"In the mid-1950s, director Budd Boetticher and actor Randolph Scott teamed up for a series of finely etched, elegiac westerns which count among the greatest glories of American cinema of the time." That's how the New York Film Festival announced the screening of the newly restored Seven Men From Now in 2000, finally out on DVD next week. Between 1988 and 1992, Sean Axmaker conducted a series of interviews with the late director. In these highlights, Boetticher talks about his work with two unique men, Scott and writer Burt Kennedy, 18-day shoots and gunslingers in love.

German filmmaker Veit Helmer has just been named one of twelve finalists in the running for the 2006 Sundance/NHK International Filmmakers Awards. A perfect opportunity to run for the first time a conversation Jonathan Marlow had with Helmer last year about his work with Wim Wenders and his own films, Tuvalu and Gate to Heaven.

'Tis the season on the GreenCine Daily, our award-winning film blog, where year-end best-of "Lists" roll on, updated throughout the day. Also: Morgan Spurlock to tackle Republicans while Studio Ghibli is set to adapt Ursula K. LeGuin.

Video-on-Demand: Foul King (2000).

"Wrestling picture. What do you need, a roadmap?" the producer character in Barton Fink yelled at the titular blocked writer. "Wrestling picture" usually doesn't bode well, but as The New York Times' A. O. Scott wrote, "If you think that the garish pageant of professional wrestling reflects a peculiarly American amalgam of macho aggression and show-biz fakery, the South Korean comedy Foul King may come as a pleasant - or perhaps a disturbing - surprise." In a role that would probably be played by Jim Carrey in an American version, Song Kang-Ho plays Daeho, a klutzy, insecure mess (and mass) of a man who finds himself training to become a wrestling star. "The best thing about Kim Jee-Woon's accomplished and funny movie is its ability throughout to see humor through melancholy and vice versa - sometimes within single shots," wrote Tony Rayns for TimeOut. "It helps that everything from the slapstick gags to the comedy of embarrassment is rooted in a kind of realism, and that Song gives a quite phenomenal performance in the lead." You can enter Foul King's ring now or anytime you wish via GreenCine's rapidly expanding Video-on-Demand service.

GreenCine Staff Pick of the Week: Felicidades (2000).

Despite the fact that it focuses on the sadder aspects of the winter holiday season - namely, loneliness and suicidal impulses - Argentinian sleeper Felicidades is by no means a downer. It's one of those films with multiple-character disorder, overlapping tales with characters crossing paths but not really connecting - but this works to the film's advantage. Set during a particularly hot, muggy Christmas Eve in Buenos Aires, the films's four main characters cross paths but have no real connection: A philandering author out of gas near a nuclear power plant; a lonely doctor tries to hook up with a beautiful woman only to be detained by a manipulative paraplegic; a good-natured dentist shopping for his son's Christmas present is taken by corrupt police and forced to help them with a scheme; and a washed-up stand-up comic, stranded in the middle of nowhere. Not your ordinary Christmas movie by any means, and director Lucho Bender's touch will remind many here of a Latin Robert Altman with some elements of Jarmusch and Fellini sprinkled in for good measure. Felicidades is not only a magical, often beautiful little film, it also takes on another layer of complexity in its portrayal of Argentina's decadence and subsequent economic fall. But the film's ultimate message is one of hope and compassion, not despair. "Felicidades" (casual Argentinian for "Merry Christmas"), indeed. -- Tamara Lees

Our gift-wrapped highlights of this week's new DVD releases (with a few more to be found under the tree on the new releases page):

Vodka Lemon (2003). "A confident [Hiner] Saleem mirrors and reveals the beauty and perseverance of life in the mundane and absurd, and as such his film is really reminiscent of the works of Aki Kaurismäki and Emir Kusturica," wrote Ed Gonzalez in Slant. "Anyone who can powerfully evoke the ecstasy of lovemaking with a shot of gently falling snow is a talent to watch."

