2001 brought variety of excellent films to big screen

It hardly seems possible, but it's once again time to sing "Auld Lang Syne" and wave good-bye to the first year (despite the big to-do about the year 2000, the mathematically adept know the truth) of the new millennium.

With that comes the inevitable flood of "Top 10" lists from pundits discussing everything from food trends to fashion. And, of course, movies.

No different from any other, this year brought a lot of pleasure and pain, and I guess the most notable thing to happen was the unprecedented production sche-dule of "The Lord of the Rings." Director Peter Jackson shot three films at once with a total cost of $270 million. By all counts, the first installment, "The Fel-lowship of the Ring," is worth the mon-ey, and it looks as if this trio will pay its way and much, much more.

The downside: If you thought "Trek-kies" (the fanatic fringe of the "Star Trek" universe) were weird, wait until you see "Ringies." They make the "Star Trek" crowd look reasonable.

At any rate, I guess it's time for a personal "Best Of" list for 2001.

In no particular order, my favorite films of 2001 were:

"Hedwig and the Angry Inch"

Part "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," part "This Is Spinal Tap," "Hed-wig" is a surprisingly endearing film with the best rock and roll soundtrack to come along in quite a while. It's not to everyone's taste, but writer/director/star John Cameron Mitchell has executed a personal tale that goes straight to the heart, through layers of make-up and glitter, of course.

"Memento"

Told from finish to start, "Memento" had the most original screenplay of the year. Guy Pearce stars as a man with short-term memory loss who's on a mission to find his wife's killer. Director Christopher Nolan fashioned the tale into a cohesive piece and deserves an Oscar nomination for his efforts.

"Bridget Jones's Diary"

The story of the 30-something English office worker Bridget Jones sold a boatload of copies as a novel.

Fans worldwide were gnashing their teeth when Rene Zellweger (a Texan) was cast as the decidedly British Ms. Jones.

Fears were immediately put to rest upon seeing the film and, my vote goes to Ms. Zellweger in the race for Oscar.

I can't think of a finer comedic actress working today.

"Amores Perros"

It never played in Springfield but is available at the local video outlet. "Brutal" is the only way I can describe this film, but it's a beautiful brutality. Three intertwining tales are told in the tradition of "Pulp Fiction," and while they will make you squirm, they will also get to the point.

"Snatch"

Director Guy Ritchie's take on the "heist" film is the most unique movie of the genre to come along this year, and there were many. Benicio Del Toro and Brad Pitt put in great performances and Ritchie's MTV sensibilities work well. Big fun mixed with tension.

"Shrek" and "Monsters Inc."

Two of the best films of 2001 were animated features, and it's sad they will have to fight it out in the new Oscar category. I liked "Shrek," the tale of a misunderstood ogre, a little more than "Monsters, Inc.," but both were engaging, entertaining, smart and state-of-the-art.

The DVD of "Shrek" is already out and features a lot of extra goodies. "Monster's, Inc." will be released sometime in 2002 and will surely be loaded with bonus material, as well. Disney and SKG are in a war of one-upmanship, so the "Monster, Inc." disc may very well put itself in, pop the popcorn and wash the car while you're watching.

"The Man Who Wasn't There"

The Coen brothers score again with this send-up of the film-noir style. Billy Bob Thorton is dead-on perfect as the barber with nothing much to say, although he has plenty on his mind.

"Moulin Rouge"

I really hate musicals but the sheer visual power of Baz Luhrman's "Moulin Rouge" won me over in a heartbeat. It's dizzying and at times incomprehensible, but it really bears watching.

"Sexy Beast"

A fairly brutal English gangster film, "Sexy Beast" shows us that the man who played Ghandi can also be one bad, bad dude. Ben Kingsley plies his craft to the extreme in "Sexy Beast." Great story, great direction, great technical execution. See it when it comes to the video store.

"The Others"

I love a good scary movie but was utterly irritated by the hype surrounding "The Blair Witch Project." The scariest, creepiest film to come along of late is "The Others."

It will remind you of "The Turn of the Screw" or the 1961 melodrama, "The Innocents." The audience never knows what's real and what isn't.

Lots of great stuff came our way this year and I can't really pick a favorite. I just hope the trend continues in 2002.

Happy New Year.

(Jim Wunderle works at Associated Video Producers and is a Springfield free-lance writer and musician.)