

Sure, there are some critics out there who strive to seem superior to others. But most critics are just fans of movies... such big fans that they like to examine and talk about everything that's in a movie. Today, I came across a reminder of what a great critic can accomplish.

I'd invite you all to a New Year's Eve Listening Party, but there are just too many of you. So allow me to deliver this party to your doorstep. Here is some music from my favorite recordings of 2012.

"Django Unchained" stands in stark contrast to traditions of American storytelling that have covered up the suffering slaves endured. When a culture tells stories that excuse its own evils long enough, the pendulum is sure to swing the other direction to reveal, even exaggerate, what has been left out.

So… was The Master a good movie, or not? What about Lincoln or The Avengers? What about This is 40 or Zero Dark Thirty? 204 film critics voted in this year’s Indiewire critics’ poll. Their choices do not resemble the Box Office Top 10 or the movies likely to be honored by the Golden Globes. Why is that? Who's right?

"The Muppet Christmas Carol" was about as faithful an adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic story as the Muppets could make in the midst of their typical mischief. Nevertheless, fans could feel that something was missing. The regular cast of characters seemed to have lost their personalities...

I'm grateful to the good folks at The Brehm Center for inviting me to contribute to their film site Reel Spirituality. And my first contribution there is about a movie I've been eager to see for several years. I can't believe I'm finally reviewing it.

The filmmakers took one children's book and expanded it into three movies. So I'll take this one movie and expand it into two movie reviews...

Whether you call it inspiring, baffling, offensive, or exhausting — I suspect you'll describe it as "all of the above" — I think you'll agree with me that this film is truly unforgettable. Despite the millions of dollars fueling 2012’s special-effects extravaganzas, I doubt I’ll experience anything as exhilarating as this.