Serenity (2005)."It probably isn't fair to Joss Whedon's Serenity to say that this unassuming science-fiction adventure is superior in almost every respect to George Lucas's aggressively more ambitious Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith," wrote Manohla Dargis in the New York Times. "But who cares about fair when there is fun to be had? Scene for scene, Serenity is more engaging and certainly better written and acted than any of Mr. Lucas's recent screen entertainments. Mr. Whedon isn't aiming to conquer the pop-culture universe with a branded mythology; he just wants us to hitch a ride to a galaxy far, far away and have a good time." Spun off from the late, lamented TV series Firefly.

The Brothers Grimm (2005). Everyone's rooting for Terry Gilliam. The director's raucous imagination never seems to go unpunished by those who step forth to pay him to realize it. If it weren't for an unprecedented campaign launched by critics, we'd never have seen Brazil, and of course, we still haven't seen his version of the Don Quixote tale. Gilliam and the Brothers Grimm seemed like a perfect match, but Gilliam and the Weinsteins, well, probably weren't. Nonetheless, no one misses the mark as interestingly as Terry Gilliam, despite all odds, and there's some good fun to be had here.

The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005). In the early 70s, churches were horrified that Christians and lay folk alike were getting their Sunday school lessons on demonology from one of the most popular horror movies of all time, The Exorcist. 30 years later, Christians are making their own popular exorcism movies. You have to hand it to director Scott Derrickson, though. He knows what he's about: "In my opinion, the horror genre is a perfect genre for Christians to be involved with," he told Christianity Today this summer. "To me, this genre deals more overtly with the supernatural than any other genre, it tackles issues of good and evil more than any other genre, it distinguishes and articulates the essence of good and evil better than any other genre, and my feeling is that a lot of Christians are wary of this genre simply because it's unpleasant. The genre is not about making you feel good, it is about making you face your fears. And in my experience, that's something that a lot of Christians don't want to do."

November (2003). Courteney Cox stars in Greg Harrison's second feature (his first was Groove), a thriller and a puzzler.

New Anime:

Jubei-Chan 2 Volume 4: Unification (2005). "The true heir to Ninja Scroll," proclaims Carlo Santos at the Anime News Network, "the Jubei-chan franchise, which is a far more convincing adventure than Ninja Resurrection ever was, and we're talking about a show that has schoolgirls. Jubei-Chan 2 continues the proud tradition of the first series, juxtaposing slick swordfights and nonstop gags to form an oddly entertaining mix."

As always, if you want to see a complete, more detailed list of all this week's new releases, do drop by our new releases page.

It's the giving season and what says "I love/like/tolerate you" to the special cinephiles in your life more than GreenCine gift certificate? It's not too late! [In fact, you can give a GC GC all year 'round - but since it's the holiday season, why not go for it now?] Merry Kwanzmasaramadamukkah!

Congratulations to these lucky winners of several recent GreenCine trivia contests: Melinda and Melinda winners were Criticalmv, marxist and WoodyAllenFan90 (the answer was Manhattan, Wally Shawn's first Woody film - and first film, period); Fox Film Noir 3 winners were ddobski, KPFramer, Skippersf, animefool, bandinis and ratherwatchingamovie (the answer was Laura, Fallen Angel, In Harms Way, and Daisy Kenyon). We'll announce more winners of pending trivia contests in this space soon. Oh, and remember how we said there would be no more trivia contests through the end of the year? Well, we lied. Or rather, we couldn't resist adding a couple more at the very end of the month. Look for 'em on the site then.

The member list of the week: ZenBones' "An Alternative Christmas." ("Want some Christmas cheer but tired of the same ol' movies that bludgeon their message? Try these films that subtly warm your heart.") And while we're at it, how about estherjane's "Less Obvious / More Tolerable Holiday Movies" list?

And speaking of lists, why not contribute your own picks for the best films you saw in 2005. (And, if you're feeling grouchy, the worst, too.)

GreenCine's next screening at San Francisco's Yerba Buena Center for the Arts will be on February 1, as we proudly present the criminally under-seen caper classic, Le Clan des Siciliens (1969). The film is the only motion picture to feature all three heavyweights from French tough-guy cinema -- Jean Gabin, Alain Delon and Leno Ventura. More details on this magnifico screening to come!

Finally, please note that the Dispatch will be on vacation next week, returning refreshed and with a flourish after New Year's. Until then, have a safe, happy, healthy holiday season.