Do not go into “Bad Santa” thinking you’re about to see the normal ‘Christmas is magical, everyone goes to bed with visions of sugarplums dancing in their heads, and behind every Scrooge there’s a jolly old elf just waiting to emerge’ movie. First of all, Christmas is only magical for the first 15 minutes of shopping when the reality of overpriced presents and pushy crowds hasn’t yet sunk in. Secondly, I don’t know a single person who ever dreamed of sugarplums. And third, miraculous transformations are more in keeping with fairy tales than real life. Sometimes a Scrooge just is a Scrooge. “Bad Santa” takes those cynical thoughts to the extreme, gleefully lashing out at the holiday season and all those sticky sweet Hollywood movies with ho ho happy endings.

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In south Florida, a high school counselor is accused of rape by a manipulative rich girl and her trailer trash classmate. The cop on the case begins to suspect a conspiracy and dives into an elaborate and devious web of greed and betrayal to find the truth. Written by J.J. Jackson

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A man returns to his home town after being away and discovers a severed human ear in a field. Not satisfied with the police’s pace, he and the police detective’s daughter carry out their own investigation. The object of his investigation turns out to be a beautiful and mysterious woman involved with a violent and perversely evil man. Written by Mark Logan {marklo@west.sun.com}

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1950’s Los Angeles is the seedy backdrop for this intricate noir-ish tale of police corruption and Hollywood sleaze. Three very different cops are all after the truth, each in their own style: Ed Exley, the golden boy of the police force, willing to do almost anything to get ahead, except sell out; Bud White, ready to break the rules to seek justice, but barely able to keep his raging violence under control; and Jack Vincennes, always looking for celebrity and a quick buck until his conscience drives him to join Exley and White down the one-way path to find the truth behind the dark world of L.A. crime. Written by Greg Bole {bole@life.bio.sunysb.edu}

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Harry Angel has a new case, to find a man called Johnny Favourite. Except things aren’t quite that simple, and Johnny doesn’t want to be found. Let’s just say that, amongst the period detail and beautiful scenery, it all gets really, really nasty. Written by David Carroll {davidc@atom.ansto.gov.au}

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A film about two homicide detectives’ desperate hunt for a serial killer who justifies his crimes as absolution for the world’s ignorance of the Seven Deadly Sins. The movie takes us from the tortured remains of one victim to the next as the sociopathic “John Doe” sermonizes to Detectives Sommerset and Mills — one sin at a time. The sin of Gluttony comes first and the murderer’s terrible capacity is graphically demonstrated in the dark and subdued tones characteristic of film noir. The seasoned and cultured Sommerset researches the Seven Deadly Sins in an effort to understand the killer’s modus operandi while green Detective Mills scoffs at his efforts to get inside the mind of a killer… Written by Mark Fleetwood {mfleetwo@mail.coin.missouri.edu}

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A man is murdered. Two men witness it. A blind man who hears the killer, and a deaf man who sees her. The police don’t think they’re credible witnesses, but the killers don’t want to take any chances. The two men must now work together to save themselves and bring the killers to justice. Written by Jean-Marc Rocher {tss.yh.nec.co.jp}

Born in the Highlands of Scotland in 1518, Connor Macleod is immortal. When he is wounded in battle but does not die, he is banished from his village. He meets another like himself, Ramirez, who teaches him swordsmanship–the only way to kill another immortal is to take his head–and the ways of the immortals. Modern-day New York is the location of “The Gathering,” where Connor and the few remaining immortals must battle to the last for “The Prize.” Written by Jeff Hansen {jmh@umich.edu}

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There’s an eerie, otherworldly feel to the way director Michael Mann (“The Insider,” “Heat”) has portrayed the City of Angels in “Collateral.” Los Angeles at night is a whole different beast and in Mann’s hands, the city itself becomes a living, breathing character. Dark and brooding, the LA depicted in “Collateral” provides the perfect backdrop to this intense action thriller.

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The twisted vision of suburbia circa 1988 that is “Donnie Darko” made quite an impact at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival, becoming one of the Festival’s most talked about films.

“Donnie Darko” is an extraordinary look at one teenager as he attempts to come to grips with the theory of time travel, the search for answers to the existence of God, and the secret knowledge the world will soon end, while battling an assortment of hallucinations and delusions. The film’s a dark coming-of-age tale told by way of a provocative script, and superbly acted out by Jake Gyllenhaal and a highly recognizable cast of supporting players. It’s strange and twisted, yet charming, thought provoking and highly original.

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