Since the invention of the motion picture in the 1890s, there have been hundreds of thousands of motion pictures made for the entertainment of eager moviegoers. From dramas, to horror movies, to documentaries, to romantic comedies - movies have entertained us, enlightened us, inspired us - and even frightened us. Of those hundreds of thousands of movies, very few stand out as true masterpieces of their time. A handful will forever be recognized as untouchable icons that will be enjoyed by audiences long after the cast and crew have left this Earth. For those movies will stand the test of time - and remain the greatest works of cinematography in the history of the human race.

I can recall a few movies that I saw in my lifetime that could make that list for various reasons. From Star Wars, which paved the road and laid the groundwork for every single science fiction movie made since its release in 1977, to Titanic, which through its excellent retelling of a tragic event to the special effects used to depict it - became the highest grossing film ever made - to Alien, which was perfectly billed as "The Scariest Movie Ever Made" and spawned three other movies of the same name as well as a "society" of books and collectible figurines - certain movies will become immortal and timeless, and will entertain audiences far into our future.

But of all the movies that have made and will make this list of untouchable and unequaled movies - not a single one will even come close to Peter Jackson's Lord Of The Rings trilogy.

In 1954, J.R.R. Tolkien wrote a book entitled, The Fellowship Of The Ring, which quickly became a best seller, as well as a cult classic. For the very first time, readers were introduced to a world of wizards and warriors, dragons and demons - and swords and sorcery. That one book, along with the two sequels, The Two Towers and The Return Of The King - catapulted Tolkien to one of the greatest authors of our time - and created a "universe" of mythical beings that launched new movies, books - and even the legendary game Dungeons And Dragons.

Since the publication of Tolkien's books, many have tried to bring them to the big screen in the form of a movie - and many have failed. Be it a lack of budget, the wrong cast and crew - or a lack of vision by the director - the attempts at properly bringing Tolkien's books and characters to life never seemed possible.

Until Peter Jackson.

Working for nearly four years, with a production crew of 2,400 and a cast - including extras - of over 26,000 people - Jackson was able to bring the world of J.R.R. Tolkien to life in a way never before imagined. With brilliant sets and landscapes, perfectly cast characters - and unmatchable special effects - Jackson released The Fellowship Of The Ring on December 19, 2001 - and in three hours and twenty-eight minutes - brought Middle Earth and all those who live there - to life.

Although I have never read the books, I have always enjoyed anything to do with swords and sorcery. I played Dungeons And Dragons, I watched movies of this type like Willow - and have read many books on the subject. And truth be told, I never saw the first of the Rings trilogy in the movies, but rather, on tape a year-and-a-half later. As I watched the movie - I was immediately drawn into Tolkien's world and never looked back. From the magic and beauty of the Shire - to the horror and fear of Mordor - it's as if the film was made by Tolkien himself. As I watched the movie, I could not believe how real the characters and the sets seemed to be. And when I saw the second one - I was as much engulfed with both the characters and the story line as I was when I saw the original Star Wars trilogy. As I "lived" through those movies as a child, the characters became "important" to me. Would Han Solo get out of the Carbonite? Would Luke turn his father from the Dark Side? Would the Rebellion finally defeat the Empire? As a young boy, these were important questions that needed answers. And as I sat in the UA Theatre Friday night waiting for the third Lord Of The Rings movie in this unmatchable trilogy to begin - similar questions were in my mind.

Would Frodo reach Mount Doom and cast the One Ring into the fire from whence it came, destroying the Evil Sauron? Would Aragorn take his rightful place, and come to the Throne of Gondor? Would Gandalf retrieve enough fighters to hold back the warriors of Evil in the ultimate battle for Middle Earth? There I sat with unprecedented anticipation - until the movie began.

When the movie's credits rolled, I was left with something I have never had from any other movie - a perfect sense of closure. Most movies leave you with a few unanswered questions and several incomplete story lines - not this movie. When the two most famous words in cinematic history - The End - appeared on the screen - I left the theatre with a sense of completion and satisfaction - as if every question was answered and every mystery solved.

Now having seen all three movies, I can say with absolute certainty that everyone who had anything at all to do with the making of those movies should consider themselves truly a part of movie making history. From the Best Boy to the Extra to the Key Grip to the Director himself - each and every person that had anything to do with bringing The Lord Of The Rings trilogy to the big screen is responsible for creating something that is worthy of placing in a time machine to show future generations the talents we have as humans. Every actor, caterer, press person, grip, and parking attendant should consider themselves very lucky that they can say that they had something to do with such an amazing piece of cinemographic art - and everyone of them should consider themselves as important to the production of the trilogy as the main stars - because Jackson's Lord Of The Rings trilogy is the ultimate expression of teamwork.

Although I may have seen the third installment only once, I will no doubt go to see it several more times before it comes to DVD - and surely wind up purchasing all three "extended versions" on DVD so I may proudly add them to my collection of masterpieces...

...of course giving all three movies exclusive use of the top shelf.