The Top Ten

So, this is what everyone has been waiting for. My Top Ten. My Top Ten Movies Of All Time. Everyone has a top ten list, and though naturally it changes there certainly is a small and flexible list of movies which are always thought of as "the best". Oddly, there's something more powerful about seeing those movie at the top of a list which makes 'em seem even better. Like if Rolling Stone had the top 3 love songs of all time, that'd be interesting. But, those songs would seem even cooler if they were at the top of the top 2000 love songs of all time. Why is this? Probably has something to do with comprehensiveness. The larger the list, the more sure you can be that nothing has been left out, and the rankings are, therefore, all the more accurate.

I have been delaying for awhile.

Before I get started on my Top Ten, let us have a little recap:

795 (last). All Dogs Go To Heaven
700. Drive Me Crazy
600. Rush Hour 2
500. Money Train
400. Twister
300. Closer
200. Superman
100. Pirates of the Caribbean
75. South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut
50. Spider-Man 2
25. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

Now, perhaps you are kinda back in "Alex's Movies" mode. Obviously, since its taken me so long to release my list, I've seen and added movies to the list that came in behind where I currently was on the unveiling so....recent additions:

794. Caligula
Would be worst of all time if not for a gimmick.
779. The Forgotten
Oh, my, god.
605. Lost Highway
David Lynch gets on my nerves.
599. Spanglish
Too many interesting characters which didn't go anywhere.
593. The Phantom of the Opera
Lost my remote during this movie...it was in the chair.
519. Space Cowboys
Really, Clint, really?
442. Spy Game
Average.
391. Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Grace thought that cast was terrible. I thought they were great. Everything else "blah". Read the book (a trilogy in 5 parts).
380. The Contender
Jeff Bridges plays the best fictional american president ever.
338. Blade Runner
Excellent imagry.
300. Closer
No one got pregnant? STDs?
299. Dazed and Confused
Too much Ben Ass-Lick.
298. Dead Ringers
Jeremy Irons plays twin creepy gynecologists.
286. Wedding Crashers
Love Vince Vaughn. Hate Owen Wilson's nose. Weak second half. Otherwise very funny.
248. School of Rock
Alright, alright. Jack Black is funny.
205. Team America
Watched this with my parents. Guess which scene my dad thought was funniest?
186. War of the Worlds
If you didn't hear from Jake's or Grace's blog...I watched this by myself while Grace caught the bouquet at her friend's wedding.
163. Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events
I love kid's movies.
134. Following
Solid Chris Nolan pic.
119. Star Wars: Episode III
Just 'cuz of The Duel.
106. Batman Begins
I can't even imagine how actual readers of the comic must finally feel.
91. The Motorcycle Diaries
They still had leper colonies that late in to the 60s?
86. Taxi Driver
Would've been higher without tacked on ending.
80. Million Dollar Baby
Didn't expect to really like this one. Wow.
24. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Somehow I forgot this the first time around.

This whole project has taught me alot about my taste in movies. I used to think that I was different and unique, that I liked weirdo movies and independent cinema and that the lemmings around me couldn't do anything but chortle at the crap thrown at them by huge corporate movie houses.

I am a lemming. I tried to be as honest with myself as possible when making these rankings. It was very hard sometimes. As we all know, sometimes, you just can't compare two movies. But, I did the best I could. Guess what I found out? I'm not as independent or special as I thought I would be. Guess what else? I'm ok with that. I like the movies I like, and I dislike the movies I dislike. I don't always have to be different. Sometimes I am, but often my tastes are in line with the mainstream. (Whatever that is.) This whole process has taken awhile. Think: I started making this list last December. That's 9 months from inception to conclusion. Of course its not really done, I will continue adding to this list as long as Xcel is not obsolete. Anyway, thanks for tagging along, thanks for caring, and thanks for sticking with me as the delays started to mount. I hope you like the finale.

I thought I would have a lot to say about these movies: After all, they are my TOP TEN. But, I've put it off, feeling that I wouldn't have anything unique or original to say, and that, frankly, most of the top ten's would be so rated for similar reasons. That being the case, I've devised a little checklist of attributes with which to analyze each movie:

1. Life-Changing: Did the movie alter my thinking? Did I obsess over it? Did I reexamine my movie-preferences based on it?

