Double Reading

Disclaimer: I really only manage the top six or so entries. Things at the bottom of my queue are usually there because I added them recently. I often take things from the bottom and middle, then move them way up to the top when I want to see them. Point of the story: the order doesn’t make much difference.

1. Is It Just Me?
   
   Although successful writer Blaine (Nicholas Downs) is kind and witty, he can’t find true love because he’s intimidated by the overt sexuality of guys such as his roommate, Cameron (Adam Huss). But all that changes when he meets the man of his dreams online — or does it? Shy Texan Xander (David Loren) seems to be Blaine’s ideal man, but when Blaine accidentally posts Cameron’s picture in his profile, a battle for Xander’s affections ensues.
2. Bronson
   
   Nicolas Winding Refn’s vivid and unflinching biopic delves into the life of Britain’s most notorious prisoner, Charlie Bronson (Tom Hardy) — who’s been jailed for nearly 35 years — and attempts to dissect the real man behind the deranged persona. While Bronson’s primary ambition was to be famous, he became a celebrity of sorts as a criminal who seized myriad opportunities to demonstrate extreme and terrorizing savagery.
3. The Squid and the Whale
   
   Jeff Daniels makes for a haunting Brooklyn professor who’s well past his prime, and Laura Linney is his writer wife on the brink of stardom in Noah Baumbach’s honest look at the disintegration of a marriage. With their lives headed in distinctly opposite directions, the two can’t help but be acrimonious about their impending separation. But that leaves their two children (Jesse Eisenberg and Owen Kline) stuck in the middle of an emotional war.
4. The Final Cut
   
   Robin Williams stars in this futuristic tale as Alan Hakman, a “cutter” who edits people’s digital memories into compositions fit for viewing at their funerals — but things change when he finds his own childhood memory in the databank of a client. This thriller also stars Mira Sorvino as Hakman’s girlfriend and Jim Caviezel as a former cutter who is in search of a corporate bigwig’s incriminating footage.
5. Raging Bull
   
   Robert De Niro won an Oscar for his portrayal of self-destructive boxer Jake LaMotta in Martin Scorsese’s widely acclaimed biopic, which paints a raw portrait of a tormented soul unable to control his violent outbursts. Marked by De Niro’s powerful performance and Scorsese’s gritty, black-and-white realism, the film also launched the Hollywood careers of Joe Pesci and Cathy Moriarty, who each received an Oscar nomination.
6. Revolver
   
   Determined to hustle the crime boss who killed his sister-in-law, gangster and ace gambler Jake deliberately humiliates the kingpin in a private game. But when the mobster calls for Jake’s head, a mysterious duo steps in to save his skin.
7. Benny’s Video
   
   Fourteen-year-old Benny (Arno Frisch) is a video freak whose life consists only of school, videotaping what he sees outside his window and spending hours watching violent action films. Benny becomes obsessed with amateur footage of a pig being slaughtered, and soon, his passion for videotaped death leads him to commit a heinous act of his own. Austrian director Michael Haneke helms this postmodern exploration of emotional disconnection.
8. The Color of Money
   
   The Hustler isn’t what he used to be in this continuation of the 1961 film: “Fast” Eddie Felson (Oscar-winner Paul Newman) has given up pool for life as a liquor salesman. But then he meets Vincent (Tom Cruise), a cocky natural who makes a cue ball crack like a lightning bolt. Eddie takes Vincent under his wing and on the road, but are teacher and student destined to become competitors? Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio co-stars.
9. Wassup Rockers
   
   Much like his controversial debut film, Kids, director Larry Clark’s Wassup Rockers features young people from the street in the film’s starring roles, portraying a group of young Hispanics who go by nicknames such as Spermball, Porky and Kiko. While the rest of their peers conform to the pervasive hip-hop culture, these teens prefer skateboards, tight clothing and punk-rock music — and the rich girls they meet in Beverly Hills.
10. About Schmidt
    
    When insurance actuary Warren Schmidt (Jack Nicholson) retires and his wife dies, he looks for life’s meaning on a road trip to his daughter’s (Hope Davis) upcoming wedding to a waterbed salesman (Dermot Mulroney). But Schmidt can’t seem to get anything right. En route to the wedding, he shares his life through letters with a Tanzanian boy he’s sponsoring for 73 cents a day — and soon, Schmidt discovers renewed purpose.
11. MTV’s Wuthering Heights
    
    Emily Bronte’s classic novel of thwarted love gets a teen-angst makeover in this adaptation from MTV, starring Mike Vogel as Heath, a moody, blossoming rock star who also rocks the world of Cate (Erika Christensen), to the intense jealousy of her brother (Johnny Whitworth). Passions flare and betrayals abound, all set to a killer soundtrack. Katherine Heigl, Aimee Osbourne and Christopher Masterson co-star.
12. Teddy Bears’ Picnic
    
    In Harry Shearer’s tongue-in-cheek comedy, a waiter at Zanbesu Glen (a chi-chi Northern California resort) uses his movie camera to spy on the annual communal vacation of a group of rich, white U.S. government and business leaders who drink and carouse to excess while plotting their next move on the global stage. His goal? To sell the embarrassing and incriminating footage to the media and expose the “leaders” for what they really are.
13. Do the Right Thing
    
    What begins as an uproarious comedy evolves into a provocative, disquieting drama as director Spike Lee chronicles trivial events that bring festering racial tensions to the surface on a sweltering day in a largely black Brooklyn neighborhood. After a number of minor misunderstandings — and an effort to boycott the local pizza parlor — a young man (Bill Nunn) lies dead, the pizzeria lies in ashes, and the racial schism is wider than ever.
14. The Pillow Book
    
    A bizarre mix of carnality and calligraphy, The Pillow Book is a lush foray into the aphrodisiacal pleasures of the flesh and mind. A woman (Vivian Wu) melds her love of life and literature in an unusual fashion — by seeking a lover who will write on her skin. She eventually leaves her husband for a British man (Ewan McGregor) who will satisfy her needs, but her father’s publisher stands in their way. Peter Greenaway directs.
15. Orlando
    
    Director Sally Potter adapts Virginia Woolf’s 1928 allegorical novel about a woman who lives for 400 years — the first half as a man — in this surrealist study of sex and gender roles throughout the ages. The transition from man to woman and from the 16th to the 20th century is realized by Tilda Swinton’s breakthrough performance and the film’s Oscar-nominated costumes and art direction. Quentin Crisp plays Queen Elizabeth I.
16. Single White Female
    
    When up-and-coming fashion designer Allison Jones places a classified ad to find a new roomie, mousy Hedy Carlson seems to fill the bill … until her envy turns her into the roommate from hell in this dark psychological thriller.
17. The Hand that Rocks the Cradle
    
    When the suburban Bartel family chooses seemingly sweet Peyton Flanders as their newborn’s nanny, only much later does the infant’s mother, Claire, realize Peyton’s true intentions — to destroy Claire and replace her in the family.
18. That Obscure Object of Desire
    
    Adapted from the novel La Femme et le Pantin by Pierre Louys, this Oscar-nominated erotic dark comedy was Luis Buñuel’s final film. The story follows, in flashback, middle-aged Mathieu (Fernando Rey) and his obsession for the much younger, moody Conchita (played by both Carole Bouquet and Angela Molina). The two play a continuous tug-of-war with each other’s desires, each trying to outlast the other at their own game.
19. The Seventh Seal
    
    Exhausted and disillusioned, a medieval knight makes the journey home after years of combat in the Crusades. But when the black-robed figure of Death confronts him, the knight challenges him to a game of chess.
20. The Kid
    
    Considered one of Charlie Chaplin’s best films, The Kid also made a star of little Jackie Coogan, who plays a boy cared for by The Tramp when he’s abandoned by his mother, Edna (Edna Purviance). Later, Edna has a change of heart and aches to be reunited with her son. When she finds him and wrests him from The Tramp, it makes for what turns out be one of the most heart-wrenching scenes ever included in a comedy. Chaplin also directs.
21. Soldier’s Girl
    
    This powerful drama tells the true story of a young soldier, Pfc. Barry Winchell (Troy Garity), who meets and falls for a beautiful transgendered nightclub performer (Lee Pace) while on a drunken outing with fellow soldiers. Winchell’s relationship is frowned upon by the other soldiers — and eventually leads to tragedy at the hands of his homophobic roommate. Garity and Pace both earned Independent Spirit nods for their performances.
22. The Quiet American
    
    Based on the novel by Graham Greene, this murder mystery centers on a love triangle set against the French Indochina War in 1952 Vietnam — a world suffused with opium, intrigue and betrayal. A British reporter, Fowler (Michael Caine, in an Oscar-nominated performance), falls in love with a young Vietnamese woman, Phuong (Do Thi Hai Yen), and is dismayed when an American (Brendan Fraser) also begins vying for her attention.
23. Proof of Life
    
    Engineer Peter Bowman (David Morse) moves with his wife, Alice (Meg Ryan), to a small Central American country to help build infrastructure, but ends up getting kidnapped by a radical revolutionary group seeking ransom. That’s when Terry Thorn (Russell Crowe) steps in. An expert in hostage negotiation, Terry works tirelessly to free Peter, but finds himself increasingly attracted to Alice, who feels the same way. Taylor Hackford directs.
24. Elephant
    
    Indie writer-director Gus Van Sant helms this unnerving tale about high school violence that unfolds on an ordinary school day, inside a typical American high school filled with the usual goings-on — schoolwork, football, gossip and peer pressure. For each of the students we meet, high school is a different experience: alternately stimulating, friendly, traumatic, lonely or just plain hard. Timothy Bottoms co-stars.
25. Another Day in Paradise
    
    James Woods talks a mile a minute as a schizoid hood in Another Day in Paradise; Melanie Griffith co-stars as his junkie wife. Both serve as unlikely parental figures, taking two budding crooks (Vincent Kartheiser and Natasha Gregson Wagner) under their wings. For a while, life is perfect — and then everything goes wrong. Director Larry Clark builds an increasing sense of dread as Woods’s true colors are revealed.
26. Criminal
    
    Con man Richard Gaddis (John C. Reilly) teams up with newbie Rodrigo (Diego Luna) for a heist that’s a little bigger than his usual projects: They’ll filch an antique currency note from a customer when he blows into town at the casino where Gaddis trolls for victims. But it seems the pair will need help, which lessens Gaddis’s take. Plus, his sister (Maggie Gyllenhaal) seems dead-set on spoiling his criminal fun. (Remade from Nine Queens.)
27. Feed
    
    Hit the campaign trail with politicians Bill Clinton, Jerry Brown, Pat Buchanan, Paul Tsongas and others as they try to win the hearts — and votes — of New Hampshire constituents in the state’s 1992 presidential primary. Packed with comic outtakes and illuminating vignettes, this satiric documentary offers a microscopic view of the candidates — along with a mother lode of mortifying moments — as they stump to win the White House.
28. Everything Is Illuminated
    
    A young American Jewish man begins an exhausting quest — aided by a naïve Ukranian translator — to find the righteous gentile woman who saved his grandfather when his small Ukranian village (along with most of the populace) was obliterated during the Nazi invasion of Russia in 1941. Stars Elijah Wood, Eugene Hutz and Boris Leskin. Liev Schreiber directs. Based on the novel by Jonathan Safran Foer.
29. Rock Star
    
    Head-banging — 1980s style — makes a comeback with Mark Wahlberg as Chris, a lead singer wannabe who gets to live his wildest dream when he’s whisked from anonymity to being front man for Steel Dragon, the enormously popular metal band he worships. Accompanied on tour by his girlfriend, Emily (Jennifer Aniston), Chris soon discovers life in the fast lane is not what he envisioned, and the relationships he holds dear are strained as his star rises.
30. Paycheck
    
    Paid big money by high-tech firms for working on hush-hush projects, computer ace Michael Jennings then has his memory erased for security purposes — which explains why he can’t figure out the reason his most recent employer wants to kill him.
31. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead
    
    Director Tom Stoppard turns William Shakespeare’s tragedy “Hamlet” topsy-turvy in this witty, existential puzzle box, presenting the play from the view of trivial characters Rosencrantz (Gary Oldman) and Guildenstern (Tim Roth). Beckoned to find the cause of the Danish prince’s malaise, the duo strolls into the midst of the royal intrigue. But with no memory of Hamlet (or anything else), they’re mystified by their mission.
32. Farewell My Concubine
    
    A seemingly unshakable friendship between two Chinese opera stars gets put to the test in the face of war, a communist takeover, the Cultural Revolution and the intrusion of a woman who tempts both of them. In a plot that captures 50 years of Chinese history, the once-inseparable Duan Xiaolou (Zhang Fengyi) and Cheng Dieyi (Leslie Cheung) find themselves increasingly at odds after Xiaolou weds a lovely courtesan (Li Gong).
33. Ma Vie En Rose
    
    Convinced he’s a girl trapped in a boy’s body, 7-year-old Ludovic (Georges Du Fresne) expresses his true self by regularly donning girls’ clothing, putting a strain on his perplexed family — and, of course, sending shockwaves among his bigoted neighbors. But Ludovic innocently carries on, oblivious to the chaos he’s creating. This whimsical Belgian comedy was an international film festival smash and received a Best Foreign Film Golden Globe.
34. Wild Things
    
    When guidance counselor Sam Lombardo (Matt Dillon) rejects the advances of teen-socialite Kelly Van Ryan (Denise Richards), she accuses him of rape. In short order Sam’s suspended by the school, rejected by the country club, and fighting to get his life back. Bill Murray plays an unscrupulous lawyer; Theresa Russell plays Kelly’s mom; and Neve Campbell is perfect as a disturbed teen in a tale that leaves viewers guessing until the bitter end.
35. Dead Alive
    
    Although it’s easy to admire the maniacal glee of director Peter Jackson’s bloodfest, Dead Alive is nonetheless intense and profoundly disturbing. When a Sumatran rat-monkey bites Lionel Cosgrove’s mother, she’s transformed into a zombie. She begins killing (and transforming) the entire town while Lionel races to keep things under control. Events culminate at a house party that turns into a blood-drenched zombie buffet.
36. Ed Wood
    
    In one of his best-ever performances, Johnny Depp plays Ed Wood, a grinning goof with a sunny disposition who was heralded as the “worst director of all time” — and certainly made the movies to prove it. (He also loved to direct his epically bad films while dressed in women’s clothing.) Martin Landau turns in an Oscar-winning performance as aging horror icon Bela Lugosi, while Sarah Jessica Parker and Bill Murray co-star. Tim Burton directs.
37. The Ninth Gate
    
    An all-expenses-paid international search for a rare copy of &NFi;The Nine Gates of the Shadow Kingdom&NFi_; brings an unscrupulous book dealer (Johnny Depp) deep into a world of murder, double-dealing and satanic worship. Director Roman Polanski (Rosemary’s Baby) creates a richly textured gothic mystery where the hunter becomes the hunted and the devil must be paid his due.
38. Benny and Joon
    
    Benny (Aidan Quinn) is the overprotective caretaker of his mentally ill — but artistically talented — sister, Joon (Mary Stuart Masterson). When the eccentric Sam (Johnny Depp), who looks and acts like a silent-movie comedian, falls for Joon, the siblings’ frail bond is put to the test. Depp’s performance in this offbeat, beautifully acted love story scored a Golden Globe nomination. Julianne Moore and Oliver Platt co-star.
39. Like Water for Chocolate
    
    Passionate Tita (Lumi Cavazos) is in love with Pedro (Marco Leonardi), but her controlling mother (Regina Torné) forbids her from marrying him. So when Pedro marries her sister, Tita throws herself into her cooking — and discovers she can transfer her emotions through the food she prepares. A feast for the senses, this magical romance from director Alfonso Arau was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award and a Golden Globe.
40. Invasion of the Body Snatchers
    
    San Francisco biologist Elizabeth Driscoll (Brooke Adams) turns to health inspector Matthew Bennell (Donald Sutherland) for help when her live-in beau begins acting odd — and distant. Matthew and Elizabeth notice that suddenly almost everyone around them has become impassive. When their friends discover a developing doppelgänger in their commercial mud baths, the foursome realizes an alien invasion is under way. Can they stop it?
41. Repo Man
    
    Lacking role models and a purpose, baby-faced delinquent Otto (Emilio Estevez) finds a code of honor and a higher calling when he hooks up with a band of contemporary “knights”: the repo men. A “seasoned” auto repossessor (Harry Dean Stanton) shows Otto the ropes, and when a big reward is offered for an elusive 1964 Malibu, Otto dodges G-men, cops, religious kooks — you name it — in a frenzied quest for the car. Does his fate lie in its trunk?
42. All the President’s Men
    
    The film that launched a thousand journalism school students, All the President’s Men chronicles how the work of reporters Bob Woodward (Robert Redford) and Carl Bernstein (Dustin Hoffman) contributed to the public downfall of President Richard M. Nixon. The duo connected a Washington, D.C., hotel break-in with a Nixon “dirty tricks” team assigned to discredit Democratic rivals, launching a series of tense events that forced Nixon to resign.
43. The Secret of NIMH
    
    This animated adventure chronicles the trials of a widowed field mouse who must move her family to escape a farmer’s plow. Aided by a crow and a pack of escaped lab rats, the brave mother struggles to transplant her home to firmer ground.
44. The Last Unicorn
    
    This animated tale follows a unicorn who believes she’s the last of her species and is searching high and low for someone just like her. All the while, she must avoid the evil Red Bull, who may be the one who killed off the rest of her kind.
45. Hotel Rwanda
    
    Amid the holocaust of internecine tribal fighting in Rwanda that sees the savage butchering of hundreds of thousands of men, women and children, one ordinary hotel manager (Oscar nominee Don Cheadle) musters the courage to save more than 1,000 helpless refugees. Sophie Okonedo, Nick Nolte and Joaquin Phoenix co-star in this powerful film — often described as an African Schindler’s List — directed by Terry George.
46. Eating Raoul
    
    Paul and Mary Bland (Paul Bartel and Mary Woronov) dream of owning a restaurant but can’t pony up the $20,000 down payment that will make it a reality, so they come up with a macabre plan to raise the cash in director Paul Bartel’s black comedy. When an intruder is killed after he tries to assault Mary in the Blands’ home, the couple decides to lure sex-seekers to their home via a classified ad, kill them and take their money.
47. Tadpole
    
    Young 15-year-old Oscar Grubman is sensitive and compassionate, speaks French fluently and can quote Voltaire; females gravitate toward him. In fact, Oscar could probably have any woman he wants — but he’s fallen in love with his stepmother.
48. Chinatown
    
    With a suspicious, porcelain-skinned femme fatale (Faye Dunaway) bankrolling his snooping, private eye J.J. Gittes (Jack Nicholson) uncovers intricate dirty dealings in the Los Angeles waterworks and gets his nose slashed for his trouble. Meanwhile, his financier harbors a nasty family secret. Director Roman Polanski reimagines 1930s Los Angeles with an onionlike story that reveals itself one complex layer at a time in this classic neonoir.
49. Vera Drake
    
    Vera Drake spends her days doting on her working-class family in 1950s England. But Vera also has a secret side: She visits women and helps them induce miscarriages. When the authorities get wind of her activities, Vera’s world quickly falls apart.
50. Being Julia
    
    Estranged from her son, willfully ignorant of her husband’s philandering and aware that her youth and beauty are fading, aging actress Julia Lambert (Annette Bening, who earned an Oscar nomination for her spirited performance) is in search of a way to regain the spark of passion. And that passion may lie in the smoldering attentions of a much-younger admirer (Shaun Evans) who might not be able to stay faithful to her.
51. Stage Beauty
    
    Edward “Ned” Kynaston (Billy Crudup), England’s most celebrated leading “lady,” becomes a nonentity practically overnight when Charles II allows women to tread the boards, decreeing that men may no longer play women’s parts. Ned built his career by making the greatest female roles his own. But to become a real man again, he’ll need assistance from a willing woman — his ex-dresser, Maria (Claire Danes).
52. Head in the Clouds
    
    John Duigan helmed this sexy film starring Academy Award-winning actress Charlize Theron as Gilda, a flighty-but-charming socialite who finds her true match in Guy (Stuart Townsend), an intellectual Irishman who wants to battle in the Spanish Civil War. Guy convinces Mia (Penélope Cruz), Gilda’s confidante, to join him in Spain. But Gilda has other plans that could endanger her life more than supporting the war.
53. Alfie
    
    Jude Law reprises a role made famous by Michael Caine (who got an Oscar nod for his portrayal in the 1966 film of the same name) in Charles Shyer’s stylish remake, which takes a decidedly different tone than the original. Self-aware British cad Alfie (Law) falls in lust too easily and can’t commit to one woman in all of Manhattan. But when one of his lovers gets pregnant, Alfie begins to question his existence.
54. Wilde
    
    Stephen Fry stars as playwright and larger-than-life personality Oscar Wilde in this lush historical drama based on the late Richard Ellmann’s definitive biography of one of London’s most prolific writers and orators. The story traces Wilde’s rise to fame — from his marriage to Constance (Jennifer Ehle) to his sweeping, torrid affair with a young Oxford graduate, Lord Alfred Douglas (Jude Law), that brought about his imprisonment and downfall.
55. Total Eclipse
    
    Leonardo DiCaprio plays the prodigious 19th-century French poet Arthur Rimbaud in this captivating historical drama. Paul Verlaine (David Thewlis), an older and more traditional writer, finds himself infatuated with the young Rimbaud. That make him unable to keep the peace with his wife (Romane Bohringer). A love/hate relationship develops between the two men as they forge the rough waters of creative expression.
56. Bent
    
