REEL CRITICS:Duds on the big screen, so watch DVDs at home

The five Oscar nominees for best picture are all worthy candidates. But several films that just missed the cut are far better as DVD rentals than the lame bunch of new movies currently in local theaters. If you missed them on the big screen in 2006, try viewing these excellent contenders at home.

Comedy Picks: “Thank You for Smoking” is a political satire that delivers a scathing analysis of elected officials, lobbyists and your tax dollars at work.

“The Devil Wears Prada” is a cultural parody that features an outstanding Meryl Streep performance as the arrogant editor of a fashion magazine who terrifies everyone in the business.

Action Picks: “Casino Royale” takes the tired James Bond formula to a whole new level as a gritty spy thriller that goes far beyond the comic book antics of past efforts.

Off-Beat Picks: “A Scanner Darkly” is a far-out head trip featuring futuristic drug users living in a strange world that may or may not have any basis in reality.

“Click” features Adam Sandler as an overworked man with a magic remote control that launches his mundane life into the Twilight Zone.

Socially Responsible Picks: “Glory Road” depicts the 1965 NCAA basketball championship that changed college sports forever. The true story of the all-black team from West Texas State that beat the all-white team from Kentucky is impressive on many levels.

“United 93” is very hard to watch but reveals the story of the doomed flight on Sept. 11 with documentary precision and gut-wrenching realism.