We here at Company Incorporated have opened our hearts and our minds to show you some of the more profound film/television experiences that have inspired and challenged us as artists.

24 - Fox's ridiculous real-time drama is the best hour of television you could hope to catch in a given week, thanks largely in part to Keifer Sutherland's bravura performance as federal agent Jack Bauer. The smartest, slickest, most gratifying guilty pleasure on network television.

Twin Peaks - David Lynch and Mark Frost's haunting portrayal of an unusual town in the American northwest was the perfect blend of the demonic, domestic, and detective-- With Kyan MacLaughlin standing out as Federal Agent Dale Cooper. Cooper alone makes the show, and when all the other elements are combined, the result is an an engaging and unique prime-time experience. Not to be missed.

The Office - Co-writers and directors Ricky Gervais and Stephan Merchant's portrayal of the everyday workings inside a British office is so raw, so real, you'll find yourself uncertain as to whether you should laugh or cover your eyes. ‘The Office' is exceptional at creating awkward moments, its humor derived not-so-much from the punch-line as from the lack there-of; the moment where the joke falls flat. Special nods to Martin Freeman as Tim and Ricky Gervais as David Brent-- Billiant characters, fully realized.

Stephen King - The most popular author of this generation is deservedly so-- Stephen King's entire body of work is exceptional, from ‘Carrie' right on up through the last ‘Dark Tower'. Sure, some works are better than others, but even when King misses, it's still better than most.

Paul Thomas Anderson - Nathan Zasada has been quoted multiple times as saying that PTA's ‘Magnolia' is the most profound movie-going experience he's ever had. “Magnolia and Punch-drunk Love contributed a good amount to my cinematic vernacular. Magnolia, especially-- For three hours, I lost complete sense of space and time-- I was IN-THERE, with those characters.” He shrugs, puffing gently on his cigarette. “I have enourmous respect for that man.”

Steven Speilberg - It's hard to be a movie-buff and not appreciate Speilberg; for all of the ‘Hook's and the ‘1941's, there's a ‘Jaws', a ‘Jurassic Park', a ‘Schindler's List'. There's a reason he's as successful as he is: He's a smart and efficient film-maker, whose contributions to the history of cinema cannot be denied or ignored.

GO - Doug Liman's tale of twenty-somthings on the run changed the way we at Company Incorporated watched movies.

Meet Joe Black - The kind of movie to see with your grandma or your girlfriend. Martin Brest's lengthy Brad Pitt/Anthony Hopkins drama is slow in building, but utimately delivers. The scene with the crosswalk is as jarring as its ever been, while the chemistry between Pitt and co-satr Claire Furlani goes a long way in selling the film. Though laborious in a few spots, there's a liberal smattering of excellent scenes in this 1998 weeper.

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory - A children's movie dreched in mescaline, Willy Wonka is a time-less psychadelic freak-out, led by a maniacal Gene Wilder as the titular character. Treasure and adore it while you can, as Tim Burton's re-telling of the story (due summer 2005) stands to out-do and over-shadow the original.

Richard Linklater - Director of indie faves such as 'Slacker', 'Dazed & Confused', and 'Before Sunset', Linklater is the voice of a generation. Combining arthouse integrity with mainstream sensibility, Linklater scored a big hit with 2003's 'School of Rock'.

American Splendor - Harvey Pekar is an everyday guy with an appreciation for Jazz records and comic books. One day, Pekar comes up with an idea for a comic book: The trials and tribulations of everyday people and their struggles. As Harvey himself puts it, “Ordinary life is pretty complex stuff.” A modest success in the 80’s, Harvey’s comics landed him a re-occuring gig on David Letterman’s show, which is what he’s most remembered for. However, in 2003, Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini adapted Pekar’s work into a riveting pseudo-documentary. Encapsulating the tone of the comics perfectly, Berman and Pulcini allow the reality of the piece to clash with the fiction, resulting in a film that reaches beyond the borders of the frame to punch you square in the mouth.

Third Eye Blind - No musical influence has had more of an impact than the lyrical stylings of Stephen Jenkin’s band Third Eye Blind. Hitting it big with their 1997 single, “Semi-Charmed Life”, before fading into relative obscurity, 3EB is that rare breed of artist that tops themselves again and again with each subsequent release. Sublime; poetry in (slow) motion.

Calvin & Hobbes - Bill Waterson’s comic strip about a boy and his stuffed tiger only ran for ten years, yet still covers more ground than most other strips could in a century. Mixing social satire and fantasy with the loud and destructive urges of a hyper-active six year old, Calvin & Hobbes manages to transcend its medium and become a work for the ages. Spectacular.

