That's right, we have bylaws

Since everyone is probably going crazy with anticipation over the release of 3pies4rolls' top ten lists (please, hold it together, people), I figured it was once again time to bring up our all-important bylaws that guide the list-making:

Official Top Ten Bylaws
for nancy, kt, and jess's lists

*in order for a movie to be eligible for a particular year's top 10 list, it must have been released in that year (Oscar eligible). exceptions are as follows:

a) if a movie is released somewhere before December 31st in a particular year, but we are not able to see it in seattle until the following year (but before our Top Tens are due), then it can be included on the previous year's top 10 (eg, a movie released in august 2011, that we couldn't see it until january 2012 is eligible for 2012's list). this is where the critics come in handy - if they're reviewing it in a particular year, we can include it.

b) if the film was released in the previous year, but we were not able to see it because it wasn't released in the theaters or on video in seattle until the following year, then we can include it on the following year's top 10 (eg, a movie that came out in november 2011 in select areas, but not in Seattle, and doesn't come out on video until march 2012 (which is after Top Tens are due) is eligible for 2012 lists).

c) if a movie plays for less than two weeks in seattle, and then doesn't come out on video until the following year, we can include it on the following year's top 10 (i mean, come on, we have lives here. a movie that's in the theater for less than two weeks ... what the hell?).

d) if one of us in a part of the world where we can see a movie in time for that year's top 10, fine, put that sucker on there. (eg, if one of us were to visit NY or attend a film festival, we would probably have been able to see movies that the others couldn't. thus a movie that is eligible in a given year for one person's top ten might not be the same for another. the same movie could theoretically appear on different top ten lists in different years).

*These rules can be most simply thought of as "If it's Oscar eligible for a particular year and we had the ability to see it before our Top Tens are due, then it is eligible in that year."

*top 10s are due exactly one week before the oscars
(amended february 2, 2009)

*any film is eligible for the top 10

*only one tie may be used for every ten films. additional ties will result in the loss of a "numbered slot" (eg, if your list has 3 ties, you only get to number your list to 8)

*as many "honorable mentions" as we damn well please can be included on the list

*these rules are subject to change at the complete whim and mood of nancy, kt, and jess

we, kt, nancy and jess, declare that the making of the top 10 (including, but not limited to, viewing the movies, eating the popcorn, watching the Oscars and discussing the nuances) will be FUCKING FUN and to that end promise to not take ourselves or our list too damn seriously.

Happy movie watching!