2. Firsts: Did it do something which I'd never seen before? Was it the "first" of a particular genre that I saw and loved? Was it so steeped in originality that sequels and/or remakes could never compete?

3. Classic: Is it a movie that I've loved for as long as I can remember? Do I not even remember seeing it for the first time, its just always been something I've known?

4. Standout Aspect: Is there one piece of the experience which is so overwhelmingly great that it thrusts the film into revered status?

5. Watchability: Is this movie endlessly watchable despite the absence of any obvious visceral stimulation?

6. Wildcard: You name it.

*Deep Breath* Ok....

10. Star Wars (1977) D: George Lucas

Life-Changing: Actually...not really. I never got into dressing up as characters or anything like that.
Firsts: Nothing to report here either. Sorry.
Classic: Absolutely. Almost the archetypal classic movie. I've never seen this movie for the first time. Its almost as if the story was always in my head. Higher praise for a film, I can not give. This undoubtedly has a lot to do with the quintessential characters Lucas parades on film: The Dark Villain, The Wise Mentor, The Innocent Hero, The Best Friend, The Princess. We can find similar roles fleshed out in various ways in movies since the dawn of ... um, the 19th century, but where Lucas succeeded was taking these common roles and placing them in extremely uncommon situations. Deep Space with aliens, cool weapons, warp speed, etc...Its Shakespeare meets Flash Gordon. Its Dante meets Verne. Its History meets Recess...and that's why it was so popular. It tapped in to our common consciousness of "good stories", but made them really goddamn cool.
Standout Aspect: No, at least not in the same sense as you'll see with others.
Watchability: Star Wars is certainly watchable. I have a Star Wars jones about every other month. Just an uncontrollable urge to watch every single one back-to-back-to-back (and I guess now...to-back-to-back-to-back). BUT....fuck it. No buts. This movie is VERY Watchable.
Wild Card: Darth Vader. Even before the sequels, and the prequels, Darth Vader represented one of the most compelling and mysterious villains of recent cinema (E-town will surely point me to Apocolypse Now). We didn't learn anything about him. Just that he is more machine than man, and that he killed Luke's father. How captivating is that? After that one meeting in Obi-Wan's hut, millions have waited for Episode III. And knowing what you know now about Vader, remember what it was like when all you knew was that he betrayed and killed the Jedi Order. You thirsted for more information. You felt it in your gut, and when a movie invokes that sort of passion...well, you're certain to find it on a Top Ten list somewhere.

Performance to Savor: Alec Guiness
Memorable Moment: Double Sunrise

9. Pi (1998) D: Darren Aronofsky

Life-Changing: Umm...no
Firsts: Schindler's List was the first modern movie I saw in Black and White
Classic: Nope
Standout Aspect: Editing. I know a lot of people are/were (I just can't decide which tense to be in. Deal with it.) put off by his rapid-fire quick-cuts. Endlessly reshowing the similar shots of popped pills and dilating veins are certainly a result of the MTV-era, but also a perfection of it. Aronofsky knows when to let scenes breath, and when to use the medium of quick-cut to invoke a real reaction in the viewer about the psychological disturbances present in our main character
Watchability: Well, its never on TNT, and few people own it, so you'll be hard-pressed to stumble across it. Anyway, no...not that watchable.
Wildcard: Pi. As in the number pi. Y'know, 3.1415927... Circles, circumferences, and all that jazz. This movie is unique to my "revered" movies in that its status is almost all Wildcard. For those of you math-types, you'll understand my amazement at Pi. Its irrational (can't be expressed as a ratio of two integers), transcendental (can't be the root of any polynomial with rational coefficients), and yet it is so simple. I did a project on Pi in college, and encountered a bit of it in my Capstone, and the more you know....the more you want to know. It is a carrot on the end of strings, just out of reach. We are always finding new and exciting uses for Pi, and yet we can never quite capture its essence, its meaning....anything. That's what this movie did so well. It protrayed the power of Pi, as well as the futility of trying to contain it, to control it. Certainly a flawed movie, but it has a special place in my heart.

