They're billing it as the First Annual L.A. Weekly Film Critics Poll, gathering votes from 72 critics "who span the spectrum of print, broadcast and online journalism." They include all the regular Village Voice Media critics, plus the likes of Manohla Dargis and Richard Schickel. Army of Shadows, the restoration of the 1969 French wartime drama, ran away with the top pick. It's followed on the Best Film list by the even more obscure Death of Mr. Lazarescu, then United 93, The Queen and Letters From Iwo Jima. For some comparative scoring, Borat came in at #9, Little Miss Sunshine #24 and Babel lagged way down at #53. They also pick the worst films of 2006:
Lady in the Water
Babel
World Trade Center
Ryan Gosling
Sasha Baron Cohen
Forest Whitaker
Helen Mirren
Laura Dern
Judi Dench
On the Weekly website you can see who voted for what and catch Scott Foundas' introduction to the whole thing.
Hollywood Beat: As presaged in the Morning Buzz, Gail Berman ankled from Paramount — with less than some might have thought.