The American Film Institute (AFI) today announced the official selections of AFI AWARDS 2012 – the awards season event favored by artists and entertainment executives for its intimacy and collaborative recognition where everyone is a winner – that documents the year's most outstanding achievements in film and television.

AFI AWARDS is the only national recognition that honors the community's creative ensembles as a whole, acknowledging the collaborative nature of the art form. Honorees are selected based on works which best advance the art of the moving image; enhance the rich cultural heritage of America's art form; inspire audiences and artists alike; and/or make a mark on American society.

AFI MOVIES OF THE YEAR

ARGO
BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD
THE DARK KNIGHT RISES
DJANGO UNCHAINED
LES MISERABLES
LIFE OF PI
LINCOLN
MOONRISE KINGDOM
SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
ZERO DARK THIRTY

AFI TV PROGRAMS OF THE YEAR

AMERICAN HORROR STORY: ASYLUM
BREAKING BAD
GAME CHANGE
GAME OF THRONES
GIRLS
HOMELAND
LOUIE
MAD MEN
MODERN FAMILY
THE WALKING DEAD

MAD MEN now tops the list as the most recognized AFI AWARDS TV honoree, with 2012 marking its fifth appearance in the AFI almanac, followed closely by BREAKING BAD, EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND, MODERN FAMILY, THE SOPRANOS and THE WIRE, each with four AFI AWARDS honors since 2001.

"AFI AWARDS celebrates America's storytellers as collaborators," said Bob Gazzale, AFI President and CEO. "We are honored to bring together artists as a community, without competition, to acknowledge the gifts they have given the world in 2012."

Verizon Digital Media Services returns as the presenting sponsor of the event, underwriting the AFI AWARDS luncheon and creating 20 scholarships in the name of each honoree for the next generation of storytellers at the AFI Conservatory, which is renowned for its advanced training in six filmmaking disciplines: Cinematography, Directing, Editing, Producing, Production Design and Screenwriting. And, AFI Conservatory alumni continue to be represented across the film and television honorees – in 2012, AFI alumni worked on programs ranging from AMERICAN HORROR STORY, BREAKING BAD and HOMELAND to movies including ARGO and LINCOLN, to name a few.

Marking the thirteenth chapter in the American Film Institute's 21st century almanac, AFI AWARDS 2012 selections are made through AFI's unique jury process in which scholars, film and television artists, critics and AFI Trustees determine the most outstanding achievements of the year, as well as provide a detailed rationale for each selection. This year's juries – one for film and one for television – were chaired by producers and AFI Board of Trustees Vice Chairs Tom Pollock (former Vice Chairman of MCA, Chairman of Universal Pictures) for the movies and Rich Frank (former Chairman of Walt Disney Television, President of Walt Disney Studios, President of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences) for television, and includes award-winning artists such as Angela Bassett, Brad Bird, Chris Carter, Marta Kauffman and Octavia Spencer; film historian Leonard Maltin; scholars from prestigious universities with recognized motion picture arts programs (Syracuse, UCLA, University of Texas, USC, Wesleyan); AFI Board of Trustees; and critics from leading media outlets such as Entertainment Weekly, The Huffington Post, Rolling Stone, Time Magazine, USA Today and more.

AFI will honor the creative ensembles for each of the selections at an invitation-only luncheon on Friday, January 11, 2013 in Los Angeles, California.

In addition to Verizon, Audi of America returns as an official sponsor of the event. Additional sponsors include Stella Artois and American Airlines, the official airline of the American Film Institute, providing travel support throughout the year.

With “The Dark Knight Rises,” filmmaker Christopher Nolan has completed one of the greatest trilogies in cinematic history. It is a thrilling spectacle with tremendous emotional power, and I came out of it not just fulfilled but quite shaken. Regardless of whatever plot holes this movie may have or if it has one too many characters to deal with, it is still fucking brilliant like its predecessors!

Now I’ll give you more or less a brief outline of “The Dark Knight Rises” without giving away major plot points. I know you all have been seriously pissed about reviewers ruining the movie for you like Homer Simpson ruined “The Empire Strikes Back” for a crowd waiting to see it outside a Springfield movie theater during an episode of “The Simpsons,” and I wouldn’t dare to do the same thing here.

Basically, eight years have passed since Batman/Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) took the fall for Harvey Dent’s death in order to hide the murders he committed. Since then, Gotham has entered a time of peace and prosperity, all of which is based on a lie. Enter Bane (Tom Hardy), a brutal and methodical terrorist who plans to reduce Gotham to ashes slowly but surely. This brings Batman out of hiding, but he also has to deal with cat burglar Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway) who catches him off guard, a beautiful corporate executive named Miranda Tate (Marion Cotillard), and the idealistic young cop John Blake (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) whose “hot head” ways makes him much smarter than his fellow officers. So that’s it for the movie’s story.

