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He created a cult following with Kung Fu Hustle, he might play Mr. Miyagi in the Karate Kid remake, and now, along with Kung Fu Hustle 2, Stephen Chow has another big flick on the way -- CJ7. If his descriptions are anything to go by, this should be one heck of a movie. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Chow had great things to say about the movie at a press conference yesterday, claiming that the film's locally-produced state-of-the-art digital effects are "up to international standards that will withstand comparison." Of course, such effects are pretty pricey, and Chow says the flick "the most expensive in my career." While he won't give an exact number, the budget is rumored to be about $20 million.

This is a pretty big deal for both Chow and China -- CJ7 will have the country's first cinematic creature that is completely digitally produced. What sort of creature? The flick is a "sci-fi comedy about how the sudden arrival of a strange new pet shakes the lives of a poor laborer father and his young son." Apparently, this creature is some sort of alien in the shape of a dog. If you think this has a bit of an ET feel to it, you'd be right. The director has admitted that Steven Spielberg's alien heavily inspired the story, being a favorite film of the actor/director.

While it is hitting Chinese screens at the end of the month, we won't have very much longer to wait -- the film is set to be released in the US on March 7.

Over on Movie City News, LexG had a thought-provoking post under BYOB last Friday on which of the highly buzzed films of this excellent movie year will actually be remembered down the road. LexG posits that the best test of whether a film will stand the test of time among the film crowd is "whether it's directed by a world-class, etched-in-stone AUTEUR." Much interesting debate ensues in the comments: 1983 -- which do you remember more fondly? The Dresser or Vacation? Which is more revered, Fight Club or Green Mile? LexG argues that There Will Be Blood, Eastern Promises and Sweeney Todd are more likely to be remembered down the road than, say, Michael Clayton.

The discussion that follows is pretty interesting. Which are regarded to be the "best" years for movies (1939, 1975, 1983, 1997?) and which are the worst (the '80s in general?) Of course, it partly depends on what question you're really asking -- are the years and decades being evaluated by which films critics still regard as the best, or the ones they're most likely to pop into their DVD player again now?

I don't, as a general rule, rewatch movies a whole lot. Trying to stay on top of the current fare requires watching a lot of films as it is, especially staying on top of the indies, docs, and obscure foreigns; I just don't have time to rewatch films much. When I look back the movies that really made an impression at defining points of my own life, the ones that stand out are generally there for reasons of emotional attachment that may have nothing to do with how I would review the films critically.

ET, first and foremost, followed by Star Wars, Alien, The Goonies, Indiana Jones, Grease, Ghostbusters, Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, Dr. Strangelove, Terms of Endearment, Good Will Hunting -- these are some of the movies that I saw in theaters when they first came out to which I have a strong enough emotional attachment that I'll re-watch them. And course there's a plethora of older films that I had the pleasure of discovering for myself at various key points in my life, all of which, to one degree or another, influenced me growing into a film dork person who loves movies.

Which year (or decade) do you think had the best movies? And what are some of your personal faves?