Sometimes I feel like I'm tangled up in rolls and rolls of film reel here at work.

A lot of us here at The Mercury watch a lot of movies, and consequently wax our thoughts about them together like we're Ebert and Roeper or something. So it's only right to include The Merc's most enthusiastic film buffs (and buffettes) in choosing this year's finest films to grace the big screens, from cult-creating classics, to bloody monster fests, to massive money-raking blockbusters. Everything you should have seen, is here.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you The Mercury's panel of film enthusiasts and their favorite flicks of 2007:

Bill Coldren's picks
1. Live Free or Die Hard - As a faithful follower of John McClane, I was totally satisfied with this latest installment.


2. 28 Weeks Later - A ghoulishly tantalizing tale following the under-the-radar smash hit "28 Days Later." The thought of total wide spread chaos throughout the world has always been as appealing as slowing on the highway to view an accident.


3. 300 - This movie is a must-see.


4. I Am Legend - Will Smith has developed into a fine actor. This movie was well done.


5. Superbad - Nothing explains teen angst quite like this movie. I enjoyed the ride.


Kim Toth's picks
1. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street -- Bloody good!! Tim Burton at his best!


2. 300 -- Graphically amazing! And a good story too (even if it fudges the truth a bit). Should easily win an Oscar for best special effects and/or art direction. (It's got my vote for Best Costume too!)


3. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End -- Tall ships blasting each other into oblivion, and Davey Jones, Barbosa and Sparrow -- 3 of the best summer blockbuster movie characters ever ... Arrrrgh!


4. Eastern Promises -- here's my pick for drama. If you liked The Departed, give this Russian mob flick a try.


5. 1408 -- A Stephen King story done right on the big screen. Scary, intriguing and keeps you guessing to the end.


Honorable Mention: American Gangster, Superbad, 28 Weeks Later, Ratatouille and Planet Terror.
Forgive me, I didn't see: I Am Legend, Atonement or No Country for Old Men, which I hear are all excellent.
Most looking forward to in 2008: The Dark Knight and Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

Chris March's Picks
1. Superbad - Sure, it's about some high school friends expending all their energy on getting drunk, as well as their rocks off; it's not revolutionary storytelling. But when you dress up a truly meaningful flick about friendship and growing up with complete nonsense and dirty hilarity like Judd Apatow did here, you have done more than make a movie that will disgust your mom. Beneath the dirt, this movie has a real vibrant heart and tells a strong "coming of age" story. And yet, there's to much great comedic banter to take it too seriously. That, my friends, is top-notch movie-making genius. And who knew a movie could actually make van Halen's "Panama" sound so stinkin' good? And of course, McLovin is easily the most memorable character of the year.


2. I'm Not There - A movie about Bob Dylan, where they never mention the name "Bob Dylan" in it? Yeah. A movie where 6 magnificent actors, including Cate Blanchett, all play different eras of Bob Dylan? Yeah. A movie with a whole treasure trove of Dylan music, covers and originals? Yeah. Sounds pretty weird, doesn't it? Yeah. Well, it totally works, and is probably the most accurate way to tell a story about a man who is made of countless stories, fictional and non-fictional.


3. Spiderman 3 - It wasn't Spiderman 2, but it certainly wasn't bad either. The Spidey Trilogy is to me what Star Wars is to all you Lucas nuts, if not more.


4. Transformers - Hands down, the blockbuster of the year. Old school Transformers fan boys dug it, and massive audiences dug it. When was the last time something like that happened?


5. Zodiac - David Fincher directed a movie about a puzzling killer we've never caught. Need I say more?


As you can see, I'm a bit of a kid when it comes to movies. I'll always be a sucker for the coming-of-age teen comedy ripe with filthy humor, and the comic book movies. Across The Universe and Aqua Teen Hunger Force the movie are also worth some mentioning.

Coming Tomorrow: free downloadable mix of Scene & Heard's favorite songs 0f 2007