THE 2009 HAUNTED AMERICA “LUCKY 13” CONFERENCE

I’m sure you have heard all of the hype about ghost conferences that are springing up all over the country this year, many of which are just being planned and being held in only a month or two. However, if you are interested in America’s “original ghost conference”, look no further than the Haunted America Conference, which will be coming up during the weekend of June 19-20, 2009 at the haunted Lincoln Theater in Decatur, Illinois. Although often imitated, there is no other conference like ours and none that can bring you the high quality of speakers and presenters that we offer year after year. The 2009 event is our “Lucky 13” conference, celebrating the first of our events back in 1997 – when there weren’t any other ghost conferences around.

The Haunted America Conference is different than all of the rest, and not just because we were the first of our kind. We offer speakers who – as I stated last year during the opening of the event – “actually have something to say”. This is not an event where a bunch of so-called “paranormal celebrities” show up and stand around on stage, gracing you with their presence, just because they happened to be on a TV show, but don’t have anything else to offer. We turn down more speakers every year than we even ask to appear because those speakers know that this will be the biggest, best, most organized and best attended conference in the country. Sorry, if it sounds like I’m bragging, but you can ask those who come each year and they’ll tell you! There’s a reason that we were voted the #1 ghost conference in the country by the “Haunted America Tours” website!.

Take a look at the list of speakers that we have for 2009:....

* Troy Taylor (Okay, I had to list myself, I’m the Conference Host)
* Patrick Burns – From TruTv’s “Haunting Evidence” and a guy who really knows what he’s talking about!
* Nick Redfern – Monster Hunter
* Leslie Rule – Author extraordinaire
* Bob Hunnicutt & Drew Hester – Georgia Ghost Society
* Craig Telesha – Master of all things Ghost Tech and author of “Strange Frequencies”
* Derek Bartlett – Ghost Hunter, Tour Guide and Founder of CAIPRS
* Dale Kaczmarek – Author, ghost hunter, tour guide, president of the Ghost Research Society
* Ken Berg – Psychic Detective, author, tour guide
* And Len Adams & Luke Naliborski Return with "Sons of Strange Stuff"

Plus, Broadcasting & Performing Live:
* Ghostly Talk Radio
* Ghost Divas Live!
* The Spectremen

This year's conference will be returning to our favorite location --- the haunted Lincoln Theater in Decatur! It's going to be an amazing year with new and favorite speakers, haunted workshops, great after-hours events and much more! Return with us to the haunted Lincoln Theater and experience this spooky, and very haunted, place for yourself and spend the weekend taking part in lectures and workshops on ghosts and ghost hunting; presentations on paranormal phenomena and investigating the unknown; discussions and questions & answer periods; haunted locations; haunted workshops; real-life séances; ghost tours; late-night investigations; and much more! As with each year, will give attendees the chance to gather information about ghosts, hauntings and the unexplained that you won't hear anywhere else; meet other ghost enthusiasts from around the country; network and compare notes with other investigators; and to visit Decatur, Illinois, " the most haunted small city in the Midwest". You don't want to miss this --- there's a reason that it's the longest running ghost conference in the country!

We hope you’ll consider joining us this year, whether you’ve been to the conference many times or this is your very first time. It’s going to be another event to remember and be warned – the special after hours events are filling up very fast! We just opened to the public on Monday and two of them are sold out and another is very close! Don’t miss out – they are filled on a first come / first served basis!

Check it out at http://www.americanspookshows.com and we hope to see you in June!

Troy Taylor
 

Well, we are finally winding down to the end of the year and I'll finally be free from this list. It seemed like a great idea last January, but now -- not so much. But, I said that I would stick with it until the end, so I will. This new list covers the Hallloween season (which means lots of horror films, or at least more than usual) and there will likely only be one more list before the end of the year.

Before I get to the list, I wanted to make mention of a 8-episode television series that I had the chance to re-watch for the first time in like 15 years. I was deathly ill the other night and stayed up all night to watch the 1995 series KINDRED: THE EMBRACED. I was in a vampire mood after working on some stuff for my latest book and decided to dig out the DVD's of this one. Surprisingly, it holds up really well. The first episode is not that great, mostly because C. Thomas Howell is such a terrible actor and he is in the first one way too much, but the rest of them are pretty good. The series ended because the actor that played Julian was killed in a motorcycle accident as they were getting ready to film season two. Too bad -- although the real crime is what the hell happened to Kelly Rutherford? I had forgotten how much I liked her.

Anyway, on with the list:

256. THE BRAVE ONE ** 1/2
257. THE HAUNTING (Original version) ****
258. BURNT OFFERINGS *** (This movie scared the hell out of me when I was a kid and I watched it again in the early 1990s and hated it. It was much better this time!)
259. APALOOSA *****
260. CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST (No stars --God, this movie is bad!)
261. ROOM 205 **
262. SEX & THE CITY: THE MOVIE **** (Sorry, I liked the show!)
263. REST STOP **
264. REST STOP 2: DON'T LOOK BACK * 1/2
265. NO MAN'S LAND: RISE OF REEKER * 1/2
266. PATHOLOGY *** 1/2
267. BROKEN **
268. LAST HOUSE IN THE WOODS (No stars -- horrible Italian piece of crap!)
269. THE DEVIL'S CHAIR ***
270. THE HAUNTING (1999 Version) **
271. LEGEND OF HELL HOUSE ****
272. MIMIC 3: SENTINEL * 1/2
273. SHIVER **
274. DEATH DEFYING ACTS *** 1/2
275. PRIMEVAL ***
276. DAY OF THE DEAD (2008 Version) *
277. THE GRUDGE ****
278. THE GRUDGE 2 ***
279. RESTRAINT *** 1/2
280. FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL ** 1/2
281. DANCE OF THE DEAD ***
282. DARK FLOORS * 1/2
283. IRON MAN **** 1/2
284. HALLOWEEN (2007 Rob Zombie Version) ****
285. DAVE *** 1/2
286. GHOST RIDER ** 1/2
287. P2 ***
288. PATHFINDER *** 1/2
289. ZACK AND MIRI MAKE A PORNO ****
290. FINAL DRAFT * 1/2
291. CHANGELING (Clint Eastwood Film) **** 1/2
292. BLESSED *
293. BOY A *** 1/2
294. TIMBER FALLS **
295. ARTIFACTS *
296. ROCKNROLLA **** 1/2
297. TRANSSIBERIAN *** 1/2
298. FROSTBITTEN **
299. THE DEVILS * (I hate Ken Russell films)
300. CHILL (No stars -- made with a home video camera)
301. THE LOOKOUT ****
302. JOY RIDE ***
303. JOY RIDE 2 ** 1/2
304. PERFECT CREATURE ** 1/2
305. HANCOCK **** 1/2
306. INCREDIBLE HULK ****
307. TRACKMAN * 1/2

