Whew, What A Day THAT Was!

I would just like to humbly request that no one read the below post. If you do read it (and asking you not to is most likely seen as an invitation TO read it), just keep in mind that I in a VERY foul mood, and didn't mean most of the things I said! I'm still having some problems, but the shock of it all has slowed down, so I'm better now. I'll start talking about fun things again in starting next month (which is tomarrow I guess).

Ever Have One of Those Days?

These past few days have been a nightmare. Lack of work hours, friends doing things I don't think they should do, a school glitch that makes is so that I have to sit this semester of school out, yet another damn car repair, and this is ALL in the time frame of one and a half days! I'm so stressed I feel like my heads about to explode. I'm looking at summer school new (which puts some summer projects on hold till next year), I don't know how much it's going to cost to repair my car, but I know I can't really afford it. The lack of hours I'm working is making it hard for me to save money.

I need a new car. This much is obvious. What I don't have is any means to save for it. A couple of weeks ago I got new brakes. I didn't want to get them because I do have an old car, but I couldn't afford a new car either, so I was stuck. I don't know what's wrong now, but I only have around $700 in the bank, and I'm praying that either the bill will be less then $200, or that the repair will fall under the warrenty (someone at Costco said the problem was with the back breaks, so I may be getting off easy this time). Still, even if the bill isn't that expensive, it still sets me back even more. How am I supposed to continue to save money on eight hours a week?

I do have bills to pay, and even if I don't save any money for a new car this month (which would be torture at this point), then I still have barely enough money to live off of. I've been in the red for awhile now. I made an attempt to sell a lot of stuff on eBay to help pay for things. Nothing sold. None of the anime DVD's (some of which were brand new). My signed Harry Potter book (which I refused to sell for under $300). Nothing sold. I spent about $45 is eBay fees, and not ONE THING SOLD!!!!!!! WHAT AM I GOING TO DO?!?!?!?! Oh man, I'm so desperate I'm complaining to random people reading a blog. Man I'm pathetic.

I look at my website. I look at it at times like these, stare and it, and almost resent it. While I've always updated it because I enjoy writing reviews, it doesn't pay anything. At times like this, I really wish it did. Chris Beverage makes money off Anime on DVD, so why can't I? Oh yeah, because virtually no one reads my site. I'm just a spoiled kid, sitting around reading and writing about comics, hoping that I'll be able to make money doing this someday. I think I need to realize, that that's not ever going to happen. I should also admit that I have no future at school. I should admit I'll never make a lot of money.

I should admit my cars a piece of junk and not worth $5.00. I SHOULD REALIZE I'M BEING A PATHETIC CRYBABY AND MAKING MYSELF LOOK FOOLISH ON A BLOG!!!!!!!!! Man, I'm having a VERY bad day! Well, as you can probably figure out, this post is supposed to be nothing personal. I know I love my site, I know I'll get more work hours, I know I can go back to school in the summer, and I know I probably don't really mean half the things I'm saying. But I'm mad, and frustrated, and need to vent. Unfortunetly for you guys, this blog is the easiest way for me to do that.

My frustration is starting to go down a little, and my angers lowered now that I've released some of my anger. Chances are a couple days this post will even be gone. So forgive me that I write this in the first place, but I REALLY needed to vent! I might vent again later. If this post has offended you I want to apologize, and warn you to stay away from this blog for the next couple of days. Things could get ugly.

R.I.P: Johnathan Kent

"Smallville" (2001)

Okay, turns out I was wrong about who was going to die on "Smallville"...twice. If you watched tonights episode, you will know that we had a "fake" death for Lana Lang, before the real death went to Johnathan Kent. This shouldn't surprise me too much. After all, Johnathan died in the comics and the first movie, so why should he live here? I honestly thought Chloe would die though, mainly because she's the only character who feels extendable in the show. If she died, no big deal right? Well, nice to see the producers of the show didn't take the easy way out by killing an extendable character, and instead killed a major character.

