The scamps who claim a second office at Lake Street Screening Room (a.k.a. the Chicago Film Critics Association) have weighed in with their nominations for 2012's best films, and The Master, with ten nods, is in the lead. Buzz for Paul Thomas Anderson's opus has been building out of Chicago since an advance 70mm screening at the Music Box in August.

A.A. Dowd and I are both CFCA members. It's worth noting that, unlike various groups on the coasts, the Chicago critics make their picks electronically, so no one knows what anyone else is choosing. That certainly affects strategizing to some degree. Still, it seems there's broad support for performances I would've deemed long shots, like Denis Lavant's protean work in Holy Motors, as well as turns so far inexplicably omitted from the year-end dialogue. (As a waterboarding CIA analyst, Australian actor Jason Clarke goes through the greatest character arc of anyone in Zero Dark Thirty.) We can't have everything: The documentary choices seem to have gravitated toward the more-promoted releases (I threw the bulk of my points behind This Is Not a Film, even though it may not, strictly speaking, be a documentary), and I didn't agree with the acclaim for Sundance sensation Beasts of the Southern Wild, which garnered nine nominations.

But on the whole, this is an excellent roster. The press release follows the jump; winners are scheduled to be announced Monday.

Great movie posters, like great trailers, blur the line between advertising and art. Some skillfully lay out the attractive components of an upcoming movie. Others aim for abstraction, looking to capture the essence of a film. And then there are the one-sheets that work simply as stand-alone aesthetic triumphs.

All of these varieties are represented on the list below, my choices for the ten best movie posters of 2012. In a year of lazy Photoshop monstrosities and splashy star-powered mosaics, these were the 27'' x 41'' triumphs most deserving of your bare wall space. Click on each thumbnail to get a full look at the image.

10. Blue Like Jazz (Review)



More romantic than the film it's advertising—a rightfully forgotten crisis-of-faith indie—this gorgeous design puts the eponymous color to good use.

9. Bachelorette (Review)



Brilliantly blocked and framed, this playful freeze-frame hints at the naughtiness audiences expect, while supplying each member of its girls-night-out ensemble an expressive action pose. FYI: I have not seen the movie.

8. V/H/S (Review)



There's actually a whole gallery of posters for Magnet Releasing's horror anthology—including five nifty, comic-book-style alternates—but I prefer the ingenious simplicity of the main one.

7. Frankenweenie (Review)



Disney commissioned a whopping 20 variations to sell Tim Burton's stop-motion Frankenstein homage. This is the best of the bunch: It boasts a dramatic, pleasingly symmetrical design that evokes the Universal Horror canon as well as—if not better than—the movie itself.

6. Man on a Ledge (Review)



You practically get vertigo staring at this horizontal marvel of perspective, which forgoes vanity shots of the cast in favor of a dynamic expression of the film's premise.

5. The Imposter (Review)



It's a simple concept, perfectly executed—and one that teases the fascinating identity masquerade the movie takes as its subject.

4. The Man with the Iron Fists (Review)



Violent, colorful and surreal, this hand-drawn beaut—one of several retro posters created for the RZA directorial debut—looks like an instant classic. Why do I feel as though it will outlive any memory of the actual movie?

3. The Master (Review)



Given the multiple interpretations The Master has inspired, this Rorschach-themed design seems apropos. Mostly, however, it's just strikingly strange—again, like the movie.

2. The Cabin in the Woods (Review)



Even more so than the movie's Rubik's Cube–evoking main poster, Cabin's Escher-inspired alternate captures the genre-bending nature of the film without telling us anything about its twisty plot. The retro color scheme and layout also mirror the filmmakers' affection for '70s Fangoria fare.

1. Holy Motors (Review)



Eye-grabbing and iconic, this poster is simplicity done right—though I won't deny a certain resemblance to the ad for Uncle Boonmee.

This New Year's Eve, we've got tickets to give away! Enter our online giveaway to put your name in the hat for free tickets to one of these three great New Year's parties:

• Charles Bradley at Lincoln Hall: R&B crooner Charles Bradley is joined by his Extraordinaires for a concert at Lincoln Hall. Tickets include a couple of drinks, passed appetizers and a complimentary music download. Lincoln Hall, 2424 N Lincoln Ave (773-525-2501, lincolnhallchicago.com). 10pm. 
• Paul Oakenfold at the Castle: What used to be the Vision and Excalibur megaclub complex has undergone a huge remodel to become the Castle. Platinum ticket-holders (you, maybe?) will be treated to an exclusive set from DJ legend Paul Oakenfold. The Castle, 632 N Dearborn St (312-266-1944). 9pm.
• CheekyChicago at the Dana Hotel: With a hip turn on the classic winter white party, CheekyChicago is taking over Vertigo Sky Lounge. Sounds from DJ Winston Wolf will help you greet the New Year—as will cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and sky-high city views. Vertigo Sky Lounge, 2 W Erie St (312-202-6060, vertigoskylounge.com). 9pm.

 

To enter: Click here. The contest runs from Dec 11-Dec 18, and you'll have a chance to tell us which party you want tickets to. Good luck!

 

The Bears 21-14 loss to division rivals the Minnesota Vikings extends a descent that has seen four losses in the last five games. After a 7-1 start, this latest loss to an absolutely average (6-6 going into Sunday's game) team seems to further dampen playoff hopes.

Vikings' runningback Adrian Peterson, the league's leading rusher, established Vikings dominance early, with a 51-yard run during the game's opening drive. Peterson concluded the drive with a Vikings touchdown. Three minutes later, Peterson ran in a second touchdown. That score was made possible by Peterson's teammate Brian Robinson, who intercepted a Jay Cutler pass, and ran the ball back 44 yards. AP pillaged the Bears' defense early, stealing over 100 rushing yards by the end of the first quarter alone. By the second half, the Bears' defense managed slow AP's assault, though damage had already been done. He finished the game with 154 rushing yards and two touchdowns.