Bad cinema is an underrated part of our culture. Sure, it’s fun to see something like “Silver Linings Playbook” become a classic-in-the-making, but it’s undeniably more fun to see Gerard Butler’s latest flick flop at the box office or to witness Eddie Murphy be put through “Norbit” or “Meet Dave”.  Seeing such colossal flops makes us realize how human the people in Hollywood are.  Like all of us, they’re prone to error and mistakes, albeit on a much larger scale. But enough with the talk and on to the worst of 2012 movies. 5. “Rock of Ages”: Cheesier than most Texas State Fair treats, this 80’s homage flick hoped to capitalize on the goodwill generated for musicals thanks to “Mamma Mia!” and “Hairspray”. Instead, it failed big time, even with a gusto performance by Tom Cruise. With surprisingly lifeless musical numbers and a wasted cast, this one failed to create the sense of fun and joy that both it’s music and era celebrated. 4. “Taken 2”: The only redeeming thing about this movie is it gave me one of my favorite headlines for a review. Otherwise, this movie was a waste; a terrible shame due to how easily all of this could’ve gone right. Liam Neeson, a guy more than able to pull of even the most cliche action, is squandered on a weak script that was populated by incomprehensible action sequences and idiotic characters. Whatever torture Liam Neeson had to endure from the antagonists, it wasn’t nearly as much torture as having to sit through this putrid flick. 3. “Red Dawn”: Between “The Cabin In The Woods” and “The Avengers”, Chris Hemsworth seems to have had a good year. Being attached to this garbage though certainly tarnished an otherwise stellar year. A plot that makes zero sense, indecipherable action and clunky dialogue are only minor nitpicks compared to the acting of Josh Peck. This guy is atrocious, an insult for the very form of acting. On it’s own, “Red Dawn” would already be bad, but with Josh Peck in tow,  it’s reduced to the very worst of cinema. 2. “Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance”: Remember the Nicolas Cage that did fun action movies like “National Treasure” and then Oscar winning flicks like “Adaptation”?  Yeah me neither. His acting is laughable.  The movie itself is even more so, with poorly staged action and undeveloped characters complementing Nicolas Cage’s atrocious acting. The missed opportunity to have fun or do something truly interesting with the character is a joke amidst this mess of a movie. Certainly, this is a low point for Nicolas Cage, superhero movies and movies at large. 1. “Killing Them Softly”: I had high expectations for this flick. I wanted to like it, I truly did.  But saying I hated the movie seems a little soft. Once it was done, I was filled with an unspeakable rage, the kind that I had only previously felt with the massive atrocity called “Sucker Punch”. Squandering the likes of Brad Pitt, Richard Jenkins and James Gandolfini on this trash is an embarrassment to say the very least. This film features rambling monologues instead of dialogue and is an embarrassment to the very nature of movies themselves. With it’s muddled political messages and impossible to comprehend story, “Killing Them Softly” is less of a movie and more of a test in how long you can withstand the very worst Hollywood has to offer.