It would have been a bigger "holy crap" if Lana had died (and would have given Lex a bigger reason to turn all dark and evil), but overall we were in a no win situation here. We knew someone had to die. We've known since the beginning of the season. If you're going to put so much focus on someone dying all season, you might as well make the death significant. My main problem with Harry Potter books four and five were not that they were bad books, but that J.K. Rowling put so much emphasis on the upcoming deaths, only to kill minor characters that were expendable (until book six anyway, where one of the biggest characters met his/her fate).

At least the Johnathan Kent death meant something not only to Clark, but to us, the viewers as well. So yeah, while I would have been able to have lived with someone like Chloe dying, I'm glad that the character they killed held more weight then her. While Johnathans death makes me sad, it makes me glad to know that I care enough about the characters to worry about them in the first place. There was a little lap of logic Clark overlooked where he could have prevented Lana's death WITHOUT making her mad at him, but I'll let it slide seeing as how all WB shows rely on their love triangles to a certain extent!

I guess there's only one more thing to say: Johnathan Kent, you've raised a wonderful son, and you will be missed. Truly.

Currently Listening To: Nobuo Uematsu - Aerith's Theme ("Final Fantasy VII" Soundtrack)

"Smallville" Predictions

Without having seen tonights episode yet, I am predicting that Chloe Sullivan will die. I am now going to go watch the episode to see if I'm right. Be back later with the results.

Banging Was Never More Hilarious

Be Brave When Clicking This Link

I mean, come on, "American Idol" produced THIS GUY!!! Comedy gold man.

(Still) Currently Listening To: Brooks & Dunn - The Greatest Hits Collection

Just For The Record, I Voted For Clay.

American Idol

I just want to point out that I while I think reality TV is vile trash overall, "American Idol" can be one of the funniest things on TV. Seriously. I mean, come on, it's funnier then "Joey" at least. Hmm...wonder what I should write about next. Oh, I know: The Disney Pixar deal. Oh, that should be fun.

Currently Listening To: Brooks & Dunn - The Greatest Hits Collection

DARN YOU KOJIMA!!!

Konami preps Metal Gear retrospective - PlayStation 2 News at GameSpot

"Metal Gear Solid" is one of my favorite game series of all time. Yes, I even loved "Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty," despite that mind boggling ending Kojima delivered us. I love MGS so much, that when Konami released "Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance" for the XBox, I bought the game even though I had already bought it once for the Playstation 2. And when Silicon Knights gave us "Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes" for Gamecube, a remake of the original Playstation game, I bought that too. Here's the thing though: I can't justify buying "Metal Gear Solid 3: Substance."

At least, not when it's on a system that I already own the game for. For some reason I was late buying "Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater" the first time around for Playstation 2. Blame "Kingdom Hearts" and "Final Fantasy X-2" if you want (I sure as heck do), but it wasn't until January of 2005 when I finally got the game (and on sale for $35.99). I still really love the game, but I can't justify re-buying a $50 game when I already have it on the exact same system. If "Substance" was being released on XBox instead (like it was for "Sons of Liberty") then maybe I would be more for this.

But two same games for the same system? That just doesn't make sense. I'm sorry, but it doesn't. Now I'm hearing that there will be some sort of DVD "Making of" bonus for those who pre-order this thing though? Man, tempting. VERY tempting in fact...but I can't! I'm frustrated, I want it, but it just doesn't make sense in the long run. Chances are because of how rare this is going to be though, I guess it should be noted that these disks are going to skyrocket on eBay within the next year or so. Darn you Kojima. DARN YOU!!! Someone at Konami America needs to make their own multi-disk DVD "Making of" set.

Why not? I'd buy it. I'd buy this sort of thing for "Final Fantasy," "The Legend of Zelda," and "Sonic The Hedgehog" too. Darn, I REALLY need to get into one of these companies and start making these plans become a reality! Oh well, until then, they shall be written down in this blog. On a side note, "Metal Gear Solid 4" may just be enough of a reason to buy a Playstation 3. Not on launch day mind you, but eventually.