    A Berlin homosexual is caught up in the Nazi hysteria during World War II in this drama based on the play by Martin Sherman (who also wrote the screenplay). After being forced to kill his lover, he’s placed in a concentration camp and lies to get himself classified as Jewish rather than gay. But several rule-breaking incidents and his love for a fellow male prisoner bring him to admit his true nature. Mick Jagger appears briefly as a drag queen.
57. Nashville
    
    Countless characters, including Shelley Duvall, Keith Carradine, Ned Beatty and Karen Black, get caught up in a political rally that takes over Nashville in director Robert Altman’s sprawling satirical masterpiece about politics and country music. The many fine performances in this mosaic include Lily Tomlin’s bored housewife and Henry Gibson’s pompous, patriotic country singer. The actors also wrote and performed their own songs.
58. Badlands
    
    Young garbageman Kit Carruthers (Martin Sheen) and his girlfriend, Holly (Sissy Spacek), kill Holly’s father in South Dakota and hit the road on the run from the law. Writer-director Terrence Malick’s script (for his feature film debut), based on real murders committed by a couple in 1958, does not judge its characters as they make their way to the Badlands of Montana, leaving a trail of senseless and random murders in their wake.
59. Derrida
    
    The master of deconstruction — French philosopher Jacques Derrida — is himself deconstructed in this documentary directed by Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering Kofman. Witty and knowing, Derrida is just as fascinating a film subject as he is an intellectual. The world never got to watch great minds such as Plato and Socrates in action, but thanks to modern technology, this film captures one of the brilliant thinkers of the 20th century.
60. The Triplets of Belleville
    
    When her grandson, Champion, is kidnapped while competing in the Tour de France, Madame Souza and her dog set out to save him. Along the way, they meet an eccentric female singing trio called “The Triplets of Belleville” who might be able to help.
61. The Sea Inside
    
    Javier Bardem stars in this moving film based on a true story as Ramon Sampedro, a Spaniard who’s condemned to life as a quadriplegic. Determined to die with dignity, Sampedro leads a 30-year campaign to win the right to end his life. His extraordinary example even inspires his lawyer, Julia (Belen Rueda), and a local woman (Lola Duenas) to reach for the heavens, with both women achieving far beyond their wildest dreams.
62. The Motorcycle Diaries
    
    This foreign-language drama tells the incredible true story of a 23-year-old medical student from Argentina — future revolutionary Che Guevara (Gael Garcia Bernal) — who motorcycled across South America with his friend Alberto Granado (Rodrigo de la Serna) beginning in 1951. Walter Salles’s film is based on Guevara’s diaries of the trek, a deeply personal odyssey that ultimately crystallized the young man’s budding political beliefs.
63. Great Expectations
    
    In this Americanized version of Charles Dickens’s classic novel, set in 1990s New York instead of 1860s England, humble, young Finn (Ethan Hawke) develops a lifelong crush on Estella (Gwyneth Paltrow), the wealthy niece of the eccentric Ms. Dinsmoor (Anne Bancroft). The pair part, but then a mysterious benefactor makes it possible for Finn to attend art school in the city, where he runs into his now-engaged love.
64. The Scarlet Letter
    
    In this adaptation of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel, Puritan settler Hester Prynne (Demi Moore) is accused of adultery in a Massachusetts settlement in the 1660s. Although she’s attracted to the town’s pastor (Gary Oldman), the two resist temptation. But only a whiff of scandal is enough for the town’s morality police to sentence Prynne to live as an outcast and wear a shameful scarlet &NFi;A&NFi_; for adultery.
65. The Andromeda Strain
    
    A satellite crashes in New Mexico, prompting scientists to race against the clock to stop a deadly virus from spreading in this Oscar-nominated sci-fi classic based on Michael Crichton’s novel of the same name. The alien illness that sprang from the probe has already killed most of those living near the crash site, and now it’s up to a team of scientists to stop it. Note: Contains graphic scenes that may be unsuitable for young children.
66. An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge
    
    A Confederate sympathizer condemned to die by hanging gets a lucky break — literally — when the executioner experiences technical difficulties. French director Robert Enrico helms this award-winning live-action short that claimed top honors at the Oscars and Cannes, a film based on a well-known Civil War story by Ambrose Bierce. The piece would later air on American television as a special episode of “The Twilight Zone.”
67. A Very Long Engagement
    
    Amelie’s Audrey Tautou stars as Mathilde, a young Frenchwoman who vows to find out what happened to her missing fiancé (Gaspard Ulliel) during World War I. He appears to have died after a court-martial, but she needs to know for sure. As she looks for the truth, she discovers unexpected things about herself and the people she meets along the way. Jean-Pierre Jeunet directs this foreign-language adaptation of Sebastien Japrisot’s novel.
68. Under One Roof
    
    Daniel Chang is a closeted Chinese-American boy living in San Francisco with his traditional mother. Eager for a grandchild, Mrs. Chang desperately wants to see Daniel married and devotes much of her time to finding a suitable Chinese girl for him. But when she recruits a new tenant, Robert, for the downstairs flat, Daniel finds himself falling for the hot Southern boy — not the kind of match his mother was hoping for!
69. The Wedding Banquet
    
    This lyrical film by Ang Lee dares to expand the definition of love. Wei Tong (Winston Chao) is a successful Manhattan businessman enjoying a thriving relationship with his live-in lover, Simon (Mitchell Lichtenstein). Life is perfect, except his parents don’t know he’s gay. So, when they decide to visit from Taiwan, he asks his tenant, Wei Wei (May Chin), for help. She agrees to pose as his fiancée — a plan that goes a little too far.
70. The Tomorrow People: Set 1: Disc 1
    
    This disc includes the episodes “Slaves of Jedikiah (Parts 1-5).”
71. The Tomorrow People: Set 1: Disc 2
    
    This disc includes the following episodes: “The Medusa Strain (Parts 1-4)” and “The Vanishing Earth (Parts 1-4).”
72. The Tomorrow People: Set 1: Disc 3
    
    This disc includes the episodes “The Blue and the Green (Parts 1-5).”
73. The Tomorrow People: Set 1: Disc 4
    
    This disc includes the following episodes: “A Rift in Time (Parts 1-4)” and “The Doomsday Men (Parts 1-4).”
74. Beautiful Boxer
    
    Kickboxer Parinaya Charoemphol (Asanee Suwan) harbors an unusual secret: He’s transgender. Inspired by a famous Thai pugilist who lived two drastically different lives, this award-winning drama recounts Parinaya’s painful attempts to exist in paradoxical worlds. To fund the sex-change operation he’s desperate to have, Parinaya earns money in the ring, participating day after day in the ultimate “masculine” sport.
75. Blue
    
    When a young Frenchwoman (Juliette Binoche) tries to uncover her famous composer husband’s secret life, her steps take her alternately closer to and further from the truth on a journey that ultimately leads to self-discovery. In this first installment of Polish cinematic genius Krzysztof Kieslowski’s “three colors” trilogy, Blue stands for “liberty” (as in the French national motto) and is the first color of the red, white and blue French flag.
76. Ikiru
    
    When a stoic government official (Takashi Shimura) in post-war Japan learns he has terminal cancer, he suddenly realizes he’s squandered his life on meaningless red tape and has no close family or friendships to lean on, in this drama from director Akira Kurosawa. Resolving to use his remaining time wisely, he sets out to steer a children’s playground project through the bureaucracy he knows so well.
77. Persona
    
    To achieve more effective treatment, a nurse (Bibi Andersson) and her patient (Liv Ullmann) — an actress who’s lost the power of speech — check into a private cottage by the sea, where the two isolated women become co-dependent and insanely jealous of each other. It’s a case of the cure being worse than the affliction in this black-and-white cinematic classic directed by Swedish master Ingmar Bergman.
78. Coffee and Cigarettes
    
    Jim Jarmusch’s ensemble comedy collects a series of strange encounters Jarmusch has been capturing in short films since the mid-1980s, presenting them as a series of vignettes that all revolve around discussions held over coffee and cigarettes.
79. Cry-Baby
    
    Helmed by director John Waters — the king of kitsch — this campy comedy set in 1950s Baltimore stars Johnny Depp as Wade “Cry-Baby” Walker, a leather-clad street tough who leads a gang dubbed the Drapes. When Wade falls for a goody-two-shoes (Amy Locane) and steals her from her mossback beau (Stephen Mailer), the romance sparks a battle between rival factions. Troy Donahue, Joey Heatherton and Patty Hearst appear in cameo roles.
80. Strictly Ballroom
    
    Dumped by his partner just before a major dance competition, gifted hoofer Scott Hastings (Paul Mercurio) is forced to take a graceless neophyte (Tara Morice) as his new partner. But much to everyone’s surprise, Scott soon turns his unpromising protégé into a topnotch dancer. Bill Hunter, Pat Thomson, Gia Carides and Barry Otto also star in this quirky, engaging tale from Aussie director Baz Luhrmann.
81. Lords of Dogtown
    
    A group of outcasts from California’s Venice Beach change the face of skateboarding forever in this 1970s tale based on a true story, written by “Skateboard Godfather” Stacy Peralta, one of the competitive skaters portrayed in the film. Known as the Z-Boys, the radical riders invent a brazen style of skating and deal with heartache when the sport they live for turns into big business. Heath Ledger, Emile Hirsch and Rebecca De Mornay co-star.
82. Red
    
    In this meditation on the need for passion and human connection — the final film in Krzysztof Kieslowski’s “three colors” trilogy — an accident brings together two very different people: Valentine (Irene Jacob), a model, and Joseph (Jean-Louis Trintignant), a retired judge. Since love chooses to pair people’s heart at random, theirs becomes a fated and deeply improbable, but altogether true, romance.
83. SLC Punk
    
    Recent college grads Stevo (Matthew Lillard) and Heroin Bob (Michael Goorjian) sport blue Mohawks, listen to hard-core punk and live according to their own rules. Not a problem in many places, but in Salt Lake City they’re total outcasts. Add to the mix Stevo’s father (Christopher McDonald), who wants his son to study law at Harvard (just as he did). Stevo must decide whether to stay true to his own ideals or start planning for his future.
84. Dangerous Liaisons
    
    Privileged and bored 18th-century French aristocrats Marquise de Merteuil and Vicomte de Valmont entertain themselves by making a bet focusing on the virginal Cécile de Volanges and the virtuous Madame de Tourvel.
85. Life as a House
    
    Faced with a sobering diagnosis of terminal cancer, George (Kevin Kline) decides to construct a beautiful new house on his land overlooking the Pacific Ocean, while at the same time trying to connect with his estranged son (Hayden Christensen). Kristin Scott Thomas and Mary Steenburgen co-star in this moving dramedy that speaks eloquent volumes about the fragility — and resilience — of the human condition.
86. Last Days
    
    A rock ‘n’ roll star seeks solace in the woods in Gus Van Sant’s drama centered on a Kurt Cobain-type character. Tired of career pressure and constant public exposure, Blake (Michael Pitt) retreats to his remote home and embarks on an introspective journey. As he sequesters himself from his fans, his manager, a private eye and others, Blake ultimately finds release from his troubled life. Asia Argento and Lukas Haas co-star.
87. Heaven
    
    Deeply disappointed by law enforcement’s lax investigation following her husband’s drug-related death, Philippa Paccard (Cate Blanchett) takes the law into her own hands and ends up imprisoned in this moody romantic drama from director Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run). Filippo (Giovanni Ribisi), a police officer involved with Philippa’s questioning, falls in love with her and helps her escape, as they flee together to the Tuscan countryside.
88. Gozu
    
    Minami (Hideki Sone) mistakenly kills a gangster associate of his named Brother. Almost as soon as the murder takes place, the body of the deceased man is gone, prompting Minami to conduct a search. While looking, he finds a mysterious isolated hotel where he decides to take a rest. Not only are the front desk clerks a bit strange, but even the ambiance feels unusual. Minami soon realizes he may have gotten more than he bargained for. …
89. Head-On
    
    Cahit Tomruk (Birol Unel) and Sibel Guner (Sibel Kekilli) are immigrant Germans who live and work in the port town of Hamburg. In a bid to help Sibel break free of her family (which strictly adheres to Turkish customs, religious and otherwise), the couple decides to marry. But straitlaced families are just part of the problem; Cahit and Sibel must also counterbalance ancestral roots with their new life in a western democracy. Fatih Akin directs.
90. End of the Century: The Story of the Ramones
    
    Variously dubbed “A punk Last Waltz” and “One headbangin’ helluva good time,” this incisive documentary about the Ramones by Michael Gramaglia and Jim Fields traces the seminal punk band’s trajectory from obscurity to fame to induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It’s an insider look at the rockers — blemishes and all — that will probably make your head spin. Includes interviews with Joe Strummer, Debbie Harry, Nicolas Cage and others.
91. Three Dancing Slaves
    
    After the untimely death of their mother, three brothers fight a stifling feeling of weariness and dissatisfaction as the small French provincial town in which they’re slowly growing to manhood becomes inescapable. A beautifully rendered slice-of-life film imbued with a universality that transcends borders and nationalities, Three Dancing Slaves stars Nicolas Cazalé, Stéphane Rideau, Thomas Dumerchaz, Salim Keichiouche and Bruno Lochet.
92. Guerrilla: The Taking of Patty Hearst
    
    Documenting a controversial chapter in American history, this film investigates the American domestic terrorist group that gained fame for the 1974 kidnapping of newspaper heiress Patty Hearst, and her subsequent assimilation into the group. Robert Stone directs this riveting account of the rise and fall of an organization with utopian ideals that went tragically wrong, which includes interviews with SLA founder Russ Little.
93. Showgirls
    
    A notorious bomb when first released, Showgirls eventually carved out a special niche in pop culture and now stands as a camp classic. Nomi Malone (Elizabeth Berkley) moves to Las Vegas with dreams of becoming a showgirl, but ends up working as a stripper. As she fights her way toward her goal, Nomi encounters sexism and dehumanizing conditions while sparring with a fellow dancer (Gina Gershon). Paul Verhoeven directs.
94. Prozac Nation
    
    Based on Elizabeth Wurtzel’s best-selling memoir, Prozac Nation stars Christina Ricci as a woman on the verge of losing her grip on life after she leaves her emotionally fraught home to start college. Quickly, her life takes a turn for the worse: She clashes with her roommate (Michelle Williams) and decides her boyfriend, Rafe (Jason Biggs), is her sole salvation. Her psychiatrist prescribes Prozac … but is that her only choice?
95. Dead Ringers
    
    Jeremy Irons gives a deftly brilliant performance as twin gynecologists — yes, that’s right — Elliot and Beverly Mantl, who can’t help spiraling into madness and addiction when they meet a pill-popping actress (Geneviève Bujold) who hopes to have children. David Cronenberg’s script and direction mix high-tech camera work with old-fashioned suspense to create a tangible sense of lunacy and compulsion in this psychological thriller.
96. Naked Lunch
    
    Director David Cronenberg brings William S. Burroughs’ hallucinatory, “unfilmable” novel to the screen. Part-time exterminator and full-time drug addict Bill Lee (Peter Weller) plunges into the nightmarish netherworld of the Interzone, pursuing a mysterious project that leads him to confront sinister cabals and giant talking bugs.
97. Barton Fink
    
    Idealistic playwright Barton Fink (John Turturro) believes writing should reveal the hopes, dreams and tragedies of the common man. When Hollywood taps him to write a movie, Fink develops severe writer’s block and soon falls victim to a strange sequence of events. Unable to combine his deep-seated ethics with Tinseltown’s frivolity, the disillusioned and desperate Fink winds up involved in a murder investigation in this Oscar-nominated dramedy.
98. Miller’s Crossing
    
    Trusted adviser to 1920s Irish crime boss Lee O’Bannon, Tom Reagan’s loyalty is tested when he takes up with O’Bannon’s gal pal, Verna Bernbaum. Meanwhile, rivals Johnny Caspar and Eddie Dane threaten O’Bannon’s racket. Gabriel Byrne, John Turturro, Albert Finney, Steve Buscemi, Jon Polito, J.E. Freeman and Marcia Gay Harden star in this marvelously crafted, unnerving crime-era epic helmed by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen.
99. Junebug
    
    When Madeleine (Embeth Davidtz), a big-city art dealer from Chicago, makes a trip to North Carolina with her new husband, George (Alessandro Nivola), he finally allows her to meet his small-town Southern family, which breeds more problems than either of them planned for. Amy Adams earned an Oscar nod — and critical praise as a breakout star — for her supporting role as George’s sister-in-law, Ashley.
100. Me and You and Everyone We Know
     
     Miranda July writes, directs and stars in this poignant drama about both the unique and oftentimes humorous nature of people’s idiosyncrasies. At the center is eccentric Christine Jesperson (July), who seeks emotional connections in the modern world. Meanwhile, shoe salesman Richard (John Hawkes) copes with his recent separation while his teen son (Miles Thompson) experiences a sexual awakening. Carlie Westerman and Brad William Henke co-star.
101. Nobody Knows
     
     Japanese director Hirokazu Koreeda’s touching film follows the empty lives of 12-year-old Akira (Yûya Yagira) and his three younger siblings (Ayu Kitaura, Hiei Kimura and Momoko Shimizu) after their mother abandons them in a tiny Tokyo apartment. Pragmatic, determined and wise beyond his years, Akira manages the household as best he can — but eventually the money runs out, and the children must find new ways to survive. Based on a true story.
102. Funny Ha Ha
     
     Unsure what to do next but still partying like there’s no tomorrow, 23-year-old Marnie (Kate Dollenmayer) drags herself out of bed for her miserable temp job and can’t decide whether she’s wasting her time going after best buddy Alex (Christian Rudder), who doesn’t seem interested. Director Andrew Bujalksi co-stars as Mitchell, Marnie’s stammering co-worker, as Marnie tries her best to navigate life after college in this romantic comedy.
103. The Skeleton Key
     
     Sent to New Orleans to care for a stroke victim who lies bedridden and speechless, hospice worker Caroline finds a key that unlocks ancient secrets. Lonely in the patient’s mansion, Caroline eventually opens up a Pandora’s box of voodoo and danger.
104. Homecoming
     
     After five years working as a nurse in Canada, Abigail (Alessandra De Rossi) travels home to the Philippines, where she’s looking forward to reconnecting with her family. Delighted at her return, the whole town welcomes her as they would a conquering hero. But Abigail’s joy is short-lived when it’s learned that she’s contracted the highly contagious SARS virus. Now, the community must wrestle with the consequences of this unexpected tragedy.
105. Kings and Queen
     
     Director Arnaud Desplechin deftly mixes comedy and tragedy in this tale that traces the intersecting lives of Nora (Emmanuelle Devos), a professionally successful single mom, and her ex-husband, Ismaël (Mathieu Amalric), a neurotic musician who’s mistakenly been committed to a mental hospital. Ismaël’s comic antics in the asylum are juxtaposed against Nora’s anguish upon learning that her father is dying and that her future’s uncertain.
106. Tropical Malady
     
     From experimental Thai director Apichatpong Weerasethakul comes this unconventional romance that incorporates mystical and folkloric elements. While on duty as a forest ranger, soldier Keng (Banlop Lomnoi) meets and falls for a country boy named Tong (Sakda Kaewbuadee). When the young man suddenly disappears, Keng ventures deep into the jungle to find him … amid rumors that the missing Tong may in fact be a menacing, shape-shifting beast.
107. The Maltese Falcon
     
     Humphrey Bogart stars as private eye Sam Spade in this Oscar-nominated noir classic that finds the sultry Miss Wonderly (Mary Astor) seeking out protection from a man named Thursby. Spade’s partner (Jerome Cowan) takes the case — but he winds up dead, along with Thursby. Spade’s subsequent hunt for the killer leads him into a world of deception and double-crossing, as a trio of criminals searches for a priceless statue known as the Maltese Falcon.
108. Searching for Debra Winger
     
     Originally airing on Showtime, this documentary directed by actress Rosanna Arquette focuses on the life of somewhat hermetic star Debra Winger, as well as the struggles that actresses over the age of 40 have endured in Hollywood. Through interviews with contemporaries such as Diane Lane, Teri Garr, Holly Hunter, Whoopi Goldberg, Meg Ryan and Sharon Stone, Arquette conveys a problem facing many older actresses: the search for quality roles.
109. Nine Lives
     
     This series of revealing vignettes from writer-director Rodrigo Garcia (Things You Can Tell Just by Looking at Her) peers into the private lives of nine women who are each pointed toward a different destiny. The all-star ensemble cast includes Kathy Baker, Amy Brenneman, Glenn Close, Dakota Fanning, Lisa Gay Hamilton, Holly Hunter, Mary Kay Place, Sissy Spacek and Robin Wright Penn — with Joe Mantegna and Aidan Quinn providing the testosterone.
110. William Eggleston in the Real World
     
     By following acclaimed photographer William Eggleston around his home base of Memphis, Tenn. — and on trips to Kentucky, Los Angeles and New York — filmmaker Michael Almereyda presents an intimate portrait of the man who made color cool again. This revealing documentary uncovers the deep connection between Eggleston’s enigmatic personality and his groundbreaking work, which expertly captures the beauty of ordinary objects.
111. Near Dark
     
     In the dusty heart of the American southwest, innocent country boy Caleb (Adrian Pasdar) is handily seduced by a beautiful girl (Jenny Wright) into joining a pack of vicious drifters, which turns out to be no ordinary band of outlaws. Soon, Caleb is trapped in a nightmarish world of soulless evil and hellish mayhem that thrives on blood and absolute horror. This original vampire tale, co-starring Lance Henriksen, shocks with a ferocious bite.
112. Wild Palms: Disc 1
     
