I'm running a bit late with this. Like a month.The winner will be decided by February10 and be presented on that date at the Boston Society of Film Critcs Award Ceremony at the Brattle Theatre. Send in your votes now!

The Alpha Wolf in "The Grey."

Iggy, the Iguana in Jafar Panahi "This is Not a Film"

I know what you're saying -- we had iguanas a couple of years ago for "Bad Lieutenant."

I'll comment on my dismal Oscar nominee predictions on another occasion, and also on the dismal nominations themselves (snubs for Kathryn Bigelow, Ben Affleck, P.T. Anderson, John Hawkes, and what's with all this hoopla for "Beasts of the Southern Wild?" (I have a theory)). For now, though, since I am in Palm Springs on a jury that will be choosing the best of the three dozen or so films nominated by the countries for Best Foreign Language Oscar, I'll limit my comments to suggesting five alternatives to the actual nominees.

Just in time for the New Year two more lists of 2012's best films, and those not so great.And some not even from 2012.

BETSY SHERMAN

Betsy Sherman's Top Ten 2012

[1] Moonrise Kingdom -- Young soulmates find each other, triumphantly, in Wes Anderson's meticulously realized microcosm. It has a great ensemble cast and endless treasures of sight and sound.

Two more lists from Phoenix contributors.

Ann Lewinson:

Top Ten

1. Amour Michael Haneke's trains his cinema of cruelty on the everyday brutality of aging with this compassionate, unflinching examination of love at the end of the line.
2. Holy Motors Norma Desmond was wrong: it wasn't the pictures that got small, it was the cameras.