LATEST ADDITIONS

Video: 3
Audio: 3
Extras: 3
In a world where one is not allowed to desire anything, Chiyo has secretly wished for just one thing. Fueled by her dream of seeing her beloved chairman again, she is driven to become a geisha, and, in the process, becomes the most sought after one of her time. Memoirs of a Geisha features Ziyi Zhang in her first English-speaking role.

Video: 4
Audio: 4
Extras: 3
Pixar has spoiled me. Thanks to films like Monsters, Inc. and Finding Nemo, I don’t just want an animated movie to appeal to my inner child—I also expect it to engage me as a grownup. Chicken Little has all of the elements of a good animated feature: The story is fast and fun, the main characters are memorable, the animation is outstanding, and it’s got a high warm-and-fuzzy quotient. It just lacks that intangible quality that will inspire the same loyalty and repeat viewings in pre- and postpubescents.

Video: 3
Audio: 3
Extras: 3
Viewing audiences and critics generally dismissed Jarhead when it rolled into theaters last year. That was a mistake—it’s one of the better unconventional war films ever made. This subgenre is championed by masterpieces such as Full Metal Jacket, Dr. Strangelove, and Apocalypse Now. These flicks actually explore the essence of war and its inevitable impact on the core of humanity. Jarhead measures up to the best of them specifically because the purported negatives critics hurled at it (cold, distant) is exactly the reason why it is great.

What's the latest cinematic sensation? The New York Metropolitan Opera! The Met struck a deal with exhibitor chain National CineMedia for high-def theatrical telecasts of six operas. The first four--The Magic Flute, I Puritani, The First Emperor, and Eugene Onegin--sold out 48 of 60 houses, making Mozart, Tan Dun, Bellini, and Tchaikovsky more popular than Prince, Bon Jovi, and The Who. The fact that people are paying $18 per ticket, versus $10 for rock acts, brings even wider smiles to exhibitors. Next up are The Barber of Seville (Rossini) and Il Trittico (Puccini, set model by Douglas W. Schmidt pictured). While the telecasts have prospered in big cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, Miami, and Washington, they're also drawing crowds in smaller markets including Huntsville, Alabama; Pueblo, Colorado; Boise, Idaho; and Dayton, Ohio. The Met will continue its longstanding Saturday-afternoon FM radio and more recent Sirius broadcasts. Its public-TV exposure had dwindled in recent years due to union pressures, but thanks to a new profit-sharing plan with the unions, the same half-dozen productions listed above will air on public TV, in HD, with Dolby Digital 5.1 surround. There is, however, a window between theater and television. So if you just cannot wait for Rossini--or just like the social ritual of enjoying opera in the presence of fellow music lovers--check your local theater listings.