Abri Cardenas became a starting midfielder in her first varsity season, but she never expected to write a page of Liberty Ranch history, too.

2012 has been widely hailed as an exceptional year for film, but I’m at a loss as to where all these great films are supposed to be. (But then, if we’ve lowered our standards of “greatness” to the point that something like “Silver Linings Playbook” is being proclaimed as a masterwork ... .)

(NAPSI)Many families this holiday season will stay home to avoid the stress by shopping online and have time left over to relax at home with their favorite TV shows and movies. In fact, eMarketer says online spending this holiday season will account for 24 percent of all U.S. retail spending during the period.

We were in the weeds for most of the summer, and browsing the wide release schedule for the next couple months makes it clear that things are only going to get worse before they get any better. But this too shall pass, and before we know it we’ll all be basking in the sweet, comforting glow of the fall movie season, in the company of Steven Spielberg, P.T. Anderson, Ang Lee and James Bond. But rewards must be earned, and for the time being we’ve just gotta grind it out.

I’m not even sure what to say at this point, besides thank God summer’s over. It has been quite an ordeal, and I suppose it’s only fitting that that the season goes out on a grossly disappointing note involving a sub-par sequel. Now we’ve just got to contend with that uneasy transitional period between the summer and fall movie seasons, and we may actually have some good movies to talk about. I’m waiting with breath that is bated.

As “The Expendables 2” rolls into theaters across the globe (look for the review next week), the 2012 summer movie comes to a close — and I honestly can’t remember ever being more depressed as a moviegoer.

Last week I offered a few brief thoughts on some cultural issues surrounding the movie theater shootings in Aurora, Colo., and events that have taken place since then suggest that I failed to address one of the key questions surrounding this tragedy: Is it safe to go to the movies anymore?

You may have noted that last week’s review of “The Dark Knight Rises” lacked any mention of the tragedy in Aurora, Colo. This was not meant as a show of disrespect to the victims, but as recognition that regardless of its now-infamous status, Christopher Nolan’s concluding Batman film deserved to be discussed on its own merits, as a movie — not as the alleged trigger that set off a madman’s rampage.

This week’s review of “The Dark Knight Rises” comes a little later than I had initially hoped, but oh well — it’s never too late to spread good news. And I advise you to enjoy the good times while they last, because the rest of the summer looks pretty dicey.

A University of the Pacific graduate who was shot four times during the mass shooting at a movie theater in Aurora, Colo. on Friday has successfully come through surgery and was moved out of the intensive care unit, according to her pastor in Colorado.

A University of the Pacific graduate was critically injured after a shooter opened fire during a midnight showing of “The Dark Knight Rises” in Aurora, Colo. early Friday morning.

Screenings of “The Dark Knight Rises” and all other movies will continue as scheduled today at Lodi Stadium 12, a theater employee confirmed.

I tried to see “The Dark Knight Rises” in time for this week’s column, but that turned out to be a fool’s errand. But never fear — we’ll be looking at the summer’s most anticipated release next time, which I suppose is just as well considering that many viewers will wait until the crowds thin out a bit to see it anyway.

I fancy myself a halfway intelligent person, but I always seem to make the most head-smackingly stupid mistakes. A “for instance” would be the fact that I didn’t realize the News-Sentinel had an early deadline for the Fourth of July holiday, and found myself prepping for a late screening of “Magic Mike” as I discovered that the Lodi Living section was getting ready to go to press. It seems my stupidity knows no bounds.

It has occurred to me that I discuss my personal goings-on a bit less than my fellow News-Sentinel columnists do, but in the interest of partial disclosure, I must confess that life has gotten significantly more difficult for me in the past few months. I’ve started a new job that requires many long, grueling, thankless hours in an undesirable environment. The possibility of complete physical and mental collapse is now very real.

Quite unexpectedly, the first couple months of 2012 continue to offer some quality choices for discriminating movie-goers.

The summer movie season, after a horrifyingly dull couple of months, may come to a decent close after all. The impeccably written and acted “Horrible Bosses” will be around for a few more weeks (catch it if you haven’t, or face my ire), and the final “Harry Potter” recently opened to great audience approval.

Well, I guess it was bound to happen. Although I submitted my year-end top 10 list several weeks ago, it shall have to be amended to include one of 2010’s truly brilliant works: “Blue Valentine,” a powerful deconstruction of a failed marriage that serves as a showcase for not only Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams, its bright and talented young stars, but also for Derek Cianfrance, a new director making his feature debut. (It would have come in at No. 5, for those keeping track).

Back with a proper review this week, although we’ll also delve into all that fun auteurism stuff again. Next week, I’ll take a look at “Paranormal Activity 2” just in time for Halloween. (It strikes me as a completely unnecessary cash-in sequel to a film that was perfect as a stand-alone, but there’s always a slim chance the filmmakers learned from last decade’s “Blair Witch 2” fiasco, and ensured that their movie augments an established mythos instead of, you know, taking a giant dump on it.

This Thursday, Lodi Musical Theater's second production, "West Side Story," will open on the stage of Hutchins Street Square, complete with gang rivalry, 1950s dress and lively dance numbers. With 50 cast members, singers and dancers from the Lodi area, director Nicole Warren says the show is bigger than last year's Lodi hit, "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat," which was put on by the community theater company.

1. "The Dark Knight" (Christopher Nolan)