Etc...

OK, I guess you're excused

That was some pool of people involved in the jury selection process for a trial in Shelby County, Tenn., last week of a defendant accused of assault. When the prosecutor asked if anyone had been convicted of a crime, one man walked out, claiming to be "higher than a kite" on medication. Another had been arrested for threatening his nephew with a gun. A third confessed to once soliciting an undercover policewoman. Yet another said it's generally assumed in his neighborhood that any client of the defense attorney in the case is "probably guilty." Eventually, a jury was seated and the defendant was found innocent.

Warning: Viewer discretion is advised in viewing the movies listed below. Not all are classics, but they're among 25 just selected by the Library of Congress for its National Film Registry, which now holds 400 titles. They were culled from almost 1,000 nominations submitted by consultants, advisers, and the general public. The choices run the gamut from "Jailhouse Rock," the third of Elvis Presley's 31 starring roles, to "Duck and Cover," which in 1951 instructed schoolchildren on what to do in case of an atomic attack. A sample of the films that have been added to the registry, and the dates of their release (the full list can be found at www.loc.gov/film):

"D.O.A." 1950
"Duck and Cover" 1951
"Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" 1964
"The Court Jester" 1956
"Jailhouse Rock" 1957
"Ben Hur" 1959
"The Nutty Professor" 1963
"Empire" 1964
"Enter the Dragon" 1973
"Eraserhead" 1978
"Garlic Is as Good as Ten Mothers" 1980
"OffOn" 1968
"Daughters of the Dust" 1991
"Unforgiven" 1992
"Schindler's List" 1993
- Associated Press