Currently Listening To: Paula Abdul - Greatest Hits

Movie Reviews: Two of Four

Zathura

Yep, I still go to kids movies. By myself. I know, my life is pitiful:

Zathura
Director: Jon Favreau
Staring: A couple of annoying kids.
Rated: PG (For fantasy action and peril, and some language)

I like the movie "Jumanji." I don't think it's a great film, but it was a fairly decent movie. The special effects haven't held up quite as well as they used to, but that's okay, that's just the way things work sometimes. With that in mind, I wasn't particularly looking forward to seeing "Zathura." Like "Elf," the movie just looked too dopy and childish for me. However, like "Elf," I walked away from "Zathura" quite surprised. I only then learned that the guy who directed "Elf" directed "Zathura" too.

The storyline is simple: Boys who hate each other find board game, start playing, weird stuff happens, boys must learn to love each other if they are to survive. In this regard, "Zathura" is nothing special, as this story has been told multiple times before. What makes this movie worth seeing is that it is told in a very fun way. While "Jumanji" was a good movie, calling it a family film (and giving the film it's too flexible PG rating) was a joke, as that film was capable of terrifying kids. "Zathura" makes this a fun ride by establishing very early on that this is going to be a fun fantasy ride.

The first thing that happens is a huge meteor shower takes place in the living room. The meteors fall everywhere, destroying the room, but the kids are unharmed. So while it looks like the kids are avoiding the meteors, it's really the meteors that are avoiding the kids. This scene does a great job in setting up the fact that this is all just going to be fun. As more disasters show up, there is always something to protect the kids, and (in a brilliant stroke of genius) some of the special effects are old fashioned. The old fashioned special effects (like the robot) helps establish the fantasy setting we are in.

The actors all do a commendable job in the movie. There is no Oscar work to be found here, but what is in here works. Save for Tim Robbins in a very minor supporting role as the dad who doesn’t have for his kids, the cast is made up entirely of unknowns. This is also okay, as we don't want anyone mistaking this movie for art. Still, it's a great family film, and even if you don't have kids it is quite and enjoyable ride in itself. Just remember: It's only a game.

Grade: B-

Currently Listening To: Ricky Martin - Life

Random TV Ramblings From A Guy Who Can't Sleep

"Party of Five" (1994)

Seeing as how the TV scheduel will NOT be changed until fall (and doubtful it will be much better then it is now), my TV on DVD raid continues. This time it's with "Party of Five," a show I (surprise, surprise) missed during it's initial airing on Fox. Seeing Scott Wolf on "Everwood" playing thirty something doctor made it kind of weird seeing him play sixteen year old Baily in this show, but there you have it. I'm on the forth episode right now, and while it is not a great show, it is a good show. This must be one of those shows that gets better as it goes on.

Seeing as how this show is so critically acclaimed, I'm hoping it does. Strangely enough, so far this isn't "Dawson's Creek." Mock that show all you want, but for some reason that show COMPLETELY sucked me in with the first episode! "Party of Five" got me interested in the characters and where they are going, but so far this show is no masterpiece, just enjoyable fluff. But heck, it's still better then almost anything found on TV these days. On another note, it was decided that James Van Der Beek's (Dawon) new TV show, "Three," was not going to be picked up by the network as a full length TV show.

Darn, it looked interesting too. What's maddening though, is that this show (which was going to be a real TV show with an actual storyline and characters) was most likely turned down to make way for another reality TV show. Disney's new Muppet sitcom can't come here fast enough. Oh, and "American Idol's" new season just started. While I am looking forward to seeing who becomes the next idol, I'm personally enjoying the bad singers much more then the good singers. Hey, what can I say, we might see another William Hung this season. Yeah, I know the guy is talentless, but he was funny.

Yes, I said it: He was funny. Bite me. Though on that note, Ricky Martin most likely has Hung partly to thank for his reknewed career in the US (in Mexico he never went away). Hmm...something tells me this post would not only make more sense if I was wide awake, but I'd probably have a flow and point too. Well, on a final note I have this to say: PETERT CETERA RULES!!!! Don't know who that is? Napster him. I'm going to make an attempt to go to bed now. Night, night.

P.S. Dani, if you're reading this, will you go out to the movies with me?

