10. THE INCR
EDIBLES (Brad Bird) - Pixar creates a family of superheroes who, after trying to lead a "normal" suburban life and having a couple of kids (with their own powers), are forced back into action when arch-nemesis Syndrome (Jason Lee) tries to take over the world. Two Oscar wins, including Best Animated Feature Film of the Year. Until a recent surge of great movies this past summer starring people with extra abilities, this was possibly my favorite superhero movie of all time. Despite the absolutely beautiful animation, Pixar once again does not let the story get lost while making a visually stunning piece of work. Think Alan Moore's classic graphic novel Watchmen mixed with the fresh humor of a Christopher Guest mocumentary. BEST SCENE: The opening sequence with the different superheroes, including Mr. Incredible (Craig T. Nelson), Elastigirl (Holly Hunter), and Frozone (Samuel L. Jackson), giving interviews during their hay-day. Hilarious!
EDIBLES (Brad Bird) - Pixar creates a family of superheroes who, after trying to lead a "normal" suburban life and having a couple of kids (with their own powers), are forced back into action when arch-nemesis Syndrome (Jason Lee) tries to take over the world. Two Oscar wins, including Best Animated Feature Film of the Year. Until a recent surge of great movies this past summer starring people with extra abilities, this was possibly my favorite superhero movie of all time. Despite the absolutely beautiful animation, Pixar once again does not let the story get lost while making a visually stunning piece of work. Think Alan Moore's classic graphic novel Watchmen mixed with the fresh humor of a Christopher Guest mocumentary. BEST SCENE: The opening sequence with the different superheroes, including Mr. Incredible (Craig T. Nelson), Elastigirl (Holly Hunter), and Frozone (Samuel L. Jackson), giving interviews during their hay-day. Hilarious!9. VERA DRAKE (Mike Leigh) - A loving mother/wife (Imelda Staunton) is
sent to prison in 1950's England for illegally assisting young women in home-spun abortions. Nominated for 3 Oscars, including Best Achievement in Directing, Best Performance by an Actress in a Lead Role (Staunton), Best Original Screenplay. Everyone has their own opinions on abortion rights, but I don't think anyone loves the act in and of itself. This film brilliantly portrays the intricate and divisive issue as it effects a small family directly. Staunton is perfect for the role, along with the rest of the cast, who lead their lives in such a quaint and loving way that makes the ending that much more heartbreaking. BEST SCENE: The family's awkward Christmas party right before Vera's final judgement.
sent to prison in 1950's England for illegally assisting young women in home-spun abortions. Nominated for 3 Oscars, including Best Achievement in Directing, Best Performance by an Actress in a Lead Role (Staunton), Best Original Screenplay. Everyone has their own opinions on abortion rights, but I don't think anyone loves the act in and of itself. This film brilliantly portrays the intricate and divisive issue as it effects a small family directly. Staunton is perfect for the role, along with the rest of the cast, who lead their lives in such a quaint and loving way that makes the ending that much more heartbreaking. BEST SCENE: The family's awkward Christmas party right before Vera's final judgement. 8. I HEART 
HUCKABEES (David O. Russell) - Environmental activist Albert (Jason Schwartzman) seeks professional help from two existentialist detectives (Dustin Hoffman, Lily Tomlin) who help Albert figure out why his life isn't perfect and how he can learn to except it...by laying in a body bag. The cast, which also includes such top-billing names as Mark Wahlberg, Naomi Watts, and Jude Law, doesn't quite scream quirky, philosophically challenging comedy. While the plot is sometimes hard to follow, especially on first viewing, the trippy hallucinations and abnormal methods of psychology are hysterical. My favorite Schwartzman role to date. BEST SCENE: Albert and Tommy (Wahlberg) hitting each other in the face with a giant red ball in order to reach tranquility.
HUCKABEES (David O. Russell) - Environmental activist Albert (Jason Schwartzman) seeks professional help from two existentialist detectives (Dustin Hoffman, Lily Tomlin) who help Albert figure out why his life isn't perfect and how he can learn to except it...by laying in a body bag. The cast, which also includes such top-billing names as Mark Wahlberg, Naomi Watts, and Jude Law, doesn't quite scream quirky, philosophically challenging comedy. While the plot is sometimes hard to follow, especially on first viewing, the trippy hallucinations and abnormal methods of psychology are hysterical. My favorite Schwartzman role to date. BEST SCENE: Albert and Tommy (Wahlberg) hitting each other in the face with a giant red ball in order to reach tranquility.7. SAW (James Wan) - Two men are put through a series of horrific tests by 
a crazy man, and in order to save themselves, their loved ones, and their own sanity, they must play by his rules. Hahaha, oh man! I can't wait to hear the backlash from this one! This movie makes my list, and makes it this far up the list, because it has the most shocking ending I have ever seen. If any of you that naysayers tell me you saw it coming, I know for a fact that you are lying. Shame, shame. Don't let the long, unending line of sequels lead you to think this is mindless schlock. Very gory, somewhat demented, totally terrifying. BEST SCENE: THE ENDING! Oh man, I wish I could just say it...but it's too good to ruin!
