Inspired by an exercise that Jeopardy champ Ken Jennings has on his website, I have decided to pick my favorite film from each year, 1935-2003.

Here's the basic info:

1. I have played fair. If there are no great films in a year, I pick the film I liked best. Similarly, I will not give ties if I like multiple films in a given year (a good example would be the wasteland of '61 and the prolific '62).

2. My critieria is generally, "Which film would I most like to watch again right now?" Schindler's List is an amazing achievement, but I didn't pick it for that year.

Here we go:

1935: A Night at the Opera. Inspired lunacy in my personal favorite Marx Brothers film. Nothing can top the simplicity of the stateroom scene ("Is my Aunt Minnie in there?").

1936: Sabotage. A very underrated Hitchcock film with Sylvia Sidney and Oscar Homolka. This features one of the great gut-churning sequences in cinema when a boy accidentally takes a bomb set to explode any minute onto a bus. The ending is sort of abrupt.

1937: Topper. I love this film; it takes you back to a time where great character actors roamed the earth (Alan Mowbray, Eugene Pallette, Arthur Lake, etc.) and Cary Grant/Constance Bennett make a marvelous couple.

1938: The Lady Vanishes. A marvelous film that is arguably better than The 39 Steps (edged out in '35), making it Hitch's best British film. The basic plot is simple, the characters unforgettable (can we forget Caldicott and Charters?), and the whole thing has just such a pleasant, breezy, "We're making things up as we go" style about it that makes it hard to resist.

1939: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. In Hollywood's annus mirabilis, I have to go with Frank Capra's classic. Yeah, Jimmy Stewart is terrific, but so is Jean Arthur. And Claude Rains. And Thomas Mitchell. And my personal favorite, Harey Carey. More and more relevant.

1940: Foreign Correspondent. Why this film is so underrated is beyond my ken. Great action, great dark comedy (Edmund Gwenn trying to unobtrusively push Joel McCrea from the clock tower), and marvelous character actors make this a classic.

1941: Citizen Kane. It burns me up when people lump Kane in with the "only for critic" art films; Kane may be a work of art, but it's fun. Orson Welles and Gregg Toland paint a breathtakingly visual picture, and the basic idea of a man sacrificing everything for power is still relevant.

1942: The Magnificent Ambersons. This film is a touch overrated, but there's certainly no real fault in the acting or direction (the script is a tad shapeless). Orson Welles' gentle narration perfectly sets the scene.

1943: Shadow of a Doubt. Arguably Hitchcock's most subversive film ever, Joseph Cotten (who has appeared in these last three films) is charming and chilling as Uncle Charley.

1944: Arsenic and Old Lace. Okay, this is a weak year because I find this Capra comedy pretty darn overrated. It does have a good basic idea, a lot of character actors, and Cary Grant, but it resorts to mainly obvious humor. And not casting Boris Karloff is a shame.

1945: And Then There Were None. Rene Clair took Agatha Christie's novel and added a lot of twisted humor. Fast-moving and suspenseful--out of necessity, the ending had to be changed, but why carp?

1946: It's a Wonderful Life. I get sick of people lampooning this film as pie-in-the-sky Capracorn. It's actually very relevant--how many times have you asked the question, "What am I doing with my life?" Jimmy Stewart delivers the performance of his career, and the scene in Potterville has a shocking edge (see, I think we just get blindsided by the good feelings of the last scene).

1947: Miracle on 34th Street. Another film that doesn't deserve the lampooning. Edmund Gwenn is perfect as Kris Kringle, and the film plays on a logical level with us. This and the film above it are my required Christmas viewings.

1948: Force of Evil. If I had my way, this film would be required watching. John Garfield is commanding as a racketeer in deep, deep trouble. The feel-good ending is sort of a joke, but this film never lets you go.

1949: White Heat. Jimmy Cagney is one of the most overlooked film actors around. This is him at his finest, as a psycho that is strangely enough sympathetic. The film flags whenever he's not on screen, but thankfully he's there a lot.

1950: Sunset Boulevard. Peculiar to say the least, but chock full of memorable scenes and characters.

1951: Strangers on a Train. As much as I enjoy Hitch's tales of international espionage, the quintessential Hitchcock is that of the average joe getting wrapped up in something beyond his control. This is a great movie.

1952: High Noon. Forget the symbolic stuff (plus some plot holes) and just enjoy a good, tidy suspense tale. Can Gary Cooper get some help?

1953: Shane. The contrast between the tidy and simple High Noon and the big and bold Shane is interesting. Both feature great rock-jaw performances from their leads; Shane is the weaker film, but still great.

