So, I already did my list of my top 10 favorite movies from the first half of the 2010s, and seeing as how I can only come up with so many original ideas...

(The metaphor is strong with this one...)

...I decided I would go ahead and make a series of top 10s. I'm going to do a top 10 list of my favorite films from each decade starting with the 00's and working my way back to whatever decade I haven't seen 10 movies from (probably the 30s or 40s). What's the purpose for this idea other than filler? Well, movies are my prime interest, and I also think that it would be interesting to look at how film favorites have changed over the years. What movies are considered classics from recent years, as opposed to the old days?

We often hear that they "just don't make em like they used to," but I actually found quite a large number of films I liked from last decade. To prove it, here's the list of possible movies I mentioned that didn't make the cut...

"Memento," "Finding Nemo," "Up," "Wall-E," "Kill Bill," "There Will Be Blood,'' "Ratatouille," "Spirited Away," "Iron Man," "Almost Famous," "Lost in Translation," "The Aviator," "Goodnight and Good Luck," "Gran Torino," "Requiem For a Dream," "Gladiator," "Superbad," "Borat," "Slumdog Millionaire," "Sideways,'' "Finding Neverland," "Sin City," "Tropic Thunder," "Pineapple Express," "Gangs of New York,' "American Psycho," "40-Year-Old Virgin," "Zodiac," "Spiderman 2," "The Blind Side," "Anchorman," "Sweeney Todd," and "The Pursuit of Happyness."

A lot right?

Well, somehow, from my myriad of films I love from the decade that I grew up in, I was able to pick my 10 favorites (one or two of which may or may not be nostalgia talking...). So here we go...

10. "Inglourious Basterds"

As I said the last time I did a top 10 list, I am a big fan of Quentin Tarantino, and this is without a doubt one of his finest works. This history-bending revenge tale follows both the story of a vengeful young Jewish woman whose family was killed by the sadistic Nazi Col. Hans Landa and an army of Jewish Americans who want to hunt down as many Nazis as they can. Both plans ultimately end up with a climactic showdown in a movie theater. Though historically inaccurate, part of the fun comes in it being intentionally so. Even if you hate this movie, you have to admit, Hitler getting shot in the face was awesome. The acting is top-notch, especially the gleefully over-the-top Hans Landa, played by Christoph Waltz, who won an Oscar for the performance. This is actually Tarantino's favorite movie he's made. It took him 10 years to make and is the one he had always wanted to do. It's obvious at the end when Brad Pitt's Lt. Aldo Raine is bending over his latest forehead carving of a swastika and he says " I think this just might be my masterpiece," it's obvious that's really Tarantino talking about the movie. Was it though? Perhaps I'll answer that later in another article...

9. "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind"

Probably one of the most creative movies I've seen in...ever? Featuring both Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet as nobody was used to seeing them, this sci-fi romance tells the story of a young couple whose relationship went sour. Subsequently, the girl, Clementine, undergoes a procedure to wipe out all her memories of him. The guy, Joel, discovers this and decides to have the same procedure done. A good chunk of the film takes place inside Joel's subconscious where he relives some of his memories with Clementine. After remembering what their relationship used to be, Joel decides he doesn't want to go through with the procedure, so he goes on an adventure through his mind to try to save the memories any way he can. My #9 spot from the last time was Her, which also looked at what we might do given the technological resources to do so. What if such a procedure did exist? To what end would it be used? But more importantly, like Her, it also looks at what relationships in our day and age are made of. Too often, we just walk away when it gets hard and forget what made it special in the first place. To the main characters' credit, they do eventually decide to give it another shot, even though it may again get rough. which I think is a good example to follow. Don't take the easy way out. Our relationships should be worth fighting for! Also, the fact that this wasn't nominated for Best Picture while a bunch of biopics that weren't as good were, just shows how easily baited the Academy is. At least it took home Best Original Screenplay, just as Her did.

8. "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe"

For quite a significant chunk of my life, C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia has been a favorite of mine. I couldn't hear the stories enough! I also watched the funny-looking cartoon and funny-looking BBC versions of this story. So, in 2005, when they finally made a better effects version for the big screen, my 9-year-old self could not have been more pleased. The book stays mostly faithful to both the story and the Christian symbolism Lewis injected into the series. Although Prince Caspian was a pretty solid follow-up for the most part, it did change a lot from the book, and even if it didn't, not as many people have read Prince Caspian, so that's why the first one takes the edge here, as it did the better job of capturing the wonder a lot of us felt when when we read the book as kids. Most of us know the story: Four children have to be sent away during WWII and one-by-one, they discover the land of Narnia through a magical wardrobe, where the Great Lion Aslan calls them to help end the reign of the White Witch. The movie is great visually. Narnia is everything I ever imagined it to be and more in this movie. The scenery is fantastic, and it was nice to actually see the animals looking like animals, instead of people in over-sized costumes! The acting is top-notch, with Tilda Swinton as the Witch, James McAvoy as Mr. Tumnus the Faun, and a young Georgie Henley as Lucy being three of the best performances. Admittedly, the religious symbolism is more in your face than Lord of the Rings, Man of Steel, and The Matrix combined, but it doesn't make it any less of an enjoyable story. Maybe it's nostalgia talking, but I still recommend this movie to anyone!

7. "Monsters, Inc."