     This disc includes episodes 1-3.
113. Wild Palms: Disc 2
     
     This disc includes episodes 4-5.
114. My Neighbor Totoro
     
     Legendary Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki provides a stunningly realistic portrayal of life in the country. When their mother is hospitalized, two young sisters spend a summer in the Japanese countryside with their father. The strange new environment turns out to be a natural wonderland filled with exotic real-life creatures and a trio of furry woodland sprites who can only be seen by children.
115. The Believer
     
     Danny Balint (Ryan Gosling), a young Jewish man from New York City, is struggling with the conflict between his beliefs and his heritage and eventually joins a neo-Nazi organization, rising up the ranks to become a leader in the white supremacy movement. Director Henry Bean’s gripping drama, which won the 2001 Jury Prize at Sundance, is a psychological examination into the forces of intolerance, both on the individual and society as a whole.
116. Lord of War
     
     As the world’s leading arms dealer, Yuri Orlov has embraced his glamorous profession so soundly that it’s hard to let it go. But if he wants to dodge the cunning Interpol agent on his trail, he’ll &NFi;have&NFi_; to let go.
117. The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking
     
     Pigtailed Pippi returns for more merriment and mischief. After washing overboard during a ferocious storm, the titian-haired troublemaker drifts ashore to a seaside village, where she turns the town upside down with her high jinks and magic powers.
118. The Devil’s Backbone
     
     Twelve-year-old Carlos (Fernando Tielve) is the latest arrival at Santa Lucia School, an imposing stone building that shelters orphans of the Republican militia and politicians during the last days of the Spanish Civil War. Carlos gradually uncovers the dark ties that bind the inhabitants of the school: hidden riches, sexual intrigue and the restless ghost of a murdered student, who may be the only one to provide resolution.
119. The 400 Blows
     
     After young Antoine (Jean-Pierre Léaud) runs away, life on the streets of Paris leads to nothing but trouble and guilt in this gritty feature film debut from legendary director François Truffaut. Though he turns to petty crime to survive, Antoine’s remorse often leads him to try to return things he’s stolen — with disastrous results. The film was nominated for a Best Screenplay Oscar and the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival.
120. Interview with the Vampire
     
     Director Neil Jordan’s Oscar-nominated tale of bloodsucking immortals moves from 18th century New Orleans to a Grand Guignol theater in Paris to present-day San Francisco as it explores betrayal, love, loneliness and hunger. The lives of a trio of vampires — cavalier Lestat (Tom Cruise), tormented Louis (Brad Pitt) and childlike Claudia (Kirsten Dunst) — are interconnected for centuries in this adaptation of Anne Rice’s romantic horror tale.
121. The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada
     
     Tommy Lee Jones stars in and directs this dark drama set on the Texas-Mexico border. After accidentally killing a man, heartless border patrol officer Mike (Barry Pepper) quickly buries the body in an unmarked grave. But ranch foreman Pete Perkins (Jones) learns of his friend’s death, kidnaps Mike and drags him on a harrowing journey to Mexico to bury the man in his hometown. Julio Cesar Cedillo, January Jones and Dwight Yoakam co-star.
122. A Tale of Two Sisters
     
     Terrified sisters try to exorcise their home of two dark forces — their evil stepmother and a vengeful entity — in this ghostly tale. Hospitalized after their mother’s death, young Su-mi (Im Su-jeong) and Su-yeon (Mun Geun-yeong) return home to find a nasty new stepmother (Yeom Jeong-ah). The girls suffer terrifying events, but their father doesn’t care, even though evil lurks around every corner. Can the girls free their home from its demons?
123. Caché
     
     Winner of the Cannes Best Director Award, Michael Haneke’s psychological thriller centers on wealthy French couple Georges (Daniel Auteuil) and Anne (Juliette Binoche), who begin receiving threatening videotapes and phone calls that threaten to ruin their relationship. Georges realizes who the perpetrator is but refuses to tell Anne. Yet childhood flashbacks reveal the mystery, a story that illuminates France’s damaged relations with Algeria.
124. Secret Things
     
     Freshly fired from their jobs at a strip club, exotic dancer Nathalie (Coralie Revel) and bartender Sandrine (Sabrina Seyvecou) become roommates and pledge to use their sexual prowess to invade the corporate world in this erotic French thriller. It doesn’t take long for them to find jobs at a bank, where Sandrine seduces a wealthy top executive (Roger Mirmont) and Nathalie chases the business’s affluent — yet perverse — heir (Fabrice Deville).
125. Proof
     
     As a devoted daughter comes to terms with the death of her father — a brilliant mathematician whose genius was crippled by mental instability — she’s forced to face her own dark fears. But she has help from one of her father’s former students.
126. The Door in the Floor
     
     A children’s book writer and his wife struggle to cope with the deaths of their teenage sons while still caring for their young daughter. But they must hire an assistant to help them function when they realize they can’t do it alone.
127. Jesus’ Son
     
     Nominated for an Independent Spirit Award, director Alison Maclean’s reflective drama follows FH (Billy Crudup), a well-meaning drug addict who stumbles backward into redemption. When his longtime love (Samantha Morton) leaves, FH follows her but meets and falls for the older Mira (Holly Hunter). Amid his life’s wreckage, a near-fatal car crash and a chance to save a child’s life force FH to examine his existence and its meaning.
128. Bram Stoker’s Dracula
     
     When Dracula (Gary Oldman) leaves the captive Jonathan Harker (Keanu Reeves) and Transylvania for London in search of Mina Harker (Winona Ryder) — the spitting image of Dracula’s long-dead wife, Elisabeta (also Winona Ryder) — obsessed vampire hunter Dr. Van Helsing (Anthony Hopkins) sets out to end the madness. Francis Ford Coppola’s resurrection of Bram Stoker’s novel won three Academy Awards for its eye-popping makeup and production design.
129. Westworld
     
     In writer-director Michael Crichton’s sci-fi thriller, a seemingly innocent excursion to a futuristic “Fantasy Island” turns deadly for two wealthy tourists (Richard Benjamin and James Brolin) seeking cowboy adventures in the island’s Westworld sector. The terrified adventure-seekers get far more than their money’s worth when they enter a high-tech nightmare controlled by a ruthless robotic gunslinger (Yul Brynner) and malfunctioning androids.
130. Richard III
     
     Ian McKellen stars in the title role in this visually inventive adaptation of Shakespeare’s classic drama, which is set in 1930s England after a civil war has torn the country apart and left the people under fascist rule. Richard plots against his brother, Edward (John Wood), in his quest to usurp the throne, and will stop at nothing in pursuit of his goal. The film received Oscar nominations for art direction and costume design.
131. Gods and Monsters
     
     As his life draws to a close, film director James Whale (Ian McKellen, in an Academy Award-nominated role) — the openly gay genius behind The Bride of Frankenstein and The Invisible Man — befriends a gardener (Brendan Fraser), and both men learn from their unexpected but platonic bond. Bill Condon’s fictionalized drama also won an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay and earned Lynn Redgrave a nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.
132. Gia
     
     A young Angelina Jolie is mesmerizing in her breakout role as supermodel Gia Carangi, a cover girl who lived fast and died at age 26 from the ravages of AIDS, in this fact-based HBO biopic that won an Emmy and two Golden Globes. The film follows Gia from busing tables at her father’s diner to the glamorous world of high-fashion photography — and finally to her downward spiral into drugs and toxic relationships. Faye Dunaway co-stars.
133. Solaris
     
     Scientist Kris Kelvin travels to the mysterious planet Solaris to investigate the failure of an earlier mission. But when his long-dead wife appears on the space station, he realizes the planet has the power to materialize human desires. Director Andrei Tarkovsky’s sci-fi cult classic, based on Stanislaw Lem’s novel, presents an uncompromisingly unique and poetic meditation on space travel and its physical and existential ramifications.
134. Ballets Russes
     
     The legendary Ballets Russes troupe gave Russian dancers who were never allowed to grace the stage in their home country a chance to shine, especially in the 1930s and ’40s, when the company achieved worldwide renown. But even as early as the 1900s, it had been a showcase for such big-name talents as George Balanchine and Vaslav Nijinsky. When the ’50s hit, though, the enchantment began to fade in the harsh light of fiscal realities.
135. Kill Your Idols
     
     This surreal trip through the fringe music scene of the late 1970s and early ’80s looks at the contributions of art punkers who released a stream of genius songs but who, just like those who came before them, have been branded as unoriginal by the bands that follow them. An ode to creativity and originality that, apropos of its subject matter, manages to be offbeat itself, this film features The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Sonic Youth, Iggy Pop and more.
136. Manderlay
     
     While driving through the Deep South with her dad (Willem Dafoe), Grace (Bryce Dallas Howard) discovers the Manderlay plantation, where slavery still exists. Set in the 1930s, the tale follows Grace’s quest to free the slaves 70 years after emancipation. She succeeds with help from some criminals, but once freed, the former slaves want to return to the only way of life they’ve ever known. Danny Glover, Isaach De Bankolé and Lauren Bacall co-star.
137. Kicking and Screaming
     
     In writer-director Noah Baumbach’s take on postcollege angst, Grover (Josh Hamilton) declines to go with his girlfriend (Olivia d’Abo) to Prague and decides to move in with other recent college grads who can’t quite break the gravitational pull of campus. Together, the friends wrestle with leaving the past behind as they reluctantly step into adulthood. But they’re afraid they’ll end up like bartender and professional student Chet (Eric Stoltz).
138. All the Real Girls
     
     Paul (Paul Schneider) lives large in a small Southern town, where he’s made a sexual conquest of nearly every single, eligible female. Every one, that is, except for his best friend’s sister, Noel (Zooey Deschanel), a committed virgin. When Paul falls unexpectedly for Noel, he swears he’s not out for sex and seeks to prove it to her with his actions. But Paul finds love much harder to manage than plain old-fashioned lust.
139. Suture
     
     A father’s funeral brings half-brothers Clay and Vincent together, but it’s not a heartfelt reunion. Greedy sibling Vincent plots to kill Clay and pretend the body is his own so he can make off with his father’s inheritance.
140. Following
     
     Christopher Nolan (Memento, The Dark Knight) writes and directs this odd, claustrophobic neo-noir film about a seedy young Brit (Jeremy Theobald) who’s obsessed with following people — albeit harmlessly at first. After meeting a like-minded bloke (Alex Haw), the twosome graduate to breaking and entering — but meet their match in a tough blonde dame (Lucy Russell) who may have dubious plans of her own.
141. The Long Kiss Goodnight
     
     Samantha Caine (Geena Davis) can’t remember anything before the day she woke up eight years ago, injured and two months pregnant. Now a schoolteacher with only vague memories of the past, she starts to exhibit bizarre, violent impulses. It’s only after hiring two-bit private detective Mitch Hennessey (Samuel L. Jackson) that she discovers that she was once a top CIA assassin named Charley — and that her old boss has kept tabs on her.
142. Bubble
     
     Set in a crumbling Ohio town that revolves around the local doll factory, Steven Soderbergh’s offbeat film follows the antics of townsfolk turned detectives who try to unravel a murder mystery — and end up discovering a bizarre love triangle. In sharp contrast to his high-budget Ocean’s Eleven remake, Soderbergh uses low-cost digital camerawork and employs no-name actors in this quirky small-town drama.
143. Armageddon
     
     As a massive asteroid hurtles toward Earth, NASA’s head honcho hatches a plan to split the deadly rock in two before it annihilates the entire planet, calling on the world’s finest oil driller to head up the mission.
144. Mr. Vampire
     
     Blending horror, comedy and plenty of high-octane martial arts action, this Hong Kong classic tells the story of a Taoist priest, Master Gau (Ching-Ying Lam), who tries to save his two apprentices, Chou (Siu-hou Chin) and Man Choi (Ricky Hui), from supernatural forces. While working to help a family resolve its ongoing bad luck, Chou becomes possessed by a ghost, while Man Choi meets a sexy bloodsucker who’s turning him into a vampire.
145. Swimming Pool
     
     Famous British mystery writer Sarah Morton (Charlotte Rampling) needs a break, so when her publisher, John Bosload (Charles Dance), offers to let her use his vacation home in southern France during the off-season, Sarah deems it the perfect opportunity for a breather. Her hopes for a carefree idyll are shattered, however, when John’s shiftless and brazenly promiscuous daughter (Ludivine Sagnier) arrives and sweeps Sarah into her reckless world.
146. The Last Seduction
     
     In a twisted plot, femme fatale Bridget Gregory (Linda Fiorentino), a sexy, savvy hustler, swindles her husband, Clay (Bill Pullman), out of $700,000 in drug money and then runs off to find a new patsy (Peter Berg) who’ll help cover her tracks — by murdering Clay. Fiorentino is mesmerizing — and enchantingly wicked — as the cold-blooded beauty who uses men like toys in John Dahl’s (Red Rock West) uncommon thriller.
147. Edmond
     
     With a David Mamet play as its inspiration, Edmond stars William H. Macy as the titular character, a businessman who undergoes a personal revolution after he heeds a psychic’s call to change his life. In his quest for fulfillment, he abandons his wife and children, initiating a nightmarish descent into a certain kind of hell, a dark and dangerous world he’s never known but that may wind up owning his soul.
148. A Prairie Home Companion
     
     From director Robert Altman comes this quirky piece of fiction based on the real-life radio program of the same name, with a wry screenplay penned by the show’s host, Garrison Keillor, who also stars. Fueled by a high-powered cast that includes Meryl Streep, Lily Tomlin, Lindsay Lohan, John C. Reilly, Tommy Lee Jones and Kevin Kline, the film takes a behind-the-scenes look at the mayhem surrounding the folksy program’s final broadcast.
149. Phone Booth
     
     In this intense drama, which takes place in and around a single phone booth in New York City, slick New York publicist Stuart Shepard (Colin Farrell) picks up a ringing receiver in a phone booth and is told that if he hangs up, he’ll be killed. Turns out Shephard is being watched by a rooftop killer with a sniper rifle — and the little red light from an infrared rifle sight is proof that the caller isn’t kidding. Forest Whitaker co-stars.
150. Winter Sleepers
     
     Translator Rebecca lives with ski instructor Marco in a mountain villa owned by her friend Laura. Cinema projectionist Rene steals Marco’s car and gets into an accident with local farmer Theo, whose daughter dies soon after the wreck. Suffering from short-term memory loss, Rene starts a relationship with Laura, while Theo searches for the person who killed his daughter in director Tom Twyker’s foreboding tale of time and memory.
151. Firefox
     
     When the Russians develop a Mach 5 jet with thought-controlled weaponry, the free world needs someone to go steal it from them to maintain the balance of power. Despite suffering from posttraumatic stress as a result of his Vietnam experiences, Mitch Gant (Clint Eastwood), who was once a hotshot pilot and speaks fluent Russian, is given the assignment. Nigel Hawthorne plays a Jewish dissident who aids Gant in his mission.
152. Shinobi: Heart Under Blade
     
     It’s X-Men meets Romeo and Juliet in Ten Shimoyama’s ninja action thriller. Gennosuke (Joe Odagiri), from the Koga ninja clan, falls in love with Oboro (Yukie Nakama), from the rival Iga clan. Already exiled to the mountains, the evil Shogun aims to eliminate the tribes. He pits the clans against each other in a duel to the death, where the ninjas wield their supernatural powers. But will inbred hate snuff out forbidden love?
153. Dead Ringer
     
     Twins Edith and Margaret (Bette Davis in a dual role) both desire a wealthy Spaniard, but Margaret marries him under false pretense in this dark tale from director Paul Henreid about a vengeful sister who assumes her twin’s identity. Years later, widowed Margaret lives the high life, while Edith can’t afford lunch. Edith kills Margaret and takes her place, but arouses the suspicion of a detective (Karl Malden) and Margaret’s lover (Peter Lawford).
154. Elizabeth
     
     This Oscar-winning treatise on absolute power and its human toll sees fledgling queen Elizabeth I sacrificing happiness for her own safety and placing her trust in her stealthy “spymaster,” Sir Francis Walsingham.
155. Volver
     
     In acclaimed filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar’s foreign-language fantasy, Abuela Irene (Carmen Maura) revisits her hometown in the La Mancha region of Spain — in spectral form — to resolve problems she couldn’t settle during her lifetime. Gradually, Abuela’s spirit becomes a reassuring presence to her daughters (Penélope Cruz, in an Oscar-nominated performance, and Lola Dueñas) and her granddaughter (Yohana Cobo).
156. The Story of the Weeping Camel
     
     This unique documentary follows a Mongolian camel that’s rejected her newborn white colt. Now, all hope lies with two young shepherd boys, who must travel across the Gobi desert to find a healing musician. Will the violinist’s ritual do the trick? This Oscar-nominated film moves beyond its narrative structure to offer a keenly observed portrait of nomadic herders who are preserving an ancient way of life.
157. The Cave of the Yellow Dog
     
     Academy Award nominee Byambasuren Davaa (The Story of the Weeping Camel) wrote and directed this docudrama about the disappearing ways of nomadic life in her home country of Mongolia. Young Nansal, the oldest daughter of an actual nomad family, finds a stray dog that quickly becomes her close companion, despite her parents’ disapproval. The film depicts the herdspeople’s everyday tasks for livelihood and survival, while the city beckons from afar.
158. Yi Yi
     
     Among movie critics’ highest-rated foreign films of 2000, Yi Yi chronicles three generations of a Taiwanese family mired in a crisis of self-doubt. The film focuses mostly on computer worker N.J. (Nien-Jen Wu) and his wife and two children. A chance meeting with a former lover compels N.J. to question the assumptions on which his life is based. Warm and thoughtful, Yi Yi posits that truth is something we may never know.
159. The Deer Hunter
     
     In this Oscar-winning epic from director Michael Cimino, a group of working-class friends decides to enlist in the Army during the Vietnam War and finds it to be hellish chaos — not the noble venture they imagined. Before they left, Steven (John Savage) married his pregnant girlfriend — and Michael (Robert De Niro) and Nick (Christopher Walken) were in love with the same woman (Meryl Streep). But all three are different men upon their return.
160. Tideland
     
     With her junkie father (Jeff Bridges) spending most of his time in a stupor mourning the recent death of his wife (Jennifer Tilly), Jeliza-Rose (Jodelle Ferland) is free to roam the surrounding prairie, where she meets a mentally challenged boy (Brendan Fletcher) and his oddly macabre sister (Janet McTeer). Terry Gilliam directs this fantastical drama that evokes the world of Lewis Carroll’s &NFi;Alice in Wonderland&NFi_;.
161. Panic Room
     
     A woman and her daughter are caught in a game of cat-and-mouse with three burglars in their New York City home and are forced to retreat inside a vault. As the intruders try to breach the room’s security, the embattled duo must stay one step ahead.
162. The New World
     
     Set in 1607 at the founding of the Jamestown Settlement, Terrence Malick’s epic adventure chronicles the extraordinary actions of explorer John Smith (Colin Farrell) and Native American princess Pocahontas (Q’Orianka Kilcher). As English settlers and Native Americans clash, Smith and Pocahontas find their worlds colliding and their hearts entwined, but ancestral loyalty may tear them apart. Christian Bale and Christopher Plummer co-star.
163. Hollywoodland
     
     When the actor who famously played the Man of Steel in TV’s “Adventures of Superman” turns up dead in Beverly Hills, a dogged private eye investigates and unearths a string of strange secrets in this gritty noir-style drama based on a true story.
164. Infamous
     
     Director Douglas McGrath’s biographical drama stars Toby Jones as iconoclastic writer Truman Capote, whose literary investigation into the grisly murders of a rural Kansas family has unintended consequences. While probing the psyches of the killers (played by Daniel Craig and Lee Pace) as research for his soon-to-be best seller &NFi;In Cold Blood&NFi_;, Capote forms an attachment to one of the convicted men. Sandra Bullock and Jeff Daniels also star.
165. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
     
     To prevent a world war from breaking out, famous characters from Victorian literature — including Allan Quatermain (Sean Connery), Dorian Gray (Stuart Townsend), Tom Sawyer (Shane West) and Captain Nemo (Naseeruddin Shah) — band together to do battle against a cunning villain known as the Fantom. Based on Alan Moore’s graphic novel, this fantasy adventure unfolds in an alternate universe where well-known fictional figures exist in real life.
166. Poster Boy
     
     When Henry (Matt Newton) — the closeted son of right-wing Sen. Jack Kray (Michael Lerner) — sleeps with a gay activist (Jack Noseworthy), he shakes up his father’s bid for reelection. If the media learns of Henry’s sexual orientation, will the news tank his dad’s career and their relationship? Karen Allen, Valerie Geffner and Ian Reed Kesler co-star in first-time director Zak Tucker’s dramatic coming-out tale.
167. The Good Shepherd
     
     Matt Damon and Robert De Niro (who also directs) star in this partially fact-based drama that examines the early history of the CIA as seen through the eyes of a dedicated agent: upstanding, sharp-minded Yale student Edward Wilson (Damon). Wilson is recruited to work for the fledgling CIA during World War II, but the job soon begins to erode his ideals, filling him with distrust and destroying his personal life.
168. Munich
     
     In this thriller based on actual events, Palestinian terrorists hold hostage and ultimately kill a group of Israeli athletes during the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, prompting a Mossad agent (Eric Bana) to track down the assassins in the tragic aftermath. Ciaran Hinds and Geoffrey Rush co-star in this film directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Tony Kushner, the award-winning playwright of “Angels in America.”
169. Cocaine Cowboys
     
