Ruth at Flixchatter and Aiden at Cut The Crap Movie Reviews have been on the happy pills and seen fit to give the Happy 101 Award to Top10Films. This award thingy is all about what makes us happy. Ten things that make us happy to be more precise.

The Radio Times here in the UK held a reader poll to discover the best family film of all time with over 2500 people voting Steven Spielberg’s “E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial” number 1. It’s a curious list with only a couple of films (“E.T.” and Robert Zemeckis’ “Back To The Future”) lacking at least one musical interlude. Given the readership of the magazine I’m guessing the 2500 people who voted consisted mainly of grandparents wishing to occupy their children’s children with a melancholic sing-a-along hence the inclusion of films “Sound of Music” and “Mary Poppins” amongst others. Read on to see the top 10 and don’t forget to click here to be in with a chance of winning ten family film DVDs.

Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th marks BBC Films weekend as the filmmaking arm of the British Broadcasting Corporation launches its new television home on BBC Two. The channel will show the network premieres of three of the BBC’s most critically acclaimed films of the last few years – “Is Anybody There”, “The Damned United”, and “Eastern Promises”.

The weekend is a showcase of the BBC’s finest feature film work in its new home on BBC Two. The move to showcase BBC films on the channel is part of the network’s recent Strategy Review which, amongst other things, pledged £25m to the production of quality drama.

I looked at the running time before beginning to watch Martin Scorsese’s 2006 crime-drama and thought it might be too long. My girlfriend certainly thought so – she was asleep after half an hour and woke up with about forty minutes left. As I tried to bring her up to speed with what had happened, I found myself breathlessly retelling events without a pit-stop for oxygen or chance for her to really take it all in. When I finally said, ‘so that’s it, I’ll just pause it and go for a wee,’ I realised I was on the edge of my seat (an exceptionally comfortable sofa) and had been for the past hour and a half. As I relieved myself of half a bottle of wine I knew, as I reminisced about the film, I was experiencing Scorsese’s most polished and entertaining film since Goodfellas.

“An American Werewolf In London” is the film that I remember most distinctly as a child. It’s partly because I knew I wasn’t allowed to watch it, partly because it scared me so much. It’s only later in life that I fully appreciate the frightening influence it had on me – the reason I slept with the light on for weeks afterwards – was because it was so good. It is the cinema of attractions, the spectacle. An immediate and direct injection of emotion, be it humour, fear, anger, happiness. John Landis was a master at toying with his audience’s primal emotions. But, with classic Hollywood narrative as his blueprint, he could also tell a great story.

Throughout the decade we were wowed by fantasy, thrilled by action, and frightened by horror, all the while being annoyed by remakes and endless sequels. We had everything turned on its head with numerous twist endings and welcomed new and old Superheroes. New directors entered the scene (Christopher Nolan) and others were finally recognised by mainstream audiences (Peter Jackson, Alexander Payne), while older pros continued to make great movies (Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg).

Joe Wright’s “Atonement”
“Dearest Cecilia, the story can resume. The one I had been planning on that evening walk. I can become again the man who once crossed the surrey park at dusk, in my best suit, swaggering on the promise of life. The man who, with the clarity of passion, made love to you in the library. The story can resume. I will return. Find you, love you, marry you and live without shame.”
“Atonement” is widely regarded as one of the finest films of the past ten years. Andrew …

So here at Top10Films HQ we went for Ken Loach’s diversion to happier trails with the uplifting, heartwarming and funny “Looking For Eric” as our pick for the best movie of 2009. But did anyone agree with us?
It’s time to peer at the blogosphere and see what other online writers are picking for their favourite films of last year. While we do that, we’ll also check out which films the biggest names in the critic world have gone for in their own top 10s.
To kick off lets quickly remind ourselves …