BLUE VELVET (1986)

The Score: 10 out of 10

David Lynch received the Academy Award nomination for Best Director three times in his career: The Elephant Man (1980), Blue Velvet (1986), and Mulholland Dr. (2001). Although he never won the award, we argue he earned it each time. Strong arguments have been made that each of these could be considered Lynch's masterpiece, each film clearly ranking among the best films ever made. Even those who prefer Lynch's other projects will acknowledge the important place these three films occupy in his body of work. Blue Velvet is a powerful film, completely unique to his style. No other director could have made it the way David Lynch did.

DUNE (1984)

The Score: 10 out of 10

David Lynch proved himself with The Elephant Man (1980), gaining status as the hottest new director in Hollywood. His rising star even caught the attention of George Lucas, who released a little independent film of his own that year: Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980). But the young artist's mainstream popularity would be threatened as he confronted the Hollywood system during the production of his science fiction epic: Dune (1984). Dune would be the first and last big-budget film of David Lynch's career, but is the most awesome attempt at a transcendent blockbuster ever committed to celluloid.

THE ELEPHANT MAN (1980)

The Score: 10 out of 10

David Lynch first learned and employed several innovative film techniques during the production of Eraserhead (1977) that he would later master in his second feature film The Elephant Man (1980). David Lynch took Hollywood by storm on the release of this film, receiving some of the strongest critical acclaim of his career and enjoying more success at the box office than he would with any of his other films. The Elephant Man is widely considered Lynch's most accessible film for mainstream audiences, and is considered a good starting point for most viewers interested in his work.

ERASERHEAD (1977)

"In 2004 [Eraserhead] was deemed 'culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant' by the United States Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry" (Wiki Entry for Eraserhead). Since the U.S. Library of Congress only selects up to 25 films per year for preservation in the National Film Registry, the official archivists of the United States have essentially declared Eraserhead (1977) one of the most important films in American history.

35 YEARS OF DAVID LYNCH

Works of art are easy to overlook at first glance. Some art is so far ahead of its time that only the passage of years will help it be appreciated. Many films must wait for changes to cultural tastes and style before their audience's sensibilities are attuned to receive them. Many masterpieces of art and literature are greeted at first with underwhelming or even hostile reviews and bad word of mouth before one day gaining the recognition they deserve. Most films directed by David Lynch fall into this category.

EASY A (2010)

The Score: 9 out of 10

Emma Stone makes me laugh. She has a natural affability and charm that immediately endears me to all the characters she plays. But she also possesses a priceless sense of comedic timing that turns the most innocuous character moments into hilarious movie gold. And Emma has a lot of help in this film from a surprisingly strong list of supporting actors and from screenwriter Bert V. Royal, who pens a brilliant part for her in a great film opening today: Easy A.

CATFISH (2010)

The Score: 5 out of 10

The marketing of Catfish (2010) is ridiculous: "Don't let anyone tell you what it is." You might be able to get away with that if you were Alfred Hitchcock at the height of his career when he released a similar marketing campaign for Psycho (1960). But the demand for complete secrecy for a documentary by unestablished filmmakers—regardless of its inventiveness—is simply hyperbolic marketing.

LOST - THE COMPLETE SERIES (2004-10)

The Score: 9 out of 10

Few TV programs have the ambition and resources of ABC-Disney's LOST (2004-10), and with the recent changes in the way Network TV is structured we might not see another series of this epic magnitude for a long time to come. LOST dared to dream big and it pulled in millions of devoted fans because of those dreams. And since the sixth and final season of LOST is being released today on Blu-Ray and DVD, we will take this opportunity to look back on the series as a whole with some perspective.

INCEPTION (2010)

The Score: 8 out of 10

Inception (2010) is a great achievement in modern filmmaking. The cinematography is beautiful. The sound design and special effects are compelling. The stunts and action sequences will catch your breath. The labyrinthine plot and narrative structure is engaging. The casting of the film is appropriate and their acting is solid. Christopher Nolan is a director to be reckoned with, approaching action and suspense on the order of Alfred Hitchcock. We look forward to his third and final Batman film currently in development, scheduled for release in two years. But in spite of all this, there is one thing missing from Inception: HEART.

SALT (2010)

The Score: 8 out of 10

Salt is a compelling action film crossed with a well-rounded thriller. The film has strong characters, interesting plot developments, compelling action sequences, and is always entertaining. And considering the recent discovery of Russian sleeper agents still operating in the United States, Salt is an eerily relevant film for our day. Fans of J.J. Abrams's ALIAS (2001-06) TV series should find Salt particularly appealing, since both shows share a lot in common in both tone and story.

KICK-ASS (2010)

The Score: 8.5 out of 10

Kick-Ass does not establish its tone well in the first half of the film. Despite its aspirations, Kick-Ass was made on a relatively low budget compared to most superhero films and at times it shows. Some scenes and situations fail to unfold organically. But once Nicolas Cage and Chloe Moretz enter the picture as Big Daddy and Hit-Girl, the story begins to take shape and ends up as one of the most enjoyable films this year. By the time the end credits roll, the flaws from earlier will be forgotten.

GLEE - SEASON ONE (2009-10)

The Score: 7.5 out of 10

Glee (2009-10) Season One finished its 22 episode run on a mixed note. The first 13 powerhouse episodes of the season were fresh and politically incorrect. The first 13 episodes of season one would easily earn a score of 9 out of 10. The writing, direction, acting, singing, dancing, and comedic tone were close to perfect. Glee really earned its Golden Globe Award as the best comedy on television last year. But as the season progressed, the show began to feel more commercial and politically correct. The unique blend of humor and drama was simply abandoned and it digressed into formulaic television. In short, it seems the passion is gone.