Welcome! The first half of 2006 is over, but there is still a half year still ahead of us. Will it be better than the first half? There are still a lot of summer releases to come, including Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, not to mention the Fall Oscar season.

The first six months brought some very good films, as well as some monumental failures. Will any of these films still appear on the "Best of 2006" lists come January? I think there is a good chance for a couple of them. As well all know, any type of list is fluid and can change at a moment's notice, so keep that in mind as we go over my first half stats.

Part I: The Numbers

• Total Movies Seen: 73
• Total Movies Eligible: 65
• Number of Theaters Visited: 7
• Longest Movie: 157 minutes (Superman Returns)
• Shortest Movie: 82 minutes (The Pink Panther)
• Rated R: 21
• Rated PG-13: 29
• Rated PG: 10
• Rated G: 3
• Not Rated: 1 (but I can't tell you about it...)
• : 2
• : 4
• : 8
• : 16
• : 27
• : 6
• : 1
• : 1

Top Ten.

1. Brick. Rian Johnson's modern high school clique noir flick is absolutely amazing. Its performances are spot on, the dialog intriguing, and the story involving. It tells the story of a high school outsider kicking up a hornet's nest of trouble while trying to find his estranged girlfriend's murderer. Simply incredible.
2. V for Vendetta. The Wachowski guided, McTeigue directed adaptation of Alan Moore's graphic novel is fantastic. A film full of ideas and concepts, all of it wrapped in a wonderfully visual film. It features some wonderful set design and excellent performances from its two leads.
3. Superman Returns. A beautifully realized, yet flawed, film that succeeds in bringing the comic icon back to the big screen in amazing fashion. The leads do a fine job of keeping the spirit of the original Donner film while instilling it with a sense of freshness.
4. The Lake House. What a sweetly romantic film. Alejandro Agresti works from the original Korean film and crafts a movie based around the improbable plot device of a magic mailbox, making it work without so much as an explanation. Very impressive film.
5. Running Scared. Deliriously over the top thriller that takes its story to the edge of oblivion yet never falls into the abyss. This movie was a surprise on many levels, not the least of which it made Paul Walker seem capable. Vastly underrated.
6. Thank You for Smoking. Ivan Reitman's son, Jason, delivers this hilarious look at the world of lobbyists, in particular the tobacco lobby. This film doesn't really deliver anything new, but it does present that information in endlessly entertaining fashion.
7. The Libertine. Johnny Depp carries this film on his back. The film is muddy and dirty and enthralling. Depp stars as John Wilmot, and we bear witness to his fall from fame and his ultimate demise.
8. The Devil Wears Prada. Surprisingly good. Streep and Hathaway come together to create a film that will make you feel a little better about their own. It also is surprisingly subversive, in a way that you don't even see it coming.
9. The Notorious Bettie Page. A delightful look at the pinup queen's rise to fame, and the decidedly non-sleazy approach. Bettie is portrayed as a sweet girl who sees nothing wrong with what she's doing. It is a breath of fresh air.
10. Nacho Libre. Insidiously sweet-natured film. Jack Black plays the thoughtful Ignacio, aka Nacho, who seeks to do more for the kids of his orphanage. He takes on the guise of Nacho the lucha libre wrestler, a persona he uses to raise money for the children, plus giving those kids a hero. This will have you leaving with a smile.