HEY. I liked Monkeybone.

I'm going to go with US wide release dates, as I've seen a pitifully small amount of movies this year. Expect this list to change by the end of the year.

5. Anvil! The Story of Anvil- A fantastic documentary about the greatest metal band nobody's ever heard of. Anvil is a band that is equally pathetic and inspiring, a perfect subject for a documentary. A simple film following the band around evolves into a film documenting the resilience of the human spirit, and is both emotional and uplifting. Look it up whether you like metal music or not.

4. Gran Torino- Clint Eastwood plays Clint Eastwood as Clint Eastwood in this story of unlikely friends. Clint as Clint isn't a bad thing, though. In fact, it's a very good thing. Eastwood seems to have a little problem with directing actors, as the actors portraying the Hmong family next door have an affinity for delivering their lines as if they were in a B movie, but overall, Gran Torino is a great time, that will have you enjoying yourself throughout.

3. Frost/Nixon- Though a notable contender in the 2008 Academy Awards, it didn't get a US Wide release until January of this year. A brilliant film recreating the drama of the David Frost/Richard Nixon interviews, it creates unbelievable tension throughout the film, and at the climax of the interview you'd need a chainsaw to cut the tension in the room. Fantastic performances by Frank Langella and Michael Sheen are topped by a surprisingly good directorial role by Ron Howard.

2. Drag Me to Hell- Sam Raimi's return to comedy/horror is a fun ride, one that I've seen 3 times now. There is nothing deep, nothing overtly symbolic about Drag me to Hell. It's just a great time. Every cast member turns out a great performance (yes, even Justin Long). Alison Lohman can be a little flat in her delivery at some points, but (and I really can't find a way to make this not sound creepy) she makes up for it with a genuinely good horror scream. Funny, sometimes genuinely scary, and gripping throughout, I can't say enough good things about Drag me to Hell.

1. Inglourious Basterds- Inglourious Basterds is the reason that I can forget about how bad Deathproof was. Well written, well directed, and featuring some great performances (Cristoph Waltz deserves and Oscar, and Brad Pitt is hilarious), Basterds is Tarantino's return to form, with his trademark of gruesome violence offset by scenes of great, often inane dialog. A fantastic time throughout, but it will disappointingly be ignored come Oscar season.