Well, it was bound to happen sometime -- my list officially got completely out of control somewhere back in early August and with the Halloween season now upon us, I just don't have time to update it the way that I have been doing all year. So, now you get a numbered list and a star-rating. Sorry, that's the best that I can do. I threw in a couple of comments here and there, but I hope you enjoy it and get some ideas for viewing out of it anyway:

205. Guarding Tess ****
206. Doomsday *** (Better than I expected!)
207. X-Files: I Want to Believe **** (Screw the haters, I loved seeing everyone back again!)
208. Dark City ** (still incoherent)
209. Shutter **** (again, better than I expected)
210. In Brudges ****
211. Grace is Gone ** (could this be more depressing?)
212. Final Approach **
213. 10,0000 B.C. **** (just as good on DVD)
214. Never Back Down *** (pleasant surprise)
215. Underworld ****
216. Underworld: Evolution ***
217. Behind Enemy Lines: Axis of Evil *** (kinda fun, but if you have epileptic seizures, don't watch this. I think the camera man was having one when he filmed it)
218. Pineapple Express ****
219. Ivanhoe **** (BBC production 1990s, excellent!)
220. The Counterfeitors ****
221. Almost Famous Bootleg Cut *****
222. Where the Truth Lies ***
223. The Haunting of 24 **
224. Harsh Times **
225. Street Kings ****
226. The Secret *** (David Suchovny movie, not the stupid new age, Oprah crap)
227. Crossfire Trail ****
228. Life Before Her Eyes ***

6 Films to Keep you Awake (Spanish Horror short films)
229. The Baby's Room ****
230. To Let **
231. The Blame *
232. Spectre ***
233. A Real Friend *
234. Xmas Tale (0 stars)
235. Death Race **** (Jason Statham is always awesome!)
236. Home of the Brave ***

237. Resurrection Mary *** (Okay, have to comment on this because, as many know, this is my favorite ghost story of all time and I wrote an entire book about Mary. This movie is Not as bad as I feared. It's not perfect but it's certainly worth watching and Pamela Jean who plays Mary is really good and really fits the role. Watch this if you get a chance, it's worth seeing)

238. Cloverfield *** (watched again on DVD, not as good this time)
239. Dog Soldiers **** (Still love this movie!)
240. 21 ****
241. Quid Pro Quo **** (Weird, but you gotta see this!)
242. Red Belt ***
243. Last Stand at Saber River ****
244. Righteous Kill ***
245. 88 Minutes ***
246. Walker Payne ** (Two hour movie to tell us that dog fighting is bad -- duh!)
247. Charlie Bartlett ****
248. Green Street Holligans ****
249. Devour *
250. Leatherheads *** (tried too hard to be a 1930s screwball comedy. Not bad, but I can see why it bombed)
251. 25th Hour ***
252. Midnight Meat Train ****
253. Knocked Up ****
254. The Happening * (what the hell?)
255. Rogue **** (another pleasant surprise from the guy who made "Wolf Creek")

I need to keep this short and sweet this time out, so you won't get a lot of commentary, but I can at least tell you whether or not to bother (for those of you who actually use this list for suggestions -- hard to believe, but some do, ha, ha!). Anyway, here goes for the new summer list:

178. THE DARK KNIGHT: If there is anyone out there who has not seen this movie yet, I don't know what the hell you are waiting for! This is the best movie of the year so far, and not just because I am a lifelong Batman fan. This is just a great movie with a fantastic story, great acting, amazing action and it's just fantastic. Don't take my word for it, just go see it!

179. THE CLEANER: Samuel L. Jackson plays a former cop who cleans up crime scenes in this puzzling thriller. Also features Ed Harris, who is always good. This one slipped under the radar somewhere along the line but it's a great, small film and well worth seeing.

180. THE TATTOOIST: I didn't expect a lot from this one -- a tattoo artist steals an ancient tribal tattoo tool that has a spirit attached to it -- but I was very pleasantly surprised and ended up really liking it. Check this one out when you have a chance!

181. SUPERBAD: My friends berated me because I had never seen this movie but honestly, I don't watch a lot of comedies. It's not that I don't like some of them, but overall, they are usually stupid. But this one turned out to be a really funny, clever film and i was glad that I gave it a chance.

182. CLOSE YOUR EYES: Cool British thriller with Goran Visnic (bad spelling sorry, but it's Luka Kovach from TV's ER) as a psychologist with a touch of a sixth sense who gets caught up in a serial child killer case. Well-acted and spooky and worth checking out.

183. IN A DARK PLACE: Modern Remake of "The Innocents" that was not worth the time or expense to make -- and definitely not worth taking the time to watch.

184: THE NUN: Okay, I'm not kidding with this -- a ghost nun takes revenge on the Catholic Girls School students who murdered her. This is a Spanish film, badly dubbed, that started out with some promise but quickly deteriorated with bad translations and a plot that as murkier than the water the nun drowned in. I also laughed during the scenes that were in "New Jersey" because the cops smoked a lot, wore wrinkled Italian suits and three-day beards and looked like Jean Reno. Something did not quite say "American detectives" here.

185. VANTAGE POINT: I missed this one in theaters because I heard that it was not very good. Apparently, someone saw a different movie than I did! I really liked this one, loved the story-telling arc and it was really well-acted. Give this one a try if you get a chance!

186. BLACK BOOK: This is an amazing film! The story of a Jewish woman who fights for the underground during World War II by sleeping with a German officer and gathering information. Really, really well done and will have you on the edge of your seat!

187. LOST COLONY: This one had so much promise -- the unsolved mystery of the Lost Colony of Roanoke. Despite some good actors and an authentic looking set and costume design, this one fell apart with a stupid plot, bad history and really cheesy special effects.

188. THE DEAD GIRL: Weird character study about how the lives of people connected to a girl who is found murdered all intersect. Great actors in this one but a film that really goes nowhere.

189. ASYLUM: I was contacted by MGM, who asked if I would give away free copies and posters for their new DVD release. I was happy to oblige (although I'm not sure how happy our guests at the July 19 overnight at the Lincoln Theater were to get them) and decided to watch the film in advance. Boy, there is a reason they were giving them away! This is not the worst movie that I have seen about an abandoned asylum (I mean, hey, it's not "Death Tunnel" at least) but it's pretty bad.

