So, amped for 2012?  Even though it’s a freaky apocalypse year, I kinda am.  But I couldn’t resist one last look at 2011.

Movies: So many movies, so little time.  Okay, so much lazy, ergo a quick highlight reel of faves.

* Midnight In Paris confirmed what I’d always vehemently denied; I’m a Woody Allen fan.

* Michelle Williams makes a helluva convincing Marilyn Monroe, and took another step toward Top Shelf Actor status.

* The Greatest Movie Ever Sold should win best documentary this year.  It’s a scathing look at how filmmakers need to and/or want to sell out in order to get their film to an audience.  And it’s hilarious!

* I liked The Big Year a whole lot more than I thought I would (and that’s saying something), and I was really disappointed in Shame.  Though Fassbender ain’t got nothing to be ashamed of, if I’m being completely honest.

* The Footloose remake and Final Destination 5 were really, really good.  I know, I was shocked too.  But it’s true.  Not shocking in the least, The Descendants and Super 8 were also amazing.

* I still think Tree of Life wasted moments of my life I’ll never get back, and Gimme Shelter should be getting much more love.

TV:

* The Walking Dead.  The Walking Dead Season 2.  Motherfucking The Walking Dead!  Not only am I devoted to the comic series, the AMC series made me almost forgive the network for not giving us more Mad Men this year.  (Almost.)

* Game of Thrones gave me two things: a fantastic vision of Martin’s universe and an amazing performance by Peter Dinklage, an actor whose work I’ve adored since I saw him in The Station Agent.

* American Horror Story had me underwhelmed at first, but I got sucked in deeper with each new episode.

* Anyone who thinks I’m too old to love Pretty Little Liars, Glee and The Nine Lives of Chloe King is pretty spot-on can suck it.  Don’t make me bust out my walker, I’ll mess you up.

Books:

* 2011 is the year I got back into reading comics.  Thank you, new library down the street!

*  Though the new Sookie Stackhouse (Dead Reckoning) gave me plenty of groovy Eric and Pam sturm und drang along with the usual Sookie storyline, it feels like the end is near for this series.

* 2011 was more of a catch-up year than a current stuff year, with The Hunger Games, Saving CC Honeycut and World War Z making me wish they were twice as long as they actually were.

* 2011 books like 11/22/63, A Dance With Dragons and In The Garden of Beasts will be on my 2012 list.  Oopsie.

Music:

* U2 in my ‘hood!  And they were brilliant.  Plus, the set design was off the hoooook, y’all.

* I’m officially in love with Ceremonials by Florence and the Machine (“Shake It Off” is in perpetual queue on my gym playlist).  It’s the only music that bumped Adele’s 21 from the top spot in my heart.

* Pumped Up Kicks and Tonight Tonight further cemented my status as Old Chick Out Of Her Mind.  Which is right where I want to be.

* The new-to-me strangeness of  Dominick The Italian Christmas Donkey and Garfunkel and Oates’ Scary F**ked Up Christmas have now become my new holiday favorites.

Anything else?:

* Marriages.  I sat around waiting for the Royal Wedding, complete with tea and scones.  Though I wasn’t shocked in the least when the Kardashian nuptials came krashing down, I was sad to hear that Russell Brand and Katy Perry called it quits.  I’m not ashamed to say I thought they were adorable.

* I’m still in shock that this brave new world no longer has Elizabeth Taylor, Gil Scott-Heron and Heavy D in it.

* And 2011 will go down in my personal history as the year I came clean and confessed my Louis C.K. fannishness.  But since everyone else loves him — if you haven’t downloaded Live at the Beacon yet you’re missing out on quality standup, people — I blend.  That’s a first for me.

* Oh, and I want to be Emma Stone when I grow up.  What?  I’ve always wanted to be a ginger.  Especially a beautiful, talented one.

So there.