Final Fantasy VII – Perhaps the most influential video game to date, Squaresoft’s 1997 opus managed to revolutionize role-playing games as we knew them. Epic in size and scope, FFVII did for videogames what the Matrix did for fight scenes and what Nightmare on Elm Street did for horror-movies: A decidedly fresh turn that raised the bar for everything that came after. As with those films, however, FFVII has not aged gracefully; now, some eight years after its release, its seams and faults are much more obvious.

Firefly – With its character-driven plot about a band of space outlaws, this Science-fiction/western/melodrama/comedy has managed to capture our hearts (pun intended). Capital Malcolm Reynolds leads a motley crew that includes an interracial couple, a meathead, and 2/4th of a nuclear family. Joss Whedon (the creator of the cult hit “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”) has managed to balance the show’s sci-fi theme with its western overtones (for the most part), but not until the theatrical release of “Serenity” (based on the show) did he actually perfect it.

Green Day – Comprised of punk rock legends Billy Joe Armstrong and his rocking band of misfits, Green day has managed to mesh mainstream pop rock with counter-culture sensibilities for three decades and counting. While the longevity of the band’s stay among the top of the charts is been impressive enough, here at Company Incorporated, we’re just as impressed to see three people survive each other for 18 years.

Guster - Guster has an easy sound, catchy hooks, and memorable lyrics, yet still manages to stay just left of mainstream. There is quite an ‘anti-Guster’ contingent, but their fan-base is steadily growing, particularly in marijuna-infused college dorms.

Incubus – More of an enigma than most popular bands of its time, Incubus has the makings to be the spiritual successor to Pink Floyd’s throne. By combining a multitude of sounds (including heavy metal conventions, turntables, and the frantic vocal riffs of lead singer Brandon Boyd) Incubus has created a unique and diversified aural experience.

James Frey - Reformed drug-addict, hollywood screen-writer, and successful author, James Frey is an American success story. As told in his powerful memoirs “A Million Little Pieces” and “My Friend Leonard”, James Frey is pulled himself up by his boot-straps, working through his demons to emerge as one of the most distinctive literary voices of the last 25 years.

Chuck Klosterman - Author of “Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs,” as well as “Fargo Rock City” and “Killing Yourself to Live”, Klosterman takes narcissim to a level that one could only aspire to. A writer for SPIN magazine, Klosterman isn’t afraid to go off into wild tangents, dissecting all aspects of his being as he waxes poetically about pop-culture, love, death, and his appreciation for music (especially KISS).

LOST - Last season’s crictically-praised mega-hit (and Emmy winner for best dramatic series), ‘Lost’ started a new primetime TV trend: A compelling serialized drama that rewarded the viewer for their patience and dedication. As we followed the stories of the survivors of the Oceanic Flight 815, we learned more about the mysterious island they inhabited, and their respective roles in creator J.J. Abrams’ enigmatic puzzle. However, Lost quickly ran out of steam, losing their edge as quickly as they presented it to us. Marring itself in trite melodrama, the creators of this show now seem more interested in keeping the project alive (and the cash coming in) than they are in creating fabulous television.

Wonderfalls - This little-seen gem (dropped from FOX’s 2003 fall season after just three episodes) is arguably one of the smartest television endeavors ever broadcast. Following the exploits of Jaye Tyler (an absolutely CHARMING Carolyn Dhavernas) as an increasing amount of inanimate objects begin speaking to her, ‘Wonderfalls’ deftly blends comedy, drama, and family values into an allegory of faith that’s as inspiring as it is entertaining.

Mario - Videogames wouldn’t be what they are today without the influence of one mustached plumber in overalls. For almost 25 years now, the world has thrilled themselves with the exploits of Mario as he traverses alien landscapes, fights monsters, rides dinosaurs, and flies, all in pursuit of his Princess. So what if the story’s always the same? It works. Here at Company Incorporated, there’s no shame in expressing our admiration for all things Mario, due in part to his influence during the formative years. In the Mushroom Kingdom, nothing ever changes; Bowser is always the bad guy, Luigi is relegated to the background (save for “Luigi’s Mansion” and the “Mario and Luigi” series), and our princess is always in another castle. That’s alright with us.

Kevin Smith - The poster-child for early 90’s independent cinema, Kevin Smith’s contribution to indie film-making can’t be ignored. Clerks, his break-through (first) film, was made for only $27,000 and financed on his parent’s credit cards: Proving once-and-for-all that YES, it can be done. However, since rising to celebrity and establishing a career, Kevin Smith has become an aggressive, annoying, arrogant and atrocious film-maker, whose films work (when they do) often in SPITE of him, rather than because of him. It takes guts to be so ballsy and so mediocre at the same time, but none do it better than Mr. Smith. Here’s hoping ‘Clerks 2’ serves as the wake-up call it deserves to be.