his movies, and it shouild come as no surprise that this classic tale of terror and paranoia is his very best -- creepy and unsettling and expertly crafted, clearly one of the great psychological horror films of all time. It's also easy to see why Frank Sinatra got so pissed at Mia Farrow for making this movie -- it WAS some f'd up shit. But sorry, Frank, it was worth it!

2. NETWORK (1976) -- Peter Finch gives one of cinema's most memorable performances as Howard Beale, a network news anchor who basically loses his mind on the air and proceeds to go off on a series of outrageous rants... which in turn boosts ratings and makes him a household name. Clearly ahead of its time and a harbingerwe, the fans, should resurrect it in its true form in 2010... we need it now more than ever!)

...and finally....

1. CARNAL KNOWLEDGE (1971) -- I went on a big Mike Nichols kick in 2009 in which I watched seven or eight of his movies, and it was a great ride indeed. His first four movies alone -- WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF, THE GRADUATE, CATCH-22 and CARNAL KNOWLEDGE, would be enough classics for most people's entire careers... but he kept going over the next three decades with films like SILKWOOD, HEARTBURN, BILOXI BLUES, WORKING GIRL, POSTCARDS FROM THE EDGE, REGARDING HENRY, THE BIRDCAGE, PRIMARY COLORS, CLOSER and CHARLIE WILSON'S WAR. Sure, there were rare missteps like WOLF and WHAT PLANET ARE YOU FROM, but all in all, I