Movie Reviews: One of Four

I've seen four movies this past week, so I better start reviewing them:

Casanova
Director: Lasse Hallstrom
Staring: Heaith Ledger, Sienna Miller
Rated: R (For some sexual content)

"Casanova" was not what I was expecting it to be. For some reason, I was thinking "Casanova" was going to be a movie that was about a guy who spent the who movie activly trying to sleep with as many women as he could. This is true for the first ten minutes of the film, but then the movie shifts focus. "Casanova" is based (loosely) off the life of the real life Giacomo Casanova, who wrote many books in his life but only found real success with his autobiography. In it he claimed to have have 122 "conquests" with women. This fact is also hammered down in this movie.

The movie follows this part of the story, showing Casanova claiming another prize, when he is arrested by the church for being quite a scumbag. He is given one more chance though: If he can find a wife withen the next three days and get married, he will be cleared of all charges. Casanova imediatly gets engaged to the virginal Victoria, but shortly afterwards meets his real true love, a feminist writer named Francesca. As is always the case when you meet "the one," Casanova drops his old ways and starts scheming to win Francesca's heart.

He finds out that Francesca has a fiancee (one she has never seen, just so that we are aware she is not attached to him), edbut nothing as minor as that is going to stop Casanova. Oh, all the while, an out of town catholic is trying to have Casanova hanged. I hope I'm not making "Casanova" sound like a drama, because it's not. In fact, "Casanova" is more of a fun romp then anything. It's a little unrealistic, it's a little stereotypicle, and some of the characters are so one sided they might be considered offensive (horny nuns who like to have sex), but overall "Casanova" is just a fun romp.

It's NOT historically accurate! The movie may get a few things about real life events right, but overall this was made as sort of a date movie rather then a historical representation. Historians may frown on what they may consider a wasted oppertunity, but for those who don't go to the movies to be educated, this may be the fun kind of movie they are looking for. A small note on the R rating, this is one of the tamest R rated films I've seen in a long time. There is no bad language, no violence, no nudity, and the sexuel content mainly reffers to some very minor off color jokes.

In other words, even if you are easyily offended there is very little to offend in this movie, so I would take that R rating with a grain of salt. Right now you've got a serious but sour film about gay cowboys to see, and a movie about a womanizer who changes his ways when he falls in love. I think you can guess which of these films I'm recomending.

Grade: B

Currently Listening To: Justin Guarini with Kelly Clarkson - Justin Guarini

Well, You Said You Wanted Excitement

I hope this review doesn't get me some 'gay' in my mailbox:

Brokeback Mountain
Director: Ang Lee
Starring: Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal
Rated: R (For sexuality, nudity, language and some violence)

Every year the world gets at least one controversial film that is hailed by critics, and usually wins a lot of awards. "Brokeback Moutain" has been labled as "the gay cowboy movie," which sounds about right to me. It may be me, but I'm more likely to side with the hecklers in this case then with the critics. When "Fahrenheit 9/11" came out the critics hailed it as a "revolutionary film," one that apparently was so good that it was said that "it [didn't] matter whether you were left or right, ["Fahrenheit 9/11"] is a great film." Of course, we all know these statements to be complete lies barely two years later.

But maybe the critics are right in this case. Maybe "Brokeback Moutain" IS a movie that can change the way we think about gay lovers?! I went into the movie with an open mind, ready to have my beliefs challenged. Strangely enough, I can sum up what "Brokeback Moutain" is in brief, simple summery: "Brokeback Moutain" is a glorified affair. As you all know, "Brokeback Moutain" revolves around two sheep herders (Ennis and Jack) who get drunk, have sex, and (supposingly) fall in love. Then they get back to the real world, they both get married, they have kids, but they still remember the nights they shared on Brokeback Mountain.

Then one day, Ennis receives a letter from Jack, suggesting that they go back to Brokeback Moutain for another fling (although he doesn't say it like that per se). They both know that they can never be together, but they do make a choice to keep seeing each other at Brokeback Mountain every few months. Through the years Ennis and Jack spend continue with their real lives, with those few days a year they can see each other when they are in total bliss. All the while they hurt their wives, they neglect their kids to a certain extent, and they hurt friends.