1954: Rear Window. What a great idea--cripple sees murder take place, now what? The beginning and end are a little weak, but overall good.

1955: The Night of the Hunter. I prefer Cape Fear for my Mitchum-as-psycho, but that had the misfortune of competing in 1962. Undeniably chilling.

1956: Giant. For those who only know James Dean as the sullen Rebel Without a Cause, his performance as the ne'er do well Jett Rink is compelling (and poignant).

1957: Twelve Angry Men. Twelve very fine actors. One good movie.

1958: Touch of Evil. Ultra weird film, but the last great Orson Welles performance, a surprisingly good Charlton Heston turn, and that wonderful opening shot!

1959: North by Northwest. I could watch this film for days. Cary Grant at his finest, James Mason at his suavest, and many examples of both humor and suspense.

1960: Spartacus. Way too long for its own good, but any film with Kirk Douglas, Laurence Olivier, and Peter Ustinov (for starters) is worthwhile.

1961: The Guns of Navarone. Not even my favorite WWII film, but this is a really weak year. Let me just say that this is directed well and that Gregory Peck is always good.

1962: The Music Man. A marvelous year--Liberty Valance, Manchurian Candidate, Cape Fear, etc., but if I had to watch one movie right now, it would be the Music Man.

1963: It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. The Gone With the Wind of comedies.

1964: Goldfinger. Maybe not the best Bond film, but certainly the most representative.

1965: The Great Race. A lot of people find this retarded, but I love it. Jack Lemmon and Peter Falk are hilarious. Larry Storch: "Now will somebody give me some fightin' room?"

1966: Batman. A weak year, but I love the surrealist humor that Batman demonstrates, especially the scene where he can't get rid of the bomb.

1967: In the Heat of the Night. A compelling drama that has much social relevance, which surprisingly doesn't date the film. Rod Steiger and Sidney Poitier, no strangers to the art of overacting, do great work.

1968: Bullitt. Yeah, it's got that car chase. But it's a great "day in the life of a cop" thing. I could do without Jackie Bisset.

1969: On Her Majesty's Secret Service. If it wasn't for George Lazenby (who isn't that bad), this would be easily the best Bond film ever. A great elegiac tone, that sad ending, and the freakin' ski chase make this a classic.

1970: Kelly's Heroes. Easily Don Rickles' best film (unless you count the Toy Stories). Silly, but there's still a lot of suspense actually.

1971: Dirty Harry. Before it just got cartoonish, it was actually pretty tough and searing.

1972: The Hot Rock. I've never been into the Godfather series, so I have to go for this caper comedy, strangely underrated.

1973: The Sting. I personally think it's the stars that make this film because when you hash it down, the plot is pretty slight. Robert Shaw is my favorite actor of the '70s.

1974: Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Need I say more?

1975: Jaws. It's not really that graphic and the shark is surprisingly off camera a lot, but this really gets under your skin, huh?

1976: The Shootist. John Wayne's best. Plus he gets to kill Paladin and Wyatt Earp at the end.

1977: Star Wars. We tend to undervalue the original after all the sequels, but it really is a great movie.

1978: Animal House. I think this is overrated, but it's a weak year. And it is funny.

1979: The In-Laws. "Yo quiero agua fria!"

1980: Airplane! "Pinch hitting for Pedro Borbon, Manny Mota..."

1981: Raiders of the Lost Ark. In my ideal world, Indiana Jones would supplant Star Wars as the most famous movie series.

1982: The Evil Dead. Evil Dead 2 is funnier, but Evil Dead 1 gets under your skin in a way that 2 can't do.

1983: A Christmas Story. "Oh, fudge."

1984: The Natural. As someone correctly pointed out, one of the few films that captures the feel of old-time baseball. Yeah, somewhat silly.

1985: Witness. Harrison Ford's sudden entrapment in sucky films is odd; he proved here and in other places to be a first-rate actor.

1986: The Mission. Yes, the sum of the parts isn't all there, but it's beautiful and the images are haunting.

1987: The Princess Bride. "You fell victim to one of the classic blunders..."

1988: Who Framed Roger Rabbit? I like it better now that I understand a lot of the classic cartoon character jokes. Judge Doom is still scary.

1989: Henry V. Shakespeare on the screen in a nearly perfect form. Once they get to France, hold on tight. I could listen to the "band of brothers" speech all day.

1990: Awakenings. Robin Williams' BEST performance (not even a sign of overacting). Robert De Niro touching.

1991: Dead Again. Why don't more people know about this film? A clever mystery, a powerhouse cast, even some satire.

1992: Aladdin. I'm not a fan of most mid '90s films, so Disney films will dominate.

