My list of movies is typically short but this year it is much shorter because I moved to Vermont and the closest good theatre is over an hour away in Massachussetts. Oh my.

8. Startup.com - I saw this on video and was told the strict rules of these lists require submissions to only include movies seen in theatres on large screens so dismiss this one if you'd like. I was hoping for more screaming and backstabbing and bad morality but it was surprisingly tame. Fun to watch friends turn on each other and amazing to see how a bad idea can generate so much money.

7. From Hell - I would have liked to have seen this as a 10 part HBO Band of Brothers-type miniseries. I imagine I wouldn't like this film at all had I not read the book but I also didn't like it much because it wasn't as good as the book. Oh well. Flashy and stylish and fun colors but not enough about the Masons and too much focus on the love story between Johnny Depp and the horrible, horrible Heather Graham. I remember feeling disappointed for unknown reasons after viewing this.

6. Legally Blonde - I love Reese Witherspoon and her tiny dog with the fantastic name which I currently can't remember.

5.Shallow Hal - Jack Black looked really weird in this film. Maybe it was the short hair, or the fewer pounds, or the lack of serious scenery chewing, but something about him just seemed off. I thought Gwyneth did an extraordinarily subtle job with her facial expressions and the way she carried herself. People badmouthed this and said it wasn't funny enough or too mean to fat people but I came out of it happy and pleased.

4. The Others - I love horror films in giant houses. Plus, the kids were perfectly British and grim. Dark, spooky and wonderful with a surprise ending that was clever but not the only reason to enjoy the film.

3. Ghost World - The second film I saw this year that was adapted from a comic book. Not as brilliantly depressing as the comic but pretty damn great and Steve Buscemi was a wonderful addition. Two scenes that killed me: 1. The record collector party 2. The opening sequence - there was not a more enjoyable five minutes all year.

2. Memento - Who doesn't enjoy a film, every now and then, that gives them a headache?

1. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring - This movie, like the book, went right to the heart of my 11 year old fantasy geek. A dark, sprawling, astounding, and enthralling epic. Could have been campy or cloying or safe but somehow avoided all three. A movie by geeks for geeks and anyone else that cares to join us.