One of the highlights of Cannes for me every year is the opportunity to see the best and newest Asian cinema, but it was late in 2007's festival before I saw any that particularly struck me—and when it did, it struck me hard.

I have three favorite theaters in the world, which I refuse to rank in order of favorites. In no particular order, then, are the Tivoli, which is my home theater, and where I've had nearly every great experience with film in my entire life (especially in my formative years). Next is the National Film Theater in London, which is a government-funded reparatory house (!) that has incredibly comfortable seats, pristine picture and sound quality, and a great clientele and staff.

Of all the things that won, I have about the least trouble swallowing The Departed as Best Picture, as it was my second choice behind United 93.

Being the elitist that I am, there is sort of a part of me that wants to be greedy and keep this wonderful film a secret, but that is indefensibly unfair to the rest of you.

Does my loyalty lie with you, the reader, whom I'm hoping will seek out the movies I recommend, or does it lie with the films and the filmmakers who made these films I love, regardless of whether or not they were lucky enough to secure distribution?

I was worried my audience would file me away as a stereotypical young, white, weinerish male who is obsessed with Asian culture.

Listening to Bill Hicks' rants about Bush being a child of Satan sent to destroy the Earth, it's easy to imagine he is talking about our current president rather than George H.W.

The films are almost a side note compared to the overall experience of the festival, and this is perhaps because the majority of the films weren’t actually very good.

Warhol aside, Raro is best known for finally bringing decent prints of the equally impossible to see Alejandro Jodorowsky films El Topo and The Holy Mountain to DVD (which is funny, because one could make a good argument that El Topo also qualifies as a gay cowboy movie).