a crazy man, and in order to save themselves, their loved ones, and their own sanity, they must play by his rules. Hahaha, oh man! I can't wait to hear the backlash from this one! This movie makes my list, and makes it this far up the list, because it has the most shocking ending I have ever seen. If any of you that naysayers tell me you saw it coming, I know for a fact that you are lying. Shame, shame. Don't let the long, unending line of sequels lead you to think this is mindless schlock. Very gory, somewhat demented, totally terrifying. BEST SCENE: THE ENDING! Oh man, I wish I could just say it...but it's too good to ruin!6. NAPOLEO
N DYNAMITE (Jared Hess) - Napoleon (Jon Heder) is a dork, his uncle (Jon Gries) is a jerk, his brother is a nerd, his best-friend is an outsider, and his love interest (Tina Majorino) is adoringly clueless....and they just want get through the next few months. Two Independent Spirit Awards, including Best First Feature, Best Supporting Male (Gries). If you don't relate to these people at all, then you and I have very little to talk about. While this was extremely over-quoted for a while ("Tina, come eat some ham!" "A freakin' twelve-gauge, what do ya think?!"), to the point that I actually couldn't watch it for a while, I can't help but love the awkward pauses and the uproarious performances (especially Gries and Heder) that carry this modern-cult-classic-turned-cultural-phenomenon. BEST SCENE: Uncle Rico throwing his steak at Napoleon, making him crash his bike.
N DYNAMITE (Jared Hess) - Napoleon (Jon Heder) is a dork, his uncle (Jon Gries) is a jerk, his brother is a nerd, his best-friend is an outsider, and his love interest (Tina Majorino) is adoringly clueless....and they just want get through the next few months. Two Independent Spirit Awards, including Best First Feature, Best Supporting Male (Gries). If you don't relate to these people at all, then you and I have very little to talk about. While this was extremely over-quoted for a while ("Tina, come eat some ham!" "A freakin' twelve-gauge, what do ya think?!"), to the point that I actually couldn't watch it for a while, I can't help but love the awkward pauses and the uproarious performances (especially Gries and Heder) that carry this modern-cult-classic-turned-cultural-phenomenon. BEST SCENE: Uncle Rico throwing his steak at Napoleon, making him crash his bike.5. HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN (Alfonso Cuaron) 
- In the series first truly dark turn, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and co. are trying to keep Harry safe from convicted murderer Sirius Black (Gary Oldman), who has escaped from Azkaban prison to find the boy who put him there. Two Oscar Nominations, including Best Original Score, Best Achievement in Visual Effects. Cuaron's vision for the boy wizard is my personal favorite, although the new director has picked it up again with Order of the Phoenix after the disappointing Goblet of Fire. Oldman gives the series the class and sophistication it needed to push it through to the darker final chapters. BEST SCENE: The time-space continuum theories that hold the final scenes of the movie in tension are much more refined than would be expected from a children's series.
- In the series first truly dark turn, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and co. are trying to keep Harry safe from convicted murderer Sirius Black (Gary Oldman), who has escaped from Azkaban prison to find the boy who put him there. Two Oscar Nominations, including Best Original Score, Best Achievement in Visual Effects. Cuaron's vision for the boy wizard is my personal favorite, although the new director has picked it up again with Order of the Phoenix after the disappointing Goblet of Fire. Oldman gives the series the class and sophistication it needed to push it through to the darker final chapters. BEST SCENE: The time-space continuum theories that hold the final scenes of the movie in tension are much more refined than would be expected from a children's series.4. HERO (Yim
ou Zhang) - An encounter between a nameless warrior (Jet Li) and a conquering king (Daoming Chen) of pre-unified China unravels a series of events that leads the two men to their ultimate battle between each other. Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Film (China). When I was 14, I saw Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, the movie that kick started martial arts back into the movies. It bored me to tears. This, however, was basically flawless. The star of the film is the fight scenes, most of which play more like choreographed dance scenes than action sequences. Mixing unnoticeable special effects with pure unbiased talent, Hero is tragic, thrilling, and purely gorgeous. BEST SCENE: It's hard to choose between the different fight scenes, but the one between Flying Snow (Maggie Cheung) and Moon (Ziyi Zhang) is breathtaking.
