The 2008 Olympics are here! And what better way to celebrate than by watching movies that celebrate the Olympics. Below are the Top 10 Olympic Movies - the connection may be big or small, but each of the films below either embrace the Olympic spirit, explore an actual Olympic event or celebrate the people and sports behind the games. So when you need a break from the actual Beijing Olympic games, pop one of these flicks into your DVD player!

And as always let me know if I missed your favorite film and be sure to takepart with Team Darfur, a group of Olympic Athletes standing up against genocide.

10) The Cutting Edge - Love and ice skating, a little cheesy but all in good fun. The film begins with Olympic failure but proves that we must persevere. Also, keep an eye out for an early appearance from Lost’s John Locke!

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The great Japanese director, Kon Ichikawa, died today of pneumonia. He was the man behind such films as The Burmese Harp, Fires on the Plain, and Tokyo Olympiad.

The Burmese Harp and Fires on the Plain both dealt with the Japanese perspective on World War II and provided different senses of the nature of war, often combining beauty with death and destruction.

If you’ve never seen an Ichikawa film, now might be the time : and learn more about the Japanese master by watching his films.

Also, there is a great essay on the making of The Burmese Harp on Criterion’s web site, I recommend giving it a read, for a taste of the article, go below the fold:

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