"They're coming!"

If you're thinking way too much about the President, the Patriot Act, government surveillance, and various conspiracy theories, you may NOT want to view these movies. Then again, you may:

• The Manchurian Candidate (1962): The original, and best, with a powerhouse cast of Laurence Harvey, Frank Sinatra and Angela Lansbury.
• The Parallax View (1974): Underrated at the time, this is one of the best postwar thrillers that conveys the ultimate nightmare effectively.
  
• The Conversation (1974): Made between Godfathers, this is Coppola's favorite and most personal of his own films. Look for Robert Duvall in an unbilled cameo.
  
• Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978): I know the original is supposed to be the gold standard, but I love this remake and The New York Times called it "dazzling." Not too shabby. Duvall makes another unbilled cameo!

• A Scanner Darkly (2006): Based on Philip K. Dick's 1977 sci-fi novel about the drug culture. The casting is spot-on, with Keanu Reeves, Robert Downey Jr., Woody Harrelson, and Winona Ryder as fellow travelers (Timothy Leary was Winona's godfather, FYI). Bizarrely enough, the hero on the cover of the original book bears an uncanny resemblance to Johnny Depp!