As we continue to pay way too much for a night at the movies, it’s good to know that not every film at the box office is going to leave us feeling cheated. However, there is still no guarantee either way. As always, every year the cream rises to the top and the sweetest deserve the Hornet’s recognition.

With the most alarming opening scene of the year, “A History of Violence” was as compelling as it was disturbing. If you didn’t grimace or wince at least a half-dozen times during this movie you’re either blind or you actually kill people for a living.

In the most raw and graphic film of the year, Viggo Mortensen plays Tom Stall, a smooth small town cafe owner and family man with an ominous secret.

When a dark and mysterious character from his past comes back to confront him and threatens to break apart his quiet life, his history of violence emerges to create unexpected and unsure reactions from his family and friends.

Although it displays explicit violence and at times borders on pornographic material, director David Cronnengerg uses just the right combination and timing of these elements to avoid being gratuitous all the while creating a vivid and entertaining conflict.

If you are looking for humor, at no point did I stop laughing during the “40-Year-Old Virgin.” Steve Carrell plays the title role as a quiet, insecure toy enthusiast whose awkward secret prompts his co-workers to go to great lengths and assist him in finding a bedmate.

Supporting actors Paul Rudd and Seth Rogen add some hilarious dialogue and one-liners that give this comedy the intelligent edge over the “Wedding Crashers.”

“Sin City” may have been the most visually stimulating film of the year. The infrequent comic book to movie crossover rarely works, but with an all-star cast, along with its superior optical grandeur, this film is an artistic statement.

The acting is questionable in some scenes, but the mind of Frank Miller skillfully intertwined with the morbid visuals of Robert Rodriguez make for an exciting film.

The award for cutest cast members goes to “March of the Penguins.” I’ll admit that I’m one of 12 people who saw this movie in theaters.

Narrated by Morgan Freeman, this feel good film follows a colony of Emperor penguins that travel through the extremely harsh conditions of the Antarctic winter in order to mate and give birth. The bleak setting creates a massive scale for the life and death struggles of these truly amazing creatures.

Who could have predicted that the best animated movie of 2005, “The Corpse Bride” may also be the best love story and musical of the year? Tim Burton returns to claymation style movie making that earned him huge success with his 1993 hit, “The Nightmare Before Christmas.”

This time around, Burton creates a dark and eerie story of Victor, a poor and gentle Englishman who unknowingly weds a corpse and is drawn into the world of the dead.

But according to Newton’s Laws of Physics, with every action comes an equal and opposite reaction and the titles on the marquee are no different. These were the bottom shelf flops of 2005.

“Doom” was a rare movie that actually predicted its success with its title. There was nothing note worthy in this film what so ever. If you missed it, consider yourself lucky.

Despite the hype of the alleged Jessica Simpson and Johnny Knoxville affair, the “Dukes of Hazzard” is on nearly every “worst-of “list. A “jackass” and “Stifler” were the “stars” of this pile.

With such great successes such as “Punk’d” and “That 70’s Show,” there seems to be no logic why Ashton Kutcher would make such a drastic turn in the other direction with “Guess Who?” Can you even blame Bernie Mac for hating Kutcher’s character in this pathetically unfunny remake of “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?”

Speaking of come backs, Michael Keaton desperately tried to revive his flat-lining career in White Noise. But the problem is that I saw it the first time when it was called “The Ring.”

However, the worst movie over the past two years might have to be “Alexander” This film actually came out in late 2004, but stunk well into 2005. For this reason it can extend into the worst movies of 2005.

Movies seem to be an entertainment ritual for just about everyone, everywhere. With a growing number of films coming to the big screen, both the best and worst lists continue to grow.

Whatever your taste may be there is bound to be at least 90 minutes of entertainment waiting for you at your local video store.