The Complete Thin Man Collection - Dir. W.S. Van Dyke, Richard Thorpe, & Edward Buzzell (1934-47)

The legacy of The Thin Man is just one of those awesome Hollywood stories where everything goes so incredibly amazingly right that it should never have happened. When Maltese Falcon author Dashiell Hammett’s novel was acquired by MGM, nobody knew exactly how to approach it. Producer Hunt Stromberg agreed to buy the story only on the condition that Woodbridge "One-Take Woody" Van Dyke would direct. Van Dyke had worked as a gold miner, a lumberjack, a railroad worker and a mercenary before becoming assistant director to the controversial D.W. Griffith on his epic Intolerance.

After reading the material, Van Dyke told the brass that he wanted to do the film as a lighthearted, society romp. He wanted to do a whodunit and at the same time throw in elements of society farce and screwball comedy. This had never been done in a "serious" studio picture, be it even what was to be slated as a B-movie. On top of that, he demanded that William Powell and Myrna Loy play the lead roles of Nick and Nora Charles. It was an inspired choice that only Van Dyke could understand at the time, having just witnessed their otherworldly chemistry when he directed them in Manhattan Melodrama.

William Powell, the studio insisted, was an over-the-hill has been. Myrna Loy, the brass claimed, was more suited to playing a vampish mistress, the other woman. Nevertheless, Van Dyke relented, pleading his case to Louis B. Mayer himself until he got his way. "Whatever," the studio thought, "it's just a dumb B-picture anyway." So then everyone was in complete shock when the film was a runaway smash hit AND garnered four Oscar nominations including best actor for Powell, best director and best picture of the year. Although it lost everything to It Happened One Night, The Thin Man went on to spawn five sequels and a reportedly awful television series in the ‘60s with Peter Lawford and Phyllis Kirk.

Dismissing the book's portrayal of a lecherous, rough-around-the-edges hero who has open affairs without regard for his wife, Van Dyke's movie shows a couple with an us-against-the-world attitude. They're a pair of urban sophisticates who insist that martinis should only be shaken to waltz time, matching each other quip for quip and drink for drink, and oh how they drink. To them, life is just a big, fun adventure and they also enjoy solving crimes. Most of these films are as enjoyable to watch today as they were 70 years ago.

Unfortunately Van Dyke died after the fourth film, leaving the last couple outings to be helmed by less in-tune hands. They're still fun but they lack the wit and sparkle of the first four films. In addition to all six Thin Man movies, this complete set comes packed with interviews, documentaries, trailers, radio spots and various short films. It even includes an episode of the television version. Any respectable film geek lusts after this collection.—Dave Cole

Dirty Filthy Love Sundance 2005

Mark Furness has a problem: he has developed both Tourette’s Syndrome and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder at the same time. Crippled with two afflictions, his life falls apart. He loses his job, wife, house and friends. Slowly, he tries to pick up the pieces. Sounds depressing? Actually it’s not. DIRTY FILTHY LOVE is a rare film that can make light of a grim situation yet deliver the serious side when needed. It all falls on British actor Michael Sheen, who has previously been seen over here in films like UNDERWORLD and FOUR FEATHERS. Sheen realized that this is the role of a lifetime and provides perhaps the best performance of the year. In fact, this is the best film of the year so far. —Marc McCloud

Errol Morris' First Person - The Complete Series Bravo 2000

It's hard to imagine, but there was a time when Bravo was more than just Celebrity Poker and gay reality TV. They used to consider themselves as the film and arts channel. One of the last truly inspired contributions the network gave on that end was to give documentarian Errol Morris his own series. Morris is arguably the best and most influential documentarian working today. He's been making films since 1980's Gates of Heaven and most of his films, including The Thin Blue Line, A Brief History of Time, The Fog of War and Fast, Cheap & Out of Control are considered to be classics. In First Person Morris continued his innovation of the genre with his interrotron camera -- a shooting system that was designed to keep relentless eye contact with a subject during an interview. Morris has a talent not only in selecting fascinating subjects but also in asking questions that bring out even more fascinating information. The series of half-hour interviews is, in turns; Hilarious, agonizing, sad and bizarre. He tackles subjects like squid hunting, parrots who can clear accused murderers, the answer to who is keeping America in debt, the suicide of a child, a kid who goes on the lam with his Mother's cryogenically frozen head, a night-club bouncer who has the highest recorded IQ in human history and oh, so much more. As though his subjects and questions aren't enough to engage you, Morris has a unique visual style that always keeps you interested. No matter how outlandish, he never passes judgment on his subjects. If anything, he makes you feel closer to them. You may think you have them pegged when they first open their mouths, but by the end they have your complete empathy. You may not like them or behave like them but you can't deny the utter humanity in their actions.—Dave Cole