Some people see this movie as a great tradgedy because these two men love each other but can't be together. I, on the other hand, saw two men who lusted for each other, and ended up being complete jerks who did nothing but cheat on their wives and have no problem with this. Ok, time for the sarcasm to end and it's time to get serious. Despite all the praise this film gets, despite all the things that are being said about this series, at the end of the day this is about two men having an affair and hurting the people they are married to. This fact seems to have went over almost everyone's head. The fact that these two characters are hurting their loved one's doesn't seem to matter much to the people praising this film.

I have to wonder, if the coupld had been a man and a woman, would all this deception and cheating be as overlooked as it is here? It's also hard to believe in the romance itself, seeing as how it was birthed from a night where the characters had one too many drinks, not because they actually fall in love. They just have a hard night of sex and before you know it they're a couple. Sorry, but I'm not convinced. Throughout this whole film there was only one believable character in the whole movie, and that character is the Michelle Williams character. When Williams character discovers that her husbend is cheating on her, we truly feel sorry for her as her marriage falls apart.

The scene where she finally confronts her husbend about his affair with another man, I almost started to cry for her, as she was outright lied to, and her life was, more or less, greatly damaged. For some reason, some of the people I saw the film with sided with Ennis during this scene, because the Williams character "didn't understand what Ennis was going through." I couldn't help but wonder what any of the other characters had to do to get sympathy. The boys boss (played by Randy Quade) has been said to be a biggot, when in reality he couldn't care less about the two boys sexuality, he's just mad that they let his sheep get eaten while they were keeping themselves busy.

I will admit that the acting is good, and the cinatography is beautiful, but I can't in all honesty recommend a movie where the main characters seem to okay with hurting people they care about, with very few consequences. I've never cared about movies that are about glorified affairs, and this one is no different.

Grade: D-

Currently Listening To: Celine Dion - A New Day Has Come

Need Money: BADLY!

eBay Seller: comicbookreviewer

Hey guys, to make a long story short, I have a HUGE expense I need to pay off, so I am selling quite a bit of anime DVD's, manga, and a few collectables on eBay! Of noteworthy mention is a Stan Lee autograph (a real one), and an original Penny Arcade and PVP sketch. If any of this stuff interests you please bid, as I could REALLY use the money right now (I wouldn't be selling some of these things if I didn't)! Later guys, good luck bidding.

Run, Dick, Run!

I got into a fender-bender this morning and my consolation prize was this movie:

Fun With Dick And Jane
Director: Dean Parisot
Starring: Jim Carrey, Tea Leoni
Rated: PG-13

"Fun With Dick and Jane" does not end up being as much fun as we'd like it to be. The movie revolves around the title characters and their fun filled life. They both have high paying jobs, when the amazing happens: Dick gets promoted as the new VP Chairman of a big business. Because of the new promotion, Jane quits her job, Dick orders some new things for the house, and life is just perfect. Unfortunately, it turns out Dick was promoted to be a scapegoat for the corporation, and Dick is thrown on TV to explain to the world why the CEO (played by Alac Baldwin) has just cashed in on all the stock he owned, and why the company has gone bankrupt.

Dick has no answers, and suffers all this humiliation just to wind up without a job. A few months later, both Dick and Jane can't find work, and they are reduced to crime to make themselves money so they can live. Strangely enough, this is where the movie takes a dive. Instead of being like Robin Hood and taking from the rich and greedy, they steel from the poor and good people who work hard to make an honest buck. Kind of hard to root for the main characters when they are robbing an old-timer who runs a gift shop store. I won't deny that "Fun With Dick and Jane" isn't funny.

This movie does contained some laughs, and there are even a couple scenes that are gut-splitting funny. However these moments aren't frequent enough, and most of the laughs are mere chuckles then genuine laughs. This also isn't Jim Carrey's best work to date either. Considering he made this movie after making the very intriguing (and strange) "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," this movie seems like going back to the basics for him. Tea Leoni is also annoying, playing the same hyperactive mom she's played in the last five or seven films she's made.

Dick and Jane eventually do make an effort to get even with the evil CEO who put them (and other families) in misery, but by then it feels like too little too late. By now we've gotten the message that corporations are evil, and we don't like Dick and Jane very much at this point. This movie tries to make a point that people with money are evil and selfish people, but then the movie contradicts itself by saying the same thing about poor people who live an honest life. Oh, and according to the banners in this movie, Gore won the election. Ho, ho. While it may be worth a rental, "Fun With Dick and Jane" isn't very fun when you have to pay $10 to see it.

