Staff Picks

Tania's pick
Another Bogie and Bacall classic, with all the common ingredients. A world-weary detective, a rich dame, her crazy sex-mad sister, and some fabulous vintage Los Angeles locales. Based on a novel by noir maestro Raymond Chandler, the script has holes you could drive a 40’s Packard through, but the dialogue snaps, crackles, and pops. The question remains: Who killed the chauffeur?

Michael's pick
Quite simply one of the greatest films of all time. It redefined the superhero genre from the cartoony films of the past, and instead brought serious drama to the table. And no wonder: its cast boasts six Oscar nominees/winners, including of course Heath Ledger as the Joker, a role for which he won the second posthumous acting Oscar in history. Even if you’re not into superhero films, I would highly recommend it.

Michael's pick
There's a great internet joke, "What is the best Star Trek film, and why is it Galaxy Quest?" Which is so true. Part-satire and part-homage, Galaxy Quest centers around the cast of a Star Trek-like TV show who can no longer find regular acting work and are reduced to appearing at Sci-Fi conventions to make a living. That is, until some aliens who thought the show was real show up in need of help from the “commander” and his crew. With great performances all around, two that standout are the late great Alan Rickman as a former Shakespearean actor forced to forever play a Spock-like part he hates, and Sam Rockwell as an extra who was an expendable “red shirt” crewman who got killed on the show, and is paranoid that it will happen to him in real life. Even if you're not a Star Trek/Sci-Fi fan, you'll love Galaxy Quest.

Tania's pick
Dark and nasty, this early Cohen work features some stellar performances by vets like the recently deceased Albert Finney and “where did he go” 90’s boy Gabriel Byrne, as well as an indelible turn by John Turturro.