Yuri Orlov (Nicolas Cage) is a Ukrainian immigrant to Brooklyn, NY who decides to make a name for himself as an international arms dealer. While doing business in the world's deadliest war zones, Yuri and his brother, Vitaly (Jared Leto), struggle to stay one step ahead of a relentless Interpol agent (Ethan Hawke), their business rivals, and even some of their customers who intend on using the merchandise against them. Directed by Andrew Niccol. With Bridget Moynahan and Ian Holm. Categories: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller. Year: 2005.
Lord of War
This documentary details the aborted production of director (Terry Gilliam's) ill-fated attempt to film The Man Who Killed Don Quixote in late 2000. Piece by piece, the entire film falls apart, despite the crew's best efforts to keep the ship afloat. A severe storm washes away equipment, jet fighters interrupt the filming of a pivotal scene and the star suffers a damaging back injury. Meant to be included as a featurette on the film's eventual DVD, this footage shows the end of Gilliam's decade-long dream to make a film based on Don Quixote. Directed by Keith Fulton and Louis Pepe. With Johnny Depp. Categories: Documentary. Year: 2002.
Lost In La Mancha
Bob Harris (Bill Murray) is a washed up movie star who finds himself in Tokyo shooting a whiskey commercial. In the hotel bar, he meets a young woman named Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson) who is tagging along with her workaholic photographer husband (Giovanni Ribisi). The chance meeting blossoms into a surprising friendship, as Bob and Charlotte venture out into Tokyo to explore the city and encounter its citizens while discovering that life is full of hidden possibilities. Directed by Sofia Coppola. Categories: Comedy, Drama, Romance. Year: 2003.
Lost in Translation
Following his wife's sudden and unexplained suicide, Wilson Joel (Philip Seymour Hoffman) initially tries to keep his life on track. But, when the searing pain in his stomach and the dazed quietness of his struggle becomes too much, he seeks oblivion by inhaling fumes from gasoline and model airplane fuel. His mother-in-law (Kathy Bates), employer and a coworker seem to want to help him, but eventually his destructive behavior leaves him alone. Directed by Todd Louiso. With Kelli Garner. Categories: Drama, Comedy, Independent Film. Year: 2002.
Love Liza
When Colee (Rachel McAdams), TK (Michael Peña) and Cheever (Tim Robbins), three soldiers returning home from Iraq, find that all flights from New York have been canceled, they set out on an unexpected roadtrip. While Colee intends on giving a guitar to the parents of a fallen friend, TK tries to work up the courage to face his wife and Cheever plans to hit the casinos in a desperate attempt to pay for his son's college tuition. Struggling to adjust to life back in the States, these three strangers find an unlikely companionship in their shared experiences and broken dreams. Directed by Neil Burger. With Molly Hagan. Categories: Comedy, Drama, Independent Film. Year: 2008.
The Lucky Ones
This documentary explores the philosophies of Noam Chomsky. A distinguished linguistics professor, intellectual and activist, Chomsky critiques the media and American society. Directed by Mark Achbar and Peter Wintonick. With Mark Achbar. Categories: Documentary. Year: 1992.
Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media
Narrated by Morgan Freeman, this incredible documentary follows the annual journey of the Emperor penguins of Antarctica as they travel to their mating grounds. Months of arduous travel and care by monogamous pairs of penguins brings new life into the world, captured for the first time in this gorgeous and moving tale of love and survival. Directed by Luc Jacquet. Categories: Documentary. Year: 2005.
March of the Penguins
When an eccentric, lonely performance artist (Miranda July) catches the eye of Richard (John Hawkes), a newly-single shoe salesman, the two begin a fledgling romantic relationship despite Richard's timidity and hesitation. Meanwhile, Richard’s seven-year-old son (Brandon Ratcliff) begins a provocative exchange with an older woman he meets in a chat room. And, his teenage son (Miles Thompson) becomes a human guinea pig for two devious neighborhood girls (Natasha Slayton and Najarra Townsend) practicing for future romantic encounters. Directed by Miranda July. With Carlie Westerman, Brad William Henke, JoNell Kennedy, Tracy Wright, Hector Elias and Colette Kilroy. Categories: Drama, Independent Film. Year: 2005.
Me and You and Everyone We Know
Aileen Wuornos (Charlize Theron), a troubled Daytona Beach prostitute, becomes the nation's first female serial killer. Amongst the horrors of murders and life on the fringes of society, a love story unfolds between Wuornos and Selby Wall (Christina Ricci), a teenager sent to live with an aunt in Florida in order to "cure her homosexuality." Directed by Patty Jenkins. With Bruce Dern, Annie Corley and Pruitt Taylor Vince. Categories: Crime, Drama, Romance, Thriller. Year: 2003.
