Movie Top 10 lists typically run in December and include a bunch of movies audiences can't see until they reach local theaters or even DVD.

The tyrants at the Coeur d'Alene Press force me to compile a list in early January, and because I'm not fancy enough to (legally) see many awards contenders beforehand, my Press list is often incomplete.

With most notable 2012 titles now on DVD, a proper list can be finalized. Here's the rundown of new movies in the top 10, what dropped off the list, and a few titles that didn't even come close.

New to the list:

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

A smart and surprisingly powerful teen movie that doesn't wallow in cheap laughs and debauchery. The film stars Logan Lerman, Emma Watson and Ezra Miller as three teens believably struggling through non-cliche problems.

In a rare display of unrestrained vision, the film is directed by Stephen Chbosky, adapted from his own YA novel. Why the movie earned a limited release while teen garbage like "Fun Size" and "Project X" went wide is a mystery worth investigation. This is essential viewing for teenagers and adults. Available on DVD.

Zero Dark Thirty

Not the rah-rah, patriotic thriller some audiences probably wanted, "Zero Dark Thirty" is a slow-burn procedural that centers around a commanding performance by Jessica Chastain as the CIA analyst who follows 10 years of breadcrumbs to Osama bin Laden.

Director Kathryn Bigelow and screenwriter Mark Boal don't shy away from controversial investigation tactics or the long-term effects of the decade-long counterterrorism policy. It asks, "What now?" and the question lingers well beyond the intense final sequence. Available on DVD.

Bumped from the list:

The movie won the Oscar for Best Picture, but Ben Affleck's entertaining thriller "Argo" just didn't feel as essential as the other movies near the top. And while a second viewing may prove otherwise, Quentin Tarantino's "Django Unchained" has too many uneven elements that distract from the film's brilliant stretches. Both good movies... just not better than these 10, all of which are available on home video:

1. Moonrise Kingdom

2. Lincoln

3. Cabin in the Woods

4. The Master

5. Beasts of the Southern Wild

6. The Perks of Being a Wallflower (new)

7. Skyfall

8. Zero Dark Thirty (new)

9. Life of Pi

10. The Queen of Versailles

New honorable mention: Holy Motors

A strange but magnetic entry from France about a mystery man who travels by limo to various "lives," where he performs as different people (including an elderly homeless lady and a troll that kidnaps Eva Mendes). Each new sequence follows a different movie genre, and there are talking cars and an accordion-led musical number.

Actor Denis Lavant was robbed of an Oscar nomination for all his role-transformations, and the movie is a trip as long as you don't expect a traditional storytelling structure. In other words, it's very French.

Not as good as some have said:

The Sessions

Kudos to John Hawkes as a man stuck in an iron lung who finds a sex surrogate to help him lose his virginity. Good performance in a rather blah movie that doesn't dive much deeper than what you've seen in the trailer.

Pitch Perfect

This dopey comedy/musical about college singing competitors inexplicably landed on a few critics' top 10 lists. Love Anna Kendrick and a few of the songs, but this movie isn't as clever as it tries to be.

Add them to the garbage pile:

Alex Cross

Woefully miscast Tyler Perry tries his best Morgan Freeman impression and fails miserably. Even worse, former "Lost" star Matthew Fox plays a killer whose idea of scaring people means pausing for three seconds between every word he speaks.

Fun Size

The exact opposite of all the good things I have to say about "The Perks of Being a Wallflower."

Early 2013 Update:

I haven't seen much so far, but it can't be a good sign that "Snitch" starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is currently the best movie I've seen so far. We could be in for a long year.

Ticket Stubs is sponsored by the Hayden Cinema Six Theater. Showtimes at HaydenCinema6.com. Tyler Wilson can be reached at [email protected]