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Honorable Mentions: The Supporting Cast
'The Exorcist'
Without question, my all-time favorite movie is "The Exorcist." It is the perfect movie that combines sinister mystery with terrifying imagery and disturbing psychological horror. Most important, "The Exorcist" delivers pure horror without any comic relief, hip yet hapless teenagers or a psycho-killer jumping out at every turn -- all too common in the horror genre and frankly not scary! "The Exorcist" is a compelling and epic tale of good vs. the ultimate evil and to this day still leaves me deeply disturbed and scares the crap out of me!
Daniel J. Kutruff, 40
Delaplane, Va.
'Rashomon'
"Rashomon" is the film that had the most profound affect on me. I was 16 in 1951 when I saw the film. It was the first foreign-language film I had seen and can still remember being transfixed by the beauty of the film, the strange language and the moral dilemma of the story. I have always remembered that the perception of people who witness an account may differ even though they believe it to be true. The movie also gave me a lifelong love of Japanese art, design and history -- a lot to have gained from a few hours at the movies.
Ruth Baskin, 71
Rockville
'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King'
This towering achievement is my all-time favorite. No other movie has seamlessly put together such a fine ensemble, brought out several themes including loyalty, love and friendship, all in a completely imagined fantasy world that was more real than any motion picture I've seen. Every major genre of film was well-represented -- drama, adventure, comedy, romance and horror -- and each special effect actually worked. Not only were they mind-boggling, but vital to the story. Every human being on planet Earth (and, of course, Middle Earth) should experience this stunner. Oh, and I wept like a baby.
David Emanuel, 35
Laurel
'Batman Begins'
When Bruce Wayne witnesses the brutal murder of his parents in a back alley in Gotham City, it fuels his quest for revenge and justice, spawning the city's masked protector. This is "Batman Begins," my favorite movie. The movie does a good job of translating the comic's dark look onto the screen. But the movie is made by its star, Christian Bale. His ability to portray the charm of Bruce Wayne and the raw grit of Batman brings the character back to its heyday, before it was mismanaged by the likes of Val Kilmer, George Clooney and Joel Schumacher.
Brendan Smith, 18
Columbia