     This penetrating documentary from director Billy Corben pulls out all the stops to explore the many dimensions of Miami’s cocaine-trafficking boom of the 1980s, as told by the smugglers, cops and average citizens who were there. The film is an unflinching study of Miami’s most notorious and lethal vice — from how the drug was moved and its financial impact on the city to the havoc and violence that followed in its wake.
170. The Dying Gaul
     
     When Jeffrey (Campbell Scott), a slick Hollywood studio exec, offers gay screenwriter Robert (Peter Sarsgaard) $1 million to transform a screenplay’s homosexual protagonists into heterosexuals, Robert takes the bait — and ends up sleeping in Jeffrey’s bed. But complications ensue when Jeffrey’s wife, Elaine (Patricia Clarkson), begins unraveling her husband’s secrets, with nail-biting consequences. Craig Lucas directs in his feature-film debut.
171. Thumbsucker
     
     Teenager Justin Cobb (Lou Taylor Pucci) has an embarrassing secret: He still sucks his thumb. Berated by his father (Vincent D’Onofrio) for the childish habit and unable to confide in anyone, Justin lets his loopy orthodontist (Keanu Reeves) try hypnosis. Trouble is, it works almost too well, and before long, Justin needs another crutch to keep his angst at bay. Vince Vaughn and Tilda Swinton co-star in director Mike Mills’s 2005 Sundance entry.
172. Broken Flowers
     
     After being dumped by another girlfriend (Julie Delpy), serial bachelor Don Johnston (Bill Murray) vows he’ll be alone forever. But when a mysterious unsigned letter arrives in the mail, he’s surprised to learn he has a 19-year-old son. With no idea who the mother is, Don sets out on a cross-country journey to confront his past, surprising a series of old flames (Frances Conroy, Jessica Lange, Sharon Stone and Tilda Swinton) along the way.
173. Curse of the Golden Flower
     
     This lavish film from landmark director Yimou Zhang follows the romantic intrigue and political machinations in the house of the Emperor Ping (Yun-Fat Chow) and his ailing wife (Li Gong), a pair whose secret passions and schemes ultimately affect the lives of their children. Will their reign end in a bloody coup for all? Sumptuous costumes and dazzling martial arts form the backdrop for this complex tale of loyalty, deception, love and betrayal.
174. Swoon
     
     Wanting to prove that they’re smart enough to get away with murder, 18-year-old friends Richard Loeb (Daniel Schlachet) and Nathan Leopold (Craig Chester) murder 13-year-old Bobby Franks. But was that their true motive? Based on an actual crime that occurred in 1924 in Chicago, this film explores the psychological and sociological reasons two seemingly harmless boys perpetrated such a heinous crime. Did Leopold’s unrequited love for Loeb lead to murder?
175. Dottie Gets Spanked
     
     In this 1950s-set short film, 6-year-old Steven Gale (Evan Bonifant) fantasizes a personal connection with a television comedienne named Dottie Frank (Julie Halston). And Steven, who displays quite a few feminine traits, gets a chance to meet his heroine. While visiting the television studio where Dottie works, he sees her character receive a spanking, which is a lot for his young brain to assess. Todd Haynes (Far from Heaven) directs.
176. Edward II
     
     The new king of England, Edward II (Steven Waddington), finds his throne compromised when he brings his lover, Gaveston (Andrew Tiernan), into the picture. Enraged, the queen (Tilda Swinton) embarks on a plot to take down the king at all costs. Directed by Derek Jarman, this modern, gay-themed rumination on the classic Christopher Marlowe play features an appearance by music legend Annie Lennox performing “Ev’rytime We Say Goodbye.”
177. Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
     
     Lifelong friends and national idols Ricky Bobby (Will Ferrell) and Cal Naughton Jr. (John C. Reilly) have earned their NASCAR stripes with their uncanny knack of finishing races in the first and second slots, respectively, and slinging catchphrases like “Shake and bake!” But when a rival French driver (Sacha Baron Cohen) coasts onto the track to challenge their records, they’ll have to floor it to retain their top-dog status.
178. Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills
     
     Shedding light on the legal system — and on the media machine that often demonizes the accused — this gripping documentary follows the notorious West Memphis Three, a trio of boys arrested for the murders of three children found in a creek bed. Appearing on many critics’ year-end Top 10 lists for 1996, this film from directors Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky also won the National Board of Review’s prestigious prize for Best Documentary.
179. Paradise Lost 2: Revelations
     
     This engrossing documentary revisits the chilling mystery at the heart of HBO’s award-winning special, Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills, profiling a trio of Arkansas teenagers convicted of murdering three 8-year-old boys. In this disturbing yet absolutely fascinating examination of the horrific crime and of the judicial system, directors Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky bring new insight to the highly controversial case.
180. Shiri
     
     In director Je Gyu Kang’s action-packed epic that deals head-on with the controversial topic of Korean unification, North Korean superspy Lee Bang Hee is sent to the South as part of a secret plan to reunify the two nations. Against her better judgment, she falls in love with South Korean intelligence officer Yu Jong Won. But when Yu learns of the North’s true plans for Korea, their love and the unification effort are threatened.
181. Look, Up in the Sky!: The Amazing Story of Superman
     
     In this documentary, director Kevin Burns chronicles the evolution of the mighty Man of Steel. Incorporating Superman’s appearances in comic books, films, cartoons and on live-action television, the program takes viewers on a mighty journey. It all begins with the illustrious hero’s genesis and progresses through several decades. Also included is coverage of Superman’s resurgence on the silver screen during the 1970s.
182. In the Bedroom
     
     When a teenager’s love affair with a single mother comes to a sudden and tragic end, the boy’s parents must face their worst nightmare and embark on a dark and dangerous psychological journey.
183. Die, Mommie, Die!
     
     The year is 1967, and Angela Arden (cross-dresser Charles Busch) is a washed-up pop singer who’s married to Sol (Philip Baker Hall) but is involved with an unemployed actor named Tony (Jason Priestley). When Sol turns up dead, all fingers point to Angela. Leading the charge is Angela’s daughter Edith (Natasha Lyonne), who’s eager to get even by killing her mother. Edith’s brother (Stark Sands), however, is not so sure that mom is to blame.
184. Smokin’ Aces
     
     After a sleazy Las Vegas magician (Jeremy Piven) agrees to testify against the mob, he embarks on one last hurrah in Lake Tahoe before entering protective custody. But can just one FBI agent (Ryan Reynolds) keep him safe from a slew of would-be assassins? Andy Garcia, Ray Liotta, Ben Affleck, Jason Bateman and Alicia Keys co-star in this raucous cavalcade of con men, bad guys and bounty hunters.
185. Swimming to Cambodia
     
     Director Jonathan Demme captures monologuist Spalding Gray spinning his brilliant conversational web in this one-man reminiscence (based on his hit Broadway show) about his small role in the 1984 movie The Killing Fields. Gray muses on the abundance of drugs and sex in Southeast Asia, as well as the politics of the unstable region. Gray also tosses in a few ruminations about New York City, where this performance is filmed.
186. The Good German
     
     U.S. Army correspondent Jake Geismar (George Clooney) rekindles relations with an old flame, Lena (Cate Blanchett), in this Steven Soderbergh drama set in post-World War II Berlin. When her husband is hunted by U.S. and Russian military, a desperate Lena looks to Jake for a way out. Tension mounts as Jake discovers Lena has been keeping secrets and learns of black market dealings involving his shady driver (Tobey Maguire).
187. The History Boys
     
     Nicholas Hytner, Richard Griffiths and Frances de la Tour reprise their Tony-winning roles in this engaging film version of Alan Bennett’s play, chronicling a rowdy group of boys on their way to higher education. On a quest to attend either Oxford or Cambridge, the teens grapple with the intricacies of university entrance exams and admissions, ultimately learning as much about the education system as they do about academics.
188. Cashback
     
     After breaking up with his girlfriend, aspiring artist Ben Willis (Sean Biggerstaff) develops insomnia and takes a night-shift job at a supermarket to pass the hours. He soon discovers that he can freeze time and begins fantasizing about pretty checkout clerk Sharon (Emilia Fox). When he’s not dreaming of Sharon — who may hold the key to resolving his sleeplessness — Ben roams the aisles disrobing beautiful customers and sketching them.
189. Infernal Affairs 2
     
     When a police inspector learns that a recruit recently booted from the police academy is the brother of an organized crime boss, he hires him to go undercover. But nobody is who they seem to be, and things get complicated in this clever thriller.
190. Infernal Affairs 3
     
     In final film of this trilogy, former Triad member Ming sets out to uncover any remaining Triad moles within the police force, but his maverick style proves problematic. As Ming grieves for his wife, he must also deal with a shady new officer.
191. American Splendor
     
     Paul Giamatti stars as Harvey Pekar, a working-class stiff file clerk who found an outlet for his creativity by chronicling the minutia of his life in Cleveland, Ohio, in a comic-book series called &NFi;American Splendor&NFi_; for more than 20 years. Hope Davis co-stars as Pekar’s wife, Joyce Brabner, in this revealing biopic, which tells Pekar’s story through a blend of two-dimensional images, archival footage and more.
192. The Underneath
     
     In this remake of the film-noir classic Criss Cross, scalawag Michael Chambers (Peter Gallagher) returns home for his mother’s nuptials after running out on his gambling debts. Before long, he’s hatching a robbery scheme and wooing his ex-wife, Rachel (Alison Elliott) — a move that infuriates her new gangster hubby (William Fichtner). Steven Soderbergh directed this stylish and engrossing film co-starring Joe Don Baker and Elisabeth Shue.
193. The Birdcage
     
     Longtime lovers Armand and Albert own a Miami drag club, but when Armand’s son announces his intent to marry the daughter of a stuffy U.S. senator, the gay couple feels compelled to pass themselves off as a “normal” family in this wild farce.
194. Working Girl
     
     Industrious secretary Tess McGill (Melanie Griffith) dreams of climbing the corporate ladder and may be on her way after landing a job with Katherine Parker (Sigourney Weaver), a top brokerage firm executive. When a skiing mishap puts Katharine out of commission, the secretary discovers her boss has stolen Tess’ idea for saving a client. Hooking up with investment broker Jack Trainer (Harrison Ford), Tess takes over the deal and turns the tables.
195. Biloxi Blues
     
     In this film version of Neil Simon’s play, Eugene Morris Jerome (Matthew Broderick) is drafted and sent to boot camp in Biloxi, Miss., toward the end of World War II. Eugene instantly butts heads with a terribly off-kilter drill sergeant named Toomey (Christopher Walken), whose contemptuous attitude toward Eugene does little to help the new recruit. Meanwhile, Eugene spends his spare time with a local call girl (Park Overall).
196. Wolf
     
     Nebbish magazine executive Will Randall (Jack Nicholson) is fighting for his job. After he’s bitten by a wolf, he becomes more competitive and energetic — good news for his career, but he’s now a werewolf. While new boss Raymond (Christopher Plummer) wants to be rid of Will, his daughter Laura (Michelle Pfeiffer) turns Will’s head. But werewolves kill the ones they love — complicating director Mike Nichols’s hip spin on the werewolf legend.
197. Places in the Heart
     
     Sally Field won her second Best Actress Oscar for her portrayal of Edna Spalding, a young widow living in Depression-era Waxahachie, Texas, who’s determined to eke out a hardscrabble existence farming cotton on her land. Danny Glover and John Malkovich give excellent performances as hired hands who try to help Spalding make a go of it. Director Robert Benton also won an Oscar for his bittersweet screenplay.
198. Kramer vs. Kramer
     
     Ted (Dustin Hoffman) is a career-driven yuppie — until he finds out his dissatisfied wife (Meryl Streep) is leaving him and their 6-year-old son. But just as Ted begins to love being a full-time parent, his wife reappears to reclaim the boy. Poignant and beautifully acted, this cinematic tearjerker swept the 1979 Academy Awards, winning Oscars for Hoffman and Streep in addition to Best Picture, Best Director and Best Screenplay honors.
199. Supergirl
     
     When she loses her city’s vital power supply, Kryptonian Kara (Helen Slater) follows it to Earth in the hopes of retrieving it. Although gifted with powers like her cousin Superman, Kara struggles to defeat the evil Selena (Faye Dunaway), who now controls the mighty object. To fit into her new surroundings, Kara disguises herself as high school student Linda Lee and says that she’s Clark Kent’s cousin.
200. Friends with Money
     
     Writer-director Nicole Holofcener’s bittersweet tale examines the evolving lives of four female friends living in Los Angeles: married and financially secure Jane (Frances McDormand), Franny (Joan Cusack) and Christine (Catherine Keener), and their single friend Olivia (Jennifer Aniston). As the friends move from one group event to the next, married life starts showing cracks for Jane, Franny and Christine, while Olivia struggles to find herself.
201. The Interpreter
     
     Silvia Broome is a linguist whose job is to translate for her assigned delegate the complex issues facing the United Nations. But her daily challenge turns perilous when she overhears a plot to assassinate a high-ranking government official.
202. Wasabi Tuna
     
     Five friends preparing to march in the annual West Hollywood Halloween Parade find themselves in a crazy adventure involving police chases, shoot-outs, drug lords and a harem of drag queens. The party pals gear up for the crazy parade, but the festivities turn chaotic when someone kidnaps Anna Nicole Smith’s (playing herself) adorable dog, Sugar-Pie. Jason London, Barney Cheng and Tim Meadows star.
203. Batman: The Movie
     
     In director Leslie H. Martinson’s campy action comedy based on the tongue-in-cheek 1960s TV series, Batman (Adam West) and Robin (Burt Ward) battle sharks, Catwoman (Lee Meriwether), The Joker (Cesar Romero), The Penguin (Burgess Meredith) and The Riddler (Frank Gorshin) on the big screen. Can they keep the bad guys from taking over the world? With a “wham!” and a “pow!” the heroes just might pull it off — and maintain their secret identities.
204. The Mothman Prophecies
     
     Reporter John Klein is plunged into a world of impossible terror and unthinkable chaos when fate draws him to a sleepy West Virginia town whose residents are being visited by a great winged shape that sows hideous nightmares and fevered visions.
205. The Forgotten
     
     A desperate mother tries to prove the existence of her missing child in this chilling psychological thriller. Reeling from the loss of her 8-year-old son, she seeks counsel from a therapist — who claims the boy was a figment of her imagination.
206. Taking Lives
     
     Recruited to assist Montreal police in their desperate search for a serial killer who assumes the identities of his victims, FBI profiler Illeana Scott (Angelina Jolie) knows it’s only a matter of time before the killer strikes again. Her most promising lead is a museum employee (Ethan Hawke) who might be the killer’s only eyewitness. But can he really be trusted, given the murderer’s penchant for deception?
207. Cursed
     
     An estranged brother and sister must deal with the recent loss of their parents. But heaping more misery into their lives is a life-altering attack one dark night by a vicious werewolf.
208. A Life Less Ordinary
     
     Determined to live “a life less ordinary,” Robert (Ewan McGregor), a down-and-out janitor, kidnaps narcissistic heiress Celine (Cameron Diaz) in hopes of pulling in a big ransom. Unfortunately for Robert, Celine embraces her life as a captive and enjoys Robert’s bungling attempt at retrieving a payoff. Add two angels (Delroy Lindo and Holly Hunter) who try to make Robert and Celine fall in love, and the situation becomes extraordinary.
209. The Beach
     
     While visiting Bangkok, Richard learns of a secret beach that purportedly exemplifies paradise. He travels with two friends to the magnificent strand, where he finds a bohemian community intent on keeping its precious refuge a secret.
210. In the Realms of the Unreal
     
     Featuring the voices of Dakota Fanning and Larry Pine and the work of talented animators, this documentary tells the story of Henry Darger, a reclusive janitor by day with few — if any — friends, but by night a literary artist with a unique vision. Darger’s resulting 15,000-page epic is a wonderland of imagination as it details the exploits of seven angelic sisters who lead a rebellion against men who enslave children.
211. Next
     
     Las Vegas magician Cris Johnson (Nicolas Cage) can see a few minutes into the future, a talent he uses to enhance his shows — and to win at blackjack. But when an FBI agent (Julianne Moore) wants his help thwarting a nuclear attack, Cris finds his psychic skills put to the test. Jessica Biel, Peter Falk and Thomas Kretschmann also star in this sci-fi thriller based on Philip K. Dick’s short story “The Golden Man.”
212. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III
     
     When April’s newly discovered (but old, tarnished, and mysterious) golden sword accidentally causes her to switch places with a rebellious samurai, everybody’s favorite giant turtles travel through time and space to feudal Japan to rescue their plucky sidekick. It’s a race against time and an army of samurai warriors, and it’s a job for the ninja turtles!
213. Super Mario Bros.
     
     Brooklyn plumbers Mario (Bob Hoskins) and Luigi (John Leguizamo) are about to be shut down by a shady construction company, and when the firm’s henchmen see that Luigi has fallen for a young student named Daisy (Samantha Mathis), they kidnap her — and take her to another dimension. Vowing to track her down, the boys soon find themselves trapped in a bizarre parallel world ruled by a dinosaur-like despot named King Koopa (Dennis Hopper).
214. Brooklyn Rules
     
     “The Sopranos” scribe Terence Winter brings his Mafia stories to the big screen in this indie drama about a trio of young men who grew up together on the Brooklyn streets but have decidedly different dreams. While two of them (Freddie Prinze Jr. and Jerry Ferrara) want to leave the street behind, the other (Scott Caan) feels the lure of the mob’s flashy lifestyle — and soon gets them all in trouble. Alec Baldwin and Mena Suvari also star.
215. Grindhouse: Planet Terror
     
     In this extended version of Robert Rodriguez’s Planet Terror, El Wray and his ex, Cherry Darling, fight off a zombie army infected with a biochemical weapon that was unleashed by a psychotic Army lieutenant and an opportunistic scientist.
216. Grindhouse: Death Proof
     
     In this thriller from Quentin Tarantino, a tough-talking, psychotic serial murderer transforms his Dodge Charger into an indestructible weapon, then climbs behind the wheel of his well-oiled killing machine to terrorize a group of women on the road.
217. Everything’s Gone Green
     
     Slacker Ryan (Paulo Costanzo) photographs prizewinners for a magazine about the lottery. The object of his affections, Ming (Steph Song), is dating a con artist named Bryce (JR Bourne), who sees a potential scam in Ryan’s connections to the newly wealthy. Now, Ryan must choose between his love for Ming and the temptation of the perfect scheme. Douglas Coupland, author of &NFi;Generation X&NFi_;, makes his screenwriting debut.
218. Bonnie and Clyde
     
     Serial bank robbers, sometime lovers and folkloric heroes Bonnie Parker (Faye Dunaway) and Clyde Barrow (Warren Beatty) barrel across Depression-ravaged America on a shooting spree that ends in a deadly rain of bullets and tragedy. Directed by Arthur Penn, this stylish and sexy film shattered the mold when it came to crime pictures, layering comedy onto mayhem and youthful criminality. Gene Wilder makes his big-screen debut.
219. The Manchurian Candidate
     
     In this remake of the 1962 political thriller, Capt. Bennett Marco (Denzel Washington) and Sgt. Raymond Shaw (Liev Schreiber) are taken captive during the first Persian Gulf War and brainwashed so that they’re programmed to rebel once they return home. Ten years later, as Shaw’s mother (Meryl Streep) is busy helping her son in his bid for the presidency, Marco recalls the brainwashing. Can he get to Shaw before it’s too late?
220. The King
     
     After serving time in the Navy, 21-year-old Elvis (Gael Garcia Bernal) decides to look up the father (William Hurt) who abandoned him as a child, only to find him working as a small-town pastor with a new wife (Laura Harring) and two teenage children (Pell James and Paul Dano). While his father is unwilling to disrupt his life to reconcile with his son, Elvis refuses to be ignored, taking drastic measures to insert himself into the family.
221. Protagonist
     
     A German terrorist, a thief, an “ex-gay” Christian evangelist and a martial arts student put their obsession with self-control on display in filmmaker Jessica Yu’s absorbing documentary about lives lived on the fringe. With her interweaving narrative, Yu explores the lives of four men who go to extremes with violence, crime, physical dominance and religion to work through the aftermath of their harsh childhoods.
222. Goya’s Ghosts
     
     Although he’s initially favored by royalty, Spanish painter Francisco Goya (Stellan Skarsgård) is targeted by the Spanish Inquisition when he paints young Inés (Natalie Portman), whom the church views as a heretic, in this epic true story from Oscar-winning director Milos Forman. Years later, Inés is released from the dungeon and requests Goya’s help in finding the daughter she bore while imprisoned. Javier Bardem and Randy Quaid co-star.
223. The Filth and the Fury: A Sex Pistols Film
     
     Director Julian Temple’s rockumentary toasts the godfathers of punk, the Sex Pistols, with an array of Pistols hits; interviews with controversial manager Malcolm McLaren and front man Johnny Rotten; and a look at Sid Vicious’s tragic life. Chronically cranky and famously out of control, the band recorded only one album and imploded after 26 months. But their influence on the music world continues to reverberate.
224. Big Rig
     
     Filmmaker Doug Pray journeys coast to coast to chronicle life on the road with America’s long-haul truck drivers in this engaging documentary, featuring candid interviews that reveal the drivers’ passions and colorful personalities. Driven by fierce independence, these unsung heroes of the highway will surprise and touch you with their wit and down-home wisdom. You’ll never look at an 18-wheeler in quite the same way again.
225. The Signal
     
