THIS was the year of Mel and Mike – and behind-thescenes Hollywood dramas that were a lot more compelling than the vast majority of what was turning up in theaters.

Miramax founder Harvey Weinstein’s long-running p.r. battle with his corporate parent, Disney’s Michael Eisner, was far more memorable than the film that brought their fight to a head, Michael Moore’s tepid anti-Bush screed “Fahrenheit 9/11.”

And there was far more passion in Mel Gibson’s dispute with foes of “The Passion of the Christ” than there was in the borderline anti-Semitic movie itself.

Besides the still-hanging fate of Miramax, there were a couple of other cliffhangers as we waited to see how long Eisner and Paramount’s Sherry Lansing could hold onto their jobs.

The 10 (or so) best:

“Million Dollar Baby”: At 74, Clint Eastwood just keeps getting better as a director and an actor – this is his most affecting movie.

“Sideways”: Brilliantly written, brilliantly directed and brilliantly acted road comedy in the style of ’70s Hollywood.

“Tarnation”: Jonathan Caouette’s $218 masterpiece on his life reinvents the documentary form.

“The Incredibles”: Brad Bird directs an animated comedy with more vivid characters than 99.5 percent of live-action films.

“Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”: Charlie Kaufman’s best script yet is a romantic comedy with Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet.

“House of Flying Daggers”: You have to see this Chinese martial-arts dazzler to believe it.

“Bad Education”: Another peak for Spain’s Pedro Almodovar, with Gael Garcia Bernal as a male femme fatale.

“Neverland”: Utterly charming reflection on the creation of “Peter Pan,” with a perfectly cast Johnny Depp.

“The Motorcycle Diaries”: Walter Salles’ dazzling South American road trip shows a young Che Guevera becoming radicalized.

“Vera Drake” and “Maria Full of Grace”: Two movies, with unforgettable female performances, by Imelda Staunton as an abortionist and Catalina Sandino Moreno as a drug courier, respectively.

The 10 worst:

“The Phantom of the Opera”: No wonder he wears a mask. Plodding, campy, unscary adaptation of the stage musical.

“Alexander”: Oliver Stone’s version of ancient Greek history – Al conquered the world to get away from his mother and spend quality time with his boyfriend.

“The Butterfly Effect”: Ashton Kutcher travels back in time to try and change his life in this beyondsilly supernatural thriller.

“The Village”: One-trick pony M. Night Shyamalan directs the world’s longest, and dullest, episode of “The Twilight Zone.”

“Catwoman”: Look what Halle Berry dragged in – a hairball of a stillborn franchise.

“Vanity Fair”: Draggy version of Thackeray’s novel, with a dreadful Reese Witherspoon as Becky Sharp.

“Before Sunset”: Reunion of two self-centered bores.

“King Arthur”: Camelot meets Jerry Bruckheimer. Camelot loses.

“Alfie”: What’s it all about? Jude Law yammering into the camera.

“Surviving Christmas”: Ben Affleck’s latest crime against humanity, released.