'Tis the Season

The rush to publish critics' annual Top Ten Movie Lists has come (and gone); except for moi, who dutifully waits until I see all the movies released in 2006 for Oscar consideration, regardless of how long it takes for them to reach a local theater. So look for my list by the end of the month to mid-February.

Here is a sampling of other critic's lists. I'll only make two preferatory comments to these and other critics:

1) Spare us the obligatory "I am so above making these lists...I'm only doing it for my editor...blah, blah, blah...." It's your JOB--get over it! And don't cop-out by listing them alphabetically, either! You've already set these ten apart from the rest, go all the way!

2) What's with this new trend of grouping multiple films into a single place, based on theme?
(See David Edelstein and Kenneth Turan, below). Are you saying the films are indistinguishable becasue their plots are similar? or are you just too lazy to make a choice? Again I say, '... get off the pot'!

KEITH PHIPPS , A.V. Club
[I begin with this obscure critic (whom I discovered chatting on SLATE*) because I find his list most closely mirrors my tastes in movies.]

* I'm not even bothering with SLATE's new critic, Dana Stevens: she hasn't paid her dues; AND she admitted to be more-concerned with RAISING HER NEWBORN than watching movies the first 4 months of 2006! ; AND she admits to watching them on DVD -- at HOME!!

KENNETH TURAN, LA TIMES

David Edelstein, New York magazine

David Ansen, Newsweek

Corliss and Schickel, Time
(they cannot make separate lists anymore??)