There have been many great movies made from less-than-great books: "The Godfather," "Jaws" and "There Will Be Blood," for example. Great films made from great books are less numerous, as, really, what can film really bring to a story already perfectly captured on the page? (More)

Joel and Ethan Coen have been the first to admit that "No Country for Old Men" (Miramax, 2007, R), their adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's thriller, remains faithful to the text, right down to enlisting much of McCarthy's original dialogue. (More)

“Them” (Dark Sky, 2006, R): “Them” proceeds with the simplest of premises — a couple is trapped in a remote house, and something is trying to get them — and like a lot of similar horror movies, it’s much scarier the less you understand what’s going on. But until the inevitable big reveal at the end, this French import works well as a brilliant homage to horror master John Carpenter. It uses the camera, sound effects and mood rather than monsters and gore to scare the bejesus out of you. (More)

“Human Giant: Season One” (Paramount, 2007, Not Rated): Like the late, great “Mr. Show,” “Human Giant” is a total see-what-sticks sort of sketch comedy show, with each hilarious episode jam-packed with rapid-fire pop-culture references, in-jokes and sheer anarchy. Shockingly, MTV reportedly almost pulled the plug after this first season, but a 24-hour save-our-show marathon (whose highlights are included on this two-disc set) changed their minds, and season two is just around the corner. (More)

“The Last Emperor” (Criterion, 1987, Not Rated): “The Last Emperor” famously won an impressive nine Oscars, including Best Picture, so one might have assumed a director’s cut wasn’t necessarily in order. One would have been right. While a longer version of the already pretty long “The Last Emperor” did eventually surface, including extra footage filmed for TV broadcast, director Bernardo Bertolucci never blessed it as his preferred version. (More)

“Into the Wild,” Jon Krakauer’s beautiful bummer of a non-fiction book about would-be aesthete Christopher McCandless — who abandoned material comforts in favor of a life close to nature, which led to a lonely Alaskan death — doesn’t seem like the most obvious source of inspiration for a feature film. (More)

Precociousness and preciousness have always been primary facets of Wes Anderson films. Beginning with "Bottle Rocket," his movies have mostly featured young white kids of privilege facing overblown and exaggerated existential crises. It was cute at first, especially with frequent star Owen Wilson as co-writer, but "The Darjeeling Limited" (Fox, 2007, R), co-written with star Jason Schwartzman and Roman Coppola, marks the first timeAnderson's stultifying affectations grate more than entertain. (More)

Ever since Ben Affleck won an Oscar for his "Good Will Hunting" script, the actor has been something of a laughingstock, and it's all his fault. While his joined-at-the-hip buddy Matt Damon pursued respectability, Affleck took the cash and appeared in one lame flick after another, so maybe it's no surprise that with his cultural currency at an all-time low, Affleck went back to the creative side with "Gone Baby Gone" (Miramax, 2007, R), a Dennis Lehane adaptation he co-wrote and directed. (More)

Just about any way you slice it, "Pirates of the Caribbean -- At World's End" (Buena Vista, 2007, PG-13) is a monumental waste. (More)

Agnes Varda presaged the French new wave by a few years, but only assiduous film fans hold her in the same esteem as Godard, Truffaut and the like. That's a shame, since Varda has always been one of France's most vibrant filmmakers, using her early career as a photographer as a jumping-off point for some of cinema's most intriguing efforts. (More)

Ten years ago, Werner Herzog made the documentary "Little Dieter Needs to Fly," in which the notorious director brought Vietnam veteran Dieter Dengler back to that country to re-create his experiences after he was shot down over Laos and held captive before escaping through the jungle. (More)

Nobody puts Danny in a corner. (More)

As is the case with most sequels, "Shrek the Third" (Dreamworks, 2007, PG) is wholly unnecessary. But it does give the sense that its creators made some effort to avoid the smugness and time-sensitive pop-culture references that hampered its predecessor, fine-tuning the broad appeal of the franchise. Meanwhile, "Ocean's Thirteen" (Warner Bros., 2007, PG-13) had to overcome the burden of the franchise's wan second installment, and strictly on a plot basis the movie falls far short. Not surprisingly, watching a group of thieves plan the perfect heist and pull it off -- because it's perfect -- is less than compelling. But as an exercise in style Steven Soderbergh's piffle is a wonder to behold, in love with all the potential of cinema short of a solid script. (More)

David Fincher is one of the world's most obsessive directors, so it's no wonder the filmmaker was attracted to "Zodiac" (Paramount, 2007, R), the tale of the obsessive hunt for the notorious Bay Area serial killer known only as the Zodiac. (More)

With his "Spider-Man" franchise, director Sam Raimi pulled off an impressive hat trick, placing his films in the rarefied company of "The Godfather," "Star Wars," "Blade," "X-Men," "The Terminator" and even his own "Evil Dead" series: trilogies whose second films are better than the first but whose third installments are the worst of the bunch. "Spider-Man 3" (Sony, 2007, PG-13) is a muddle, with too many villains, too many subplots, and too many chaotic fights whose victor isn't clear until he lands on his feet. (More)

"My So-Called Life" (Shout! Factory, 1994, Not Rated): Before the superior "Freaks and Geeks," "My So-Called Life" was the first TV show that got 20th century high school kids right, tackling all their problems (both real and exaggerated) without the flat preachiness of an after-school special. The series made stars out of Claire Danes and Jared Leto, and while they've long since moved on, for many the show exists as a sort of virtual universal yearbook. This set features the usual cast and crew retrospectives, testimonials from such fans as "Buffy" creator Joss Whedon and a big ol' book of photos. For those with teens, especially girls, it's a collection worth keeping in mind for when gift-buying season really kicks in. (More)

(Criterion, 1960, Not Rated): For once the hype is warranted. In terms of cinema, there was a Before "Breathless" and an After "Breathless," as few films short of "Citizen Kane" made such a radical impact on the way movies were made. With "Breathless," Jean-Luc Godard rewrote the rules of filmmaking with his inventive cuts, breaking of the fourth wall and spontaneous, subversive script. And if the results are subtle by today's standards, it's only because Godard's innovations long since have been absorbed by even the most unambitious of filmmakers. The image quality alone is reason enough to recommend this much-in-demand new edition of the film. The supplements clinch it, even though the elusive, disgruntled Godard doesn't participate. (More)

Little more than a super-sized episode of the long-running animated sitcom, "The Simpsons Movie" (Fox, PG-13, 2007): doesn't come close to the show's best moments -- but since it's "The Simpsons," it doesn't mean the movie isn't worthwhile. To the contrary, there's an exceptionally nice balance of hit-or-miss humor, and the jokes come so fast that the clunkers barely register between the good ones. (More)