No art passes our conscience in the way film does, and goes directly to our feelings, deep down into the dark rooms of our souls

If you know me, you know that I love movies. I've always really enjoyed them, but the obsession is relatively new, having blossomed over the past couple of years. I like a number of genres, but my favorite is probably historical dramas/action movies.

I'm writing this now because a couple days ago, I went on a movie spree. I do this pretty frequently, minus the past four months I spent in Spain. I usually buy from one of two places: the used DVD section of Hasting's (which is a hidden treasure - the DVD's are all in mint condition!) or the $5 stand in WalMart. If I really want a movie, I may just buy it full price, but I go to great lengths to avoid that.

The movies I bought the other day are Slumdog Millionaire, The Reader, The Pianist, The Patriot, and Legends of the Fall.

I'm also obsessed with older movies - Casablanca, Breakfast at Tiffany's, A Gentlemen's Agreement - AND all the movies that have won an Academy Award, especially for Best Picture. I have at least 30 of the Best Picture winners in my movie collection.

I couldn't tell you what it is about movies that I love so much. But boy do I love them. I've gotten to the point where I usually can't go to sleep at night without having something playing on my computer.

That's another thing. I prefer to fly solo when it comes to watching movies. Not that I don't like company. I just think it's an experience I would rather have by myself. Not to mention the fact that if I'm with other people, the likelihood of me falling asleep during the movie quadruples (studies have proven).

So, here's a list of some of my favorite directors, actors, and actresses. Just because.

Directors:

Ron Howard

Martin Scorsese

Ridley Scott

Baz Luhrmann

Steven Spielberg

Edward Zwick

Actors:

Gerard Butler

Gregory Peck

Adrien Brody

Leonardo DiCaprio

Mark Wahlberg

Russell Crowe

Johnny Depp

Brad Pitt

Paul Rudd

Actresses:

Kate Winslet

Julia Roberts

Hilary Swank

Amy Adams

Audrey Hepburn

Meryl Streep

Who else loves movies? And what are your favorites? I'm always looking for new movies to watch and enjoy!

How about a hand for cinema!