190. CHERRY CRUSH: Cool, small thriller about a student / photographer who gets mixed up in a blackmail and murder plot thanks to some hot girl that he falls for. It's a movie that so many guys can relate to and it was actually pretty good.

191. HELLBOY 2: THE GOLDEN ARMY: Awesome follow-up to the original "Hellboy" and, in fact, this one tops it! I have no idea where Del Toro comes up with the amazing creatures, ideas and designs that he does, but this is an amazing film.

192. BORDERTOWN: A watchable, "movie with a message" about the hundreds of murders that have occurred in Juarez, Mexico over the last decade or so. Jennifer Lopez plays a newspaper reporter who goes undercover to find out who is murdering women and Antonio Banderas (in a very low-key role) plays a newspaper writer who tries to help her. I was pleasantly surprised by this one.

193. DEFINITELY MAYBE: My occasional weakness for certain "chick flicks" made me watch this one and believe it or not, I really liked it. Ryan Reynolds is not the stupid character that he normally plays and this was an entertaining and nice film.

194. WANTED: Cool movie with James McAvoy, Angelina Jolie and Morgan Freeman about a band of assasins who can do some crazy stuff with their bullets -- among other things. Very cool action film, filled with over-the-top violence (like "Shoot 'Em Up" but without Clive Owen's smirk) and very, very entertaining.

195. TRAPPED ASHES: When I was a kid, I loved horror anthology films like "Vautl of Horror", "Tales from the Crypt", "Asylum", "The House that Dripped Blood" and all of that cool Hammer & Amicus stuff from the 1960s and early 1970s. That was why I watched this miserable, wretched, horrible piece of crap. Of course, I had no idea going in just how bad it was -- it was awful, really awful and in fact, is at the top of my list for the worst movie that I have seen this year so far.

196. SKINWALKERS: I was skeptical about this werewolf movie starring Elias Koteas, Jason Behr and a lot of people that I recognize but don't know their names but it turned out to be okay. It wasn't great. I thought the werewolves looked like the Geico Cavemen with fangs, but it wasn't too bad.

197. BLOOD & CHOCOLATE: This one just tried too hard. It was too much like a romance novel with werewolves but at least they actually looked like wolves. I'm not going to say this was bad -- the acting was good, sets beautiful, storyline okay -- but it's not something that I would ever watch again.

198. THE RUINS: It's not often that I say this, but at least it was better than the book. I absolutely hated this book and have no idea why everyone thought it was so great when it came out last year. The movie version is slightly better ( I liked the actors who were in it) but it's still a story that offers little, goes nowhere, and just sort of ends.

199. JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH 3-D: All that I can say is that this is a fun movie for kids (which is who I took to see it -- a 6-year-old kid) who might like sitting with 3-D glasses on while things pop out of the screen at you. It was kind of cool but a really weak storyline bored the adults in the theater. It's family fun -- which is really not my thing.

200. AN AMERICAN HAUNTING: After our recent, annual trip to the Bell Witch Cave in Tennessee, I got inspipred to watch this film again, hoping that since I had waited two years to see it again, it might be better -- it wasn't. For a move with great actors and great production values, it still sucks when it comes to telling the story of the Bell Witch. Especially annoying are the opening and closing scenes, which are as lame and contrived as the book this mess is based on.

201. HELTER SKELTER: I had never seen the recent re-make of this film about Charles Manson and his Family and it's actually really good. If you haven't seen it, check it out and I think you'll agree. Steve Railsback may have been a creepier Manson in the original 1970s version, but this one really works.

202. THE BANK JOB: Jason Stattham is one of my favorite actors and I'm glad to see him finally getting roles that are worthy of him. This is a great film! It's exciting and funny and based on the true story of a bank robbery that was essentially carried out under the auspices of the British Secret Service in the early 1970s. Don't miss this one!

203: NATURE MORTE: On the other hand, definitely miss this one! This is a British film about an art expert who becomes involved in a series of murders and -- god, who cares? This movie sucks so bad you won't believe it. I'm pretty sure that it was made with a home video camera and lighted with flashlights. Really bad!

204. CASSANDRA'S DREAM: Ever watch an entire movie and then feel cheated by the ending? That's exactly what I felt about this Ewan MacGregor & Colin Farrell film about two brothers who get mixed up in a crime. I have never been a fan of Woody Allen movies and after this, I'm really not a fan.

Well, back for another round. I have to say that summer is not keeping me from watching movies, but it's keeping me from writing about the ones that I have seen. There just does not seem to be enough time in the day to work in the office, write, go on the overnights (and last weekend, do the conference), read outside almost every evening, watch movies, and then actually write about them here. I'm trying to keep up, though, so you'll have to bear with me.

This time around, I slipped a couple of television shows in there, too. But in this case, it was the complete run of the show and was not an ongoing series. I figured this counted as a really long movie, right? I got hooked on a couple of other series too. I ran across two British series, "Robin Hood", which is sometimes silly but still fun to watch, and "Hex", which is awesome. The best way that I can describe it is as a "Satanic Soap Opera". It's filled with sex, murders, demons and a whole ton of stuff that completely stretches the limits of credibility. These are like the oldest students in the history of the British college system and characters come and go from the show without warning -- and none of them are safe from being killed. This is definitely a "guilty pleasure", but if you get a chance to see it, check it out!

And now on the movie list for this time around:

151. FRONTIERE(S): This French horror film was supposed to be the next big thing in hard-core horror films. Instead, I thought it was like a French cross between 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre" and "Hostel" with Nazi's and bad actors thrown into the mix. Give this one a pass, it's not worth your time.

152: WALK HARD: THE DEWEY COX STORY: Funny movie, although completely stupid. Sometimes, you need one of these kinds of films to clear your palate after watching a lot of serious shit in a row. This is a great spoof of music biography films and a lot of fun to watch, for what it is. Haven and I were laughing out loud a lot during this one.

153: MR BROOKS: I had avoided this one for a long time, but on the advice of Len Adams, I decided to give it a try and really liked it. Kevin Costner does a great job creating this outwardly normal businessman who is actually a sinister serial killer. William Hurt is fantastic and this one is really worth your time if you haven't seen it.

154: INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULLS: I didn't hate this one as much as some people did (although the title is too long) and was really glad to see Indy back in action since this was a character that really shaped my childhood. I have to say, though, that for what we got, I don't understand why it took this long to get it. There was some good stuff in this, but so many problems that should have been handled. For one, the fantastic Cate Blanchett was totally wasted in this. I couldn't believe they used this wonderful actress for such a one-note character. I was also bothered (and this is probably stupid) by the opening sequence. I got it that the road race was like an homage to "American Grafittti" but did anyone else notice that this was the exact same opening sequence to "Men in Black", but without the bug?  Or how about the scene with the room full of collected items -- can anyone say rip-off of "National Treasure"? Anyway, I'll watch it again when it comes out on video and see if I like it any better. It was "good", but fans deserved "great"!