Grade: C-

Patrick and Jessica: Don't Read This Review

Starting today, I'm going to make it a point to share my two thoughts on the movies I see. Movie reviews will most likely become a regular feature on this blog. This is the first:

The Squid and the Whale
Director: Noah Baumbach
Starring: Jeff Daniels, Laura Linney
Rated: R (For strong sexual content, graphic dialogue and language)

"The Squid and the Whale" is a movie that shows us something we'd rather not see: The ugly side of divorce. I've always been fascinated with the way Hollywood portrays divorce. They never really portray it as something that is truly horrible, just as a "touch luck/too bad" thing that happens to many people. In other words, divorce is a part of human nature, and you might as well get used to it. Of course, people who have been effected by divorce will tell you otherwise. The fact that so many divorcees can watch Hollywood movies about divorce shows just how timid and kind Hollywood is to the subject.

This is not one of those movies. This movie will not hold your hand and demand you not be scared by divorce. This movie does no less then get in your face and practicably beats you over the head with the horrible consequences of divorce. You may actually feel yourself worn out by the time the movie is finished. If you couldn't guess by now, the movie is about a married couple named Bernard and Joan, and their two kids Frank and Walt. Bernard and Joan have a rocky relationship. Bernard used to be a huge author, but now has trouble getting his books published. Joan used to have little interest in writing, but was inspired by her husband to try writing herself.

Now the tables have turned some twenty years later, and now Joan is the successful writer and Bernard is the one with no career. They now fight all the time, with Bernard getting frustrated that he seems to be losing his power status with the family, and Joan feeling like her husband would rather have her on a leash. Soon the parents decide to divorce, to the surprise of no one (even to Frank and Walt). The kids aren't really surprised when their parents announce that they are splitting up, but they still can't really comprehend how things came to be this way. What's worse is that both kids have a parent he likes better, and the parents use this to their advantage.

In what comes as the biggest blow to the audience, each of the grownup's start telling their kids stories about the other parents and giving that kid special privileges. Bernard tells Walt about an affair Joan had while they were married, and Joan lets Frank drink beer and read pornographic magazines. The bait serves it's purpose, and before you know it Frank and Walt have become pawns in their parents bickering match, and neither side will waver. A particularly heartbreaking scene comes in when Walt starts dating a girl. Both his parents have advice for him, but none of the advice he receives in on the same level, and Walt messes up with the girl because he can't decide which parent to listen to.

Meanwhile, Frank picks up a couple of (truly disgusting) bad habits in order to get his parents attention, only to find out that his parents aren't really interested in solving the problem, but are rather more interested in seeing how they can put the blame for this behavior on one another. The squid and the whale is a metaphor, but what the metaphor is I won't tell you. As stated before, "The Squid and the Whale" is a tough movie. It takes a problem we are all too familiar with, and it presents it to us in away that many of us are unaware exists. The movie has some problems (the dad's affair with a student could have been handled better), but it is an excellent achievement in film (though not major mind you).

The movie has been playing in limited release, and it is definitely worth hunting down. It may be something you don't normally expect to see from your movies, but it does pay off quite well.

Grade: B

Hey Everybody, It's Mr. Bill!

As I promised earlier this week, here is a picture of Bill Waterson, creator of "Calvin & Hobbes:"



Okay, so it's a little fuzzy and grainy, but with how anti-social this guy is I feel lucky to have his picture at all. Oh, you know this is so leading up to a "Calvin & Hobbes" review in the coming weeks. Maybe I'll even integrate this picture into the review. Hmm...

Currently Listening To: Faye Wong - "Final Fantasy VIII" Soundtrack

Awesome Show

Amazon.com: ER - The Complete Fourth Season

I should be going to bed, but I'm watching "ER: Season 4," and the storyline is so good I just can't go to sleep (and those horrible cliffhangers that make stopping VERY difficult). I'm typing this while I watch. Darn good show. I wish the new episodes were as good as these older episodes. Okay, got to go, a patient it coughing up blood for the hundreth or so time since the first episode.