Performance to Savor: Mark Margolis
Memorable Moment: Powerdrill

8. The Shawshank Redemption (1994) D: Frank Darabont

Life-Changing: Nah, I didn't even see this in the theater. Probably the highest movie on the list which I saw on TV first, then rented the cassette.
Firsts: None here either, though you could argue that this is the first successful adaptation of a Stephen King story into film format.
Classic: No
Standout Aspect: No
Watchability: This is where Shawshank really shines. How could you not watch this movie all day? And yet, the very fact that you can is a testament to the power of not only the story, but the acting and pacing as well. Y'see...not much happens. Everything develops slowly over the course of 25 years. We are given brief glimpses of action and violence, but it is mostly voice-over and Tim Robbins speaking slowly. In many movies, all of this would repel me as considerable pretense, but here...the slowness adds weight to the endlessness of prison. The bulk of time adds considerable depth to the bond between Red and Andy, and while I have no experience, I imagine that prison life is much like the movie: Dull, monotonous days, staccato-punched by violence. Andy's various triumphs are mini-victories throughout the movie, but really, nothing holds a candle to the look on the Warden's face when the rock he throws at Andy's poster hits nothing but air.
Wildcard: Morgan Freeman's voiceover. Truly the one voice in hollywood which will always work as a voiceover. Look at War of the Worlds. Shouldn'tve worked. Did. His voice is so soft, yet tinged with wear and tear. Its like he is unimaginably sad, but he's holding his head high, and getting about his business.

Performance to Savor: Clancy Brown
Memorable Moment: Andy gets "suds" for the guys

7. The Silence of The Lambs (1991) D: Jonathan Demme

Life-Changing: Nuh-uh.
Firsts: Nope
Classic: Not really in the same sense as the boy-movies on this list. Star Wars, etc...
Standout Aspect: Hoo-boy. Can you guess? Suprisingly, Anthony Hopkins only appears in about twenty minutes of this movie (an oft-quoted fact), but didn't it just shock you when you first heard that? You thought to yourself, "that doesn't seem right." And yet...it is such a bravado performance, so delightfully over the top, so juicy. Hopkins performance is completely magnetic, drawing all peripheral interest too him. To illustrate the power of this role, consider: how many cannibal fucked-up murderers do you root for.?We want Lecter to escape. We want to watch him work, because deep down, we harbor the same emotions. He doesn't kill at random. He is methodical and plotting, and in the end, a gentleman. He'll prey on scum, using their weaknesses against them, playing out every sick fantasy we've all had.
Watchability: You wouldn't really think it...but it is. Especially if you flip to it on AMC right about the part where Lecter is escaping from the high-security Memphis prison. The way he completely befuddles an entire frickin' army of law enforcement is amazing to watch.
Wildcard: Jame Gum. He's the sicko-freak that you are used to seeing in movies. Perverted, dispicable...you hate him. What's interesting here is the duality between Lecter and Gum. Essentially, both are the same criminal. They've murdered (relatively) innocent people for reasons that they consider fully justified. They are exceedingly clever and ruthless. Why is it that we like Lecter and abhor Gum. Part may have something to do with the abscence of Lecter's crimes on screen, but also because we can identify more directly with Lecter's motives than Gum's.

Performance to Savor: Anthony Hopkins
Memorable Moment: Hannibal's escape

6. Pulp Fiction (1994) D: Quentin Tarantino

Life Changing: Not in that special kind of way, but it did represent one of the...whoops, next section.
Firsts: Perhaps not quite as cool as "First Comedy" or "First R-rated" or something like that, but this is the first movie that I just loved that wasn't a comedy or action. I saw this a few years after it was released ('96 or so) and for the first time, I was really able to appreciate the cinematic wonder of sharp dialogue. Perhaps Clerks would've been ranked higher had I seen it before Pulp Fiction, because we've seen how my movie lists are based on order. Is that fair? Probably not. But, really, its not all that unusual. First kiss, first car, first whatever...always more memorable. So, is the only reason I like Pulp Fiction more than Resevoir Dogs because I saw it first? Yup. Which isn't, of course to take anything away from Fiction, it is a superbly acted and written movie.
Classic: Some would say it is. I say no. In my setup, classic really only refers to movies which I saw very early on in life, and were imprinted on my brain. I didn't think about them as being my favorite movies, because I assumed they were everyone's favorite movie. So, no, not Pulp Fiction.
Standout Aspect: See the "firsts" section. The writing (and subsequently, delivery) is second-to-none. Oft-imitated, never-duplicated. I think the level of work presented here is one reason why I don't like movies whose chronology is non-linear, and which feature a bevy of actors (see: 13 Conversations About the Same Thing). It is so well done here that it quite frankly ruins it for all others. Thankfully this is a very specific genre, so ALL dramas are not ruined.
Watchability: Excellent. It is quite difficult to edit this movie for TV-appropriateness, which is why you'll rarely come across it on the boob-tube. But I did once, and for the first time ever, I realized that I liked the movie, and wanted to see it, so I turned off the TV and put in the DVD. Due to the linked (but not crucially so) assortment of scenes, it is possible to enter the movie at any time and still enjoy the remainder. This feature makes the film highly rewatchable.
Wildcard: Many movie directors feature common threads through some or all of their movies. Few are more obvious than Kevin Smith's View Askewniverse. QT has a similar thread between Pulp and Dogs. Mr. Blonde and Vince Vega are brothers, and some have speculated that the glowing suitcase is full of the diamonds stolen in Dogs. Granted, this isn't a huge link, but I really like picking up on things like that.

