If you're a discerning moviegoer who lives in a community with a specialty theater (or art house, as we used to call them), you may have seen some of the titles on my list. But there are some smaller, more offbeat pictures, that fly under the radar of even avid film buffs.

If you're a discerning moviegoer who lives in a community with a specialty theater (or art house, as we used to call them), you may have seen some of the titles on my list. But there are some smaller, more offbeat pictures, that fly under the radar of even avid film buffs.

It takes the better part of a year to survive the continuous stream of mediocre movies (and worse) so we can finally get to "the good stuff." Now that we have a bounty of first-rate movies to choose from, we have to insulate ourselves from the awards-season hype that touts good films as great and fine performances as brilliant. Seasoned moviegoers—and critics—have their work cut out for them.

By Leonard Maltin As we come to the last month of summer movie season, discerning filmgoers can still find satisfying alternatives to blockbusters-o...