One of my favorite movies growing up, and is without a doubt, by far, one of Pixar's finest films. I was going to put "Finding Nemo" here originally, but eventually decided on this one. I just like it better. It is, in my opinion, a far more creative film and a more rewatchable one, due in large part, I believe, to Billy Crystal's comedy. From generation to generation, kids have worried about monsters under their beds. But, this movie tells them that it's just their job, and with a couple exceptions, the monsters are pretty decent creatures who wouldn't hurt a fly if they didn't have to. In fact, when some people (er, monsters) in the scare company take things too far, it's up to top-scarer Sulley and his sidekick, Mike, to expose them and protect a small child. (A little like "Ice Age," only infinitely better.) Now, we've seen friendly monsters in movies before, but it still feels really fresh the way Pixar presents the idea to us. That and the fact that it's just such a funny and charming story makes it one for the ages, all of them!

6. "No Country For Old Men"

I am a big Coen Brothers fan, and I'm glad they got some recognition at least once, even if it was for a movie that was word-for-word from a Cormac McCarthy novel. In 1996, the brothers were royally robbed of Best Picture for "Fargo," losing to the yawn-inducing "English Patient."

The Coen brothers released a few movies afterward, but none of them gathered quite the critical reception "Fargo" did. But, "No Country For Old" Men came along and was a huge success with audiences and critics alike. The Oscars probably figured the brothers were due, but even if that is the case, I'm glad it happened for one of their finest films. We see a young Vietnam vet out hunting when he stumbles upon a drug deal gone bad. He swipes the money from the wreckage and goes on the lam. The drug runner bosses learn this and send a ruthless hit man after him. Unfortunately, this particular hit man, the terrifying Anton Chigurh, is more psychotic than even the bosses could have imagined, and the body count begins. Like The Joker, he sees himself as an agent of chaos, but not in the same way. While the Joker does it for laughs, Chigurh is more of a manic depressive that feels like it's his job to be the Angel of Death in a way. The movie follows a lot of the same conventional crime cat-and-mouse story tropes, but it keeps you hooked...not with the action and violence (which there is plenty of), though, but by keeping the tension thick throughout, until the controversial ending, which, depending on how you interpret the movie's themes, will either seem fitting enough or totally piss you off. And this movie does have tension...I dare you to breathe while watching this scene...

Although, the movie is probably too violent to watch with your grandmother, its themes do point to a more old-fashioned America that your grandparents probably remember and long for today. Tommy Lee Jones' Sheriff Bell remembers a time long ago when he could keep the peace, hardly ever needing to draw his gun. Nowadays, he observes, the world is a far more evil place. He sees things he didn't know mankind was capable of doing, or even thinking. This latest case is the straw that breaks the camels back and convinces him he should retire, and he no longer has what it takes to do good in this fallen world. A bit of a fatalistic conclusion to be sure, but the themes are still worth thinking about as they become even more relevant with each passing year.

5. "The Incredibles"

This is probably my personal favorite Pixar movie. If there was ever proof that the majority of Pixar's work is good for all ages, it's this one. It's got something for everyone. The kids get to see fun superhero stuff, and teens and adults get to see...fun superhero stuff, I guess, but along with some important themes of family, honesty, and courage. In a world that wishes the superheroes would just go away, it is up to them to save it, family style! I honestly don't know what more I can say about it, other than, if you haven't seen it, get on that immediately!

4. "The Dark Knight"

Maybe the box office figures on this movie had to do with Heath Ledger's untimely death, but say what you want, that Oscar was no accident. It is, without question, one of the best film performances of the 21st century. I would put it on par or just below Daniel Day-Lewis in There Will Be Blood. But it isn't just the brilliant Joker performance that carries the movie...well, okay mostly yeah, but in addition to that, this is probably one of the smartest, if not the smartest comic book movie to come out in recent times. I'm not even sure one could call it a superhero movie. It's more of a thought-provoking crime drama that happens to star people in costumes. It shows a picture of good, evil, and the thin line that divides the two. Must we sometimes become a little evil ourselves in order to combat the worst sort of evil? That's the question this film faces viewers with, and I think it's another point worth thinking about. It's just too bad this movie's success went to Christopher Nolan's head, and he tried to turn Superman into his Batman...

3. "The Departed"

Although possibly having the highest curse count of any Best Picture winner and the award likely being an apology to Martin Scorsese for not giving the award to his classic Goodfellas, this is still a very solid film with an excellent collection of performances from its all-star cast. We see two moles: One hidden in the police department, the other hidden in a notorious Boston gang. Both sides discover they have a rat, and both of them try to discover the other without being discovered. This movie really piles the tension. It's fitting that DiCaprio's Billy Costigan is such a high-strung character because the audience will also feel on the edge the whole time, afraid that he will be discovered and killed. The tension never lets up, until the shocking conclusion, which will again either seem fitting enough or seem like a total letdown, depending on how you look at it! Definitely not for everyone's tastes, but if you're looking for an engrossing crime thriller with just enough of an artistic edge to make it Oscar material, this is the movie for you!

2. Lord of the Rings trilogy

Yup, all of 'em as one. I love everything about it...the story, the characters, the themes, the scenery, everything. And I refuse to expand on this entry anymore because everybody's seen it, and if you haven't you should be watching it right now, instead of reading this article. Seriously, go!

1. "O Brother, Where Art Thou?"

A bit of an odd choice, perhaps, but that's why it's a list of my favorites, not just what the best movies were. This Depression-era retelling of Homer's Odyssey is very funny and a little bit underrated, too. George Clooney stars as Ulysses Everett McGill who runs from a prison, with two others in tow. He tells them that there is a treasure at the end of their adventure and all of their dreams will come true. They meet a cast of outlandish characters along the way, which viewers can have fun trying to match to the characters in The Odyssey. This movie is just pure fun. I could watch it a hundred times and not get bored of it. I have often watched it two days in a row. Add to this gorgeous cinematography from expert Roger Deakins and an unforgettable soundtrack of "old-timey" Gospel and country songs, and you've got one heck of an enjoyable experience!