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Since a couple other rejects have done this already, I thought I’d go ahead and put in my two cents for the best of 2007, so far.

5 Best Films of 2007

5. The Host
This is probably the best monster movie I’ve seen since Jurassic Park and had it not been for a weak ending, I would be calling this the best film of the year so far. Take away that ending, and this movie is pure genius; easily one of the best foreign pictures I’ve seen.

4. Ratatouille
Contrary to “The Host” having a weak ending, “Ratatouille” did have a weird opening with a crazy old lady and a shotgun. After the first 15 minutes though, this animated gem doesn’t hit a false note. It’s kinda like the “Pan’s Labyrinth” of animated movies, more appealing to adults than children, but it is still fun for the whole family.

3. The Lives of Others
This won the 2006 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and in any other year that didn’t contain “Pan’s Labyrinth,” it would be well deserved. It’s a superb effort in story telling about espionage in the German Democratic Republic in the mid 1980′s. Terrific acting all around and the film has a music score I won’t soon forget.

2. Away From Her
Speaking of terrific acting, what great performances Julie Christie and Gordon Pinsent give in Sarah Polley’s directorial debut, “Away From Her.” A beautiful spectacle of character development, “Away From Her” shows how the bond between even the strongest of lovers can be broken with a terrible disease.

1. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
After “The Goblet of Fire,” the makers of the remainder of the “Harry Potter” films are faced with the challenge of making films of the same quality. One down, two more to go. Becoming a Harry Potter fan not two weeks ago, I’ve fallen in love with this series and I love this movie. It was dark, Voldemort is starting to become a more and more memorable villain, the special effects were great, and we finally got some wonderful scenes between Harry and Sirius Black. It’s amazing how the fifth installment of this series is this good when you look at the other films. I can’t think of another franchise with this many movies being so consistently good if not great except “Star Wars.” “The Order of the Phoenix” is a triumph.

With Honorable Mentions to:
300
The Hoax
Hot Fuzz
The Invisible
Sicko
The Namesake
Zodiac

5 Worst Films of 2007

5. Ghost Rider
What’s really scary is that I can think of four movies worse than this one. I supported director Mark Steven Johnson with “Daredevil,” but “Ghost Rider” is a complete flop. The movie is way over the top and filled with more cheap romantic scenes than you can shake a stick at. Eva Mendes is the ONLY reason to see this movie.

4. Because I Said So
A total, abysmal misfire, “Because I Said So” is one of the worst romantic comedies ever made. Some of the jokes are not only stupid, but they’re like watered down National Lampoon material. It’s already uncomfortable enough for me to watch a romantic comedy, but they could at least throw out the scene where Diane Keaton asks Mandy Moore about orgasms.

3. Pathfinder
“Pathfinder” is a complete insult and joke to the epic genre. The film’s only concern is blood and there’s an obscene amount of it here. The dialogue is just unbelievably awful with Vikings having subtitles but Native Americans speaking perfect English. It’s a movie full of idiocy.

2. Epic Movie
These two writers from “Scary Movie” have absolutely no idea what they are doing and make even the most amateurish filmmakers look good. They call it “Epic Movie” and yet they’re making fun of comedies like “Borat” and “Click;” and just about every joke involves someone break dancing. These guys should just try and find a different career.

1. Norbit
Once I saw “Epic Movie,” I was sure I wouldn’t see a more awful film all year, but then came “Norbit.” How bad is it? When Eddie Murphy lost his Oscar I felt sorry for him, because I hadn’t seen “Norbit.” Now that I have seen it, he could look in the dictionary between shit and syphilis to find my sympathy. Offensively bad and unfunny, “Norbit” has to be one of the worst movies I’ve ever seen and that is no exaggeration.

Best Actor
Gordon Pinsent- “Away From Her”

With Honorable Mentions to:
Chris Cooper- “Breach”
Richard Gere- “The Hoax”
Ulrich Muhe – “The Lives of Others”
Kal Penn- “The Namesake”

Best Actress:
Julie Christie- “Away From Her”

With Honorable Mentions to:
Carice Van Houten- “Black Book”
Keri Russel- “Waitress”
Marion Cotillard- “La Vie en Rose”

Best Supporting Actor:
Sebastian Koch- “The Lives of Others”

With Honorable Mentions to:
Jeff Daniels- “The Lookout”
Robert Downey Jr.- “Zodiac”
Irfan Khan- “The Namesake”
Alfred Molina- “The Hoax”

Best Supporting Actress:
Martina Gedeck- “The Lives of Others”

With Honorable Mentions to:
Margarita Levieva- “The Invisible”
Tabu- “The Namesake”
Christina Ricci- “Black Snake Moan”

Best Original Screenplay:
Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck- “The Lives of Others”

With Honorable Mentions to:
Chul-hyun Baek and Joon-ho Bong- “The Host”
Scott Frank- “The Lookout”
Rowan Joffe, Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, and Jesus Olmo- “28 Weeks Later”
Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg- “Hot Fuzz”

Best Adapted Screenplay:
James Vanderbilt- “Zodiac”

With Honorable Mentions to:
Mick Davis and Christina Roum- “The Inivisble”
Sarah Polley- “Away From Her”
Zack Synder, Kurt Johnstad, and Michael Gordon- “300”
Sooni Taraporevala- “The Namesake”
William Wheeler- “The Hoax”

Best Director
Joon-ho Bong “The Host”

With Honorable Mentions to:
Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck- “The Lives of Others”
David Fincher- “Zodiac”
Juan Carlos Fresnadillo- “28 Weeks Later”
Mira Nair- “The Namesake”
Sarah Polley- “Away From Her”
Edgar Wright- “Hot Fuzz”