The Names of Love | 9/6 | 7:30pm

A French comedy about love, sex, and politics. Now I see why it's been called a crowd pleaser! This French hit that had its premier at Cannes and was nominated for a ton of Cesar Awards (France's equivalent of the Oscar's) has received a warm welcome here in the US, too, with Michel Leclerc singled out for his masterful direction. "Leclerc pays such lavish homage, in the construction of his film, to golden-age Allen; the moments at which a bewildered Arthur consults his teen-age self could have come straight out of 'Annie Hall,'" says Anthony Lane in The New Yorker. If comparisons to Woody Allen don't get you off the couch, perhaps the trailer will:

The Trip | 9/30 | 7:30pm

"The Trip," a fantastic new British comedy from Michael Winterbottom, stars Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon as thinly veiled versions of their acerbic and sardonic selves. If you remember "Tristan Shandy: A Cock and Bull Love Story" from back in 2005, this is essentially a reprisal of the key players. If you're not familiar with that film, it's definitely worth checking out to see what lies ahead for your here. But the trailer will give you a bit of insight - a British road movie about how it's both completely annoying and totally necessary to have friends. "Does it matter where a performer ends and the persona begins, or if the two can be separated?" asks Manhola Dargis in the New York Times, "In 'The Trip' you search for authenticity among the jokes and lulls, but what you get is what you see and hear."

Cave of Forgotten Dreams | 8/23 | 7:30pm

"Cave of Forgotten Dreams," Werner Herzog's new epic documentary, is our second film of the Fall series. Herzog takes as his subject the Chauvet caves of southern France, home to some of the oldest painted images in human history. With typical Herzogian style and approach, we consider these archaic images from a totally new perspective. The film has received numerous accolades and has been a huge critical success. "The result is a journey to prehistory that's simultaneously wondrous and tedious, profound and completely nuts -- which is to say, quintessential Herzog," says NPR.

The Tree of Life | 8/16 | 7:30pm

What can you say about "The Tree of Life?" That it stars Brad Pitt and Sean Penn, had a budget of over $30 million, and yet still didn't play the Cobb? That's a curiosity until you see the director's name: Terrence Malik. If you're unfamiliar with Mr. Malik's work, please do yourself a favor in anticipation of "The Tree of Life." Seek out "Badlands," "Days of Heaven," "The Thin Red Line," and "The New World" in that order. Prepare for vistas and long unspoken passages and meditation on nature and violence and the American experience. They are art house films with a Hollywood budget, and they're mostly unforgettable. We're very proud to start our series with Malik's most recent, with a warning from the distributor that the film has one of the highest walkout rates in recent memory. Duly noted. While the critics at Cannes were split - some booing the screen as the titles rolled, others drowning out the boos with enthusiastic applause - the jury was unanimous, giving the film the Palme d'Or, Cannes' highest honor. And now it's here, gracing out humble burg, in brilliant 35mm. Peter Travers of Rolling Stone might have summed it up best: "'Tree' delivers truths that don't go down easy. No one with a genuine interest in the potential of film would think of missing it."