Actually, to go into full detail over the plot of “The Dark Knight Rises” would take forever as it goes in various directions to where seeing it once is not enough to take everything in. Nolan has said that part of his inspiration for this film was Charles Dickens’ “A Tale of Two Cities” which is known for this famous quote:

“It was the best of times; it was the worst of times.”

Now while that quote is never spoken in “The Dark Knight Rises,” it never needs to be. Nolan is fascinated with how the lie over Harvey Dent’s death and actions has helped Gotham while at the same time turned it into a prison state where freedoms are eroded. It also parallels current events in the real world by taking into account the continuing gap between the rich and the poor and how people will go out of their way to manipulate the collective anger regarding it. This movie is of course a huge action spectacle, but it has a lot of things to say about the world we live in today which makes it all the more powerful.

Many have been calling this the “darkest” Batman movie of them all, as if the two which came before it were like a sunny paradise in the realm of “Batman & Robin” (they most certainly were not). But while the movie is indeed a dark vision of a city under siege, it also has a strong ray of hope emanating from it. Bruce Wayne has always wanted to hold Batman up as a symbol to inspire people, and you revel in seeing the impact he ends up having on the characters around him.

People have also been saying that Nolan has put far too many characters into this one movie. Newsflash, Nolan has done that with each of his “Batman” movies, but what truly amazes me is how he has gotten with doing so each time. Every single character in “The Dark Knight Rises,” from Matthew Modine’s bone-headed Deputy Commissioner Peter Foley to Ben Mendelsohn’s greedy businessman John Daggett, informs the movie’s main characters and overall themes throughout. Not a single one of them feels extraneous to the plot or subplots as each illustrates examples of justice and personal responsibility and of how easily misconstrued they can end up being.

Christian Bale completes his tour of duty as Batman with a deeply felt performance. In many ways, “The Dark Knight Rises” is more about the rise of Bruce Wayne than anything else as he is forced to deal with who he is than what his alter ego can do. This character is now endowed with super powers the way Spider-Man and Superman are, and this movie renders him all the more vulnerably human as he starts off walking with a cane and dealing with injuries that are not easily healed. It’s those human flaws however that make Bale’s portrayal of Bruce Wayne all the more powerful and enthralling.

With Bane, Nolan has fashioned a villain that’s far different from Heath Ledger’s Joker which was a smart move. While the Joker was far more desirous of watching the world burn, Bane simply wants it to suffer right down to its dying breath. With Tom Hardy, Nolan has found the perfect actor to portray him as he brings to life Bane’s twisted code of ethics and his utter brutality which allows him to batter his helpless opponents with sheer efficiency. Thanks to Hardy, Bane proves to be Batman’s most formidable foe yet.

As for Anne Hathaway, she is excellent as the character known as Catwoman but who is never actually called Catwoman in “The Dark Knight Rises.” Her portrayal of Selina Kyle never invites easy comparison with the actresses who played her in the past as her version exists in the world of realism created by Nolan. Hathaway succeeds in giving this movie the feeling of exuberance and fun it needs from time to time, and she more than holds her own against acting heavyweights like Bale and Hardy. But then again, this should be no surprise to those who remember her Oscar nominated performance in “Rachel Getting Married.”

And of course you have the usual cast of supporting characters played by Sir Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, and Gary Oldman. All of them are fantastic as always and give this movie the emotional heft it calls for throughout. We also get a great bunch of franchise newcomers like Joseph Gordon-Levitt who is sensational as the intelligent John Blake, and Marion Cotillard who radiates both beauty and mystery as Miranda Tate.

Technically, “The Dark Knight Rises” looks flawless with cinematographer Wally Pfister capturing the dark corruption consuming the citizens of Gotham which they are forced and inspired to rise out of. And with Hans Zimmer (minus James Newton Howard this time around), we get another rousing and thrilling music score which keeps our adrenaline pumping along with movie’s thrilling action set pieces.

Yes, the movie has some plot holes which I’m sure you will discover for yourself. None of them however were enough to derail my enjoyment of this awesome spectacle Nolan and company have put together. I’m not sure where I would rate this in the series, but while it doesn’t best “The Dark Knight,” it still comes very close to doing so and continues Christopher Nolan’s reign one of the best movie directors working today. I don’t think I am overreacting in the least when I declare “The Dark Knight Rises” to be a fucking brilliant motion picture.

Oh yes, some will say that the movie’s final scenes seem to spell out a potential new direction for the franchise to take as if it were a set up for a sequel. I’d like to think it speaks to the influence Batman hoped to have on the citizens of Gotham, to inspire them to do good. Thanks to Nolan, Batman is a hero we can appreciate and applaud.

