Counterprogramming exists for a reason- to give audiences an alternative. Not up for the latest comic book adaptation or big-budget blockbuster? That's what the indies are there for.

Yesterday I was watching "The Brothers Bloom," and decided that it'd be a good idea to look closer at the alternatives to films like "Star Trek" and "The Hangover," the ones that typically go against the grain story-wise and give audiences something a little different. It's also good that, for the next two weeks in my "Movie a Week" blog I began this year, I'll be looking at two of the better such films that've come out in years past.

This summer has some interesting potential for breakout hits, from Sam Mendes' "Away We Go" to the Sundance fave "500 Days of Summer" to the Peter Jackson-produced thriller "District 9." Unfortunately, it doesn't look like "The Brothers Bloom"- from "Brick" writer-director Rian Johnson- will be one such film, even though its' ideosyncratic characters and storyline deserve some love from moviegoers looking for an escape from escapism.

Below are some of my favorite Counterprogramming films of summers past. If I've reviewed it on Sonic Cinema, I'll note it. I hope you enjoy, and feel free to list off some of your own.

="Fahrenheit 9/11" (2004) & "Sicko" (2007)- Michael Moore takes on Bush and Health Care, two problems have haven't gone away with our new president...yet. Check out Sonic Cinema for my views on these rabble-rousing editorials from left-wing firebrand Moore.

="Ever After: A Cinderella Story" (1998)- A revisionist's adaptation of "Cinderella," with Drew Barrymore at her sympathetic and sunny best in this fairy tale for a feminist age.

="Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" (2001)- Kevin Smith's 90-minute inside joke of a road movie featuring himself and his hetero life partner Jason Mewes in their iconic pairing as dope dealers on their way to Hollywood. "Look kids! It's Mark Hamill!" 'Cause, you know, that's the type of movie it is.

="Before Sunset" (2004)- Richard Linklater's lovely and unforgettable sequel to his unlikely classic "Before Sunrise," with Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy as a pair of 30-somethings who wonder what things might have been like had they met up in Vienna 9 years ago. Sonic Cinema houses my views on this film and its' predecessor.

="Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story" (2004)- Ben Stiller at his most narcassistic, Vince Vaughn at his most everyman, and everyone else at their, well, whatever. Who saw this film coming? "If you can dodge traffic, you can dodge a ball."

="The 40 Year-Old Virgin" (2005)- Back when Judd Apatow was a novelty instead of the frequent cinematic presence he is now. More LPM (Laughs Per Minute) than any comedy in the past several years...at least until "The Hangover."

="Emma" (1996)- Sure, you can suffocate on its' chick flick-ness, but Gwyneth Paltrow hasn't been this good since...even when she won an Oscar for "Shakespeare in Love" two years later. Reviewed on Sonic Cinema as part of my "Movie a Week" series.

="The Proposition" (2006)- John Hillcoat's Outback Western is a classic study in morality in the vein of "Unforgiven," "The Searchers," and "Tombstone." This week's "Movie a Week" entry at Sonic Cinema.

="The Notebook" (2004)- I can't believe I forgot this weepie from a few years ago on the original post. Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams are a pair of lovers for the ages in Nick Cassavetes' unforgettable (and sometimes unbearably sad) romantic drama.

="The Frighteners" (1996)- Peter Jackson's supernatural horror-comedy with Michael J. Fox as a man who sees dead people, and a pattern coming back from the past. Reviewed on Sonic Cinema.

="Drag Me to Hell" (2009)- Sam Raimi's down and dirty return to horror is as blissfully mixed with shocks and comedy as anything in his "Evil Dead" trilogy. Who knew his return to horror would be PG-13...let alone scary as Hell as a PG-13? Reviewed on Sonic Cinema.

="Oldboy" (2005)- When it finally hit American theatres in 2005, it came out in May in Atlanta, meaning Chan Wook-Park's visceral revenge thriller qualifies to be here. Few films in the past 10 years have been met with such universal praise by the geek squad- fewer still deserve the recognition. Reviewed on Sonic Cinema.

="Accepted" (2006)- Yeah, it's a knock-off on "Animal House" for the "American Pie" and Apatow age, but Justin Long is a charismatic leading man in this clever and cool comedy.

Others to check out are: "A Prairie Home Companion" (2006), "Death at a Funeral" (2007), "The Brothers Bloom" (2009), "Clueless" (1995), "Once" (2007), "The Sixth Sense" (1999), "Grizzly Man" (2005), "The Man Without a Face" (1993), "Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson" (2008), "1408" (2007), and "About a Boy" (2002)

Brian Skutle

http://www.sonic-cinema.com