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I haven’t seen “Avatar” yet.  So calm down.

The Hurt Locker – Just amazing storytelling.  Everything from the cinematography to the performances rings authentic.  Even the little stylized touches feel personal. As previously stated, Kathryn Bigelow awesome.

Away We Go – Award snub!  I have never been more moved by a “wedding” scene.  Maggie Gyllandhaal and John Krasinski are unfailingly hilarious.  Dave Eggers (a favorite writer) + Sam Mendes (a favorite director).  And Catherine O’Hara graces the screen.  What more could I ask for?

Inglourious Basterds – I may have mentioned this before.

Up in the Air – I have minor issues with the directorial arrangement of beats at the ending, but the script and performances are oak solid (Is oak solid?) until the bittersweet end.  Equal parts funny and heartbreaking.

Zombieland – Accurately described as “a blasty blast” by my friend Alex, this movie features the Best Cameo I Have Ever Seen.  That alone is worth the viewing cost.

Star Trek – The nostalgia value is totally lost on me, and I still found this so much fun.  I love both Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto (who I got to meet once—and yes, he was awesome and super nice and wore great shoes!) in it.

The Princess and the Frog – I’m a sucker for classic stories executed well.  And for when my dad says things like “that black frog movie.”

Where the Wild Things Are – A second Dave Eggers movie on the list, equally hip.  I took my dad for his birthday, and he walked out saying “That wasn’t a kids’ movie at all.”  True that, father.

The Hangover – This was one of the first scripts I got to read when I worked at Storyline Entertainment.  What a tease that they would all be good.  It was great on the page and even better delivered onscreen by such comic genius as Zack Galifinakis.  Instant.  Classic.

Up – My roommate came home from this movie pissed at the world because apparently she was expecting something lighthearted and silly all the way through…Thus I went in expecting to bawl like I do during when Oprah does stories about child sex trafficking and “The Biggest Loser” contestants go home and see their families again.  I shed exactly three tears.  I actually love the way they handled the story of love and death so poignantly in such a small amount of time, and the depiction of grief that carried through the rest of the film.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince – I don’t care what book purests say.  [Insert tangent on adaptaion: Movies are a completely distinct form.  Both mediums of film and literature are valid and wonderful and DIFFERENT.  If nothing changes when a story becomes cinematic, then why did it have to be a movie in the first place?]  I waited longer in line for this movie opening night than I’d like to admit (but I will anyway), and I have no regrets.