(in alphabetical order; indicates we especially like it)

10th District Court (2004, 105m, NR):  This fascinating documentary takes you inside the French criminal justice system (where normally cameras are never allowed), as it eavesdrops on a succession of petty cases—drunk driving, pot dealing, carrying a knife—which nonetheless provide a window on French society as a whole.

Capote (2005, 114m, R):  Philip Seymour Hoffman took home a richly deserved Oscar for his career-defining performance as Truman Capote in this masterfully executed look at the story behind Capote's masterpiece, "In Cold Blood."  When the effete New York writer travels to Kansas to write about a brutal murder, he learns more than he expected about both the men on trial for the killings and himself.

Chicken Little (2005, 81m, G):  Disney's first foray into computer animation without Pixar puts a new spin on the age-old fable of the potentially paranoid poultry (voiced by Zach Braff) who gets branded a kook because he insists the sky is falling.

Dear Wendy (2005, 105m, NR):  America's fascination with guns is the topic of this dark fable written by Lars von Trier and directed by his Dogme 95 cohort Thomas Vinterberg.  In a small, nameless town, a kid named Dick Dandelion (Jamie Bell) organizes a club for pacifist gun lovers, which inevitably draws the attention of the local sheriff (Bill Pullman).

Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story (2005, 98m, PG):  Isn't nearly every work of art "inspired by a true story" to some degree or other?  Why the need to put that fact in the actual title of the film?  Anyway, this one's about a girl (Dakota Fanning), her pop (Kurt Russell), her grandpop (Kris Kristofferson), and the injured horse they nurse back to health.

The Dying Gaul (2005, 101m, R):  A screenwriter (Peter Sarsgaard) mourning the AIDS death of his lover gets involved in a twisted relationship with a studio executive (Campbell Scott) and his wife (Patricia Clarkson) in this odd drama that practically oozes indie-film cred.

Everything Is Illuminated (2005, 105m, R):  Elijah Wood stars in the adaptation of Jonathan Safran Foer's celebrated first novel, in which the author (or a character much like him) travels to the Ukraine looking for information about his grandfather, who emigrated from a village there during World War II.  His offbeat local guide nearly steals the show with his amusingly fractured English; the film was directed by actor Leiv Schreiber.

Good Morning, Night (2003, 106m, NR):  This riveting Italian thriller follows the real-life events behind the 1978 kidnapping of prime minister Aldo Moro, from the point of view of the Red Brigade terrorists who perpetrated the crime.

Huff: Season 1 (2004, 13 hours on 4 discs, NR):  This Showtime series follows the various personal crises that beset affluent psychiatrist Craig Huffstodt (Hank Azaria).  Co-stars include Blythe Danner and Oliver Platt.

Ju-Dou (1990, 95m, PG-13):  Incredible color cinematography highlights this Oscar-nominated tale of forbidden love in rural China from director Zhang Yimou.  The stunning Gong Li stars as the wife of an abusive dye mill owner who conceives a child with her husband's nephew.

Loggerheads (2005, 95m, PG-13):  Three interlocking stories set in North Carolina feature a woman searching for the child she gave up for adoption years earlier; a religious small-town couple estranged from their gay son; and a drifter who embarks on a brief relationship with a seaside hotel manager.

One Nite in Mongkok (2004, 110m, NR):  In this solid, above-average Hong Kong crime drama, a novice hit man from the mainland comes to the big city for his first job and meets a hooker from the same hometown.  Meanwhile, the cops try to track him down before he finds his target.

Paradise Now (2005, 90m, PG-13):  This controversial Oscar nominee follows two Palestinians, longtime friends, who are recruited to take part in a suicide bombing in Israel.  The film drew the ire of some for daring to humanize those who commit terrorist acts.

Raise the Red Lantern (1991, 125m, PG):  Another gorgeous collaboration between director Zhang Yimou and star Gong Li, set in 1920s China.  After her father's death, Li becomes the fourth wife in the house of a wealthy man, forced to partake in the intense competition between the concubines.

South Park: Season 7 (2003, 15 episodes on 3 discs, NR):  Includes the classic episodes "Christian Rock Hard," "South Park is Gay," and "Fat Butt and Pancake Head."

Southern Belles (2005, 90m, R):  Small-town Southern gals Belle (Anna Faris) and Bell (Laura Breckinridge) want nothing more than to hit the big time in Atlanta, but a local cop named Rhett Butler may be too much of a distraction.

The Squid and the Whale (2005, 81m, R):  Jeff Daniels and Laura Linney play perhaps the worst parents ever in this scathing comedy of family dysfunction in Brooklyn.  When their literary folks get divorced, sons Walt (Jesse Eisenberg) and Frank (Owen Kline) are caught in the middle.  Writer-director Noah Baumbach based it on his own experiences (sorry, dude!); he also co-wrote Wes Anderson's "The Life Aquatic," and this film has the feel of an Anderson pic without all the extra ornamentation.

Stalag 17 (1953, 120m, NR):  Billy Wilder's classic World War II POW film comes to DVD in a Special Edition.  William Holden stars as the crafty American, with Otto Preminger marvelous as the camp commandant.  Despite superficial resemblances, this was not the basis for "Hogan's Heroes," and even if it were, it's so far superior as to be a completely different species.

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