Performance to Savor: Samuel L. Jackson
Memorable Moment: Butch goes back for this watch

5. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) D: Steven Spielberg

Life Changing: Not especially so. I saw this when I was uber-young, so I didn't have much to change!
Firsts: Other than (presumably) being one of the first movies I ever saw...not really.
Classic: With Star Wars this is THE reason why Raiders is in my top ten. Being born in the 80s means that my formative years were spent in the shadow of iconic characters such as the Predator, John Matrix, Luke, Darth Vader, and...Indiana Jones. I've touched on him a bit before, with the other movies, so I won't go into incredible detail. Jones is such a classic movie hero that all of his movies are bound to be ranked highly. That last sentence could also be interpreted as saying that Jones is a movie hero in the classic sense. The movies are set in the 30s and 40s which is the classic Golden Age of American Cinema. Spielberg taps into that sense of old-time americana with this movie. Regarded (and rightfully so) as the best of the Indiana Jones trilogy, and perhaps because it presented a hero who's cinematic heirs are Cary Grant and Humphrey Bogart. A hero who is more dash than dumb, more brains than brawn, and still able to kick ass when necessary.
Standout Aspect: Not really.
Watchability: You try hearing the opening bars of the Main Theme and not stay for the rest of the movie.
Wildcard: The scenes of travel, how they play soft interlude music and show a red line extending from city to city is just timeless.

Performance to Savor: Harrison Ford
Memorable Moment: The opening of the Ark

4. The Matrix (1999) D: The Wachowski Brothers

Life Changing: Hmm...in a way, I suppose. How influential was this movie? It didn't exactly change "my" life, but it did alter the direction of cinema. Not severely, but enough. Sure the presentation is completely lifted from other sources (but everything is), but how many "bullet time" action sequences were audience subjected to following the release of this movie? Tons, and while not all were bad, none were that great. Certainly not as memorable as those in The Matrix. I remember when my friend Eli saw this movie. After the opening sequence he says, calmly, "That was the coolest opening sequence I have ever seen." And he's right. It was pretty f-ing cool.
Firsts: Lots of new stuff here, but nothing that I would classify as a "first".
Classic: Wait 30 years.
Standout Aspect: Special Effects. Undeniably so. I feel kinda dumb for having a movie ranked this high based solely on special effects. But, how could I deny it? Thankfully, the quality of the film doesn't rest solely on the unbelievable visual wizardry, but also the relatively deep philosophical ideas on screen (I'm waiting for Brian and Aaron to begin lecturing on how the philosphy of The Matrix is sophomoric and pedantic (like I even know what those words mean.)). The Matrix represents the perfect blend of style and substance to which all future movies will be held. Certainly many will be more intellectual and thought-provoking, but will they also revolutionize the visual effects industry. Many many movies will come with more jaw-dropping effects, but will they turn an entire nation on to Eastern Thought? Another amazing thing about The Matrix is that it came out of nowhere. Absolute left-field. It was directed by two weirdo brothers whose previous effort Bound was a noir-ish lesbian gangster movie. And the advertising campaign was brilliant. I was completely begging for this movie when it came out, and I didn't even really know why.
Watchability: As with many an action movie this is a fairly easy to watch film. Although it is on TBS a little too much. So far there is only one movie in my life that I could watch every day. Just One.
Wildcard: Normally special effects would be more of a wildcard aspect, but I've already devoted enough time to them.