155. THE COTTAGE: Boy, here's a strange one -- although actually worth watching. This movie starts out to be a pretty funny British crime caper about two brothers, one tough and the other a complete moron, who kidnap a crime boss' daughter for ransom. Soon, it starts getting bloody and turns into a outright horror film in the vein of "Wrong Turn" as the players stumble onto an abandoned farm with a horrific legend behind it and a murderous, deformed farmer. I know, you're thinking "what the fuck?" but give it a try, if you get a chance. It's not going to go on my list of great films, but it was definitely entertaining.

156: NATIONAL TREASURE: BOOK OF SECRETS: Saw this one at the theater last year and loved it when I watched it again. These movies are adventure films for history nerds -- like me.

157. CHARLIE WILSON'S WAR: I am not a Julia Roberts fan, and she's the only thing wrong with this movie. Other than that, it was a very cool look at an obscure person and event that most of us know little about. Too bad nobody listened to him in the end, maybe the world wouldn't be in the state that it's in now.

158: RAMBO: Holy shit -- I have never seen this many people chopped up, blown up, dismembered and blown to pieces in a movie in my life -- and I have seen some pretty bloody stuff. Anyway, Rambo returns to wreak havoc in Cambodia, trying to save a bunch of do-gooder missionaries who refuse to take his advice about not going into a war zone. Overall, I liked it and was highly entertained -- probably in the same way that the Romans were when they watched gladiators hack each other apart for sport.

159: THE LOST ROOM: This is one of the TV series, which I think ran on Sci-Fi. Peter Krauss and Julianne Margolies are dealing with this hotel room that exists in another dimension and Krauss, a cop, gets this room key that opens a door to anywhere... Forget it. There is no way that I can explain this show without sounding like a complete geek. Trust me, it's cool and I got the whole series for like $10 on the bargain rack at Wal-Mart. Give it a try, it's very cool.

160: THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN: This re-make on A&E however, is not cool. In fact, it's really frigging boring.

161. THE BACKWOODS: I thought that I would like this one but I thought it sucked. Gary Oldman is great and plays this man's man who has a cabin somewhere in the middle of nowhere in Spain. Set in the 70's, he brings his wife and one of his employees and his wife to the cabin for a hunting trip. Things go down hill when they discover a little girl chained up in an abandoned barn -- and then encounter these sleazy guys who will do anything to get her back. Sorry, just couldn't get into this one.

162: THE STRANGERS: Even though I still maintain that this is a rip-off of the far superior French film "Them", (see earlier film list) I ended up liking this more than I thought that I would. I like the actors, the film has some really tense and visceral thrills and overall, it was definitely worth seeing. The invaders masks really gave me the creeps, too!

163: AN AMERICAN CRIME: This is a slightly more accurate version of the true story of the girl who was tortured and murdered in Indiana in the 1960s that was also reviewed in the film "The Girl Next Door" (See earlier film list). This one starred Katherine Keener and Ellen Page (Juno) and while not as graphic as the other film, seemed more in keeping with the true story.

164: CONFETTI: Okay, I almost did not list this film because it's the most embarassing one on any of my lists (and there are so embarassing films on here) but I couldn't help it -- this film is hilarious! It's a British mockumentary abotu a magazine called "Confetti" that decides to hold a contest for the most unusual wedding. I happened to catch part of it in a hotel one afternoon but the weather was bad and the satellite went out, so I hunted it down when I got home. This movie is really, really funny and I know it sounds bizarre, but give it a try.

165. CLIVE BARKER'S THE PLAGUE: If Clive Barker actually had anything to do with this piece of crap (other than collecting a check so that he could make his house payment), I'll eat my shorts! This absolute waste of film "stars" James Van Der Beek from "Dawson's Creek", who apparently just needed to buy groceries that week, fighting off a bunch of zombies that used to be kids who got sick and lapsed into comas years before. Stupid! This movie sucks. I suggest you "avoid it like the plague".

166: RECOUNT: It's a HBO movie, but still a movie and highly entertaining. It's a look back at Florida during the Presidential election in 2000 -- you know, when Bush's cronies rigged it so that he won? Funny and sad all at the same time.

167. AWAKE: Another one that I did not expect to like, mostly because I hate Hayden Christiansen, but actually, it was pretty good. It had some okay twists to it and kept my attention for 90 minutes or so. Worth watching some night when you don't have anything else to watch.

168. DAYBREAK: This is the other TV series. I don't understand how this one got canceled because it was such a cool, clever show. But then again, if you missed the first episode or two, you were screwed. Taye Diggs stars as a cop who is forced to literally live the same day over and over again so that he has to solve a crime to save his life, and the lives of everyone he loves. Every thing he does has a consequence and it's a mind-bending, helluva ride. The complete series is out on DVD and I'm telling you, it's worth the expense (and it's actually pretty cheap) and I promise you'll be hooked!

169. THE EYE: Watered down re-make of a Asian horror film (which I am really sick of) with Jessica Alba as a blind woman who gets a cornea transplant from a dead psychic who can see ghosts. It's not a terrible movie, just a forgettable one. But here's what bugs me -- if she got an eye transplant and can now see ghosts, like the psychic could, why the hell can she hear them too??

170. THE INCREDIBLE HULK: This was one of my least favorite comic book characters as a kid but this is actually a good movie. It was exciting and entertaining and had some great nods to other movies that Marvel has coming (most notably to the World War II "super soldier" -- can't wait for "Captain America" next year). I wasn't sure if i would like it or not, it turned out to be a winner.

171. THE 4 MUSKETEERS: Speaking of weird movies, this is a 3-hour French re-telling of the famous stories that stars no one that I have ever seen before. Filled with sex and weird twists to the story, like having Milady De Winter in a pact with Satan that gives her supernatural powers, plus she is the wife of one of the Musketeers and he tried to kill her after she murdered their child, it made for a strange night of movie-watching. All in all, it's got some good action and tells the story well, despite some dark elements to the ending but one big problem -- some assclown decided to dub the movie into English. I hate dubbing. I love subtitles. The dubbing in this was really, really irritating and I found myself wondering most of the time what they were actually saying because the translations were horrible.

172. GOYA'S GHOSTS: Boring, depressing movie with Javier Bardem and Natalie Portman in Spain in the early 1800s. She is the subject of a painting by the famous artist Goya, who is accused of heresy during a revival of the Spanish Inquisition. I didn't like this one.