Monster
Omar (Gordon Warnecke) is a young Pakistani living in London amidst the machinations and drama of his large family represented by his wealthy uncle Nasser (Saeed Jaffrey) and ailing father (Roshan Seth). After Omar encounters Johnny (Daniel Day-Lewis), his friend and one time lover, the two decide to reunite as the managers of a rundown laundromat. Directed by Stephen Frears. With Gordon Warnecke, Derrick Branche and Rita Wolf. Categories: Drama, Romance. Year: 1985.
My Beautiful Laundrette
Napoleon Dynamite (Jon Heder) lives in Idaho with his 32-year-old brother Kip (Aaron Ruell) and his Grandma. While Kip's busy meeting ladies in online chat rooms and his grandma is riding her quad on the sand dunes, Napoleon spends his days drawing magical beasts, working on his computer hacking skills and begrudgingly feeding the family's pet llama. While Grandma is away at the dunes, Uncle Rico (Jon Gries) comes to stay and Napoleon helps his friend Pedro (Efren Ramirez) run for class president. Directed by Jared Hess. With Haylie Duff, Shondrella Avery, Tina Majorino and Diedrich Bader. Categories: Comedy, Drama, Cult Classics. Year: 2004.
Napoleon Dynamite
After writing a story about a government scandal in which she reveals the name of a covert CIA agent, political journalist Rachel Armstrong (Kate Beckinsale) finds herself facing a possible jail sentence for refusing to reveal her source. Struggling to defend the principles she has built her career upon, Rachel finds an ally in Alan Burnside (Alan Alda), an attorney who works to win her freedom. Directed by Rod Lurie. With Preston Bailey, Noah Wyle, Angela Bassett, Matt Dillon and Kristen Bough. Categories: Drama, Thriller, Independent Film. Year: 2008.
Nothing But the Truth
Randy (Matt Dillon) is a bartender at McCool's, a popular bar with a strange crowd. When the beautiful and mysterious Jewel (Liv Tyler) walks through the door, he has no idea what a terror she will become. Sexy, twisted and demanding, Jewel has Randy's cousin Carl (Paul Reiser) and a detective (John Goodman) wrapped around her finger, even as she is investigated for murder. Directed by Harald Zwart. With Mary Jo Smith, Michael Douglas, Reba McEntire, Helen Hunt. Categories: Comedy, Crime. Year: 2001.
One Night at McCool's
When a young Afghan girl named Osama (Marina Golbahari) and her mother (Zubaida Sahar) lose their jobs at a hospital closed by the Taliban, they are left alone in the world. Her father and brother, both killed in battle, were the only ways for the women to leave their house since the Taliban requires a male escort for any woman. Forced to disguise herself as a young boy, Osama must work to save her mother's life and her own. Directed by Siddiq Barmak. With Arif Herati. Categories: Drama. Year: 2003.
Osama
Max Cohen (Sean Gullette) is a mathematician who believes that numbers can explain everything in nature. Using his brain and a supercomputer, Max is on the verge of decoding the pattern that lies beneath the stock market. Already beset with intense paranoia and debilitating migraines, Max now finds himself pursed by a powerful Wall Street firm and a Kabbalah sect intent on using his secret code for their own ends. Directed by Darren Aronofsky. With Mark Margolis. Categories: Thriller, Sci-Fi, Cult Classics, Independent Film. Year: 1998.
Pi
Jackson Pollock (Ed Harris) is a brilliant painter living in New York City in 1941. Struggling with alcoholism, his talent goes to waste until he meets Lee Krasner (Marcia Gay Harden), a fellow artist whose love for Pollock brings her to give up her own career to save his. What emerges is some of the most famous and popular artistic work of the twentieth century. Unfortunately, even the support of the people around him cannot save Pollock from his inner demons. Directed by Ed Harris. With Tom Bower, Jennifer Connelly, Bud Cort and Val Kilmer. Categories: Biography, Drama. Year: 2000.
Pollock
Two men working out of their garage build a device through trial and error without knowing exactly what they are creating. Eventually, they discover that the device can send objects through time. As they use the machine more and more, their once close friendship becomes strained as each begins to realize the power they now possess. Directed by Shane Carruth. With Shane Carruth and David Sullivan. Categories: Drama, Thriller, Sci-Fi, Independent Film. Year: 2004.