ou Zhang) - An encounter between a nameless warrior (Jet Li) and a conquering king (Daoming Chen) of pre-unified China unravels a series of events that leads the two men to their ultimate battle between each other. Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Film (China). When I was 14, I saw Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, the movie that kick started martial arts back into the movies. It bored me to tears. This, however, was basically flawless. The star of the film is the fight scenes, most of which play more like choreographed dance scenes than action sequences. Mixing unnoticeable special effects with pure unbiased talent, Hero is tragic, thrilling, and purely gorgeous. BEST SCENE: It's hard to choose between the different fight scenes, but the one between Flying Snow (Maggie Cheung) and Moon (Ziyi Zhang) is breathtaking.3. ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND (Michel Gondry) - 
When Joel Barish finds out his ex-girlfriend has gone through a procedure to erase him from her memory, he decides to do the same thing, but during the process, he changes his mind and tries to hide her within in his own memories. Oscar win for Best Original Screenplay (Charlie Kaufman). Not as complicated as it sounds, just a pure and perfect love story. Jim Carrey should have won the Academy Award for such a subtle and heartfelt performance. Kaufman's script is brilliant, Gondry's vision is different and inviting (much better than the disappointing Science of Sleep and Be Kind, Rewind)...just go rent the movie, sit with a loved one, and enjoy! BEST SCENE: Actually, it's one of my favorite love story lines in all of cinema because its simply perfect: "Why do I fall in love with every woman I see who shows me the least bit of attention?"
When Joel Barish finds out his ex-girlfriend has gone through a procedure to erase him from her memory, he decides to do the same thing, but during the process, he changes his mind and tries to hide her within in his own memories. Oscar win for Best Original Screenplay (Charlie Kaufman). Not as complicated as it sounds, just a pure and perfect love story. Jim Carrey should have won the Academy Award for such a subtle and heartfelt performance. Kaufman's script is brilliant, Gondry's vision is different and inviting (much better than the disappointing Science of Sleep and Be Kind, Rewind)...just go rent the movie, sit with a loved one, and enjoy! BEST SCENE: Actually, it's one of my favorite love story lines in all of cinema because its simply perfect: "Why do I fall in love with every woman I see who shows me the least bit of attention?"2. SHAUN OF TH
E DEAD (Edgar Wright) - Instead of writing my own description, I will just tell you the tagline on the poster which, I think, pretty much sums it up: "A Romantic Comedy. With Zombies." (Almost) the funniest movie of the year, and the best zombie movie since George Romero's pivotal Night of the Living Dead. More than purely a spoof, this is a loving, comedic embrace of the zombie genre. It's truly as scary as it is hilarious. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, as "flat-mates" Shaun and Ed, create one of Hollywood's funniest and most unlikely of comic duos. BEST SCENE: The final battle between the living and the dead in the local pub, which is soundtracked to Queen's classic "Don't Stop Me Now" playing on the jukebox.
E DEAD (Edgar Wright) - Instead of writing my own description, I will just tell you the tagline on the poster which, I think, pretty much sums it up: "A Romantic Comedy. With Zombies." (Almost) the funniest movie of the year, and the best zombie movie since George Romero's pivotal Night of the Living Dead. More than purely a spoof, this is a loving, comedic embrace of the zombie genre. It's truly as scary as it is hilarious. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, as "flat-mates" Shaun and Ed, create one of Hollywood's funniest and most unlikely of comic duos. BEST SCENE: The final battle between the living and the dead in the local pub, which is soundtracked to Queen's classic "Don't Stop Me Now" playing on the jukebox. 1. ANCHORMAN: THE LEGEND OF RON BURGUNDY (Adam McKay) - R
on Burgundy (Will Ferrell) and the Channel 4 News Team (Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, David Koechner) are thrown a curve ball when the world's first woman anchor (Christina Applegate) is brought into their mix. Okay, so it's by no means the most thought-provoking movie of the year, or even of Mr. Ferrell's career. But it will, or at least should, go down in cinematic history as the critical comedy of the first decade of the 2000's. This was before Ferrell became obsessed with sports and when he searched out more innovative fields to parody. Carell, Rudd, and Koechner all got their real boost to fame here, and well-deserved. Now, BRING ON THE INSULTS! I am sure some of you are perturbed by this choice, so have it! BEST SCENE: Oh, how can one pick! It's like choosing between your kids. I guess it would have to be when Ron and the new girl are making fun of each other while the credits role at the end of a news report.
on Burgundy (Will Ferrell) and the Channel 4 News Team (Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, David Koechner) are thrown a curve ball when the world's first woman anchor (Christina Applegate) is brought into their mix. Okay, so it's by no means the most thought-provoking movie of the year, or even of Mr. Ferrell's career. But it will, or at least should, go down in cinematic history as the critical comedy of the first decade of the 2000's. This was before Ferrell became obsessed with sports and when he searched out more innovative fields to parody. Carell, Rudd, and Koechner all got their real boost to fame here, and well-deserved. Now, BRING ON THE INSULTS! I am sure some of you are perturbed by this choice, so have it! BEST SCENE: Oh, how can one pick! It's like choosing between your kids. I guess it would have to be when Ron and the new girl are making fun of each other while the credits role at the end of a news report. RUNNER'S UP:
Finding Neverland, Friday Night Lights, The Bourne Supremacy, Metallica: Some Kind of Monster, I Robot
OVERRATED:
Hellboy, Man On Fire, Shrek 2, Garden State (gasp!), Saved!