Currently Listening To: Nothing (I'm watching the show, so maybe the "ER Theme" counts)

My Top Ten Best Films of The Year

Seeing as how "Ebert & Roeper" just finished telling the whole world what their top ten favorite films of the year were, I figured I'll spill the beans on mine. Though just as a heads up, a certain movie about "gay cowboys" won't be on this list.

10. Wallice & Gromit: The Curse of The Were-Rabbit (G)

Proving once again that claymation isn't dead, "Wallice & Gromit: The Curse of The Were-Rabbit" is charming, funny, sweet, and even a little dramatic near the end. Oh but what a great chance sequence in the Fair. You just can't beat animation and it's limitless reach for great scenes.

9. Mysterious Skin (NC-17)

A very little seen film, the movie of two boys with tramatic pasts is very disturbing, sad, and heartbreak. I can't even say it's very enjoyable, but it has excellent performances, and it will have you in deep thought about how certain things in the world works for hours on end. Reminder: This movie is for mature audiences ONLY! Even if the message is helpful, like "The Passion of The Christ," the message will still be there when your teenagers turn eighteen.

8. Good Night, And Good Luck (PG)

If you want an old fashioned political thriller, then look no further then George Clooney's opus about a small time news program that was the first program to seriously question Seniter McCarthy's "tactics" in dealing with communists. The most is not lefttist propiganda, but a smart movie that looks at a news program that fought the good fight and won some big battles while losing others.

7. Batman Begins (PG-13)

Still have nightmares about "Batman & Robin?" I know the feeling. Thankfully, my nights have been nightmare free since this (ironically) much darker, but far better Batman film opened in theaters earlier this year. With great performances, a steller story, and some really nifty chase sequences, "Batman Begins" is a return to the glory days of Batman movies.

6. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe (PG)

Now that Disney has done a surperb job on this fully realized movie version of C.S. Lewis's classic novel, I can finally wipe that horrible BBC mini-series out from my memory. It's good to see the beavers have some justice done at long last.

5. King Kong (PG-13)

Would you believe that an action movie about a giant ape who falls in love with a pretty girl would also be one of the best on-screen friendships in recent memory? Hard to believe, but it is true. "King Kong" may be an action film, but it becomes so much more thanks to Jackson's excellent direction.

4. Syriana (R)

A political thriller that comes up with this great idea to include you in the guessing game, as confused characters try to figure out what is really going on in the grand sceme of things when a serious bidding war for oil breaks out between America and China. "Syriana" might not be "kick back and relax" entertainment, but if you are willing to think just a little bit harder then you usually would, then you will find a very rewarding film at hand.

3. Capote (R)

I love writing (as you can probably tell), so this movie about how Truman Capote wrote the famous novel "In Cold Blood" (which I am ashamed to say I haven't read yet, but am making plans to). While I'm sure the book is quite facinating, sometimes the story behind the book is just as interesting, and this movie proves that. If anything I now have interest in reading "In Cold Blood."

2. Wal-Mart: The Cost of Low Prices (NR)

Wal-Mart is not my favorite store, so it should come as no surprise that this movie totally won me over with how much it just TEARS Wal-Mart appart, and exposes (most) of the terrible truths to Wal-Marts practices! It may be biased, and I'm sure some of the facts are skewed just a little bit, but it nails most of the problems spot on, and it's worth checking out (esspecially if you shop at Wal-Mart).

1. Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire (PG-13)

I know, I know: I'm a fanboy. But even so, I was more entertained by "Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire" then I was any other film this year. Of course, the chances of me NEEDING to recomend this movie is laughable, as you've already decided whether you are going to see it or not! I recommend you see it.

And tha's my list of the best films of the year (in my opinion). Come back next week for my worst list. Later.

Currently Listening To: Casting Crowns - Lifesong

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everybody! Now that we've gotten the new year finished, it's time to start preparing for taxes. When I told that joke to some of the people at my family reuion last year, they threw me out of the house. I'm perplexed sometimes, as I find myself being related to people that I don't relate to. Oh well, here's to 2006 and to the idea of having an XBox 360 on every store shelf in America.