173. CHAOS: This is a pretty standard Jason Statham cop movie (although he can do no wrong in my book) about a hostage situation that is not exactly what it seems. It's a "popcorn movie" but worth the price of the rental.

174. THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL: This is like the "Ciff-Notes" version of the history of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn - and oh yeah, her sister, who he supposedly knocked up first. I didn't love this one. It looked great but it used an hour and forty minutes to tell a story that it took the far superior "The Tudors" two seasons to tell much better.

175. THE SIGNAL: This movie utterly blows! I mean seriously, this is probably the worst movie that I have seen all year (including the clunkers from the After Dark Horror Film Festival). Ripping off Stephen King's book "Cell", this is about a mysterious signal that is sent out through TV's and makes people crazy and kill people. I mean this thing is horrendous. It looks like it was shot with a home video camera and the actors are apparently friends and relatives of the film makers. It mean, it really, reall sucks.

176. GET SMART: Funny movie and a worthy successor to the cool TV show of the 60s. Steve Carrell is, of course, hilarious as Maxwell Smart and Alan Arkin is perfect as the Chief. Both Anne Hathway and Dwayne Johnson are great and the movie had a lot of laugh out loud moments and was highly entertaining. It's not going to make any greatest movies of the year lists, but it's lots and lots of fun!

177. SHATTERED: I kept wondering how a movie with Pierce Brosnan, Gerard Butler and Maria Bello was never released in theaters (that I know of) but when I saw it, I understood. It's not a bad movie, it's just not what you would expect from them. It's okay to play unusual characters but sometimes it doesn't work (remember Clive Owen and Jennifer Aniston in "Derailed"?). This is worth watching with a couple of twists that I saw coming, just don't expect too much from it.

Well, it was bound to happen at some point. I knew my viewing of films for this year was going to slow down eventually and I can blame it on everything from better weather to the return of some of my favorite TV shows after the strike ended and just plain being busy again after a slow late-winter season. So, without any further ado, here's my updated list of movies:

128. HORTON HEARS A WHO: Yeah, I saw this! Maggie was in town and she wanted to see it and you know what, it was really funny. I like cartoons with a lot of adult humor, but still fun for the kids. Jim Carrey and Steve Carrell both did voices of the characters and were hilarious.

129. ENCHANTED: Maggie and I watched this on DVD and one word – painful. Yes, some of it was sort of funny and it was amusing to see Disney sort of parodying itself with the whole "princess" thing, but the songs were horrible and why do women think Ronald the geek from CAN'T BUY ME LOVE is so cute these days?

130. THE CONSTANT GARDENER: This is an amazing film with Ralph Fiennes and Rachel Weiss (no more MUMMY films for her!) about a British diplomat and his wife in Africa. It starts with her murder and backtracks to reveal what she was doing to help suffering people with AIDS and how it got her killed. This is not a fast moving film but really worth seeing!

131. THE LANGOLIERS: I watched this one – done in the post-THE STAND era of making Stephen Kings films into mini-series – just to see if it was as bad as I remembered. It is.

132. ATONEMENT: I wanted to see what all of the Oscar fuss was about with this one. I liked it, didn't love it, but like James MacAvoy and Kiera Knightley, so that helped. It's a good story and while a beautiful looking film, I never really thought that it went anywhere. Still, worth watching at least once.

133. REVOLVER: Very, very cool Guy Ritchie film that got limited release in theaters and didn't generate any buzz, even though it should have. Jason Statham plays a conman and gambler just out of prison, looking for revenge against a whacked-out Ray Liotta, who put him there. You may, or may not, see the big twist coming at the end but even if you do, you'll have fun trying to remember all of the clues you were given.

134. BULL DURHAM: One of the greatest baseball films of all time. I never get tired of this one and it always makes me laugh. Just released in a new anniversary edition DVD. Still holds up over time and Kevin Costner (and the rest of the cast) are perfect.

135. FOR LOVE OF THE GAME: After watching BULL DURHAM, I got in the mood for another of my favorite, all-time baseball movies. This is a love story, sports film and a movie for guys that takes place during the final game of an aging pitcher's career. Perfectly cast, well-acted and occasionally, it breaks your heart. Highly recommended!

136: THE JACKET: Here's a weird little film with Adrian Brody playing a Gulf War veteran who returns home to find that things are not quite what they seem. Locked away in a mental institution (run by a very strange Nick Nolte), he is subjected to bizarre experiments that cause him to travel through time – or do they? Very cool movie, you need to see this one.

137. THE MIST: Saw this at the theater last winter and watched it again on DVD. This is a great movie and a perfect adaption (what do you expect? It's Frank Darabont) of the Stephen King story. Don't miss this thriller!

138. MULHOLLAND FALLS: Cool crime noir film with Nick Nolte and the Hat Squad  of the LAPD in the 40s, getting rid of organized crime in Los Angeles. But they stumble onto a murder case that goes way beyond all of that, from nutty scientists to the A-bomb tests of the era. Cool movie – watch for a young William Peterson (Gil Grissom on CSI) in a short scene as a Chicago mobster who finds out there really aren't any waterfalls on Mulholland Drive!

139: THEM: You must see this movie! Do not walk, run to the video store and try and find it! This is one of the creepiest films that I have seen in years. I'll warn you ahead of time, it's a French film with subtitles, but you will not care – it's that good. All that I want to tell you is that it takes place during one night at an isolated home that belongs to a young couple, which is being besieged by shadowy attackers. This is a must see with twists that you won't see coming!

140. CATACOMBS: God, this movie sucks. I like the girl from A KNIGHT'S TALE, who must have owed somebody money to have been in this clunker.

141. I AM LEGEND: Saw this at the theater over the winter and wanted to love it, but I didn't. It's okay, but I was very bothered by the obvious CGI monsters. Why did they need to be animated, wouldn't makeup effects have been better? I'm a Will Smith fan, though, and this is well-acted and well-told. I decided to watch it with the alternate ending and surprised myself by liking it better, so that was some small consolation.

142. ANTIBODIES: Weird German film about a serial killer that looked very cool in a preview that I saw for it at the start of THEM. It was not what I expected but had to admit that I liked it. It's very, very different and you have to pay attention to what's going on, or you will be lost. Give it a try, though, if you are in the mood for something different.