     When the phones, radios and televisions in the city of Terminus begin to broadcast the same strange signal, the transmission breeds jealousy and hate, turning once-sane people into murderous lunatics. A faithless wife seeks the safety of her lover, while her affected husband hunts for her. David Bruckner, Jacob Gentry and Dan Bush each write and direct an act of this horror tale that was nominated for a John Cassavetes Independent Spirit Award.
226. Wristcutters: A Love Story
     
     Depressed over his breakup with girlfriend Desiree (Leslie Bibb), Zia (Patrick Fugit) slits his wrists, only to find himself sent to a bleak corner of the afterlife reserved for those who kill themselves in Goran Dukic’s dark comic fantasy. When he learns that Desiree also commits suicide, he’s joined by a pair of fellow lost souls (Shannyn Sossamon and Shea Whigham) on a quest to find her and see if love and happiness can exist even in death.
227. Husbands and Wives
     
     Director Woody Allen stars with Mia Farrow as a long-married couple whose relationship starts to crumble when their best friends announce they’re separating. Festering resentments and jealousies soon rise to the surface, erupting in savage humor.
228. Lust, Caution
     
     A young actress gets caught up in a complex plot involving love, assassination and seduction in Ang Lee’s drama set in World War II-era Shanghai and based on the writings of author Eileen Chang.
229. The Last Winter
     
     When strange things start happening at an Arctic oil-drilling outpost, workers fear their cabin is haunted by ancient spirits, and the unexplained events spark a feud between an oil company representative (Ron Perlman) and an eco-activist (James LeGros). Larry Fessenden’s supernatural thriller adds a terrifying new layer to global warming and the perils of oil production. Connie Britton, Kevin Corrigan, Zach Gilford and Jamie Harrold co-star.
230. The Bothersome Man
     
     Mysteriously deposited in a perfectly serene but colorless city where every need is met, Andreas soon realizes that not even a new lover can change the sterile banality drowning him. Is this placid life a dream come true or an inescapable hell? Is the lovely music coming from a crack in the basement his ticket out? This provocative black comedy is directed by Jens Lien and stars Trond Fausa Aurvaag and Petronella Barker.
231. Retribution
     
     While investigating the gruesome death of a woman found in a puddle with her stomach inexplicably full of seawater, Detective Yoshioka begins to wonder whether he himself is actually the killer he’s been looking for. He doesn’t remember committing the crime, but the murder scene is littered with his belongings — and his fingerprints are all over the body. Kiyoshi Kurosawa directs this gritty horror tale from the producers of The Grudge.
232. Sex and Death 101
     
     Womanizing tycoon Roderick Blank (Simon Baker) finds his world turned topsy-turvy when he receives a prescient email message about his sex life from an unknown sender in this satiric comedy helmed by Daniel Waters. Axing his wedding plans to look into the communiqué, which seems to contain the names of all the women he’s ever bedded — or ever will — he embarks on an odyssey of seduction that ends with the last woman on the list (Winona Ryder).
233. The Legend of Bagger Vance
     
     World War I has left golfer Rannulph Junuh (Matt Damon) a poker-playing alcoholic, his perfect swing gone. Now, however, he needs to get it back to play in a tournament to save the financially ravaged golf course of a long-ago sweetheart (Charlize Theron). Help arrives in the form of mysterious caddy Bagger Vance (Will Smith). Director Robert Redford’s adaptation of Steven Pressfield’s novel includes Jack Lemmon’s unbilled final performance.
234. The War of the Roses
     
     Danny DeVito directs and co-stars in this explosive portrayal of a 17-year marriage gone wrong. Oliver (Michael Douglas) and Barbara (Kathleen Turner) Rose are calling it quits as a couple, but neither wants to give up ownership of their house. Instead of going about an amicable negotiation, they declare all-out war on each other, with alternately hilarious and horrifying results. Sean Astin and Heather Fairfield co-star as their neglected children.
235. My Summer of Love
     
     Pawel Pawlikowski’s BAFTA award-winning film juxtaposes the secret longings of two very different young women: Mona (Natalie Press), who’s bored and tired of poverty, and Tamsin (Emily Blunt), who’s long ceased to be impressed with her well-heeled lifestyle. When their worlds collide unexpectedly, Mona and Tamsin sense an immediate attraction. But can their unusual friendship survive their differences?
236. Half Nelson
     
     Transcending age and race, an improbable friendship between crack-addicted educator Dan Dunne (Oscar-nominated Ryan Gosling) and streetwise middle-schooler Drey (Shareeka Epps) may lead them to deliverance — or destruction — in this powerful urban drama. After Drey finds Dunne feeding his habit in a locker room, she becomes a conduit for a life-changing lesson. Gosling and Epps won Independent Spirit awards for their lead roles.
237. Rain Man
     
     Fast-talking yuppie Charlie Babbitt is forced to slow down when he meets a brother he never knew he had, an autistic savant named Raymond (Dustin Hoffman, in an Oscar-winning role) who’s spent most of his life in an institution. When their wealthy father dies, leaving everything to Raymond, Charlie takes his unusually gifted older brother on a life-changing cross-country odyssey that neither is likely to forget.
238. Born on the Fourth of July
     
     Tom Cruise stars in an Oscar-nominated turn as U.S. Marine Ron Kovic, who returns home from the Vietnam War paralyzed from the chest down. After months of hellish rehabilitation, he finds renewed purpose protesting the war he once proudly fought. The film — based on Kovic’s autobiography of the same name — earned Oliver Stone an Academy Award for Best Director, and also stars Kyra Sedgwick, Tom Berenger and Frank Whaley.
239. Platoon
     
     Helmed by Oliver Stone, this searing autobiographical drama chronicles the Vietnam experiences of naïve volunteer soldier Chris Taylor (Charlie Sheen), whose view of the conflict starts to change after witnessing murder and rape at the hands of his compatriots. Platoon won Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Director, with Tom Berenger and Willem Dafoe earning supporting actor nods as rival topkicks who offer Sheen contrasting role models.
240. Ned Kelly
     
     Ned Kelly (Mick Jagger) portrays Australia’s most famous criminal. Imprisoned at the age of 16 on a trumped-up charge of stealing pigs, Ned gains his release three years later to find the home life he once knew turned upside down (his mother’s engaged to a horse thief, and his brother’s in jail for stealing cattle). Ned tries to go straight, but the authorities have different plans, sending the young ruffian on the road to folkloric legend.
241. La Vie en Rose
     
     Director Olivier Dahan paints a poignant portrait of legendary Parisian singer Édith Piaf, whose passion for music saw her through a life filled with tragedy. The film follows the chanteuse from her childhood in a brothel to her premature death.
242. The Orphanage
     
     Fueled by fond memories from her childhood, Laura (Belén Rueda) persuades her husband (Fernando Cayo) to help her revamp a seaside orphanage into a facility for disabled children. But soon after the couple moves in, their son, Simón (Roger Príncep), begins exhibiting disturbing behavior. As Laura tries to understand Simón’s increasingly malevolent actions, she becomes drawn into the house’s terrifying secrets in this unnerving chiller.
243. Strange Culture
     
     On the eve of his new exhibit, artist and professor Steve Kurtz was shocked by the news that his wife had died of heart failure. The medics on the scene became suspicious of Kurtz’s artistic media, which includes genetically modified foods, and the FBI accused him of bioterrorism. This disquieting true story is brought to life by actors Tilda Swinton, Josh Kornbluth and Peter Coyote in Lynn Herschman Leeson’s chilling dramatic documentary.
244. Croupier
     
     Would-be writer Jack Manfred (Clive Owen) lands a job as a croupier so he can stand behind the dealer’s table and watch the passing parade of human desperation. But is he a voyeur or a pawn in a gambler’s (Alex Kingston) dangerous game? Director Mike Hodges sticks a knife into London’s gambling underbelly and lets it rip in this smart, sexy crime thriller, creating a murky world that keeps you guessing until the end.
245. Code 46
     
     An insurance examiner whose company assigns him to investigate the use of papelles — fake travel insurance papers required by the strict government — falls into a fiery affair with the woman responsible for creating them.
246. The Piano Teacher
     
     Isabelle Huppert stars as Erika, an emotionally repressed piano teacher still tied to her obsessive mother (Annie Girardot) and fast approaching spinsterhood, who sees an attractive student (Benoît Magimel) as a potential player in her dark sexual fantasies. Huppert is fascinating to watch in writer-director Michael Haneke’s disturbing character study based on the novel by Nobel Literature Prize winner Elfriede Jelinek.
247. Code Unknown
     
     German director Michael Haneke’s stunning drama carefully interweaves the stories of a promising actress (Juliette Binoche), her photojournalist boyfriend (Thierry Neuvic), a young teacher of African descent (Ona Lu Yenke) and a Romanian illegal immigrant (Luminita Gheorghiu).On a bustling Paris street corner, their lives intersect for a fleeting moment, setting into motion a compelling portrait of life in a fractured, lonely world.
248. The Castle
     
     When land surveyor K. (Ulrich Mühe) arrives at a small village that houses a castle, local authorities refuse to allow him to enter. As he tries to convince the officials that they sent for him, they clamp down with increasingly complicated bureaucratic obstacles. Directed by renowned European filmmaker Michael Haneke, this visually stunning adaptation of Franz Kafka’s absurdist novel first aired on Austrian television.
249. Meet the Robinsons
     
     In this kid-friendly computer-animated adventure, brilliant preteen inventor Lewis (voiced by Daniel Hansen) creates a memory scanner to retrieve his earliest recollections and find out why his mother gave him up for adoption. At one point, Lewis is ready to give up on his quest. But then the mysterious Wilbur Robinson (Wesley Singerman) shows up on the scene, whisking Lewis to the future to find the scanner — and his mom.
250. Sleuth
     
     Aging detective writer Andrew Wyke (Michael Caine) squares off against Milo Tindle (Jude Law), the struggling actor who stole Wyke’s wife in this twisted — and twisty — plot of deception and double crosses from director Kenneth Branagh. Branagh steers a gripping screenplay by Nobel Prize laureate Harold Pinter, who stylishly updates the 1972 original — in which an Oscar-nominated Caine played the Milo role opposite Laurence Olivier’s Andrew.
251. Chapter 27
     
     Singer-songwriter-activist John Lennon was shot by the deranged Mark David Chapman (Jared Leto) on December 8, 1980, in New York City. Jarrett Schaeffer’s film paints a portrait of Chapman and the three days leading up to the tragic murder. When Chapman’s obsession with J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye grips him and inspires him to make a history-changing decision, new friend Jude (Lindsay Lohan) senses danger.
252. The Omen 666
     
     Grieving U.S. ambassador Robert Thorn (Liev Schreiber) brings home another baby to soften the blow when his wife, Katherine (Julia Stiles), loses their first child during labor. But as young Damien (Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick) grows up, horrific things begin to happen as his devilish lineage asserts itself. Mia Farrow, David Thewlis and Pete Postlethwaite round out the cast in this chilling remake of the 1976 horror classic.
253. Blow Up
     
     Legendary director Michelangelo Antonioni scores again with this tense mystery (his first English-speaking film) set in London among the city’s hipster crowd, the story of a popular fashion photographer (David Hemmings) who inadvertently shoots evidence of a murder. As he processes the negative in order to unravel the mystery, he must also deal with a dangerous woman (Vanessa Redgrave) who knows more than she admits.
254. The Women
     
     George Cukor directs an all-female cast in this catty tale about battling and bonding between friends and enemies that was edgy for its time — and is considered the ultimate women’s movie of the 1930s. Norma Shearer, Joan Crawford, Rosalind Russell and other Hollywood leading ladies are among the array of husband-snatchers, snitches and lovelorn ladies who argue and gossip about each other at astonishing breakneck speed.
255. Casablanca
     
     In this Oscar-winning classic, American expat Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) plays host to gamblers, thieves and refugees at his Moroccan nightclub during World War II … but he never expected Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman) – the woman who broke his heart — to walk through that door. Ilsa hopes that with Rick’s help, she and her fugitive husband (Paul Henreid) can escape to America. But the spark that brought the lovers together still burns brightly.
256. Kiss Me Deadly
     
     Shortly after sleazy detective Mike Hammer (Ralph Meeker) picks up a scantily clad hitchhiker (Cloris Leachman), his car is forced over a cliff. He awakens from unconsciousness to find his passenger dead — but it wasn’t the fall that killed her. As Hammer sets out to uncover the woman’s deadly secret and find her unknown assassins, he ignores explicit signs that he should mind his own business. This film noir was adapted from Mickey Spillane’s novel.
257. Touch of Evil
     
     Narcotics detective Mike Vargas (Charlton Heston) sees his honeymoon cut short when a car crossing the U.S.-Mexico border explodes before his eyes. Vargas forsakes his bride (Janet Leigh) to mount an investigation, but soon locks horns with corpulent Sheriff Hank Quinlan (Orson Welles). The shady cop isn’t above planting evidence — or colluding with the local crime lord — to keep Vargas from discovering the ugly truth.
258. Year of the Dog
     
     Molly Shannon stars in this quirky, canine-themed comedy that centers on an upbeat secretary whose life takes a temporary nosedive when her beloved dog suddenly dies. But in an unexpected trick, her pet’s tragedy opens her up to transformation.
259. Undeclared: The Complete Series: Disc 1
     
     This disc includes the following episodes: “Prototype,” “Oh, So You Have a Boyfriend?,” “Full Bluntal Nugety,” “Eric Visits,” “Jobs, Jobs, Jobs” and “Sick in the Head.” Extras include audio commentaries and unaired footage.
260. Undeclared: The Complete Series: Disc 2
     
     This disc includes the following episodes: “The Assistant,” “Addicts,” “God Visits (unaired),” “Parents’ Weekend,” “Eric Visits Again,” and “Rush and Pledge.”
261. Undeclared: The Complete Series: Disc 3
     
     This disc includes the following episodes: “Hell Week,” “Truth or Dare,” “The Day After,” “The Perfect Date,” “Hal and Hillary” and “Eric’s POV.”
262. Undeclared: The Complete Series: Disc 4: Bonus Material
     
     This disc includes auditions, rehearsals, “Loudon Wainwright Live,” Museum of Television & Radio Q&A and “Lloyd’s Rampage” script.
263. Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
     
     Kevin Costner stars as Sherwood Forest’s outlaw hero in this 1991 version of the classic tale of intrigue, romance and pageantry. When the dastardly Sheriff of Nottingham (Alan Rickman) murders Robin’s father, the legendary archer vows vengeance. To accomplish his mission, Robin joins forces with a band of exiled villagers (and comely Maid Marian), and together they battle to end the evil sheriff’s reign of terror.
264. Beowulf: Director’s Cut
     
     Robert Zemeckis directs this film adaptation of the longest surviving Anglo-Saxon poem, an epic tale concerning a 6th-century Scandinavian warrior named Beowulf (Ray Winstone) and his mission to slay the manlike ogre Grendel (Crispin Glover), a descendant of Cain. This film’s notable cast includes Anthony Hopkins as King Hrothgar, John Malkovich as Unferth and Angelina Jolie as Grendel’s tormented mother.
265. The Hand
     
     Academy Award winner Michael Caine stars as successful comic book artist Jonathan Lansdale, who suffers a tragedy in this thriller from director Oliver Stone. A grisly car wreck causes Jonathan to lose one of his hands, which is not recovered at the accident scene. Later, people who’ve angered the now-paranoid cartoonist begin to disappear. Is Jonathan’s severed hand capable of a killing spree?
266. Re-Animator
     
     Based on a story by H.P. Lovecraft, this campy send-up that spawned a similarly outlandish sequel follows an egotistical medical student named Herbert West (Jeffrey Combs), who develops a serum that miraculously revives the dead. Together with his obdurate roommate, Dan (Bruce Abbott), and his girlfriend, Megan (Barbara Crampton), West reanimates a corpse — but he doesn’t factor in certain complications.
267. Sideways
     
     Two men go on an excursion to California wine country and end up inducing joint midlife crises in this critically acclaimed comedy-drama that won six Independent Spirit Awards, including Best Feature and Best Director. Pinot noir lover Miles (Paul Giamatti) convinces his soon-to-be-married friend Jack (Thomas Haden Church) to enjoy his last days of bachelorhood in style. But the pair end up choosing women (Sandra Oh and Virginia Madsen) over wine.
268. Lord of the Flies
     
     Young military cadets are marooned on an island and must take up adult responsibilities. With no supervision, they create a new society — but two chiefs emerge with vastly different leadership styles. Ralph (Balthazar Getty) organizes shelter and fire for his followers, while Jack (Chris Furrh) would rather have fun and hunt with his entourage of adventure-seekers. In the end, the foes face off in a battle of primal urges and civilized behavior.
269. Jean de Florette / Manon of the Spring
     
     Claude Berri directs this pair of award-winning dramas that tell the story of a farmer who falls victim to a cruel scheme by his neighbors, and the comeuppance later delivered by the man’s daughter. In Jean de Florette, two men (Yves Montand and Daniel Auteuil) block the water source that a new farmer (Gérard Depardieu) needs for his crops. In Manon of the Spring, Jean’s grown daughter (Emmanuelle Beart) goes after the two men with a vengeance.
270. Days of Heaven
     
     Director Terrence Malick’s beautifully shot period piece, which won an Oscar for its cinematography, tells the story of Bill (Richard Gere), an early-1900s Chicago steel-mill worker who flees town after accidentally killing a man. In search of a better life, he moves his girlfriend Abby (Brooke Adams) and younger sister to the wheat fields of Texas. But they run into tragedy when a wealthy farmer (Sam Shepard) falls for Abby.
271. The Rundown
     
     When Travis (Seann William Scott), the mouthy son of a criminal, disappears in the Amazon in search of a treasured artifact, his father sends in Beck (Dwayne Johnson), who becomes Travis’s rival for the affections of Mariana (Rosario Dawson), a mysterious Brazilian woman. With his steely disposition, Beck is a man of few words — but it takes him all the discipline he can muster to work with Travis to nab a tyrant who’s after the same treasure.
272. I’m Not There
     
     Six actors (including Heath Ledger and Cate Blanchett, in an Oscar-nominated role) portray six personas of music legend Bob Dylan in scenes depicting various stages of his life, chronicling his rise from unknown folksinger to international icon. The first biography ever approved by the singer-songwriter, this stylized portrait (directed by Todd Haynes) reveals how Dylan reinvented himself many times. Kris Kristofferson narrates.
273. Broadcast News
     
     In James L. Brooks’s Oscar-nominated romantic comedy, three ambitious workaholics are set loose in a network TV newsroom, where their professional and personal lives become hopelessly cross-wired. Anchorman Tom (William Hurt) is smooth, handsome and a bit dumb; Jane (Holly Hunter) is his driven, brilliant producer; and Aaron (Albert Brooks) is a seasoned, uncharismatic reporter who can’t stand Tom’s instant success on-camera or with Jane.
274. All the King’s Men
     
     Sean Penn stars as corrupt Southern politician Willie Stark — a charismatic man who wins the populist vote but, behind closed doors, is as underhanded as those he smeared — in this remake of an Oscar-winning 1949 film of the same name. Ex-reporter Jack Burden (Jude Law) unwittingly helps Stark gain political power, but it’s just a matter of time before the governor’s crooked dealings are exposed.
275. The Savages
     
     Carrying the scars of an abusive childhood, Savage siblings Wendy (Laura Linney, in an Oscar-nominated role) and Jon (Philip Seymour Hoffman) — a long-aspiring playwright and a drama professor, respectively — now face the challenge of caring for their ailing father (Philip Bosco). Written and directed by Tamara Jenkins, this insightful indie drama explores the depth of one family’s emotional disconnect.
276. Happy-Go-Lucky
     
     Poppy is eternally cheerful, but when someone steals her beloved bike, she takes up driving and gets paired with crabby Scott. The relationship is strained till Poppy’s bright personality attracts a co-worker, making Scott unexpectedly jealous.
277. Battle in Seattle
     
     With the World Trade Organization about to convene in his city, Seattle’s Mayor Jim Tobin (Ray Liotta) tries to make sure all events go smoothly. As tensions between protestors and authorities rise out of control, activists and bystanders get caught in the crossfire. Based on the 1999 protest referred to as the “Battle of Seattle,” this drama features Charlize Theron, Woody Harrelson, André Benjamin, Connie Nielsen and Michelle Rodriguez.
278. In the Name of the Father
     
     Nominated for seven Oscars in 1993, this biopic features the dramatic prowess of Daniel Day-Lewis as the Irishman Gerry Conlon, who was wrongfully sentenced to life in prison for an IRA terrorist attack that killed four people. As if a forced confession weren’t enough injustice, the police work to implicate Conlon’s father (Pete Postlethwaite) in the same crime. Emma Thompson plays the lawyer who worked for years to uncover the truth.
279. Gangs of New York
     
     Amid the savage Irish and Italian rivalry that dominated New York City in the mid-1800s, young Amsterdam Vallon hunts down his father’s hateful murderer, Bill “the Butcher” Cutting. Along the way, Vallon falls for a streetwise pickpocket.
280. Timecrimes
     
     After accidentally traveling to the past, Héctor (Karra Elejalde) meets himself and triggers a series of mysterious events that lead to a shocking crime. The gripping time-travel story — at once deeply intricate and easy to follow — also stars Candela Fernández. Oscar-nominated short-film director Nacho Vigalondo makes his feature debut with this finely crafted sci-fi thriller.
281. Danton
     
     Acting as a metaphor for revolutionary events unfolding in 1980s Poland, this historical drama follows Danton and Robespierre, allies during the French Revolution who find themselves on opposite sides of the struggle to control the country’s future.
282. A Decade Under the Influence
     
