First update of the New Year: 18 Dec 2011 to 2 January 2012

Last summer, while I was in Mexico on my honeymoon, we spoke with a tour guide of Mayan descent, who basically told us that the 2012 apocalyptic predictions were bullshit. According to him, the Mayan calendar is supposed to end in our year 2012 not because they predicted the end of the world, but rather because their calendar system is cyclical, and was supposed to progress a certain number of years before it essentially rebooted (my word, not his). So those of you who are worried that this year will be the last Muriel Awards- and the last everything else, for that matter- worry no more.

Anyway, here’s what we’ve missed the last few weeks:

Lists, lists, and more lists! Danny Baldwin looked at the year that was, Sean Burns recapped with the help of Muriel fave Matt Prigge, Kenji Fujishima found much to like, Glenn Heath showed some love t0 2011, Michael Lieberman posted screencaps from his favorite newly-seen films new and old, curmudgeonly Uncle Crizzle couldn’t even fill out a top 10, and Alison Willmore’s list was brought to you by the letter M.

In other news, the world has been on holiday break, but Simon Abrams is as busy as ever- reviews of Hercules in New York, Night of the Demon, Hellbound: Hellraiser II, Jungle Fever, A Very Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas, two by Frank Henenlotter, Eye of the Cat, The New York Ripper, Identification of a Woman, an odd pairing of Sleeping Beauty and Tower Heist, Ra.One, Weekend, The Robber, The Woman, Dr. Strangelove, a trio of October releases, The Shock Doctrine, The Catechism Cataclysm, Margaret, Noriko’s Dinner Table, two recent attempts to cash in on established franchises, I’m a Cyborg, But That’s OK, Shame, an Ealing double feature, The Skin I Live In and Real Steel, A Dangerous Method, This Is Not a Film, and two reviews of The Descendants. Also, he posted an interview with Ralph Fiennes, complete with outtakes, looked back at 31 Days of Horror, and boarded the Kentucky Crap Wagon with Steve Carlson for the latest Bad Idea Podcast. And this is why it’s a good idea to update this more frequently than every other week, kids.

Danny Baldwin looked at Tintin, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Sherlock Holmes 2, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, and Young Adult. And I just alphabetized those suckas without even meaning to do so.

Sean Burns interviewed Artist director Michel Hazanavicius, and reviewed Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, The Artist, and War Horse.

Paul Clark reviewed We Need to Talk About Kevin and trawled for awards-season screeners. Won’t you please help?

Dennis Cozzalio attended the TCM Classic Film Festival and offered Christmas wishes from Hollywood’s golden age.

Chris Devlin cast a light on two underexposed new singles.

Jim Emerson examined his love affair with four movies from 2011 and discussed the pros and cons of cinematic ambiguity.

James Frazier went undercover with Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol and unearthed Fear and Desire.

Kenji Fujishima recapped his top non-film discoveries of 2011, reviewed the much-discussed Margaret, consumed and consumed again.

Glenn Heath took on Spielbergs old and new, as well as reviewing Young Adult, My Week with Marilyn, and Kill List. Plus he posted a list of his cinematic holiday favorites. Dude, where’s Eyes Wide Shut?

Daniel Johnson reviewed Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol. Seriously, is anybody else surprised that this has turned out to be perhaps the best-reviewed blockbuster of the year? I mean, yeah, Brad Bird, but it’s not like the Mission Impossible franchise has been a critical favorite before. Yet here we are.

Craig Kennedy did what Craig Kennedy do. Check it out here.

Uncle Crizzle offered up a new mixtape, praised Tintin and panned We Bought a Zoo, and brought you this week’s moment of DAAAAAAAAAAMN!

Lucas McNelly assessed his Year Without Rent.

Mark Pfeiffer announced the nominations for the 2011 Central Ohio Film Critics Association Awards.

Bryan Whitefield reviewed The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and listed the best and worst albums of 2011.

Alison Willmore spotlighted her favorite Spielberg scenes for Filmspotting.

Finally, Lucas McNelly posted a snippet of his film Up Country, a project which some of us invested in a while back. Looks like a pretty good investment to me. See what you think:

UP COUNTRY first 1:45 from Lucas McNelly on Vimeo.