Abyss, The (1989)

Action/Adventure Rated PG-13

Almost as ambitious in scope as his Titanic, James Cameron’s The Abyss is a more nuanced melding of large-scale action and intimate romance. When a U.S. nuclear submarine disappears into the ocean canyon that an oil crew is working above, a brusque team of Navy Seals arrives to perform a supposed rescue mission that may

Hero (2002)

Action/Adventure Rated PG-13

This martial-arts drama seems to have been made with one of those jumbo packs of crayons – costumes, landscapes and interior design all burst with vibrant hues. Acclaimed director Zhang Yimou (Raise the Red Lantern) assembles a glittering roster of Asian acting talent, including Jet Li, (Romeo Must Die), Zhang Ziyi (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon),

Adam’s Rib (1949)

Romantic Comedy Rated NR

Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy play opposing lawyers who are in love, and while their pairing emits the sort of electricity casting directors dream of, they’re generating sparks in a strident story. Not content to let its battle-of-the-sexes theme bubble beneath the surface, Adam’s Rib hammers at it relentlessly, from its title to its strained

Howl’s Moving Castle (2004)

Action/Adventure Rated PG

Japanese animation master Hayao Miyazaki (Princess Mononoke) delivers another bewildering and beautiful film fantasy. The title edifice – which is called a castle but actually resembles a medieval hamlet perched on gargantuan mechanical chicken legs – is the sort of burst of imagination that opens your eyes in wonder. The complicated story, based on a

Alamo, The (1960)

Action/Adventure Rated NR

John Wayne took on Davy Crockett’s coonskin cap and directorial duties for this epic take on the famed Texas battle. The film’s nearly three hours are stuffed with showy vistas, corny speeches and static battle scenes in which size seems to be the only thing that matters. The result was seven Oscar nominations, including Best

Laurel Canyon (2002)

Drama Rated R

The battle lines are clearly drawn in this independent drama – brainy academics versus artistic free spirits – and writer-director Lisa Cholodenko has no intention of blurring them. Christian Bale plays a medical student who transfers with his fiancee (Kate Beckinsale) to Los Angeles, where their relationship is challenged by his bohemian mother (Frances McDormand).

All the President’s Men (1976)

Drama Rated PG

“…a salute to anyone who reports for a living.”

Maria Full of Grace (2004)

Drama Rated R

Mercy certainly surrounds the title heroine of this eye-opening independent drama, which charts a Colombian girl’s odyssey from factory labor to drug smuggling to the streets of New York City. To survive what she does takes something from above. Oscar nominee Catalina Sandino Moreno plays Maria as a stubborn and willful firebrand, ultimately making the

Army of Darkness (1992)

Horror Rated R

Sam Raimi’s third Evil Dead entry, in which our reluctant stud hero Ash (cult figure Bruce Campbell) must fight the requisite demons in the 14th century. Raimi and his camera never slow down, which is good because many of the gags don’t stand up to scrutiny. Still, his effects manage some nice nods to the

Super Size Me (2004)

Documentary Rated NR

For his stinging but helplessly affectionate look at America’s fast-food habits, filmmaker Morgan Spurlock spent 30 days eating only at McDonald’s. The results are both instructive and hilarious, thanks to Spurlock’s conflicted stance on the subject – he loves burgers as much as the next guy. Super Size Me makes a strong case that we’re