1993: Jurassic Park. It seems ho-hum now, but I remember watching those dinosaurs and gasping in awe.

1994: The Lion King. The last great Disney film.

1995: Toy Story. Enter Pixar.

1996: Waiting for Guffman. Funny, sad, but very, very realistic for anyone who has lived in a small town.

1997: Amistad. Good film. And any movie where Anthony Hopkins whisks on screen to deliver a stirring speech is okay with me.

1998: A Bug's Life. Very underrated Pixar film with arguably the best cast Pixar ever had (Jonathan Harris! Denis Leary!).

1999: Toy Story 2. The sequel was better than the original; very poignant at times and laugh-out-loud funny.

2000: O Brother, Where Art Thou? One of those "what in the heck am I getting into" films that turns out to be a classic.

2001: The Man Who Wasn't There. Billy Bob Thornton is great and the film looks (and sounds) beautiful, which allows it to overcome some missteps along the way.

2002: Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. All of the LOTR films were worthy candidates, and actually I like FOTR the best, but The Two Towers was an awe-inspiring film achievement.

2003: A Mighty Wind. Funny. Addictive. Great.

Anyone else want to try?

Starting from New Hollywood:

1970: M*A*S*H
1971: A Clockwork Orange
1972: The Godfather. There are few films that can hold their own against this one.
1973: The Exorcist
1974: Chinatown. I liked The Godfather Part I better, so Chinatown edges Part II out by a nose. Polanski's best work.
1975: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Funny, touching, and Jack Nicholson's best performance.
1976: Taxi Driver. My favorite Scorcese. One of my favorite films period.
1977: Star Wars
1978: The Deer Hunter. That Russian roulette sequence is one of the most intense moments on film.
1979: Apocalypse Now
1980: The Empire Strikes Back
1981: Raiders of the Lost Ark
1982: Tootsie. Forget Rain Man. I can't believe Dustin Hoffman didn't win Best Actor for this role.
1983: Return of the Jedi
1984: Amadeus. It's long, slow at times. But it's beautifully done. Stars Tom Hulce from Animal House
1985: Back to the Future
1986: Ferris Buehler's Day Off
1987: Full Metal Jacket
1988: Die Hard
1989: Licence to Kill. One of my favorite Bonds. They never gave Tim Dalton a chance.
1990: Goodfellas
1991: The Silence of the Lambs
1992: The Muppet Christmas Carol (yay)
1993: Tie: Jurassic Park (the first movie I saw at the theaters) and Schindler's List
1994: Tie: Forrest Gump and Pulp Fiction
1995: 3-way tie: The Usual Suspects, Crimson Tide, Se7en
1996: Fargo
1997: 3-way tie: Air Force One, Starship Troopers, Good Will Hunting
1998: Tie: Saving Private Ryan and Life is Beautiful (if you haven't seen the latter, see it)
1999: The Matrix. Not since Star Wars has a film had such an impact on the special effects community.
2000: Gladiator
2001: Ocean's 11
2002: Black Hawk Down
2003: The Return of the King. My favorite of the three. Especially the extended version.
2004: The Incredibles
2005: Syriana

Expanded/Revised List

1962: I think I would probably change this to To Kill a Mockingbird, which I had apparently missed in looking over the list. That said, this is a year of great films.

1966: Batman is Batman, but this has been changed to A Man For All Seasons, a brilliant tale of conviction and sacrifice.

1993: Easily changed to The Fugitive.

1994: Easily changed to The Hudsucker Proxy.

1997: Amistad is still a legitimate pick, but you could really give it to any number of films: the thrill ride Air Force One, the funny Austin Powers, the respectable As Good as It Gets, etc. (good year for A movies)

Now for the ones I didn't get to:

2004: The Passion of the Christ was a great emotional experience. As tacky as this sounds, it is between this and Anchorman, a film very dear to my heart. Other films of note are Goodbye, Lenin!; Kill Bill II; and The Incredibles.

2005: I think I'll say the German film Downfall, but Jarhead and Good Night and Good Luck are fine picks too.

2006: Little Miss Sunshine

For 1942, how could anything top Casablanca?

1953: War of the Worlds. No THX, no computerized animation, just good old fashioned sci-fi fun & excitement.

1954: The Long, Long Trailer. One of the last good slapstick movies

1956: The Ten Commandments: The parting of the Red Sea never looked better anywhere else.

1963: It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. Unquestionably the last great slapstick movie

1970: Patton: George C. Scott steals the movie.

1974: Blazing Saddles. No explanation needed.

1992: J.F.K. The movie that made you think.

1997: Titanic. Undoubtedly the most accurate description of what happened that fateful night