(in alphabetical order; indicates we especially like it)

Be Here To Love Me (2004, 99m, NR):  This acclaimed documentary looks at the life and music of singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt.

Class of 1984 (1982, 98m, R):  This trashy cult classic about nihilistic youth in a run-down high school features an early Michael J. Fox performance, and appears now in a Special Edition DVD featuring commentary and a making-of documentary.

Good Night, and Good Luck. (2005, 93m, PG):  Storied journalist Edward R. Murrow (David Strathairn) takes on commie-baiting Senator Joe McCarthy (as himself) in this talky but compelling film by George Clooney (who co-stars as Murrow's producer, Fred Friendly).  Beautifully shot in black-and-white, nominated for several Oscars, and based on a true story.

A History of Violence (2005, 98m, R):  A small-town diner owner (Viggo Mortensen) with am idyllic life has his past come back to haunt him after foiling a robbery.  Based on a graphic novel; William Hurt earned an Oscar nomination as a memorable villain; David Cronenberg directs in a stylistic change of pace from his usual chilly, creepy stuff.

La Bete Humaine (1938, 100m, NR):  Jean Renoir adapts Emile Zola's novel about a train engineer who gets mixed up with a murderous couple despite his better judgment.  French screen icon Jean Gabin gives a memorable performance in the lead; the film is an interesting example of proto-film noir.

Memory of a Killer (2003, 120m, R):  This Belgian thriller follows an aging hit man in the early stage of Alzheimer's who rebels against his criminal bosses when he's ordered to kill a 13-year-old girl.

Occupation: Dreamland (2005, 78m, NR):  Garrett Scott and Ian Olds gained surprising access to American troops in Fallujah for this documentary that's fascinating and remarkably apolitical.  Was shown at last year's PDXFest, and recently won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Documentary.  Tragically, Scott died at the age of 37 two days before the award ceremony.

Paper Clips (2004, 82m, G):  It sounds sappy:  a group of small-town Tennesse middle-schoolers begins a project to gather six million paper clips, one for each Jew killed in the Holocaust.  A lesson about tolerance transforms the students, the teachers, and this documentary about the whole process is surprisingly moving.

Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, The (2005, 99m, PG-13):  Julianne Moore ("Far from Heaven," "The Hours,") again plays a 1950s mother in this true story of a woman who supported her 12 children by winning slogan and jingle contests.  Woody Harrelson co-stars as her pathetic drunk of a husband, whose presence gives the story a darker hue than you might guess from the box art.

Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus (2005, 82m, NR):  Trying to explain The South to us Yankees is always a dicey proposition, but this amiable, aimless, music-filled, road-trip documentary gives it a go.  The only thing missing is a Drive-By Truckers show.

Sleeper Cell (2005, 10 episodes on 3 volumes, NR):  This miniseries, originally airing on Showtime, tracks an undercover U.S. agent who infiltrates an Arabic terrorist cell in Los Angeles.

Three of Hearts: A Postmodern Family (2004, 95m, R):  By 'postmodern' they don't mean a family that refuses to believe any meaning inheres in the text per se, but rather a threesome.  Documentary introduces us to an apparently functional three-way partnership—two guys and a gal—and shows how their polygamy actually works.

Year of the Yao (2004, 88m, PG):  Documentary looks at the first season in the NBA for towering Chinese superstar Yao Ming.

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