Once again, I've compiled my list of the best of 2001! As always, it should be noted that there were plenty of pictures I've yet to see. Many movies are still on a limited run and haven't made it to our neck of the woods yet. Films like Black Hawk Down, Brotherhood of the Wolf, Bully, Business of Strangers, Devil's Backbone, Fat Girl, Gosford Park, I Am Sam, In the Bedroom, Iris, Monster's Ball, and The Shipping News are just a few noteworthy titles I have yet to see. Watch for a revised list in the next issue of The Independent or click on to Zboneman.com for my completed Best Of 2001 list at the end of the month. For now, here's my Top 20:

20. SPY KIDS
While Robert Rodriguez is not known for family fare (see Desperado or From Dusk 'Til Dawn), he radically changed gears with this terrific fantasy that isn't just for kids, but for the kid in all of us. Though this picture isn't expertly written, it is extremely well crafted with a visual style that recalls Willy Wonka and Pee Wee's Playhouse. With it's themes of family and sticking together, I really adored this movie. I remember being a kid and dreaming of going on adventures. This movie brought those dreams to life.

19. THE DISH
This charming little Australian flick from director Rob Sitch (The Castle) had me smiling from beginning to end. With sweet-natured performances from Sam Neill and Patrick Warburton, this gem of a movie is made all the more endearing because it's based on a true story. Taking place in 1969, this is the tale of a satellite dish in Australia that actually transmitted photos of the first moonwalk after a blackout caused failure in American equipment. Had it not been for this small band of misfits, we may had never seen those pictures. This is light entertainment at it's very finest.

18. SERIES 7
This satire on reality television is absolutely hilarious. First time director Dan Minahan takes this addictive genre to a new level, introducing a game show in which contestants must kill each other until only one remains. The movie is played for laughs, yet it is still a disturbing look at what society finds entertaining. Beautifully acted and shot, this picture feels like a documentary. Incidentally, Series 7 was being developed at the Sundance workshop before the current reality television explosion (which started a couple of years back with Survivor) making for an even more compelling experience.

17. CHOPPER
The real reason to see this brutal character study based on the memoirs of Mark "Chopper" Read is for Eric Bana's fearless, dynamic performance as one scum of a human being. You may not know Bana yet, but with his roles in Black Hawk Down and Ang Lee's take on The Incredible Hulk, you can bet this guy will be a big star. This is a gutsy, unflinching portrait of the ugly side of human nature, and director Andrew Dominik doesn't shy away from brutality. This picture is both funny and terrifying.

16. BRIDGET JONES' DIARY
After all but being ignored for her fantastic turn in Nurse Betty, Renee Zellweger graces the screen with another wonderful performance in this romantic comedy based on the novel by Helen Fielding. Zellweger not only nails down the British accent, she also shows an impeccable sense of comic timing. Supporting players and objects of her affection Hugh Grant and Colin Firth also turn in winning performances in this witty farce from first time director Sharon Maguire.

15. THE MAN WHO WASN'T THERE
Those wacky Coen Brothers suddenly got quiet on us. This is easily their most restrained picture to date. While this movie does have some of their trademark quirkiness, The Man Who Wasn't There trades in zippy camera movement and frantic pacing for a subtle rhythm that took me by surprise. Billy Bob Thornton (who had a banner year with roles in Bandits and Monster's Ball) soars again in this terrific film noir that shows the Coens in a wonderful new light.

14. FROM HELL
Beautiful and gothic as all hell, this nightmarish tale of Jack the Ripper from the Hughes Brothers is about as visually stunning as a picture can get. This is a major triumph and departure for Allen and Albert Hughes (Menace II Society). Johnny Depp is fantastic in the lead even though this is reminiscent of his role in Sleepy Hollow. Grotesque at times, From Hell is a satisfying mystery with an eerie tone that stays with you well after the credits roll.

13. TRAINING DAY
Fueled by Denzel Washington's mesmerizing turn as a veteran cop on the edge, this over-the-top look at the day in the life of an officer and a new recruit is both provocative and fast-paced. While many will argue that the movie goes too far, I would have to say that they missed the point. This is exciting stuff and I was constantly reminded of Brian DePalma's Scarface as I watched it.

12. JAY AND SILENT BOB STRIKE BACK
While Chasing Amy remains my favorite of Kevin Smith's beloved New Jersey chronicles, there is no doubt that Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back is high among the funniest films of the year. True, it is irreverent and not for everyone, but it features more jokes in it's first five minutes than most of this year's comedies do in their full running time. While it is hit and miss, I found myself laughing consistently. It pained me to have to cut it from the Top 10. Kevin Smith rules!

11. WAKING LIFE
A favorite at the Sundance Film Festival, this experimental dreamscape from director Richard Linklater (Slacker, Dazed and Confused) is spellbinding. It's more of a collection of odd vignettes than a straight forward narrative. What makes this movie so unique, is that each live action segment has animation superimposed upon it by artists—which creates a living, breathing abstract painting. While at moments I found this picture to be a little too deep, I was blown away by it's overall meaning.

10. THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS
Wes Anderson's hilarious and complex ensemble piece is about as flawless as comedies get. While this picture tends to be a little dark, it features a unique comic rhythm and a surprising amount of heart. Gene Hackman leads an all star cast of stellar bit parts that soar to new comic heights. Wes Anderson seems intent upon demonstrating that love can exist without sentimentality. This is humor on an entirely new level.

9. A BEAUTIFUL MIND
With A Beautiful Mind, director Ron Howard has fashioned one of his very best films. Telling the story of John Forbes Nash Jr. (a genius who would go on to win a Nobel Prize), Howard has found a creative way to delve into the world of mental illness. Even moments of undeniable sap can't keep this movie down. Powered by fantastic performances from Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly and Paul Bettany, A Beautiful Mind is a thriller, a romance and an effective disease movie-of-the-week all rolled into one.

8. MEMENTO
While innovation was sorely lacking in cinema last year, director Christopher Nolan set out to do something quite interesting. The film noir Memento is a murder story told in reverse. The hero of this sly thriller is suffering from short term memory loss, so telling the story backwards, gives the audience the same sort of disorienting feeling he's experiencing. This movie keeps you on your toes until the very end.

7. SHREK
Dreamworks scored big with this wonderful computer animated film that attacks the fairy tale world. Like the Toy Story pictures, Shrek not only benefits from spectacular visuals, but a witty story as well. The inside jokes come fast and furious. While many will argue that Monsters Inc. was the better animated film this year, I have to disagree. Despite a fair share of raunchy humor, Shrek appeals to a much wider audience and promotes a stronger message; don't judge a person by the way they look.

6. THE OTHERS
What's most impressive about this suspenseful ghost story is that it features no blood and guts, and absolutely no high tech special effects. This elegant thriller also benefits from another brilliant turn by Nicole Kidman—as well as truly spooky set design. The Others has been compared to The Sixth Sense, but it has a rhythm all it's own and is punctuated with a truly twisted ending.

5. GHOST WORLD
Terry Zwigoff (Crumb) brings to the screen a hilarious story of growing up and friends drifting apart. Thora Birch (American Beauty) is fantastic as the cynical lead, while Steve Buscemi turns in yet another great performance as the man of her strange affection. This unique take on the comic-series of the same name is both funny and touching and features a terrific cast of oddball characters.

4. MULHOLLAND DRIVE
Director David Lynch (Elephant Man, Blue Velvet) certainly isn't for everyone, but I've always been a fan. This engrossing and satirical look into Hollywood is both nightmarish and intriguing. I would almost call this an extension of Lost Highway, only I found it far more involving. With a knockout performance by newcomer Naomi Watts, this movie has more compelling twists and turns than the famed stretch of road that lends the film it's title.

3. MOULIN ROUGE
Baz Luhrman's dizzying and sumptuous film isn't merely a homage to the movie musical, but a re-creation. While this movie was hated by many, I found it to be a unique movie experience full of brash creativity and innovation. Fueled by terrific performances from Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman, this is one picture that drew me in and wouldn't let go.

2. AMELIE
Thankfully, I get to see some of the smaller pictures when I'm out of town. If I didn't, I would have missed this spectacular French gem from director Jean-Pierre Jeunet (City of Lost Children). This wonderfully whimsical film tells the story of a do-gooder (the beautiful and talented Audrey Tautou) and how her friendly deeds effect the people around her. The breathtaking cinematography only adds to this perfectly magical film.

1. LORD OF THE RINGS: FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING
In a time when big studio pictures just don't seem to cut it (see Pearl Harbor), director Peter Jackson pulled off the impossible. He not only made a picture that lived up to it's enormous hype—he actually surpassed it. Fellowship of the Ring (based on the beloved story by J.R.R. Tolkien) is a visual feast, but it's the dramatic element that really took me by surprise. This could very well be the Star Wars of it's time.

Now for the flip side of the coin. While I won't waste your time or mine with a top ten list of the worst films of the year, I will give you the worst of the worst. It's actually a tie.

THIRTEEN GHOSTS
The makers of The House on Haunted Hill saw fit to crush the memory of a amusing William Castle classic with this loud, obnoxious, waste of time. While it's quick, MTV style editing and bursts of scary sounds are meant to startle the audience, all they really do is give you a headache. This movie is a nonsensical disaster.

DOMESTIC DISTURBANCE
This stupid thriller from director Harold Becker (Malice) features a dull performance from hero John Travolta and an even worse turn by Vince Vaughn who seems completely miscast as the heavy. He isn't menacing at all. What's worse, is that Domestic Disturbance has zero emotional depth and fails to provide any real tension. This silly, telegraphed thriller never should have been made.