Primer
When Captain Stanley (Ray Winstone) captures Charlie Burns (Guy Pearce), a notorious outlaw, he makes him an offer. Either he tracks down and kills his older brother (Danny Huston), or his younger brother (Richard Wilson) will be executed in nine days. Directed by John Hillcoat. With David Wenham, Emily Watson and John Hurt. Categories: Action, Crime, Drama, Western, Independent Film. Year: 2005.
The Proposition
Kym (Anne Hathaway), a troubled ex-model who has been in and out of rehab for the last decade, returns home for her sister Rachel's (Rosemarie DeWitt) wedding. With a long history of crisis and conflict with her family, Kym's dark humor and tendency for drama brings long standing tensions to the surface on what should be a happy occasion. Directed by Jonathan Demme. With Mather Zickel, Bill Irwin, Debra Winger and Tunde Adebimpe. Categories: Drama, Romance, Independent Film. Year: 2008.
Rachel Getting Married
When his addiction finally catches up to him, Andy Hayes (Jay Baruchel), a nervous, hyperactive gambler, gets a one hour reprieve from Reuben, the hitman sent to kill him. Over the course of sixty minutes, Reuben gives Andy a chance to make up for past regrets and missed opportunities. With time running out, Andy begins to realize just how important life really is, and set out to make the most of what little he has left. Directed by Randall Cole. With Jayne Eastwood. Categories: Comedy, Drama, Independent Film. Year: 2008.
Real Time
Dr. Richard Clayton (Ron Livingston), an uptight self-help author, sets out on a mission to find his birth parents after discovering that he is adopted. When he finally finds his mother (Kathy Bates) and father (Danny DeVito), Clayton is surprised to learn that they are crude, unsophisticaed carnies. Directed by Greg Glienna. With Neve Campbell, Beverly D'Angelo and Bob Odenkirk. Categories: Comedy, Independent Film. Year: 2006.
Relative Strangers
Six criminals come together for a diamond store robbery without even knowing each others' names. After screwing up the job and getting two of their allies killed, the four remaining crooks meet back at a warehouse hideaway. Realizing that one of them must be a police informer, they are determined to find out who it is using whatever means are necessary. Directed by Quentin Tarantino. With Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Steve Buscemi, Chris Penn and Edward Bunker. Categories: Cult Classics, Crime, Drama, Thriller. Year: 1992.
Reservoir Dogs
Roger Swanson (Campbell Scott) is a cynical New Yorker who believes he has mastered the art of manipulating women. But, when his teenage nephew, Nick (Jesse Eisenberg), makes an unexpected visit, Roger's seemingly foolproof method of smooth talk and casual sex is put to the test. After Nick begs Roger to show him the tricks of the trade, Roger guides him through the city's wild nightlife for an all-night crash course, only to realize that he still has a lot to learn. Directed by Dylan Kidd. With Isabella Rossellini, Jennifer Beals and Elizabeth Berkley. Categories: Drama and Comedy. Year: 2002.
Roger Dodger
In 1954, 14-year-old Ralph Walker (Adam Butcher), begins a quest to win the Boston Marathon. After an unfortunate incident in the community pool, Ralph is assigned to the cross-country team. Believing a miracle can bring his mother out of a coma, the ninth grader becomes a convert to the church of running. With the aid of Father Hibbert (Campbell Scott), Ralph trains to win the famed race and save his mother's life. Directed by Michael McGowan. With Jennifer Tilly, Shauna MacDonald and Tamara Hope. Categories: Comedy, Drama, Sports. Year: 2004.
Saint Ralph
This documentary follows the trials and tribulations of four door-to-door Bible salesmen as they travel across the country. The men must contend with constant rejection, being away from home and family for long periods of time, and peddling expensive, decorated bibles to families with very little income. Directed by Albert Maysles, David Maysles and Charlotte Zwerin. Categories: Documentary, Independent Film. Year: 1969.
Salesman
Adam (Leigh Whannell) and Gordon (Cary Elwes) are two strangers who wake up locked in an unfamiliar room with a dead body lying between them. They are the victims of Jigsaw, a serial killer whose elaborate traps are designed to make them appreciate their fragile lives. As the police try in vain to find the two men, Adam and Gordon must solve Jigsaw's riddles and find a way to escape his grip before he finishes them off for good. Directed by James Wan. With Danny Glover and Ken Leung. Categories: Thriller, Horror, Crime. Year: 2004.
Saw
After serving a three year prison sentence, Sherry Swanson (Maggie Gyllenhaal) returns home to New Jersey eager to reestablish herself as a mother to her young daughter. But, Sherry discovers that coming back to the world she left behind is far more difficult than she planned. Directed by Laurie Collyer. With Brad William Henke, Sam Bottoms and Kate Burton. Categories: Drama, Independent Film. Year: 2006.
