This recent fight between Cinematical and IESB - as well as this spirited discussion between myself and several of the movie blogs about their top movies list – got me thinking about my favorite movie sites.

We all have something unique to bring to the common movie theater we share together. We are bound by that love of dimming lights, trumpeting fanfare, and the roiling emotions of an electrified crowd. We all love being transported together – despite being even thousands of miles apart - and then swapping intellectual spit with each other through our various sites.

I have so many sites that I visit every single day. Each one gives me something to treasure about the communal moviegoing experience, something I have loved since that warm Saturday afternoon in June of ’77.

Here are some of my favorite sites and why:

Aint It Cool News: Well, duh. The grandaddy of all movie sites is still a daily stop for me. It has lost something in recent times; Harry and Moriarty rarely drop in anymore, and the site sits vacant more often than not. But when they get something right … they still have a magic. What would I change? They need to get back to their geeky cool, and also play with everybody else on the playground that they helped to establish.

CHUD:Another duh. CHUD has, in my opinion, the best stable of writers in the business. I would be in love with any two words that Devin Faraci put together, even if he scrawled it in shit with his bare ass. Jeremy Smith and Micah Robinson have made a nice adjustment in CHUD’s snarky waters. What would I change? This site desperately needs that redesign they have been promising for so damn long, because it’s a mess. I also really miss Nick Nunziata on the site, but I guess he’s really going to make a go of that Hollywood thing.

Obsessed With Film: I wrote for this site for a little while, until my uncontrollable style exasperated editor Matt Holmes. This site has been around for a little over a year, and Matt has nearly become famous among movie site visitors with his constant advertising for the site. Obsessed With Film provides balanced and thorough coverage of movie news, which is always helpful since I can’t look at everything. Peter Willis has done an exceptional job with the redesign. What would I change? Kinda dry … but the site’s run by a bunch of British guys. What can you expect from them?

The Movie Blog: Editor John Campea seems to polarize people; I had a rather nasty falling out with him myself at one point. But I still go to his site every single day, because The Movie Blog provides a lot of the little, between-the-cracks kinds of stories. I also love the technological aspects of the site, incorporating podcasting and video in ways that other sites have scrambled to emulate. The site is always best when Campea is writing it, because he has an actual and genuine love for film that comes through in his writing. What would I change? Must we look at Campea posing constantly? Also, I’m not too fond of the site redesign; it’s hard to clearly see the various items, especially in the right sidebar.

Coming Soon: One of the Goliaths, Coming Soon has made a healthy living by being a thorough, no-nonsense site. It’s amazing how much information they manage to pack just one their homepage, let alone the rest of it. I would say that the site is a fairly professional and balanced one. What would I change? They sure like to advertise, don’t they? It’s almost obtrusive and distracting … but they gotta eat.

Film School Rejects: This site has amped up their movie news and opinions, and I love it. They also feature some of the best reviewing this side of Rotten Tomatoes. What would I change? The site’s colors give me Emily Rose-like seizures. Seriously.

Cinematical: I LOVE Cinematical. Probably one of the most complete movie news sites out there, and they have a little attitude too. I adore their scoops and exclusive interviews. They also seem to have some of the best ethics in the biz, always willing to give credit. What would I change? The site’s a little drab for a corporately-owned site, isn’t it? LOL – what am I saying????

Latino Review: How do these guys get so many scoops? Most of the time they read the script of a film before the director and actors do. I still have yet to figure out where the “Latino perspective” is on the site, but it provides a wealth of resources. What would I change? Not too much, really. It’s well organized and thorough.

IESB: This is another granddaddy movie site. Tons of information and scoops come from this site. There is something a little cold about the site, though. It’s hard to fall in love with; it’s kind of like falling in love with an abacus or a calculator. What would I change? Visually, the site is pretty dark, and it takes a little while to load all the graphical junk on the front page. It might also be nice if the site seemed less like a giant, monolithic slab of information.

Cinema Blend: A really healthy helping of movie stuff, served in a timely way. Cinema Blend is like that neighborhood bar and grill that has everything you like on the menu, and just a touch of humor. The site itself is so easy to navigate and pleasant to look at. What would I change? Not a hell of a lot.

Hollywood Elsewhere Editor Jeff Wells writes from inside Hollywood, and he collects the most amazing tidbits of information. He literally must sit in his room with his laptop’s RSS connection plugged directly into his brain. This site has, in my opinion, some of the most educated articles and comments of any site. While Wells’ tastes tend to be overbearingly highbrow for my tastes (I mean, not every blockbuster is directed by Satan), he still hits the mark more often than he misses it. What would I change? This thing is a perfect little engine, and it does its job better than it should.

First Showing: This site looks terrific, and in the short time they have been around, have built themselves up. I have no idea why they have such great numbers, because the site is updated infrequently. In times past, I have taken some shots at editor Alex Billington due to his seeming lack of knowledge of films without laser guns produced prior to 1994. However, they have turned themselves into a performer in an glutted field. What would I change?It’s all about the articles, baby. This site needs more of them. It wouldn’t hurt if the site was a little less geeky and a little more knowledgeable about film in general.

Burbanked: Hoooo, boy. I love Burbanked. Although editor Alan (won’t even try the last name) infrequently updates his site, his articles and perspectives on film just floor me every time. This site is a brilliant, skewed look at the movie business from someone who played the Hollywood game for a little while. I LOVE YOU ALAN!! What would I change? My brother needs to write more. A LOT more.

Slash Film:One of the great movie news sites out there, Slash Film provides meaty news and updates with some of the better commentary on the movie business; Peter Sciretta is usually right on the money. I LOVE when Slash Film takes up a just cause, like their recent call to boycott Regal Cinemas. They have the guts to call it like it is. What would I change? The navigation on this site generally sucks. It’s not all that pleasant to look at, either. Beyond the cosmetic, I love it.

Lazy Eye Theatre: I ADORE Lazy Eye Theatre. Editor Pat Piper has an eclectic and unique voice. Unlike most movie websites, Piper’s entries feel like mini-essays with a clear and distinct point of view. I LOVE YOU PIPER!! What would I change? I know he wants to change the look, although the look is fine with me. Frankly, if anything, I wish Piper would cast off the shackles of Blogspot and enter the fray. That, and write more often.

So there are some of my favorite movie websites. Are there some great ones I missed? What are your favorites?