* * * * out of * * * *  

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Plot Synopsis:

Eight years after the events of The Dark Knight, the terrorist leader Bane arrives in Gotham City, pushing it and its police force to their limits, forcing its former hero Batman to resurface after taking the fall for Harvey Dent's crimes.

"The Dark Knight Rises" stars Christian Bale, Anne Hathaway, Tom Hardy, Marion Cotillard, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman.

"The Dark Knight Rises" hits theaters on July 20th.

IF YOU DON’T WANT TO KNOW ANY OF WHAT HAPPENS IN “THE DARK KNIGHT RISES” PROLOGUE, THEN READ NO FURTHER UNTIL YOU HAVE.

“We’re going to be starting a few minutes late as there are still a number of people trying to get in. There are no trailers before the movie… Except of course for that one thing…”

So said the voice over the speaker at Rave Cinemas in West Los Angeles a few minutes before “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol” began. But what really got some of us up at 10 am on Friday, December 16, 2011 was the chance to see “that one thing” which was the opening prologue to next summer’s “The Dark Knight Rises.” Our adrenaline rose quickly as Han Zimmer’s powerful music score came over us, and we got our long awaited introduction to Bane as played by Tom Hardy.

The prologue makes full use of the IMAX screen (aside from the opening bit with Gary Oldman) as a number of prisoners whose heads are covered with black sheets are led onto a plane which quickly takes them up into the air. I can’t say much more than that, but you will be able to tell which one is Bane before his sheet is removed. Also, it gives the opening plane sequence from Renny Harlin’s “Cliffhanger” a run for its money.

Hardy looks perfectly imposing as Bane and it goes without saying that he has spent hours upon hours in the gym gaining lord only knows how many pounds of muscle. While his face is covered by a truly frightening looking mask, his eyes and body exude the “don’t f*** with me” attitude that needs no words to express it. If there is a downside, it’s that a lot of what Bane says is hard to make out. You certainly get the gist of what he has to say, but other than that he sounds frustratingly muffled. Still, this is not the Bane from “Batman & Robin” which should quickly relieve die hard fans of the DC Comic Book series.

Watching this prologue in IMAX made me realize how this format truly elevates the movie going experience in a way 3D could only dream of doing. Looking back at when I saw “The Dark Knight” in IMAX, I remember how it felt like we were moving along with the camera over Gotham City. That same feeling returned as we watch Bane make a mid air escape which blew away the audience I was with early in the morning.

Director Christopher Nolan has said that “The Dark Knight Rises” will feature more footage shot in this format than what we saw in the previous film. Of course, with IMAX cameras being as loud as they are, the majority of dialogue scenes will be shot in 35mm and 70mm cameras. Still, technology is catching up quickly with filmmakers as always.

Following the prologue are snippets from the upcoming movie which show Bale still strutting his stuff as the Caped Crusader along with shots which have crowds of people rushing to attack one another. There’s also looks to be a Batwing in this one, but that it looks like a spaceship threatens is a little weird. The final image is the most frightening of all: Bane holding a piece of Batman’s shattered mask.

We also get to see Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle/Catwoman. Seeing her in the full Catwoman suit was strange at first, but then came another moment where she is sitting in the back of a car with a deeply emotional look on her face that spoke words without her saying a thing. I know a lot of people were worried about her playing this role, but the footage here convinced me Nolan made the right choice in casting her.

But even more thankfully, Hathaway is not descending into the camp Halle Berry got submerged in with “Catwoman.” What the heck was Warner Brothers thinking when they made that one anyway?!

Suffice to say, the prologue gets me all the more excited to check out the final chapter in Nolan’s “Batman” trilogy. As much as I try to control my anticipation and expectations with these big summer event movies, “The Dark Knight Rises” has me waiting impatiently for its release. Everybody cheered when the Warner Brothers logo came up, and they cheered just as loudly when this little taste of what will come came to a close.

Everyone is singing Nolan’s praises like he is the second coming and I just hope he doesn’t get met with the derision which greeted George Lucas with those “Star Wars” prequels.

In the meantime, we’d better start learning that chant which you can hear just underneath the prologue:

“Deshay, deshay, bahsahrah, bahsahrah. Deshay, deshay, bahsahrah, bahsahrah. DESHAY!!! DESHAY!!! BAHSAHRAH!!! BAHSAHRAH!!! DESHAY!!! DESHAY!!! BAHSAHRAH!!! BAHSAHRAH!!! DESHAY!!! DESHAY!!! BAHSAHRAH!!! BAHSAHRAH!!! DESHAY!!! DESHAY!!! BAHSAHRAH!!! BAHSAHRAH!!!”

NOTE: There were a handful of people who left the theatre once the prologue ended, and I strongly advise you not to do that. My review of “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol” will be coming up soon, but I can tell you it is awesome and also makes superb use of the IMAX format as well