     This documentary explores American cinema in the 1970s, a decade often described as the best years in film. What results is an ode to the art form, one that pays homage to the “auteurs” that emerged from that distinctive time period, such as Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese. Director-writer Ted Demme passed away in the middle of the project; Richard LaGravenese stepped in to finish it. The film premiered at Sundance in January 2003.
283. The Untouchables
     
     G-man Eliot Ness (Kevin Costner) will stop at nothing to take down legendary gangster Al Capone (Robert De Niro) — even if it means bending some rules — in director Brian De Palma’s period crime drama written by playwright David Mamet and based on the 1959 television series. Sean Connery steals the show with his Oscar-winning performance as Jimmy Malone, a tough-as-nails Chicago street cop who shows Ness the ropes.
284. Raising Cain
     
     When neighborhood kids begin vanishing, Jenny (Lolita Davidovich) suspects her child psychologist husband, Carter, may be resuming the deranged experiments his father performed on Carter when he was young. Now, it falls to Jenny to unravel the mystery. And as more children disappear, she fears for her own child’s safety. John Lithgow plays creepy multiple roles as Carter, his evil twin and their father in director Brian De Palma’s wicked shocker.
285. Beyond the Sea
     
     Kevin Spacey directs and stars in this film biography of singer Bobby Darin, a hipster in the Frank Sinatra tradition and singer of pop hits such as “Splish Splash” and the titular tune, “Beyond the Sea.” Darin eventually moved on to performing jazz standards that culminated in his signature gigantic hit, “Mack the Knife.” Kate Bosworth plays Darin’s wife, movie star Sandra Dee. John Goodman, Bob Hoskins and Brenda Blethyn co-star.
286. The Edge of Heaven
     
     When his father accidentally kills a prostitute, Nejat Aksu (Baki Davrak) seeks out her 27-year-old daughter, Ayten (Nurgül Yesilcay), to make amends. Nejat focuses his search in Turkey, but Ayten, who’s part of a closely watched activist group, has fled to Germany. The lives of four Turks and two Germans are soon entwined as a result of circumstances beyond their control in this compelling drama, which earned Best Screenplay honors at Cannes.
287. SpaceCamp
     
     A group of bright but incorrigible high school students (including Lea Thompson, Joaquin Phoenix and Kelly Preston) go to the NASA SpaceCamp intending to take the first steps in becoming astronauts. But they get more than they ever dreamed — or feared — when they end up launched into space. A frightening miscommunication sends the teens and their astronaut instructor into orbit, leaving them to negotiate the hazards of space and return safely.
288. The King of Comedy
     
     Director Martin Scorsese hits a satirical bulls-eye in this black comedy that explores the absurd lengths to which nebbish Rupert Pupkin (Robert De Niro) will go to land a spot on the TV talk show of his idol, Jerry Langford (a wonderfully caustic Jerry Lewis). Pupkin believes that one appearance on Langford’s show will be his ticket to stardom, so he kidnaps his idol and sets into motion a chain of events you have to see to believe!
289. New York, New York
     
     In post-World War II New York City, aspiring saxophonist Jimmy Doyle (Robert De Niro) takes an orchestra gig to be with up-and-coming chanteuse Francine (Liza Minnelli). They wed soon thereafter, but the stress of two artists struggling to succeed spells romantic disaster. Mary Kay Place and Lionel Stander co-star in director Martin Scorsese’s sparkling homage to the Big Band era, which features one of the most recognizable theme songs of all time.
290. The Last Picture Show
     
     There’s not much to do in the windswept Texas hamlet of Anarene, where the town’s only cinema is about to close forever. So high schoolers Sonny (Timothy Bottoms) and Duane (Jeff Bridges) lust after incorrigible flirt Jacy Farrow (Cybill Shepherd) while trying to chart their uncertain futures. When Duane heads for Korea after joining the service and Jacy gets shipped off to college, Sonny is left behind in a veritable ghost town.
291. Confusion of Genders
     
     In this dizzying French film starring Nathalie Richard, Cyrille Thouvenin and Vincent Martinez, three men and two women try to figure out what — and who — they really want. Christophe and Laurence both lust for Alain, who wants bad boy Marc. But Marc is eyeing Babette, so Alain works on Marc’s behalf to court Babette so he can befriend Marc. When Alain starts to fall for Babette as well, an already messy love chain grows even more entangled.
292. No Regret
     
     When art student Su-min (Young-hoon Lee) loses his factory job, he takes a position working as a prostitute at an upscale gay bar. Although he resists the advances of wealthy client Jae-min (Han Lee) at first, the two eventually become devoted lovers. But soon, pressures from Jae-min’s family threaten to come between them and their forbidden love. South Korea’s first openly gay filmmaker, Hee-il Leesong, directs this passionate drama.
293. Holding Trevor
     
     Stuck in a dead-end relationship with a heroin addict boyfriend, Trevor (Brent Gorski) finds fresh hope in the form of hunky doctor Ephram (Eli Kranski). But when conflicts arise between Trevor and his best friends, Andie (Melissa Searing) and Jake (Jay Brannan), his newfound happiness crumbles. To pull himself together again, Trevor must decide what — and who — is most important to him.
294. Where the Heart Is
     
     Pregnant teen Novalee Nation has to grow up in a hurry when her irresponsible boyfriend abandons her in an Oklahoma Wal-Mart. Taking refuge in the aisles of the store, Novalee is befriended by some eccentric strangers who help her build a new life.
295. Léon: The Professional
     
     Léon (Jean Reno), the top hit man in New York, has earned a rep as an effective “cleaner.” But when his next-door neighbors are wiped out by a loose-cannon DEA agent (Gary Oldman), he becomes the unwilling custodian of 12-year-old Mathilda (Natalie Portman). Before long, Mathilda’s thoughts turn to revenge, and she considers following in Léon’s footsteps. Luc Besson directs this gritty and unflinching actioner.
296. Spring Breakdown
     
     Desperate to spice up their boring lives, three thirtysomething women (Amy Poehler, Rachel Dratch and Parker Posey) set off for a vacation on a tropical island known for its raucous Spring Break parties. But instead of recapturing their youth, they wind up mothering a senator’s shy daughter (Amber Tamblyn). As they help the awkward girl grow more comfortable in her own skin, they, too, learn to embrace aging with wit, joy and grace.
297. My Dinner with Andre
     
     A bold experiment in film narrative that paid off in critical raves and cult status, Louis Malle’s drama consists almost entirely of the dinner conversation of two real-life friends. More or less playing themselves, Andre Gregory and Wallace Shawn wrote their own dialogue, which ranges in subject from the New York theater world to rain forests, and in tone from hilarious to heartbreaking.
298. Salvador
     
     Washed-up photojournalist Richard Boyle’s (James Woods) bad habits keep him from getting jobs, so he heads to El Salvador with his pal Dr. Rock (James Belushi) to find work amidst the country’s fledgling civil war. But he soon finds that the danger is more than he can handle. Boyle and Rock realize that they need to flee before the violence escalates, but Boyle doesn’t want to leave his new girlfriend (Elpidia Carrillo) behind. Oliver Stone directs.
299. Heaven & Earth
     
     After enduring a lifetime of hardship in her native country at the hands of French colonists and the communist Viet Cong, a young mother (Hiep Thi Le) becomes the wife of a U.S. marine (Tommy Lee Jones) and starts a new life in America. Director Oliver Stone also penned the screenplay for this Vietnam War-era drama with a Golden Globe-winning score, the third and final installment of Stone’s Vietnam trilogy.
300. Tetsuo: The Iron Man
     
     Soon after he accidentally runs down a man with a fetish for implanting scrap metal into his body (Shinya Tsukamoto, who also directs), a businessman (Tomorowo Taguchi) begins eerily morphing into a hybrid man-machine, accompanied by twisted, metal-related nightmares. Is the metal fetishist somehow controlling the transformation? Now, the businessman must track down the man he thought he killed before the horrific metamorphosis is complete.
301. Sweeney Todd
     
     Johnny Depp reteams with director Tim Burton for this big-screen adaptation of the hit Broadway musical, earning an Oscar nod as vengeful Sweeney Todd, who becomes a deranged murderer after being falsely imprisoned by a sinister judge (Alan Rickman). To cover his tracks, Todd enlists the help of Mrs. Lovett (Helena Bonham Carter), who disposes of the victims by baking them into tasty meat pies that become the toast of London.
302. Road Killers
     
     While road-tripping through the Arizona desert, the Lerolland family gets a shock when their son Rich (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is nearly run down by a gang of deranged drivers led by the vicious Cliff (Craig Sheffer). But the terror multiplies when Cliff ups the stakes to a deadly degree. It isn’t long before Rich’s uncle Jack (Christopher Lambert) becomes the sole hope for the family in this tense road thriller, also starring Josh Brolin.
303. Havoc
     
     The elegant Anne Hathaway takes off her Princess Diaries crown to play a wealthy Los Angeles teen who, along with her superficial friends, wants to break out of suburbia and experience Southern California’s “gansta” lifestyle. But problems arise when the preppies get in over their heads and provoke the wrath of a violent Latino gang. Suddenly, their role-playing seems a little too real. Bijou Phillips, Freddy Rodriguez and Michael Biehn co-star.
304. Halloween: H2O
     
     It’s the first reunion in 20 years for two estranged siblings: former baby-sitter Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) and her brother, crazed slasher Michael Myers. With a witty script, a great cast (including LL Cool J and Michelle Williams) and Curtis’s return to the role that made her a scream queen, Halloween: H20 is the final chapter in a legendary tale.
305. Dark Shadows: The Complete Revival Series: Disc 1
     
     This disc includes episodes 1-4.
306. Dark Shadows: The Complete Revival Series: Disc 2
     
     This disc includes episodes 5-8.
307. Dark Shadows: The Complete Revival Series: Disc 3
     
     This disc includes episodes 9-12.
308. Wit
     
     Emma Thompson stars as Vivian Bearing, a disciplined, esteemed English professor dealing with a sensitive issue — her health. After being diagnosed with ovarian cancer, Bearing is forced to reassess her life and decide what’s really important. Directed by Mike Nichols and adapted from the Pulitzer Prize-winning drama by Margaret Edson, the film also tells the stories of the people Bearing touches, including her health care team.
309. Carnal Knowledge
     
     Mike Nichols directs a sterling cast in this trailblazing film, which chronicles the sexual mores and escapades of two college pals — loathsome misogynist Jonathan (Jack Nicholson) and shy, neurotic Sandy (Art Garfunkel) — over two decades. Jonathan and Sandy embody a laundry list of emotional dysfunction as they move from one relationship to the next. Candice Bergen, Rita Moreno and Oscar-nominated Ann-Margret co-star as the women in their orbit.
310. Deadgirl
     
     After skipping school and breaking into the boiler room of a deserted mental hospital, buddies Rickie (Shiloh Fernandez) and JT (Noah Segan) make a shocking discovery: the plastic-covered naked body of a woman lying on a gurney. When they realize that the woman may be alive, JT shocks Rickie by suggesting they take advantage of her. But all is not as it seems in this dark thriller: The door to the boiler room had been rusted shut for years.
311. Grace
     
     When an accident takes the life of the unborn, 8-month-old fetus inside her, Madeline Matheson (Jordan Ladd) insists on delivering the stillborn child — only to discover that the baby is alive and heinously hungry. Before long, voracious baby Grace spurns milk and forces Madeline to slake her insatiable appetite for blood. Paul Solet directs this masterful horror movie, while Gabrielle Rose and Stephen Park co-star.
312. Surveillance
     
     Revealing the stunning truth behind a horrific string of homicides near Santa Fe, a young girl (Ryan Simpkins), a police officer (Kent Harper) and a drug addict (Pell James) spill their wildly different eyewitness accounts to FBI agents Elizabeth Anderson (Julia Ormond) and Sam Hallaway (Bill Pullman). Michael Ironside, Cheri Oteri and French Stewart co-star in this thriller from director Jennifer Chambers Lynch (Boxing Helena).
313. Mister Lonely
     
     This gorgeously lensed, slightly surreal dramedy follows a Michael Jackson impersonator (Diego Luna) to Paris, where he meets a Marilyn Monroe look-alike (Samantha Morton) and accompanies her as she reconvenes with her husband and daughter (also impersonators) in Scotland. Along the way, they rendezvous with a Queen Elizabeth look-alike, among others, in director Harmony Korine’s absurdist statement about celebrity obsession.
314. The Trip
     
     Hitting the road isn’t as fun and carefree as it may seem, at least not for 17-year-old Cess Bowman (Heather Shrake), her sister and their pals, who are headed for a spring break bash in Arizona by way of the remote and foreboding Mojave Desert. A pit stop at a run-down motel in the middle of nowhere quickly turns their road trip into a harrowing nightmare when one of them ends up in bed with an alluring stranger who turns out to be bad news.
315. Caligula
     
     Malcolm McDowell portrays the infamous emperor who wielded godlike power over ancient Rome while at the same time sleeping with his sister (Teresa Ann Savoy). Helen Mirren, Peter O’Toole and John Gielgud co-star in this film produced by &NFi;Penthouse Magazine&NFi_; editor Bob Guccione and written by Gore Vidal. Warning: This unrated edition contains explicit sex, nudity and violence as well as disturbing imagery.
316. The Story of O
     
     In a strange, secluded chateau, a woman known only as O (Corinne Clery) is introduced to sadomasochism by her lover: He whips her, chains her and watches her make love to and inflict pain on others. In the process of “proving her love” for him, she gives up everything — even agreeing to be branded — to provide him with pleasure. French director Just Jaeckin (Emmanuelle) helmed this adaptation of Pauline Réage’s best-selling erotic novel.
317. Trees Lounge
     
     Shiftless barfly Tommy Basilio (Steve Buscemi, in his writing and directing debut) spends virtually all his time at the neighborhood watering hole, Trees Lounge. As a result of his ambiguous ethical choices, he’s alienated his family and lost both his job and his girlfriend, Theresa (Elizabeth Bracco). Still, the underachieving Tommy would rather deaden the pain than try to turn his life around, and in Trees Lounge, he’s in good company.
318. The Hills Run Red
     
     When they hear there’s a complete print of their favorite slasher movie hidden in their hometown’s backwoods, a group of horror movie buffs heads out in search of the celluloid treasure. Once arriving at their destination, they discover that the carnage captured in the movie was completely real, and worse yet, the filmmakers are looking to spill more blood before they’re ready to call “cut.” Sophie Monk and William Sadler star.
319. Shadowboxer
     
     In this audacious thriller, a nasty crime lord (Stephen Dorff) hires Rose (Helen Mirren) and her stepson Mikey (Cuba Gooding Jr.) — assassin partners and longtime lovers — to off his spouse, Vickie (Vanessa Ferlito). But Rose, ill with cancer and on her last job, spares her mark when she learns Vickie’s with child. The unexpected twist forces Mikey, Rose and their charges to flee to life in suburbia, until the past catches up with them.
320. Barcelona
     
     Ted (Taylor Nichols), a conservative, idealistic Chicago yuppie working in sales at his company’s Barcelona office, is visited by his shallow, belligerent cousin Fred, a U.S. Navy officer. While bar-hopping, chasing women and philosophizing about love, they’re inadvertently caught up in the volatile political climate of post-Franco Spain, which irrevocably alters their lives. Mira Sorvino co-stars in this romantic comedy with a serious slant.
321. Pretty in Pink
     
     When Andie (Molly Ringwald), who lives with her unemployed father (Harry Dean Stanton), and Blane (Andrew McCarthy), who is rich and popular, strike up a romance, Blane meets resistance from his shallow best friend, Steff (James Spader), when he asks Andie to prom. Meanwhile, her best friend, Duckie (Jon Cryer), pines for her. This classic 1980s teen film from the master of the genre, writer-producer John Hughes, co-stars Annie Potts.
322. Some Kind of Wonderful
     
     In this 1980s classic from writer-producer John Hughes, Watts (Mary Stuart Masterson) is a tomboy who has a crush on her best friend, Keith (Eric Stoltz). But her feelings go unrequited as Keith falls for the hopelessly feminine Amanda (Lea Thompson), a rich girl with snobby friends. Unfortunately for Keith, Amanda’s ex-boyfriend wants her back and is willing to do anything to get her. But does that mean he and Watts are destined to be together?
323. Testosterone
     
     Wrestling with a major case of writer’s block, successful comic book author Dean (David Sutcliffe) finds his thoughts straying to his long-lost lover Pablo (Antonio Sabato Jr.), who suddenly disappeared from Dean’s life during a quick trip to the store. Determined to track down his former flame, Dean must also contend with his fans and impatient editor who are anxiously awaiting the follow-up to his graphic novel&NFi; I Was a Teenage Speed Freak&NFi_;.
324. The Brothers Bloom
     
     The Brothers Bloom made a name for themselves as the world’s best con men. Now, the younger (Adrien Brody) is ready to retire on the millions the pair has swindled. But when his brother (Mark Ruffalo) lures him into one last job, he reluctantly agrees. What he hasn’t counted on, though, is falling for their mark, an adventure-seeking heiress (Rachel Weisz). Robbie Coltrane and Babel’s Rinko Kikuchi co-star.
325. Wings of Desire
     
     Wim Wenders won the award for Best Director at the 1987 Cannes Film Festival for this captivating vision about an angel (Bruno Ganz) who falls in love with a beautiful circus performer while drifting unnoticed through West Berlin. Overcome by the girl’s beauty, the angel decides he wants to become human. Peter Falk also stars, as himself, and aids the angel in his decision-making process.
326. Broken
     
     Determined to get her life on track, Hope (Heather Graham) takes stock of all the mistakes that have derailed her dreams. When she learns that her biggest mistake, her ex-beau Will (Jeremy Sisto), is looking to win her back, she finds herself headed toward a deadly crossroads. Featuring supporting performances from Linda Hamilton, Tess Harper and Jake Busey, this indie thriller is directed by Alan White.
327. Humpday
     
     After hanging out with some hedonistic acquaintances, best pals Andrew (Joshua Leonard) and Ben (Mark Duplass) find their friendship tested in strange new ways when a dare leads them to contemplate filming a live sex scene together for an amateur porn festival. As the shoot date looms, our heroes must contend with two major logistical difficulties: Ben’s wife, Anna (Alycia Delmore); and their heterosexuality. The indie comedy screened at the Sundance Film Festival.
328. The NeverEnding Story 2: The Next Chapter
     
     A new cast takes over the characters from the 1984 hit. With his mother now dead, Bastian (Jonathan Brandis) returns to the storybook land of Fantasia, where he must rescue the Childlike Empress (Alexandra Johnes) from the evil sorceress Xayide (Clarissa Burt). Also returning are Bastian’s magical creature companions. Director George Miller filmed the movie in Germany, Canada, Argentina, Italy and France.
329. Sin Nombre
     
     Fleeing retaliation from the violent Central American street gang he’s deserted, a young hood boards a northbound train, where he takes refuge atop the moving freight cars and hopes for a fresh start in a new country.
330. Red Eye
     
     Terrified of flying, Lisa (Rachel McAdams) reluctantly hops a red-eye flight bound for Miami and buckles up for a bumpy ride. But her phobia morphs into terror when she learns that a fellow passenger (Cillian Murphy) has plans to murder the deputy secretary of Homeland Security. Worse yet is that he wants to use &NFi;her&NFi_; as part of the plot. Horror master Wes Craven directs this psychological thriller set at 30,000 feet.
331. The Hills Have Eyes
     
     When their camper breaks down in the desert on their way to California, an all-American family struggles to survive the attacks of a cannibalistic clan hungry for the fresh meat of wayward vacationers. One by one, the family members fall prey to the inbred marauders, until only a son and daughter remain to rescue their kidnapped infant brother and seek vengeance against the savages. Horror master Wes Craven directs the film, which was remade in 2006.
332. The Last House on the Left
     
     In this cult horror favorite from twisted writer-director Wes Craven, a pair of repulsive, sadistic escaped convicts kidnap, rape, torture and murder two teenage girls — but the criminals have picked the wrong teens to victimize. One of the girls’ parents, not content with turning to the law, set out to exact an equally brutal revenge on the vicious murderers, who are hiding out in the family’s home.
333. The Cove
     
     Daring animal activists arrive with surveillance equipment at a scenic cove in Taijii, Japan, to capture footage of a secretive and heavily guarded operation run by the world’s largest supplier of dolphins. As the group sets out to expose the horrifying truths behind the capture of dolphins for the lucrative tourist industry, they also uncover an environmental catastrophe. Louie Psihoyos directs this riveting, Oscar-winning documentary.
334. Constantine
     
     John Constantine (Keanu Reeves) is a private investigator who believes in things that go bump in the night — an unconventional quirk that makes him somewhat of an eccentric personality in a world ruled largely by logic. When a female cop (Rachel Weisz) seeks his counsel after her twin sister dies in what first appears to be a suicide, she wants definitive proof of the cause of death. But the answers might only come with blind faith.
335. The F-Bomb: A Documentary
     
     Filmmaker Steve Anderson explores the “F” word in this provocative documentary, which delves into the expletive’s history, taboo and power, and includes interviews with everyone from Pat Boone to Ice-T. Scholars trace the word’s origin and evolution, while others (including Kevin Smith, Sam Donaldson and Lenny Bruce) weigh in on issues such as free speech. The film also features Bill Plympton’s animations.
336. Waltz with Bashir
     
     Director Ari Folman employs vivid black-and-white animation in this Golden Globe-winning film, exploring the memory gaps in his life during his service for the Israeli army in the Lebanese war of the early 1980s. Recounting stories based on recorded interviews with colleagues and friends, Folman relives the horrors of war and dissects the curious coping mechanisms humans use to survive under brutal circumstances.
337. The Last King of Scotland
     
