(in alphabetical order; indicates we especially like it)

The Exonerated (2005, 95m, NR):  Stars such as Susan Sarandon, Danny Glover, and Brian Dennehy speak words written or spoken by 21 ex-prisoners who were cleared of their crimes after, sometimes, years in prison, thanks to DNA technology.  Any innocent people killed because of the death penalty are unfortunately unable to speak up.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005, 157m, PG-13):  In the fourth film in the series, Harry starts to enter those awkward teen years, tested by his own hormones as well as a three-part wizardry contest that brings him face-to-face for the first time with the evil Voldemort.  This one gets pretty intense and scary at times; keep that PG-13 rating in mind.

Howl's Moving Castle (2005, 118m, PG):  The latest Oscar-nominated effort from master Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki ("Spirited Away") is a beautifully done tale of a young milliner girl who gets turned into an old woman by a witch and encounters the dreamy sorcerer Howl and his marvelous ambulatory home.

Jarhead (2005, 123m, R):  Jake Gyllenhaal buffs up and stars in the adaptation of Anthony Swofford's memoir about serving as a Marine sniper in the months leading up to Gulf War I.  Sam Mendes directs and Jamie Foxx co-stars in a movie that tries to apolitically relate the frustration of sitting around in the desert waiting for the shooting to start.

La Scorta (1993, 92m, NR):  Crackling Italian thriller follows a judge who puts his life on the line to investigate corruption in Mafia-dominated Sicily.  Based on a true story.

Prime (2005, 105m, PG-13):  A driven professional woman (Uma Thurman) sees a shrink (Meryl Streep) and tells her all about her new boyfriend—but neither of them knows that the boyfriend and the shrink's son are one and the same.

Tous les Matins du Monde (1991, 115m, NR):  aka All the Mornings of the World.  This sumptuous historical tale is filled with beautiful 17th-century music, and the tale about a widowed viol player who takes an apprentice under his wing is nice too.

Whisper of the Heart (1995, 111m, G):  Another new-to-video classic from Hayao Miyazaki's Studio Ghibli.  Charming animation enlivens a story about a girl who meets the boy who has checked out all the books in the library before her.

Zu Warriors (2001, 104m, PG-13):  Hong Kong mastermind Tsui Hark serves up another helping of action-packed cosmic adventure with this tale set in a mystical mountain range that separates heaven and earth.

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