143: UNKNOWN: Great cast in a movie that I had never heard of. I picked this one up on the bargain rack at Wal-Mart because it had Jim Caviezal, Barry Pepper, Greg Kinnear and some others in it and looked interesting. Gave it a watch and really, really liked it! The premise is that a group of guys wake up in an abandoned factory in the desert. Some are tied up, one is shot, but all are trapped – and, thanks to a chemical leak, have temporary amnesia and have no idea who they are. They come to realize that some of them have been kidnapped and others are the captors, but who are the bad guys and who are the good guys? Cool premise and filled with twists – check it out!

144. SMART PEOPLE: Very funny new movie with Dennis Quaid, Ellen Page, Sarah Jessica Parker and the awesome Thomas Haden Church from the makers of SIDEWAYS, one of my favorite comedies. As the title implies, this is not a comedy for dumb people, so if you're a little slow, stay home.

145. THE ORPHANGE: Wrote a whole blog on this film last winter, so check that out for the review. Fantastic film and one of the best ghost movies ever made. Had to watch it with Haven to see if she would be scared – she was!

146. BABY MAMA: Tina Fey is hilarious, Amy Poehler is hilarious. This is a funny, mindless comedy that we went to see on a day that I really needed a laugh. I definitely got one!

147. IRON MAN: Never read the comic and knew very little about this character other than what he looked like and that he could fly or something. This was a great movie! In fact, one of the best superheroes movies that I have seen. I have always been a great Robert Downey Jr. fan and he is fantastic in this. Even if you are not into this kind of stuff, you're gonna like this one!

148. FINGERPRINTS: This movie sucked, utterly. I had some hope for it since it was based on the stories of the ghost children who push cars to safety over railroad tracks (combined a little with a vanishing hitchhiker kind of thing), but it's so bad that I didn't care what it was based on. Who did Lou Diamond Phillips piss over to go from LA BAMBA to this kind of shit?

149. THERE WILL BE BLOOD: Very weird, very cool and very American film with Daniel Day Lewis as the fearsome Daniel Plainview, a wildcat oilman in the early 1900s. You can't help but be amazed at the stunning acting in this film as we watch his obsessive character create, then destroy, everything around him. Absolutely amazing film but warning, it's not for everyone.

150. ALIEN VS. PREDATOR – REQUIEM: Saw this at the theater last winter and watched it again. I liked it but still couldn't help being a little disappointed in it. It's not that all of the elements weren't there, but I really didn't feel that it moved along the Predator mythology in the way that it should. No, it's not really that, I think that I just missed the alliance between the Predator and the humans that we saw in the last ALIEN VS. PREDATOR film (which I really, really liked). The Predator role as the "big game hunters from space" was established in PREDATOR 2 (Now, that is really an awesome film and remains my favorite in the series) and I enjoyed the continuation of this in the last AVP film. I just wish that in this one, the Predator would have had some interaction with the people. Other than that, it was good and I'm hoping for more in the future.

Here's my updated list since last time. There are quite a few on this list, mostly because of my long-awaited After Dark HorrorFest film festival at home, for which you can get my opinion on the 2007 films below:..:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

104. MYSTIC RIVER: Just felt like watching this again. Great Clint Eastwood directed film about a murder, brilliantly acted by Sean Penn, Kevin Bacon and Tim Robbins. If you have not seen this gut-wrenching, tragic film, you owe it to yourself to watch it.

105. 10,000 B.C.: I don't care what the critics say, this was a first cool film! First of all, you can't go into this thinking that it's actual history. Its' a fun "popcorn movie" with wooly mammoths, a saber-tooth tiger, and people building the Egyptian pyramids who may, or may not, be from Atlantis or outer space. It's a fun movie to watch and if you are one of those pretentious assholes who dismiss this movie because it's not true to prehistoric history, trying getting a life and having a good time for a change. God, movie critics make me mad some times.

106. DARKNESS: Re-watched this spooky, haunted house thriller with Anna Paquin. Although made in, and set in, Italy, it features a good cast, some scary images, and cool ghost stuff. Don't be bothered by the dubbing of some of the Italian actors voices, the movie is well worth seeing.

107. HILLS HAVE EYES 2: Believe it or not, I liked the original remake from a couple of years ago. I was intrigued to see this one and while it really never went anywhere with the story, it's not completely terrible. It's not going to make my list of favorite films by any means, but it's worth watching when nothing else is on.

108. DAN IN REAL LIFE: Don't think that just because this is Steve Carrell that it's like "The Office". It's not that kind of humor. However, it is a funny, sweet film about a widower who is trying to raise his three daughters on his own and still find love. Good movie!

109. THE WOODS: This is an odd, interesting film about a haunted girl's school and the eerie forest that surrounds it. Stars Patricia Clarkson has the school's headmaster and features Bruce Campbell in a small role (which always makes the movie better!). The end of this one gets a little hard to follow, but overall, it's worth seeing.

110: THE OUTPOST: Stars Ray Stevenson (Titus Pollo from ROME) as a mercenary who has to help find an abandoned Nazi bunker in war-torn eastern Europe of the present-day. The plot has something to do with Nazi experiments with unified theory, Nazi ghosts, and a lot of stuff that really doesn't make a lot of sense. Kind of fun to watch anyway!

111. HITMAN: Timothy Olyphant (from my other favorite HBO series, DEADWOOD) plays an assassin in this surprisingly complex action thriller. Apparently, this is based on some sort of computer game (which I know absolutely nothing about), but don't let that detract from your enjoyment of it.

112. SHERLOCK HOLMES & THE CASE OF THE SILK STOCKING: A recent BBC Sherlock Holmes film with Rupert Everett in an absolutely fantastic portrayal of the great detective. This one turns up the sex and violence and has some nice twists when it comes to the killer. Good movie!

113: AMERICAN GANGSTER: Saw this one at the theater last fall and it's a classic. Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe and Ridley Scott – how do you go wrong?

114. SUSPECT ZERO: Not a lot of people have seen this very off, very cool serial killer film with Ben Kingsley, Aaron Eckhart and Carrie Ann Moss, but if you like that kind of movie, you are missing out. I really can't go into the plot here without giving anything away, but trust me when I tell you that this one is worth seeing.

115. APOCALYPTO: I had this movie for almost a year, but had never watched it. I just couldn't get excited about a subtitled movie in an ancient language, taking place in the jungle. Then, I decided to watch it – and was absolutely blown away by it! What an amazing film and what a cinematic accomplishment to create things that have never been seen on film before. See this film – it's worth every minute of its running time!

116. INTO THE WILD: I read about Chris McCandless back when this book came out in the early 1990s and was fascinated by it. This film is a rare case of bringing a book to life and actually making it better. Sean Penn has created a moving, overwhelming look at the Chris' short life, and tragic death, and the viewer, like those Chris knew in life, have their hearts broken by this unassuming, well-intentioned young man. The best film that I saw in 2007!!