     During an African medical mission in the 1970s, Scottish doctor Nicholas Garrigan (James McAvoy) impresses brutal Ugandan dictator Idi Amin (Forest Whitaker, in an Oscar- and Golden Globe-winning role) by acting swiftly in a crisis and becomes the dictator’s personal physician. Garrigan enjoys the perks of his new position, until he begins to become aware of Amin’s inhumanity — and his own complicity.
338. The Insider
     
     When a TV producer coaxes a researcher to speak about his former employer’s knowledge of tobacco’s dangers, the corporations try to silence them in this Oscar-nominated drama based on a true story.
339. Paranoid Park
     
     Late one night in a Portland skate park, 16-year-old Alex (Gabe Nevins) accidentally kills a security guard and chooses to keep it a secret. But guilt begins to take its toll on his relationships with his friend Macy (Lauren McKinney), his girlfriend (Taylor Momsen) and eventually his sanity. Filmmaker Gus Van Sant directs this Cannes Film Festival 60th Anniversary Prize winner, based on the novel by Blake Nelson.
340. Secret Diary of a Call Girl: Season 1: Disc 1
     
     This disc includes episodes 1-4.
341. Secret Diary of a Call Girl: Season 1: Disc 2
     
     This disc includes episodes 5-8.
342. Duplicity
     
     Julia Roberts and Clive Owen co-star in this curveball-throwing thriller as a pair of romantically involved corporate operatives who are entangled in a bitter rivalry between two mammoth pharmaceutical companies. Paul Giamatti and Tom Wilkinson convincingly round out the heavyweight cast as warring big pharma CEOs in this intriguing espionage effort from writer-director Tony Gilroy (Michael Clayton).
343. Dirty Pretty Things
     
     Undocumented immigrants Okwe (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and Senay (Audrey Tautou) work at a posh London hotel and live in constant fear of deportation. One night, Okwe stumbles across evidence of a bizarre murder, setting off a series of events that could lead to disaster — or freedom. This gritty, complex thriller from director Stephen Frears received an Oscar nod for its screenplay. Sophie Okonedo and Sergi López co-star.
344. Happy Accidents
     
     Ruby Weaver (Marisa Tomei) is tired of being the “enabler” in relationships and has decided to give up the role of doormat. She’s also on the verge of giving up on love when she meets a sweet, small-town guy, Sam Deed (Vincent D’Onofrio), who changes her mind. It seems Ruby’s finally found a sane boyfriend — until Sam divulges that he’s a time traveler from the year 2470. Now it’s up to Ruby to decide whether love can conquer all.
345. Idiocracy
     
     To test its top-secret Human Hibernation Project, the Pentagon picks the most average Americans it can find — an Army private (Luke Wilson) and a prostitute (Maya Rudolph) — and sends them to the year 2505 after a series of freak events. But when they arrive, they find a civilization so dumbed-down that they’re the smartest people around. Mike Judge and Etan Cohen (“Beavis and Butthead”) reteamed for this futuristic farce.
346. Gran Torino
     
     Curmudgeonly Korean War veteran Walt Kowalski (Clint Eastwood, who also directs) must confront his Hmong immigrant neighbors — and his own long-held prejudices — when the family’s teenage son, Thao (Bee Vang), tries to steal Walt’s beloved 1972 Gran Torino. Walt soon assumes the unlikely role of guardian angel to young Thao and his sister Sue (Ahney Her), both of whom are vulnerable to local gang influences.
347. The Life of David Gale
     
     When Texas professor David Gale (Kevin Spacey), an advocate for the elimination of the death penalty, is falsely accused and convicted of the rape and murder of another activist (Laura Linney), he ends up on the state’s notorious death row himself. In a series of flashbacks, Gale tells his story to a young reporter (Kate Winslet) who’s visiting him on death row, leaving her to sort out his guilt or innocence.
348. 50 Dead Men Walking
     
     Belfast hood Martin (Jim Sturgess) is recruited by a British agent (Ben Kingsley) to infiltrate the IRA during the height of the Northern Irish conflict and quickly becomes embroiled in a dangerous game that could cost him his life if his secret is found out. As other informers are brutally murdered, Martin starts to look for a way out, but his handler urges him to stay undercover in this taut political thriller based on a true story.
349. Departures
     
     Young cellist Daigo has an epiphany in which he realizes he’s been heading down the wrong career path. Retreating to his hometown, he trains for a new professional role as a nakanshi — one who prepares the dead for burial.
350. Downloading Nancy
     
     Sick of her life, housewife Nancy (Maria Bello) just wants it to be over and done with, but rather than kill herself, she hires a stranger from the Internet to do the job for her. But fate takes a strange turn when she meets her killer (Jason Patric) and the two fall in love. Of course, Nancy realizes that love and murder do not naturally go hand in hand. Rufus Sewell and Amy Brenneman also star in this thriller.
351. The Burning Plain
     
     Charlize Theron plays a depressed, sex-obsessed restaurant manager in this moody, fragmented drama — screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga’s directorial debut — that weaves together four seemingly unrelated stories separated by time and space. A New Mexico housewife (Kim Basinger) begins a torrid affair, two teens mourn the death of their parents, and a young girl tries to mend her life in a Mexican border town.
352. Push
     
     On the run from the Division, a shadowy government agency that uses people with psychic abilities to do their bidding, telekinetic Nick Gant (Chris Evans) and clairvoyant Cassie Holmes (Dakota Fanning) join forces to find a third psychic who can help them destroy the organization. But when the Division picks up their trail, it sends a powerful agent (Djimon Hounsou) to stop them at all costs in this atmospheric thriller.
353. The Spirit
     
     After a rookie cop is murdered, he’s mysteriously reborn as a masked superhero known as the Spirit. Setting out to rid the streets of crime, he finds his archnemesis in the Octopus, whose quest for immortality imperils the entire city.
354. Give Me Your Hand
     
     French 18-year-old twin brothers Antoine (Alexandre Carril) and Quentin (Victor Carril) journey on foot to their mother’s funeral in Spain, but romantic entanglements along the way with beautiful Clementine (Anais Demoustier) and farmhand Hakim (Samir Harrag) stir up resentments. Director Pascal-Alex Vincent’s elliptical and poetic drama incorporates aesthetic influences as disparate as Japanese anime and classical European painting.
355. Body of Lies
     
     Newly stationed in Jordan, idealistic CIA agent Roger Ferris (Leonardo DiCaprio) teams up with veteran operative Ed Hoffman (Russell Crowe) and the head of Jordanian intelligence (Mark Strong) to infiltrate an underground network of terrorists and locate a criminal mastermind. Based on the best-selling novel by David Ignatius and directed by Ridley Scott, this suspenseful spy thriller features top-rate performances and explosive action sequences.
356. Cold Souls
     
     Paul Giamatti stars as himself, an actor in the throes of anxiety over an upcoming performance — until he gives his soul to a mysterious company that promises to freeze and store it until he wants it again, along with his anxieties. But when his soul goes missing, Giamatti embarks on a journey to track it down. Along the way he learns a thing or two about engaging every human emotion, however difficult. Sophie Barthes directs.
357. Black Dynamite
     
     Black Dynamite (Michael Jai White) is the only one strong enough and brave enough to take on the baddies who murdered his brother. What’s the former CIA agent to do? Expose a conspiracy that leads straight to the White House. Providing plenty of hilarity and sexy, slick action, Scott Sanders directs this homage to classic 1970s blaxploitation flicks. Salli Richardson-Whitfield and Arsenio Hall also star.
358. Women in Trouble
     
     One crazy day in the lives of 10 wildly different women — including a porn star, psychiatrist, flight attendant, housewife, masseuse and others — forms the basis of this indie comedy from writer-director Sebastian Gutierrez. Starring Carla Gugino as adult film actress Elektra Luxx, the film features an ensemble cast that includes Adrianne Palicki, Connie Britton, Garcelle Beauvais, Emmanuelle Chriqui and Elizabeth Berkley.
359. Sophie’s Choice
     
     Aspiring author Stingo (Peter MacNicol) shares a Brooklyn boarding house with winsome Polish émigré Sophie (Meryl Streep) and her mercurial lover, Nathan (Kevin Kline) — a union unsettled by Nathan’s violent behavior and Sophie’s disturbing recollections of her wartime experience. Stingo uncovers the truth about Sophie, however, when her accounts of her stint at a Nazi concentration camp unravel, laying bare the real source of her torment.
360. Out of Africa
     
     Hoping to forge a better life, Denmark native Karen Blixen (Meryl Streep) enters into a marriage of convenience with a womanizing baron. But when the couple moves to Nairobi, Karen falls in love with a free-spirited hunter (Robert Redford) who can’t be tied down. Director Sydney Pollack’s lush period drama earned seven Academy Awards, including statues for Best Picture, Best Screenplay and Best Cinematography.
361. The Baby Formula
     
     When Athena (Angela Vint) and Lilith (Megan Fahlenbock) decide to have a baby, they don’t want just any baby: They want a baby that comes from both of them. But how to do it without a man? An experimental procedure that can turn stem cells into semen, of course. With this inventive independent comedy, director Alison Reid explores the limits of scientific possibility alongside the quirks of unconventional parenthood.
362. The Private Lives of Pippa Lee
     
     When her husband, who’s 30 years her senior, relocates the family to a retirement community, flawless wife and mother Pippa Lee slides toward a nervous breakdown as she reflects on her tumultuous past and befriends her neighbor’s enigmatic son.
363. The September Issue
     
     Director R.J. Cutler’s documentary offers a rare look inside &NFi;Vogue&NFi_; as the fashion magazine’s influential editor, Anna Wintour, and creative director, Grace Coddington, produce the highly anticipated September issue.
364. Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior
     
     When a sacred Buddha statuette is stolen from Ting’s (Tony Jaa) village by a shady businessman intent on realizing a profit from his ill-gotten gain, Ting takes it upon himself to reclaim the pilfered treasure by following the trail of clues to Bangkok. It turns out Ting is the right man for the job, as he possesses an impressive array of Muay Thai fighting skills that can lay out all his adversaries.
365. The Art of Being Straight
     
     After leaving his girlfriend behind in New York and moving to Los Angeles, Jon (writer-director Jesse Rosen) settles into a new living arrangement with an old college pal and explores his curiosity for the same sex by cashing in on come-ons from his boss (Johnny Ray). Meanwhile, Jon’s lesbian friend Maddy (Rachel Castillo) has a confusing crush on the cute guy who lives next door (Pete Scherer) in this comedic drama.
366. Dead Snow
     
     A group of Norwegian friends get the scariest history lesson of their lives during a weekend getaway to the snowy town of Øksfjord, where the party is interrupted by throngs of Nazi zombies who once occupied the area. Armed with a machine-gun-equipped snowmobile, the gang fights for survival in director Tommy Wirkola’s quirky horror, shot on location in the mountains of Norway. The film had its U.S. premiere at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival.
367. We Live in Public
     
     Ondi Timoner’s documentary chronicles a decade in the life of Internet pioneer Josh Harris, who instigated an “artificial society” experiment in which more than 100 artists lived under 24-hour surveillance in an underground New York City compound.
368. I Sell the Dead
     
     As 19th-century grave robber Arthur Blake faces the guillotine, he confesses his sins to a priest, revealing a life filled with unearthly high jinks in this macabre comedy starring Dominic Monaghan as the doomed digger and Ron Perlman as the cleric.
369. Female Trouble
     
     Directed by midnight-movie legend John Waters, this campy, twisted follow-up to Pink Flamingos isn’t for the squeamish. Cult icon Divine stars as spoiled teen Dawn Davenport, who leaves home when her parents refuse to buy her the one Christmas gift she covets: cha-cha heels. After a sexual encounter with a sleazy derelict (also played by Divine), Dawn turns up pregnant and soon becomes a career criminal with a taste for murder.
370. Uncertainty
     
     A young couple facing a life-changing decision, Bobby (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and Kate (Lynn Collins), stand on the Brooklyn Bridge, toss a coin and let the outcome decide their holiday plans. The action unfolds in intercutting scenes of both possibilities. This creative cinematic puzzle from filmmakers Scott McGehee and David Siegel (Bee Season) reveals an intricate thriller as well as a tense relationship drama.
371. Tokyo Sonata
     
     From Japanese director Kiyoshi Kurosawa comes a drama about the Sasakis, an ordinary Japanese family living a bucolic life — until the father is abruptly laid off from his job and decides to keep the news from his wife and kids. Soon, the father’s sense of shame, and the indignity he faces while passing each day in the park in his suit and tie, quickly turns into a rage that proves to hold irrevocable consequences for all concerned.
372. House of Usher
     
     While visiting his reclusive, ailing ex-lover Roderick Usher (Frank Mentier), Victor Reynolds (Michael Cardelle) slowly learns of the dreadful secrets lurking in Roderick’s house and eventually finds himself in grave danger in this contemporary spin on the Edgar Allan Poe classic. Spooky and muscular shirtless men abound in David DeCoteau’s gay-themed horror, which also stars Jaimyse Haft as the bizarre Madeline.
373. Art & Copy
     
     Filmmaker Doug Pray explores the fascinating and mysterious world of advertising in this compelling documentary, which includes interviews with the talented minds that created famous taglines such as “Where’s the Beef?” and “Just Do It.”
374. Death in Venice
     
     Italian legend Luchino Visconti creates a visually stunning adaptation of the Thomas Mann novella about an older gay man, composer Gustav von Aschenbach (Dirk Bogarde), who goes to Venice to escape past loves and professional failures. All his woes are forgotten when he sees an angelic blond Polish boy whom he follows everywhere (without ever approaching). Soon, his life is transformed in ways he could never have imagined.
375. The Libertine
     
     In this provocative period piece, Johnny Depp portrays 17th-century poet John Wilmot, the Earl of Rochester, who received posthumous acclaim for his sexually overt poetry and, during his brief life, was known for his womanizing ways. Wilmot’s rakish adventures include attempting to kidnap the woman he would eventually marry, constantly angering the king and wooing actress Elizabeth Barry. Samantha Morton and John Malkovich co-star.
376. Objectified
     
     Discover how manufactured objects that surround us such as cars, phones and chairs influence our daily lives with this revealing documentary, which features top industrial designers discussing their creative processes and professional objectives. Director Gary Hustwit (Helvetica) explores not only how objects get made, but also why they make us feel the way they do and how they can make our world better.
377. Holy Mountain
     
     Chilean avant-garde filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky weaves a grotesque tale rich in allegory and sacrilegious imagery as a thief (Horácio Salinas) is first crucified, then enlisted by an alchemist (Jodorowsky) to join a group of elites who seek divinity and immortality. Juan Ferrara, Adriana Page, Richard Rutowski, Valerie Jodorowsky, Zamira Saunders and Ana De Sade also star in this surreal 1970s mind trip.
378. Prodigal Sons
     
     In high school, Kimberly Reed was male, a straight-A student and captain of the football team. But since leaving his rural Montana hometown, he’s become a woman — and a filmmaker whose documentary could not be any more personal. Half the story involves her attending her high school reunion as a transgendered female; the other half involves reuniting with her siblings, including her estranged adopted brother.
379. Boy
     
     Acclaimed Filipino director Auraeus Solito brings a dreamy romanticism to this tale about a budding teenage poet (Aeious Asin) who sells his comic book collection so he can afford to spend New Year’s Eve with Aries (Aries Pena), a handsome male dancer. Portraying the night of passion — and the connection between the pair — as a life-changing experience for the young man, the film is part romance and part sociopolitical commentary.
380. Boy Culture
     
     In director Q. Allan Brocka’s unconventional love story, a male prostitute with the enigmatic name of X (Derek Magyar) carefully avoids personal intimacy and affection, and is only interested in sex when he’s being paid for it. X maintains his stoic approach to sex and love until one of his regular customers (Patrick Bauchau) tempts him to reconsider his position by sharing a meaningful story. The film premiered at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival.
381. Enigma
     
     During the early days of World War II, the Nazis change the Enigma Code that commandeers their fleet of U-boats — and now it’s up to brilliant code breaker Tom Jericho (Dougray Scott) to crack the new encryption. As if that alone weren’t trouble enough, he suspects a German agent may have infiltrated the British code-breaking team. Kate Winslet co-stars, along with Saffron Burrows as Jericho’s fiancée who mysteriously goes missing.
382. Death at a Funeral
     
     Put-upon Aaron (Chris Rock) is always plagued by drama and dysfunction, but he encounters more than he can handle while attempting to plan his father’s funeral. What’s a family gathering without jealousy, tension and blackmail? Martin Lawrence, Tracy Morgan, Danny Glover, James Marsden, Luke Wilson, Zoe Saldana, Regina Hall and Columbus Short round out a stellar ensemble cast. Neil LaBute directs.
383. Four Boxes
     
     While working together in their eBay auction business, Trevor (Justin Kirk), Amber (Terryn Westbrook) and Rob (Sam Rosen) grow increasingly obsessed with the Web site fourboxes.tv, which follows the bizarre and potentially dangerous behavior of a creepy character they nickname “Havoc.” As Havoc builds bombs and prepares to unleash disasters, the friends debate over whether they should try stopping him or just enjoy the show.
384. Destricted
     
     By packing a string of seven erotic shorts into one volume, Destricted removes a bit of the taboo surrounding pornography. Directors range from filmmakers such as Larry Clark to artists from other mediums like Richard Prince and Marilyn Minter. Included are Matthew Barney’s “Hoist,” in which a man gets intimate with a driveshaft; Prince’s “House Call,” a salute to 1970s cinema; and Clark’s “Impaled,” in which he holds auditions for a porn flick.
385. The White Ribbon
     
     A year before World War I, a series of strange and brutal pranks threaten to shatter a northern German town’s orderly existence. But the residents’ response may have even more disturbing implications for the future. Celebrated Austrian filmmaker Michael Haneke helms this Golden Globe-winning, sumptuously photographed black-and-white drama that stars Susanne Lothar, Ulrich Tukur and Theo Trebs.
386. The 41-Year-Old Virgin Who Knocked Up Sarah Marshall and Felt Superbad About It
     
     Director Craig Moss (who brought the world Saving Ryan’s Privates) takes aim at the conventions of hit comedies — and at least one Oscar-winning drama — and amps up their most memorable moments in search of more laughs in this farcical parody. As the title suggests, the film pokes fun at The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Superbad, but it also takes a few swipes at Slumdog Millionaire, too.
387. Trash Humpers
     
     Handheld cameras and a cinema vérité style underscore the odd blend of violence and tenderness that prevails in this shock fest, which follows a band of troublemakers on a witless rampage against objects animate and inanimate. Eschewing narrative structure for a style long on visual symbolism, filmmaker Harmony Korine uses his outsider characters to illuminate a variety of themes, including redemption.
388. The Immaculate Conception of Little Dizzle
     
     Downsized into taking a job as a nighttime janitor, computer engineer Dory (Marshall Allman) and his fellow custodians become the unwitting subjects of an experiment that involves vision-inducing cookies. But — as Dory and his pals soon discover — hallucinations aren’t the only thing the cookies spawn inside those who eat them. David Russo directs this trippy comedy that co-stars Natasha Lyonne, Tania Raymonde and Vince Vieluf.
389. Howl
     
     James Franco steps into the shoes of famed Beat poet Allen Ginsberg in this star-studded biopic centered around Ginsberg’s poem “Howl” — and the widely publicized obscenity trial that followed its publication in 1957. Documentarians Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman (The Times of Harvey Milk) direct, with an A-list ensemble cast that includes Jon Hamm, David Strathairn, Jeff Daniels and Mary-Louise Parker.
390. Freakonomics
     
     Several documentary directors each film a segment representing one chapter of Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner’s best-seller Freakonomics, which explains different elements of popular culture through economic theory and statistics. Issues include everything from cheating sumo wrestlers to whether Roe v. Wade produced a drop in crime. Filmmakers include Morgan Spurlock, Alex Gibney, Seth Gordon, Eugene Jarecki, Rachel Grady and Heidi Ewing.
391. Saturday Night Fever
     
     Director John Badham’s musical ushered in the disco craze with the character of 19-year-old Tony Manero (John Travolta). By day, Tony’s a paint store clerk, but at night he’s a polyester-clad stallion who rules a Brooklyn nightspot with his partner, Stephanie (Karen Lynn Gorney). Although the plot addresses socioeconomic themes, it’s the Bee Gees soundtrack and Travolta’s strutting, Oscar-nominated moves that have made the film iconic.
392. They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?
     