SherryBaby
Dicky Pilager (Chris Cooper) is a down-home politician running a gubernatorial campaign in Colorado. With his bad grammar and likeable simplicity, he's a popular choice with the people until he pulls in a corpse while pretending to fish in an environmental political ad. Knowing it can't be a coincidence, his campaign manager, Chuck Raven (Richard Dreyfuss), hires a private investigator (Danny Huston) to find out who planted the corpse. As the mystery unravels, it becomes clear that dozens of people are implicated in the damaging event. Directed by John Sayles. With James Gammon, Billy Zane, Maria Bello, Tim Roth and Daryl Hannah. Categories: Politics, Drama, Mystery, Thriller, Year: 2004.
Silver City
Will Proudfoot (Bill Milner) has spent his young life sheltered from the outside world, including TV, music and movies, by his strict, religious family. But, when Lee Carter (Will Poulter), a school troublemaker and would-be film maker, introduces him to a bootleg copy of Rambo: First Blood, Will's eyes are opened and he becomes entranced with his new friend's exciting, forbidden world. Together, the pair set out to film a low-budget sequel to Rambo, with Will acting as stuntman, and end up becoming the most popular kids in school. Directed by Garth Jennings. With Neil Dudgeon, Jessica Hynes and Jules Sitruk. Categories: Comedy, Drama, Independent Film, Foreign Film. Year: 2007.
Son of Rambow
Les Franken (Michael Rapaport), a lonely, unremarkable metermaid, leads a boring life until he decides to enroll in a study for an experimental anti-depressant. Once on the drug, Les believes that he has developed special powers and quits his job in order to devote his life to becoming a superhero. Directed by Hal Haberman and Jeremy Passmore. With Paul Blackthorne, Josh Peck Robert Baker, Jack Kehler, Alexandra Holden and Michael Shamus Wiles. Categories: Drama, Comedy, Independent Film. Year: 2006.
Special
In 1986 Park Slope, Brooklyn, Bernard Berkman (Jeff Daniels), a once promising author, now spends more time teaching than writing. When his wife, Joan (Laura Linney), begins to pursue her own literary talent, years of tension come to a head and break up the family. With their sons Walt (Jesse Eisenberg) and Frank (Owen Kline) left confused, hurt and searching for answers, Joan continues an affair with Frank's tennis coach (William Baldwin), while Bernard makes advances on one of his college students (Anna Paquin), whom Walt has fallen for. Directed by Noah Baumbach. Categories: Comedy, Drama, Independent Film. Year: 2005.
The Squid and the Whale
In high school, Rose Lorkowski (Amy Adams) was a popular cheerleader, but now, at 30, she finds herself a single mother working as a maid. In order to get her son into a better school, Rose talks her sister Norah (Emily Blunt), who still lives at home with their father Joe (Alan Arkin), to go into business with her cleaning up crime scenes. Up to their necks in murders, suicides and other messy situations, Rose and Norah build a successful business and find a closeness they've always wanted. Directed by Christine Jeffs. With Jason Spevack, Steve Zahn, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Clifton Collins Jr. and Eric Christian Olsen. Categories: Comedy, Drama, Independent Film. Year: 2008.
Sunshine Cleaning
Documentarian Morgan Spurlock sets out on a seemingly simple mission: for thirty days, he will eat nothing but McDonald’s fast food, three times a day. His emotional and physical breakdown forms the backbone of this compelling look at why America leads the world in obesity. Talking to experts and consumers alike, Spurlock's discoveries and disasters will make you wonder if the taste and convenience is really worth it. Categories: Documentary, Expose. Year: 2004.
Super Size Me
Justin Cobb (Lou Taylor Pucci) is desperate to find a way to stop sucking his thumb and alleviate the undue stress his habit puts on his family, his love life and his identity. His father (Vincent D'Onofrio) gives him a cayenne-pepper cream and takes him fly-fishing. His mother (Tilda Swinton) is wrapped up in a fake relationship with a TV star. The only thing that stops his thumbsucking is hypnosis therapy administered by his orthodontist (Keanu Reeves), but the problem resurfaces in other forms. Directed by Mike Mills. With Benjamin Bratt and Vince Vaughn. Categories: Comedy, Drama. Year: 2005.