Performance to Savor: Hugo Weaving
Memorable Moment: "My name...is Neo!"

3. The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1989) D: Terry Gilliam

Life Changing: My love affair with kids movies is well documented. Perhaps that it is because I am creepy. Perhaps I wasn't given enough love as a child...or the wrong kind of love. But I think that I love kids movies because of the deep and lasting imprint that this movie made on me. In fact, I would say that much of my movie preferences are based on this film. Weird, eccentric, unique (though still fairly corporate). If there was one movie which I feel best describes my taste in movies, this would have to be it.
Firsts: Not much really. The first movie I played (and in constant rotation) at the video store I worked at in high school. Which makes sense, its the highest ranked movie which would be appropriate for playing in a video store. Interestingly enough, when I began working at Hollywood Stars this movie had been rented 1 time in the previous year. Over the course of the summer it rented at least ten times. When I played it on the big screen, I was never able to finish it. Somebody would always get stucking watching it and end up renting it. And we only had one copy.
Classic: I've wrestled with whether or not to make this a classic movie. On the one hand its not one of those "favorite movies of mine which I assume are everyone else's favorites as well" a la Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Ark, but on the other hand, I've always liked it, I can't ever remember not having seen it. So...yes, it is a classic in my book.
Standout Aspect: Nothing like Anthony Hopkins or Bullet-Time
Watchability: Like I said, I had this on constant rotation at H. Stars. The story, the songs, the fairy-tale cinematography, everything about this movie is instantly absorbable (not sure what that means). What's especially important is that despite the fact that its a "family" film, there are certainly adult themes present. Death, love, loss...innuendo also abounds. We are also given mini-critiques of: war, governmental involvement, history and art. There is plenty to chew on, but not enough to overpower the film.
Wildcard: Sarah Polley in, I think, her first major starring role. She is an adorable little girl who manages to hold her own against John Neville, Oliver Reed, Robin Williams, Uma Thurman, Eric Idle, and Johnathan Pryce. Also, love the representation of the Fastest Man in the World, the Strongest Man in the World, the Man with the Best Vision and Hearing, and a Midget Who Can Wipe Out Armies With His Lungs.

Performance to Savor: John Neville
Memorable Moment: Descent from the moon

2. Jurassic Park (1993) D: Steven Spielberg

Life Changing: What I am about to write could appear either here, or in the "Firsts" section, as this was the first movie to completely change my life. I mean, it reordered my existence. The way I felt about movies was fundamentally altered by this movie. The ranking of Jurassic Park is the prime example of how movies which I saw and loved at a young age will often get higher rankings than movies I saw and loved more recently. Perhaps that is because they made an impression on me when I was most impressionable, or they are movies which have stood the test of time. In either case it doesn't really matter.
Firsts: Jurassic Park was the first movie I was ever obsessed with. Complete obsession. I bought the soundtrack and listened to the movie music every night before sleep. I couldn't stop talking about it with my friends. My peechees and other assorted school supplies all had JP motifs. I read the book immediately after watching the movie. I was convinced that a local video store was selling it on VHS 6 months before I expected it to be out, so I made my parents take me over there. I found out that they were simply selling pre-orders of the movie, and of course I bought one. First movie that I saw in the theater twice. First time feeling genuinely scared in a movie. First time trying to dress like a character from a movie (Alan Grant). First time asking a middle-school math teacher about math ideas presented in a book and having her not know what I was talking about. I watched it for the second time with my dad, and he liked it. Unfortunately I didn't have a similar experience with my mom. While we were watching it (on my worn out VHS copy) we recieved news that my Gramma Weezie (her mother) had died. Now my mom can't encounter anything Jurassic Park related without getting sad.
Classic: Hm....I'm somwhat torn. I clearly remember the first time I saw it (with Ben and his Mom at Eastgate Plaza in Portland), which somewhat eliminates it from classic-status as I've defined it. On the other hand...I LOVED this movie. Thinking, thinking....gotta say, doesn't feel like a classic. Sorry.
Standout Aspect: Normally I reserve this place for a standout aspect which is the reason for the high ranking. Well, the high ranking here is based on my early obsessions, but otherwise the movie still would've been ranked high because of the: Dinosaurs! Computer Effects were still young in '93, but Dennis Muran, Stan Winston, etc...managed to digitize the prehistoric creatures with amazing precision. The quality of their work is comparable to current movies. It helps that they took the time to also interject full-size puppets, and that the actual dino-shots take up very little of the actual movie (Hannibal Lecter Syndrome). But, the staging of the dinosaurs with the human actors is very well done. The raptor scene in the kitchen with the kids is one of the most genuinely tense scenes in movie cinema.
Watchability: Actually, not as watchable as some other movies. First, it is somewhat tainted by my complete obsession with it. With anything, overuse can make things stale, and that may have happened here. I can watch the movie just fine, and like it, but it brings back such powerful feelings of nostalgia that almost get in the way. Second, it didn't get me as bad as my mom, but I remember clearly learning of my Gramma Weezie's death during this movie.
Wildcard: Two scenes to overjoy a hyper 11-year-old: Show a lawyer getting eaten while sitting on a toiliet and have a character say: "That is one big pile of shit."

