Lame because: Whether on TV or in film, Steve Carell can make me laugh until I cry ... but not in the Hollywood duds in which he starred this year. Evan Almighty was lame and heavy-handed, and apparently Carell was the one bright spot in the slight Dan in Real Life. I'm not feeling much better about next year's choices either: a remake of Get Smart, and an adaptation of Horton Hears a Who -- although I hope I'm wrong and they turn out to be marvelous.

How to turn it around: Pick funnier movies with better writers. And don't be afraid to pick a choice supporting role in a well-made movie over the lead in a high-concept stinkeroo.

Next up: No, we said: "Scare us!"