117. MARY SHELLEY'S FRANKENSTEIN: I had not watched this in years and it was actually better than I remembered, although I still think Robert De Niro was desperately miscast as the monster. I couldn't get over that when it came out and it's still my only lingering problem with the movie – aside from the scene of a naked De Niro and a shirtless Kenneth Branagh wresting with each other in what looks like 1,000 gallons of K-Y gel. That's enough to make you shudder!

118. FREEDOMLAND: Samuel L. Jackson plays a hard-boiled cop who is looking into the disappearance of a little boy in some Jersey projects in this dangerous and complex film. It also stars Julianne Moore in a role unlike most she has played. I don't think this movie did well when it came out, but I have always liked it and recommend it.

119. BE KIND REWIND: I waited a long time to see this comedy, after catching trailers for it late last year. Although pretty funny in parts, I was little disappointed with it. Jack Black and Mos Def were funny (especially in the "Ghostbusters" sequence) but overall, I had a hard time suspending my disbelief with anyone running a video store with VHS tapes these days.

AFTER DARK HORRORFEST: 8 FILMS TO DIE FOR

I have been waiting anxiously for these films to be released, even knowing that I would not like them all. Regardless, it's a chance to see 8 independent horror films that may, or may not, test the limits of the genre. Last year was a mixed bag with a couple of standouts and this year was about the same – three really good films, two really bad ones, and three more that were worth watching, but somewhere in the middle. We'll start with those, then the clunkers, and finally the ones that are definitely worth watching!

120. CRAZY EIGHTS: Despite a number of well-known cast members (most of whom seemed to be walking through this in their sleep), this film was only a middle of the road entry for me. It had a great setting and a cool idea behind it that never really developed. I didn't dislike it, but was a little disappointed. The story involved a group of adults who, after the death of a friend, embark on trip to uncover an old "time capsule" that they once buried. They "somehow" end up an abandoned hospital (really just the front of a house – the interiors were obviously shot at a different place, a real abandoned hospital – and not the same one that is seen in the "flashback" sequence at the beginning). I was also bothered by the fact that no one seems bothered by the dead body that shows up, or by the deaths of any of the characters.

121. UNEARTHED: A monster (according to Indian legend that came from space) is uncovered in a dig in the Arizona desert, wreaking havoc on the small town that we never actually see, a gas station (run by the always very cool Russell Means), and a nearby ranch. The movie spends a lot of time dealing with the sheriff's uninteresting back story, but never explains why the dude with the tattoos on his face digs up the monster, other than to find out why the Anasazi disappeared. We have no idea why he cares. Anyway, the movie is exciting for the most part and does a good job of keeping the monster in the shadows for most of it, which is a good thing.

122. TOOTH AND NAIL: A group of mostly bad actors have taken shelter in an empty hospital after civilization has collapsed when we all ran out of gas. They soon find themselves hunted by "Rovers", cannibalistic refugees from every "Mad Max" movie you have ever seen. The scariest of them is played by Vinnie Jones and the stupidest is Michael Madsen, who has some of the worst lines in the history of film and wanders around inexplicably whistling "I've been working on the railroad". Anyway, the movie is not all bad, has some exciting scenes, and those cast members who can act do a pretty good job.

And now for the real dogs of the group….

123. NIGHTMARE MAN: With production values that are only rivaled by me taking my home video camera and running around my backyard screaming, this film is the worst of the 2007 bunch. The actors are terrible, the plot is ridiculous, and the script is filled with lines that you know the writer must have felt were absolutely hilarious, but, are not. Of course, it doesn't help that they are delivered with all of the style and grace of a high-school drama class. This movie is so stupid that I can only tell you that it involves a mask that is supposedly possessed by a demon, which gets out and kills people – but not really, or yes, it does. The "possessed" wife (who can only control the demon if she is on her medication – what???) is being driven by her husband to an institution. They run out of gas and the demon attacks, so she runs through the woods to a cabin where four horny friends are staying for the weekend. Hijinks ensue – god, this movie sucks.

124. LAKE DEAD: This movie is almost as bad, but not quite. The only thing it really had going for it is that most of the cast can actually act – most of them anyway. In this clunker, three sisters (or two, as it turns out) inherit a crappy motel somewhere from the grandfather they never knew they had. They plan to sell it for a lot of money, although I'm not sure how since it's a dump, there is no town or anything else to do nearby, and one of the staff tells them that they have not had a guest in a week. Anyway, for some reason inbred relatives are "feeding" other members of the family to the lake – or are they not relatives? I don't know, this movie sucked so bad that I stopped caring.

And finally, the good stuff…

125. BORDERLAND: A lot of people have dismissed this one, but I really liked it, almost as more of a thriller than a horror film, but it was well-done and well-acted. Three buddies go down to Mexico for one last trip together before college and work and finally themselves mixed up with a black magic drug cult. Based on true incidents, this was a clever and tense film, filled with good action and some pretty scary stuff.

126: MULBERRY STREET: Rue Morgue magazine touted the virtues of this one, so I was looking forward to seeing it and was not disappointed. Thanks to a virus that is spread by rats, people in New York go insane and turn into killer, rat-like cannibals. No one is safe, no matter which characters you like in the film, and this is a tense, dramatic and horror-filled outing that was brilliantly shot in a way that you never realize that it was done on a budget. This is the best of independent films and can stand toe to toe with any big-budget horror film on the market.

127. THE DEATHS OF IAN STONE:   This was my favorite of the 2007 films! On what seems to be an ordinary night, Ian Stone encounters a creature as he is driving home from a hockey game, only to awaken and find himself sitting at a desk in an office, reborn into another life that feels strangely familiar. After he dies again, he begins to realize that he is facing an evil presence that wants to destroy him. That's a small piece of a much more complicated plot from this clever, scary and well-acted film. Of all of the films from this last batch, this one is a must-see and I hope that you'll like it as much as I did!

It seemed to take a long time to get this new list posted but there wasn't much time for movie-watching over the last couple of weeks. Between the Dead of Winter Film Festival and just a lot of other stuff going on, it was hard to find time for it. Anyway, here's an updated list since last time:

86. NO RESERVATIONS: This is one of those popcorn, chick-flick type movies that was actually fun to watch. Haven and I love cooking stuff (which explains the new store that we are opening), Top Chef and assorted shows on the food channel. This movie is one of those escapist, no thinking required, predictable -- but overall, pleasant movies with Catherine Zita-Jones and Aaron Eckhart. It's worth watching if you have nothing else to do some evening.