     A Depression-era dance marathon with a large cash prize brings out the worst in its desperate contestants in director Sydney Pollack’s powerful drama starring Jane Fonda, Michael Sarrazin and Gig Young (who won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar). The competitors — including a jaded young woman, a drifter and a pregnant farm girl — push one another to the brink of exhaustion, and finally into the unthinkable. Susannah York and Red Buttons also star.
393. The Swimsuit Issue
     
     Unfortunately for the guys on Sweden’s only all-male synchronized swim team, a passion for their sport does not necessarily equal a proficiency in it. But that’s not going to stop them in their quest for gold in this comedy from Mans Herngren. Determined to prove naysayers wrong, the middle-aged mermen work first to improve their swimming and then synchronize it as they fervently pursue their ultimate goal — the world championship.
394. The Company Men
     
     Written, directed and produced by John Wells (“The West Wing”), this indie drama stars Ben Affleck as a successful businessman who comes face-to-face with America’s downsizing epidemic when he loses his job and is forced to take a construction gig. Rounding out the all-star cast are Kevin Costner as Affleck’s brother-in-law, Tommy Lee Jones as a conflicted corporate bigwig and Chris Cooper as a paranoid executive.
395. Mommie Dearest
     
     Based on Christina Crawford’s scandalous tell-all memoir, Mommie Dearest paints a portrait of a Joan Crawford the public never knew. The film portrays Crawford as a wicked, abusive mother who lives as though she’s perpetually onscreen.
396. Elektra Luxx
     
     In this sequel to Sebastian Gutierrez’s comedy Women in Trouble, Carla Gugino plays Elektra Luxx, a Valley-dwelling Los Angeles porn star who receives the kind of news that few women in her line of work want to hear: She’s pregnant. Adrianne Palicki and Joseph Gordon-Levitt reprise their roles from the first film, with Timothy Olyphant and Malin Akerman rounding out the cast of oddball characters.
397. Party Monster
     
     Michael Alig leaves the Midwest for the Big Apple and becomes a fixture of the New York City club scene — until his luck changes. This drama based on true events traces Alig’s rise as a successful party promoter and his descent into drug addiction.
398. Fired Up!
     
     After maxing out their starring roles on the high school football team, Shawn (Nicholas D’Agosto) and Nick (Eric Christian Olsen) ditch summer training camp and head into brave new territory: volunteering to help the cheerleading squad reach new heights. The team’s pretty captain (Sarah Roemer) doesn’t buy the guys’ act for a second. But even she has to admit her sorry squad could use two extra sets of hands.
399. The Eagle
     
     Haunted by the disappearance of his father, who vanished with the Roman Ninth Legion on an expedition into the north of Britain, centurion Marcus Aquila (Channing Tatum) sets out to unravel the mystery and recover the legion’s eagle standard. But in the wilds of Caledonia, the soldier and his British slave (Jamie Bell) encounter fierce native tribes and other dangers. Kevin Macdonald directs this adaptation of Rosemary Sutcliff’s novel.
400. Boyz N the Hood
     
     South Central Los Angeles high school student Tre Styles (Cuba Gooding Jr.) struggles to stay straight in a community polluted by drugs, violence and racism, and his cynical, devoted father (Laurence Fishburne) will accept nothing but the best from him. Writer-director John Singleton’s dramatic debut effort earned two Academy Award nominations (for Best Director and Best Writing) and launched the film careers of Gooding and Ice Cube.
401. Citizen Kane
     
     Orson Welles reinvented movies at the age of 26 with this audacious biography of newspaper baron Charles Foster Kane, which, in essence, was a thinly veiled portrait of publishing magnate William Randolph Hearst. Welles’s complex and technically stunning film chronicles Kane’s rise from poverty to become one of America’s most influential men — and it’s considered one of the best movies ever made.
402. Hesher
     
     Struggling to accept the death of his mother, T.J. (Devin Brochu) befriends Hesher (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a twentysomething misfit who becomes both a mentor and a bad influence on the lost and awkward teen. Hesher soon invites himself to live with T.J. and his self-medicating dad (Rainn Wilson). Their bizarre relationship is tested when T.J. develops a crush on a supermarket checkout girl (Natalie Portman) who rescues him from a gang of bullies.
403. Straw Dogs
     
     Astrophysicist David Sumner (Dustin Hoffman) and wife, Amy (Susan George), move to England to get away from the violence in America. But the Sumners learn that things are no better on the other side of the pond when local construction workers intimidate and exploit the couple. The trouble turns into a bloody battle when David — who discovers a feral and vicious side of himself — is forced to defend his home after Amy gets raped.
404. Love of Siam
     
     Best friends as children, Mew (Witwisit Hiranyawongkul) and Tong (Mario Maurer) run into each other years later as young men, when Mew’s pop band begins rising to major fame. As they quickly get reacquainted, the two find they have unexpected feelings for each other. Meanwhile, Tong tries to heal his family, which fell apart after the disappearance of his sister, Tang (Laila Boonyasak), in this coming-of-age gay drama from Thailand.
405. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II
     
     In the second installment of the two-part conclusion to the überpopular Harry Potter series, Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) and his best friends, Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson), continue their quest to vanquish the evil Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) once and for all. Just as things begin to look hopeless for the young wizards, Harry discovers a trio of magical objects that endow him with powers to rival Voldemort’s formidable skills.
406. Poison
     
     This drama interweaves three stories, each dealing with the darker aspects of sexuality. In the chilling “Hero,” a stunned community tries to uncover the reason for a 7-year-old boy murdering his father. “Horror” tells the macabre story of a scientist who accidentally drinks his Viagra-like potion and becomes a sex fiend. Taking place in the early 20th century, “Homo” is about a male prisoner’s erotic obsession with a fellow inmate.
407. Dark Blue Almost Black
     
     Filmmaker Daniel Sánchez Arévalo’s directorial debut follows a pensive, put-upon young man named Jorge (Quim Gutiérrez) who’s forced to put his professional and personal life on hold to fulfill the obligations his family imposes on him. Although he dutifully complies with the familial expectations, he wrestles with the guilt he feels over his desire to strike out on his own and find himself.
408. Sweet Jane
     
     Jane (Samantha Mathis), a drug-addicted stripper, lands in the hospital after an overdose. But even after a doctor determines she’s HIV-positive, Jane hits the streets again for a heroin fix. She’s pursued by Tony (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a depressed teenager who sees her as a surrogate mom and tries to help her, but she views him as a pest. Yet the two develop a codependence when Jane moves into a fancy hotel and AIDS attacks Tony’s health.
409. The Order: From Cremaster 3
     
     The middle installment of performance artist Matthew Barney’s controversial Cremaster film series concludes with a chaotic set piece that unfolds in New York’s Guggenheim Museum. Barney portrays a character known as “The Apprentice,” who must traverse the museum’s ramped levels while tangling with a kick line of scantily clad dancing girls, a cheetah woman (double-amputee model-athlete Aimee Mullins) and a war between two punk bands. Weird!
410. Huff: Season 2
     
     As a new season gets under way, a guilty Huff must contend with the repercussions of his fight with his best friend, Izzy and Byrd have become alienated from the family, and Russell takes on a challenging new client.
411. Summerland: Season 1
     
     Ava (Lori Loughlin) has it all — great friends, a house near the beach and a thriving career in fashion. But all that changes when her sister and brother-in-law are killed and Ava must raise their children, aged 16, 12 and 8. Used to living on a quiet farm in Kansas, the kids must now adjust to life in Southern California. Although it isn’t easy, with the help of her friends, Ava is able to provide the love and support her family needs.
412. Malice
     
     Hotshot surgeon Jed Hill (Alec Baldwin) rents a room from high school acquaintance (now professor) Andy (Bill Pullman), and his wife, Tracy (Nicole Kidman). But Tracy is uneasy about Hill, especially after an emergency surgery he performs on her leaves her barren. Meanwhile, Andy’s students are being murdered, and he’s a suspect. Gwyneth Paltrow, Anne Bancroft, Bebe Neuwirth and George C. Scott also appear in this twisted thriller.
413. The Beast Stalker
     
     Feeling guilty after a high-speed chase leaves a young girl dead, Sgt. Tong (Nicholas Tse) faces off with the crime boss (Philip Keung) who triggered the fatal accident, and seeks solace in victim’s twin sister, Ling (Suet-yin Wong), in this action-packed Hong Kong thriller. But tragedy strikes a second time when Ling is abducted in a plot to blackmail her mother, who just happens to be handling the crime boss’s court case. Dante Lam directs.
414. Film Ist: A Girl & a Gun
     
     Blending archived movie clips dating back to the 1890s, evocative music and musings from scholars such as Plato and Sappho, Gustav Deutsch’s ambitious experimental film takes a wide-ranging look at the human experience. Weaving a provocative tapestry of image, sound and philosophy, Deutsch explores a broad spectrum of topics, from love, sex and the natural world to war, aggression and weapons of mass destruction.
415. All Tomorrow’s Parties
     
     Shot by a collective of fans, artists and tour insiders on a wide range of formats, including Super 8 film, digital camcorders and even mobile phone cameras, this rock doc captures the All Tomorrow’s Parties music festival in all its splendor. Founded in 1999, the grassroots forum has featured performances by artists such as Portishead, Sonic Youth, Patti Smith, Belle and Sebastian, Grizzly Bear, Mogwai and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
416. Hansel & Gretel
     
     When he becomes stranded on a lonely stretch of road, Eun-Soo is led by a mysterious girl to her lovely home in the woods where everything is magically picture-perfect — except that Eun-Soo is unable to leave.
417. West of Pluto
     
     Capturing the true spirit of adolescent life, this teen drama chronicles the chaotic comings and goings of 12 Quebec high schoolers as they deal with complicated issues such as peer pressure, underage drinking, sexuality and unrequited love. Written, directed and produced by Henry Bernadet and Myriam Verreault, the film stars Alexis Drolet, David Bouchard, Yoann Linteau and Sandra Jacques.
418. Involuntary
     
     In this episodic black comedy, co-writer and director Ruben Östlund delves into the many ways group dynamics and peer pressure influence our daily lives and explores the sometimes-tragic consequences that accompany one’s need for acceptance. A teenage girl pays a heavy price for being a “party girl,” a sanctimonious schoolteacher defies her colleagues’ conformity and a mischievous jokester at a reunion learns that some pranks can go too far.
419. Sexykiller, morirás por ella
     
     A beautiful, fashion-obsessed medical student by day and a sex-starved, remorseless serial killer by night, Barbara (Macarena Gómez) terrorizes her campus with impunity while the police mount a futile search for the perpetrator. So when another student invents a device that can retrieve the incriminating images imprinted on the brains of her victims, Barbara sets her sights on him. Miguel Martí directs this sexy slasher flick.
420. The Outer Limits: The New Series: Season 2
     
     Step into the unknown with a second season of this new, reimagined take on the classic sci-fi series. A time-traveling gun, a postapocalyptic robot civilization, alien DNA and a husband and wife separated by an alternate universe feature in these tales of the fantastic and unexplained. Victor Garber, Peri Gilpin, Robert Patrick and Costas Mandylor are among this season’s guest stars.
421. Ken Park
     
     This disturbing and highly controversial film from director Larry Clark (Kids) focuses on four adolescents whose lives are beyond dysfunctional, beginning with Tate, a sociopath and sexual asphyxiation freak who lives with his adoptive grandparents. Shawn is having sex with his girlfriend’s mother; Claude is a skateboarder whose macho father physically abuses him; and Peaches is a nymphomaniac who rebels against her father’s strict rules.
422. A Map of the World
     
     Anxious to leave city life behind, Alice Goodwin (Sigourney Weaver) and her husband buy a farm and retreat to a small rural town. There, Alice quickly befriends neighbor Theresa Collins (Julianne Moore) and periodically baby-sits one of Theresa’s children. But after a tragic accident, Alice discovers the darkness behind the town’s cheery façade as the townspeople quickly rally against her — an outsider who has upset their “perfect” balance.
423. American Casino
     
     Leslie Cockburn directs this documentary that delves into the Wall Street collapse of 2008 and captures the devastating effects the white collar-created catastrophe have on the blue-collar citizens of America. By way of insightful interviews with an assortment of bankers, stock market insiders and the like, Cockburn captures the culture of greed, callousness and corruption that led to the United States’ $8 trillion meltdown.
424. Record of Lodoss War: Vol. A
     
     This disc contains episodes 1-7.
425. Record of Lodoss War: Vol. B
     
     This disc contains episodes 8-13. Also included is a video shortcut, a fan convention promotional video, an art gallery, character information, a “cast-a-spell” feature, DVD-ROM features and more.
426. A Better Tomorrow
     
     Before John Woo achieved stardom stateside, he directed this defining Hong Kong classic that influenced countless action filmmakers. The story concerns two brothers (Lung Ti and Leslie Cheung) on opposite sides of the law, whose worlds collide when their father is murdered. Counterfeiter Tse-ho (Ti) ends up in prison, and when he gets out, teams with gangster Mark (Yun-Fat Chow) to save his cop brother, Tse-kit (Cheung).
427. The Entrepreneur
     
     Through myriad private meetings and tense negotiations with international investors and automobile executives, legendary businessman Malcolm Bricklin attempts to broker the biggest deal of his life by introducing Chinese cars to North America. Malcolm’s son, Jonathan Bricklin, directs this documentary that offers viewers an intimate portrait of an irrepressible visionary and a fascinating look at capitalism and globalization in action.
428. After Life
     
     At a way station somewhere between heaven and earth, the newly dead are greeted by guides. Over the next three days, they will help the dead sift through their memories to find the one defining moment of their lives. The chosen moment will be re-created on film and taken with them when the dead pass on to heaven. This grave, beautifully crafted film reveals the surprising and ambiguous consequences of human recollection.
429. L.A. Confidential
     
     In 1950s Los Angeles, three wildly different cops (Guy Pearce, Russell Crowe and Kevin Spacey) form an uneasy alliance to ferret out deep-seated police corruption. But some people will do anything to land their faces in the pages of trashy Hollywood tabloids such as Hush-Hush magazine. A must-see whodunit, Brian Helgeland’s script adaptation won an Oscar, as did Kim Basinger for her supporting role as a Veronica Lake look-alike.
430. Dodsworth
     
     To escape an empty nest, an automobile tycoon (Walter Huston) and his forty-something wife (Ruth Chatterton) plan a luxurious vacation in Europe. But Mrs. Dodsworth embarks on a series of indiscretions, including a romance with a gigolo. It soon becomes apparent that the couple’s plans for their golden years don’t mesh. From director William Wyler, the film is based on the best-selling novel by Sinclair Lewis and an acclaimed stage play.
431. Gray’s Anatomy
     
     Actor, writer and performance artist Spalding Gray turns one of his unique monologues — about various treatments for a rare eye condition — into a film that’s part documentary and part one-man show, under the guidance of director Steven Soderbergh.
432. David Icke: Secrets of the Matrix: Disc 2
     
     This disc includes the second part of the program.
433. David Icke: Secrets of the Matrix: Disc 1
     
     This disc includes the first part of the program.
434. David Icke: Secrets of the Matrix: Disc 3
     
     This disc includes the conclusion of the program.
435. Misery
     
     Former nurse Annie Wilkes saves her idol, romance novelist Paul Sheldon, after he crashes his car during a blizzard. But when she learns he plans to kill off her heroine in his next volume, Annie morphs from nurturing caregiver to sadistic jailer.
436. Boy
     
     Filmed in his native New Zealand, this comedy from writer-director Taika Waititi (Eagle vs. Shark) follows 11-year-old Boy and his younger brother, Rocky, whose rich fantasy lives are stopped cold when their father returns home after years away. Although Boy has imagined that his father (Waititi) is a dashing, accomplished hero who is related to Michael Jackson, in reality he is a failed gangster seeking to restore his family’s faith in him.
437. Sweet and Lowdown
     
     Writer-director Woody Allen peels back the thin skin that separates a thoroughly obnoxious man from his ability to create heavenly music in this fictional biopic about “the world’s second best jazz guitarist,” Emmet Ray (Sean Penn). The film trails the narcissistic musician through drinking bouts and infidelity. Along the way, we watch him engage in such offbeat hobbies as shooting rats and watching passing trains.
438. Love Me If You Dare
     
     Ever since they were kids, Sophie (Marion Cotillard) and Julien (Guillaume Canet) have gotten their kicks out of a game where they continuously attempt to one-up the other with a chain of extreme pranks. When their relationship escalates to romance, the game turns harshly negative, and the two lovers’ view of reality grows increasingly skewed.
439. Paragraph 175
     
     Actor Rupert Everett narrates this disquieting documentary from filmmakers Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman that exposes the Third Reich’s vicious persecution of male homosexuals during World War II. The film’s title comes from an arcane, 1871 German statute making sodomy punishable by incarceration, with the ultimate goal of eradicating gays completely. Only a handful of survivors remain to recount their traumatic tales.
440. The Dead Zone
     
     Christopher Walken gives an eerie, memorable performance as Johnny Smith, a man who awakens from a five-year coma blessed with second sight: the ability to see a person’s past, present and future simply through physical contact. When he shakes hands with an up-and-coming political candidate (Martin Sheen), Smith foresees nuclear war. Horror veteran David Cronenberg directs this supernatural thriller, adapted from a novel by Stephen King.
441. Regarding Henry
     
     Cold-hearted lawyer Henry has wealth, success and a seemingly perfect life with his wife and daughter. But all that changes when he’s shot in the head during a robbery and must endure a grueling recovery — during which a caring man emerges.
442. The Clone Returns Home
     
     Director Kanji Nakajima’s metaphysical odyssey explores the ethical responsibilities of experimental science as Kohei Takahara (Mitsuhiro Oikawa), a young astronaut, is cloned after he’s killed during a space mission. The clone’s memory regresses to Kohei’s youth and the accidental death of his twin brother, sending it to the countryside to make an unexpected discovery. Eri Ishida and Hiromi Nagasaku co-star.
443. Straight to Hell
     
     After muffing a job for their boss, three ham-fisted hit men (Sy Richardson, Dick Rude and Joe Strummer) rob a bank and flee to a dusty desert hamlet with their gal pal (Courtney Love) in tow. But instead of finding refuge, they find a town run by a gang of coffee junkies who don’t take kindly to the quartet’s arrival. Dennis Hopper and Grace Jones are among the celebrities who turn up in director Alex Cox’s bizarre spoof of spaghetti Westerns.
444. O Fantasma
     
     By day, brooding, lonely Sergio works as a trash collector in Lisbon. By night, he embarks on an increasingly intense odyssey of anonymous sexual encounters. Before long, he becomes fixated on a stranger and retreats further into a dark dream life.
445. Goodbye Lover
     
     Obsessively cheerful Sandra Dunmore (Patricia Arquette) is married to hard-drinking ad executive Jake (Dermot Mulroney) and having a fling with his brother Ben (Don Johnson) in this stylish noir directed by Roland Joffe. Ben, meanwhile, is also bedding his secretary (Mary-Louise Parker). When all the sex and betrayal lead to a death and a hefty life-insurance payout, cynical detective Rita Pompano (Ellen DeGeneres) tries to unravel the case.
446. XX/XY
     
     When college students Sam (Maya Stange) and Thea (Kathleen Robertson) meet artist Coles (Mark Ruffalo) at a party, they embark on a brief and somewhat awkward relationship that pushes the boundaries of sexual exploration. After meeting up again 10 years later, the three must now choose between the attraction that started things a decade earlier and the very different paths their lives have taken.
447. Zero Effect
     
     Steve Arlo (Ben Stiller) and Daryl Zero (Bill Pullman) have the art of private investigation covered from A to Z, even with their newest case: finding a shady tycoon’s missing keys. But when love zeroes in on Zero, the world’s best detective suddenly hasn’t got a clue. Ryan O’Neal and Kim Dickens co-star in writer-director Jake Kasdan’s feature-film debut, a clever comedy marked by a sleuth’s eye for detail.
448. The Hours and Times
     
     Employing liberal artistic license, filmmaker Christopher Münch explores the prospect that John Lennon (Ian Hart) and the Beatles’ longtime manager, Brian Epstein (David Angus), who was gay, shared a homosexual encounter while vacationing together in Spain in 1963. The premise — based on a rumor derived from the pair’s complex and often uncomfortable friendship — set tongues wagging but was never substantiated.
449. Night Shift
     
     The two new night managers (Henry Winkler and Michael Keaton) at the city morgue decide to make a few extra bucks on the side — by running a call-girl ring from the same location. Business is booming, but the guys get into trouble when two mobsters want to take a cut. Ron Howard strikes comedy gold with his first A-movie directing job, in the process making an overnight sensation of Michael Keaton.
450. ‘Til Death Do Us Part: Disc 3
     
     This disc includes the following episodes: “The In-Law Murders,” “The Beauty Queen Murder” and “A Christmas Murder.”
451. ‘Til Death Do Us Part: Disc 2
     
     This disc includes the following episodes: “The Strip Club Murder,” “The Clown Case,” “The Pond Scum Murder,” “The Bog Murder” and “Murder Mystery Weekend.”
452. ‘Til Death Do Us Part: Disc 1
     
     This disc includes the following episodes: “Funeral Parlor Murder,” “Storage Unit Murder,” “The Airplane Murder,” “Car Keys Murder” and “Time Capsule Murder.”
453. Flesh + Blood
     
     All’s fair in love and war in this swoony-but-gritty drama from filmmaker Paul Verhoeven. A band of mercenaries led by Martin (Rutger Hauer) abducts Agnes (Jennifer Jason Leigh), the daughter of the feudal lord who cheats them out of their money. In spite of the other mercenaries’ complaints, Martin grows to love Agnes, who’s waiting to be saved by her beloved. Co-stars Tom Burlinson and Jack Thompson.
454. Addicted: Special Edition
     
     Life is rosy for Eun-su (Mi-yeon Lee), her husband, Ho-jin (Eol Lee), and his brother, Dae-jin (Byung-hun Lee). But two separate car accidents radically change that dynamic. Ho-jin dies, but in a queer event, Dae-jin awakes from his coma and displays many of his sibling’s personal traits.
455. Tristan & Isolde
     
     When gallant English knight Tristan (James Franco) wins the love of beautiful Isolde (Sophia Myles) — the daughter of the Irish king — soon after the fall of the Roman Empire, their liaison threatens to destroy the uneasy truce between their respective nations. Rufus Sewell co-stars as the English warlord Lord Marke in director Kevin Reynolds’s timeless medieval tale of star-crossed lovers who are doomed by the forces of imperial politics.