I hadn't thought it was possible, but 2007 found me hitting the theaters less than ever. It didn't help that one movie buddy up and moved to Orange County or that the other one had a baby, but this year a lack of compelling choices may have had more to do with keeping me home than my lack of partners in crime.

As we come to the end of the year, it's the smaller, more original movies that are still with me. The more I think about Waitress, the more I like it, and sometimes the mere thought of it is enough to make me tear up. You Kill Me was an innovative film in a classic package, and Juno was as funky and funny and heartfelt as indie movies get. I give three cheers to Johnny Depp and Tim Burton to bringing their twisted magic to the screen in Sweeney Todd. How much do you love that they're still cranking out masterpieces seventeen years after they gave us Edward Scissorhands?! They should get medals just for waking up in the morning. I feel like I've said that before, but I still mean it, so I'll just say it again. And for all the movies I missed in 2007, I promise to give them their due in 2027. After all, I still have to watch them put Viggo's balls to the wall in Eastern Promises, and I'm still waiting to see Joaquin Phoenix in We Own The Night and Reservation Road. Until then, I'll stick with something I'm sure about - my picks for the best of 1987....

1. Lethal Weapon - Okay, so this may not have been the *best* movie of 1987, but Shane Black's witty, action-packed script and Mel Gibson's unbridled hotness certainly rocked my world. I wouldn't be writing about movies today without it, and who doesn't look fondly upon the days when we thought Mel was only playing crazy.



2. The Untouchables - Brian DePalma's take on Eliot Ness' attempt to bring down Al Capone seems to get better every time I watch it. With a powerhouse cast including Kevin Costner, Robert DeNiro, Andy Garcia, and Sean Connery, and the brilliantly placed line, "Did he sound anything like that?" you just can't go wrong.



3. The Lost Boys - This is truly the two Coreys' finest hour. If you're seeking a funny, creepy, heartthrob-laden vampire-hunting adventure, look no further.



4. Planes, Trains, and Automobiles- I never get tired of this bittersweet Thanksgiving treat. With Steve Martin and John Candy at the height of their comedic powers, this John Hughes' classic is as touching as it is hilarious.



5. Dirty Dancing - The 80s just wouldn't have been the 80s without this romantic tour de force. The soundtrack! The pregnancy scandal! Patrick Swayze's arms! Nobody puts this baby in a corner.



6. Empire of the Sun - Before Christian Bale was Batman, he wandered a god-forsaken countryside after the Japanese invaded Shanghai in this Steven Spielberg gem.



7. No Way Out - Kevin Costner strikes cinematic gold again in this fast-paced thriller. I've seen it a million times, and it never fails to leave me on the edge of my seat.



8. Moonstruck - Remember when Nicholas Cage looked hot even with a wooden hand? Remember when Cher could still move her face? Who can resist watching these fabulously feisty people fall in love?!



9. Wall Street - A young Charlie Sheen becomes a casualty of success, access, and excess in this ultimate tale of 80's greed - and no, it's not based on his life story! Michael Douglas is deliciously evil as Gordon Gecko.



10. The Princess Bride - Have the words, "as you wish," ever sounded so good? This wry modern fairy tale has become a quotable classic for an entire generation. Don't know what an R.O.U.S . is? Clearly you didn't grow up in the 80s.

Also in 1987, Danny DeVito and Billy Crystal try to Throw Mama From The Train, Sylvester Stallone goes way Over the Top to win custody of his son, and Eddie Murphy returns as Axel Foley in Beverly Hills Cop II. Lou Diamond Phillips rocks in La Bamba, and Madonna almost doesn't suck in the silly but fun Who's That Girl?. Elisabeth Shue has some excellent Adventures in Babysitting, and John Hughes turns out his last good high school movie with Some Kind of Wonderful. Cher rounds out her big year with The Witches of Eastwick and Suspect, and the Sheen brothers can't be avoided in Stakeout, Wisdom, Three for the Road, and No Man's Land. Baby Boom and Three Men and a Baby examine parenthood in the 80s. Michael J. Fox discovers The Secret of My Success, and makes another movie that shouldn't have seen Light of Day. The Brat Packers start slumming it in less awesome offerings like The Pick-Up Artist, Maid to Order, and Mannequin, although there's a lot to be said for Mannequin when you're laying around on the sofa on a rainy afternoon. The small but worthwhile Housekeeping and 84 Charing Cross Road are every bit as good as the blockbusters... According to www.the-numbers.com, there were only 207 movies released in 1987 compared to the 992 released this year, yet somehow it seems like there were exponentially more things to see back then. Huh.