Thumbsucker
Harvey Milk was San Francisco's first openly gay Supervisor and one victim of a deadly attack by fellow Supervisor Dan White that killed Milk and Mayor George Moscone. The subsequent trial resulted in one of the most controversial criminal verdicts in American history. Directed by Rob Epstein. Narrated by Harvey Fierstein. Categories: Documentary, Biography. Year: 1984.
The Times of Harvey Milk
Mark Renton (Ewan McGregor) is trapped in the perpetual routine of heroin addiction in the underbelly of Edinburgh, Scotland. Amongst his friends, a group of losers, liars, psychos and thieves, Mark alone has the insight and opportunity to escape his fate. The only question remains is whether or not he wants to. Continually weighing the pros and cons of going and then staying straight, Mark comes to the conclusion that an ordinary life is not for him and heads straight into a scheme with his pals that will lead them to the biggest score of their lives. Directed by Danny Boyle. With Ewen Bremner, Jonny Lee Miller, Kevin McKidd and Robert Carlyle. Categories: Comedy, Crime, Drama, Independent Film. Year: 1996.
Trainspotting
When Walter Vale (Richard Jenkins), a widowed economics professor, travels to New York for a conference, he is surprised to discover that a young couple has been living in his apartment. Victims of a real estate scam, Tarek (Haaz Sleiman), a Syrian man, and Zainab (Danai Jekesai Gurira), his Senegalese girlfriend, are illegal immigrants with nowhere else to go. Reluctantly, Walter allows them to stay, and eventually forms a close bond with Tarek, as the young man teaches him how to play the hand drum. After Tarek is arrested in the subway and held for deportation, Walter is compelled by his renewed passion for life and sense of purpose to help his new friend through his desperate situation. Directed by Thomas McCarthy. With Hiam Abbass. Categories: Comedy, Drama, Independent Film. Year: 2007.
The Visitor
Dean (Justin Long) didn't consider working at Shenaniganz a waste of time until he learned about a former classmate's success. But, Dean's friend Monty (Ryan Reynolds) couldn't care less. During the course of one shift, Monty trains a shy new employee (John Francis Daley), and introduces him to the rest of the Shenangan's crew: the tough-talking ex-girlfriend, Serena (Anna Faris), the over-zealous manager, Dan (David Koechner), and disgusting head cook Raddimus (Luis Guzmán). Directed by Rob McKittrick. With Chi McBride, Dane Cook, Emmanuelle Chriqui and Andy Milonakis. Categories: Comedy. Year: 2005.
Waiting...
With summer coming to an end, Camp Firewood director Beth (Janeane Garofalo) tries to keep the peace and fight off feelings for Henry Newman (David Hyde Pierce), a local astrophysics professor working to save the camp from falling space debris. Meanwhile, naive counselor Coop (Michael Showalter) does his best to win the heart of Katie (Marguerite Moreau), even though she has a thing for Andy (Paul Rudd), the sleazy lifeguard. And, as drama counselor Susie (Amy Poehler) struggles to put together a talent show that meets her high expectations, Victor (Ken Marino) abandons his campers on a field trip for a chance to lose his virginity. Directed by David Wain. With Michael Ian Black, Zak Orth, A.D. Miles, Christopher Meloni and Elizabeth Banks. Categories: Comedy, Independent Film. Year: 2001.
Wet Hot American Summer
On October 30th, 1974, Muhammad Ali and George Foreman faced off in the "Rumble in the Jungle." Shot in Zaire, this documentary highlights one of the most famous heavyweight bouts in boxing history and follows the weeks leading up to the event, giving an inside look at the fighters' last minute training and the soul music festival put on by Don King. Directed by Leon Gast. With Spike Lee, Norman Mailer and George Plimpton. Categories: Documentary, History, Sports. Year: 1996.
When We Were Kings
Following the death of a fellow prisoner, a group of juvenile delinquents is sent to an isolated British island. What starts as a punishment turns into a fight for survival when the young men find that they are not alone. Directed by Michael J. Bassett. Categories: Horror, Thriller, Independent Film. Year: 2006.
Wilderness
Randy "The Ram" Robinson (Mickey Rourke) is a former champion professional wrester whose glory days have passed him by. When the opportunity for a rematch with his former arch rival comes along, Randy begins to hope that the bout will be his ticket back into the big time. But, after suffering a heart attack, Randy is forced to reexamine his life and makes an effort to reconnect with his estranged daughter (Evan Rachel Wood) and admit his true feelings to an emotionally unavailable stripper (Marisa Tomei). Directed by Darren Aronofsky. With Mark Margolis and Judah Friedlander. Categories: Comedy, Drama, Sports. Year: 2008.
The Wrestler