Performance to Savor: Bob Peck
Memorable Moment: T-Rex Attack


1. The Lord of the Rings (2001-2003) D: Peter Jackson

Life Changing: Well, I went from hating fantasy to having my favorite movie (and book) of all time be held by the fantasy genre. After Jurassic Park the only other movie which plunged me into a deep, deep obsession. This was relatively recent, so y'all may have seen this. Signing up to LOTR websites, tracking the progress of the next few movies daily, reading the books (more than once!), talking about it all the time, watching FOTR on saturday morning (and saturday night). I am still obsessed with this movie. Yesterday morning Grace and I watched ROTK for the heck of it. Probably the only movie that I own that I should own. The rest I could get away with watching when they come on TV, or if I'm at someone's house and they own it, but this...oh, this I have to watch all the time. See Watchability.
Firsts: First fantasy movie I liked (much less loved). And by fantasy I don't mean movies like Baron Munchausen, I mean swords and wizards and knights fantasy.
Classic: Well, if I can't say that Jurassic Park is a classic, then neither is this. But, LOTR transcends classic status. I mean, ultimately, saying something is a classic movie is just a compliment, and therefore ultimately subjective. This could be a classic movie, but saying so wouldn't do it the justice it deserves. What's more powerful? "Man, Lord of the Rings, that's a classic movie." or, "Man, Lord of the Rings, that's my favorite movie of all=time!" There are a lot of classic movies, but only One number One. One Movie to rule them all, One Movie to find them...
Standout Aspect: Two things stick in my mind: Music and Book Fidelity. The music is gorgeous. Absolutely able to invoke the appropriate emotion. Howard Shore's work here is timeless, and was duly rewarded by the Academy. The music is so good that there are companies who travel the world playing 10 hour Lord of the Rings Symphonies...and they are thriving. This isn't just good for movie music, its just good music. As for Book Fidelity, there are many "fan-boys" who criticize every minor change from the book. The Elves at Helm's Deep, No Scouring of the Shire, The Ring in Osgiliath, Faramir's Brown Hair, No Barrow-wights, Gandalf Physically Fighting Saruman, etc...and I'm like, "Um, shut up." The book is ENORMOUS. There is more history/backstory/sidestory to middle-earth than any other make-believe land of all time. The fact that Phillipa, Fran, and Peter were able to wade through all that, pick the major points, and throw in plenty of detail is to be commended, not distracted. I thought they did an OUTSTANDING job of adapting the book to screen, and to say otherwise is, in my opinion, selfish and ignorant.
Watchability: I've somewhat covered this already, but let me just say: I could watch this movie every day and not get bored of it. The day after the Jaeger-Thon I wanted to watch this again. And again. SOOO GOOOOOD!
Wild Card: Let me just close this by saying that my expectations for this movie were completely negative. I went into the movie expecting to not like it. Think about that. More often than not your appreciation for a movie is somewhat biased towards how you are expecting to like it. I expected to not like this movie, and not only did I like it, not only did I love it, it became my favorite movie ever. My favorite book ever. *Shakes Head* Peter Jackson truly is a God. And yes, I consider the "Trilogy" a single movie.

Performance to Savor: Andy Serkis
Memorable Moment: "You can not pass!"

I honestly can't think of anything to say which appropriately sums up the magnitude of the project which I've just completed.