87. TRAINSPOTTING: Hadn't seen this one in a while and it's hard to believe that destroyed lives, overdoses and dead babies can be so damned funny. Great cast of guys who have since made it bigger in other stuff.

88. IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH: This is one of those movies from last year that got a bad review, and even worst box office returns, because it was about Iraq. In truth, it's a wrenching portrayal of grief by the always great Tommy Lee Jones. Charlize Theron is also great in it and I always wondered what happened to Jason Patric. He shows up here with a lot less hair than he had in "The Lost Boys". Anyway, well worth watching. I know we are all tired of the war, but this has some things to say that are worthi listening to -- even if it's sometimes done with a heavy hand.

89. RENDITION: Okay, here's the thing... this is a movie for liberals about how terrible our government is for torturing suspected terrorists to get information out of them. Does the guy who is taken for questioning in this movie get a raw deal? Yes, he does but did it also make me realize that sometimes extraordinary means are necessary to save lives? Yes, it did that too. So, I was a little conflicted about this well-acted, gut-churning film but overall, I was glad that I watched it.

90. L.A. CONFIDENTIAL: After all of that stuff about war and terrorism, I needed an escape to the "good old days" of Hollywood in the late 1940s. This was probably my 10th viewing of what I consider one of my favorites films and one of the greatest films in the modern era. This is an absolute masterpiece -- Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, Kevin Spacey -- what a cast and what a movie! This one will likely turn up on the list again before the year is over.

91. SIN CITY: I hadn't watched this gem in a while and had almost forgotten how much I liked all of it, except for the Elijah Wood parts. Sorry, I may be dumb, but I just don't get that part. Anyway, Mickey Rourke, Bruce Willis and Clive Owen are great in this fantastical, comic book of a film.

92. THE FOUR FEATHERS: This may not be one of Heath Ledger's best roles and Kate Hudson's British accent is kind of silly, but I have always liked the story (including the original version of the film) and I like this movie. It's a story of friendship, love and courage, set during the sunset of the British empire and it's worth a look if you have never seen it.

93. THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES: I have seen several versions of this Sherlock Holmes story but this is the first one that has ever actually been scary. This BBC production was released in 2002 and stars Richard Roxburgh ("M" in "League of Extraordinary Gentlemen") as Holmes and Richard E. Grant as the crrepy villian of the piece. It's beautifully shot, atmospheric, well-acted and while it takes liberties with the source material, I never minded them because they were very well done. Highly recommended!

94. UNREST: This was the scariest of 2006's "8 Films to Die For" in the After Dark Film Festival and I wanted to give it another look in preparation for the release of the 2007 films on DVD, coming in a couple of weeks. This one is set in a medical school and involves a "haunted" cadaver that is supposed to be dissected by some unlucky students. Instead, havoc is wreaked in frightening ways. Cool little film!

95: HOUSE OF VOICES: Another almost unknown film that is one of my favorites. I can't write much without giving the plot away but let me say this -- empty orphanage in the French countryside, mysterious characters, ghosts and a young girl who looks for the dark secrets of the place, all the while hiding a secret of her own. If you like really good ghost stories, you definitely need to see this one!

96: 30 DAYS OF NIGHT: I really liked this film, although many people who have seen it have given it mixed reviews. Tackle it with an open mind and I think you'll like it. It's a great concept for a vampire film (an isolated Alaskan village where there is no sun for 30 days) and the vampires here are not your ordinary, run of the mill bloodsuckers. They are some of the scariest vampires that I have seen in the movies, no romance or conflicted characters here, they are pure evil. Josh Hartnett turns in a good performance and I think you'll like this one.

97. SLEEPERS: I hadn't seen this movie in years and had forgotten how much I liked it. It's a story of a murder, told in flashbacks to the lives of young boys growing up in New York's Hell's Kitchen neighborhood and what became of them after a tragic event sent them to a reformatory for a time. It's a chilling film and has a fantastic cast -- Robert De Niro, Jason Patric, Brad Pitt, Minnie Driver, Ron Eldard, Dustin Hoffman and more. If you have not seen this, take a look!

98. BACKDRAFT: This is another of my longtime favorites, despite that it stars one of the Baldwins (can't remember which one but we were still taking him seriously in the early 1990s). Kurt Russell is great as a desperate to be a legend firefighter and Robert De Niro does a great job as a driven arson investigator. It's just a cool firefighter movie and one of my favorites.

99. RED DRAGON: Before someone bitches that "Manhunter" didn't really need to be re-made, all I can say is that I think the two movies can stand alone as two versions of the same story. They are both great in different ways. "Manhunter" stars a pre-CSI William Peterson as the tortured Will Graham. Edward Norton plays the character in the remake and they play the character in different ways, just like Brett Ratner tells the story in a different way than one of my favorite directors, Michael Mann, told the story in the "Miami Vice" days. Two different actors play Hannibal Lector in this one and the remake beefs up the role to give Anthony Hopkins more to do than Brian Cox did in the original. There's a lot to like about both films but this one doesn't deserve the bad rap that it's often given.

100. MEMENTO: "Masterpiece" -- that's it, that's the only word that is needed to describe this piece of art. Christopher Nolan (who also did "The Prestige", another of my favorites) created this classic Guy Pearce film about a man trying to solve a murder while a victim of a condition that does not allow him to make short term memories. The entire film is told backward and .... forget it, that's all I am going to say. If you want a unique and amazing movie experience, you MUST see this film. And you need to go out and buy it, because you are going to want to see it more than once!!

101. STATE OF PLAY: This BBC mini-series (six hour film) is filled with the kind of clever writing and plot twists that are so often missing from American television. It's a political thriller that is filled with betrayals and lies and the kind of devious behavior that one can only find in the worlds of politics and journalism. I have heard this is being turned into a movie, but don't wait to see it, watch this first!

102. LOCK UP: I was almost too embarassed to put this on the list. I found this Sylvester Stallone film in the $5 bin at Wal-Mart and I think that I may have seen it once in the late 1980s when it came out. It's not a terrible movie, but it is pretty corny at times with Donald Sutherland playing an out of control warden who is "out to get" Stallone's character in prison. I think that I counted about 102 things that never could have happened in the course of a 1 hour 45 minute film but if you have nothing to do one Saturday, there are worse things to watch. And hey, it was only $5.

103. THE ITALIAN JOB: One of my favorite heist movies of all time and one that I watch over and over again. Great cast with Mark Wahlberg, Charlize Theron, Edward Norton, Jason Statham and, of course, the Mini-Coopers. I have been planning on buying one of these cars since the first time I saw this. Just wait, two more years and I'm gonna have one!