Instead, he chose movies like "Broken Arrow," "Phenomenon" and "Michael," the one in which he was a cigarette-smoking angel in denim overalls.

"For many years people did not choose Italian movies," Mr. Cicutto said.

Studio executives, both men and women, have shown themselves to be pragmatists above all, choosing movies that they believe will make the most money for their corporate parents.

Instead, she chooses movies that she is likely to watch herself.

Game makers generally choose recent movies on which to base such products, but The Thing is the sequel to a 1982 film by John Carpenter.

In fact, many now simply avoid the area, choosing movies and restaurants in neighborhoods less battered by cupidity.

But if learned panels can choose the 100 greatest novels, movies or even historically influential people, why not the 100 greatest works of art?

Mr. Kaufman said that although he has final approval in choosing movies for the studio, he rarely turns down movie proposals that his president of production is really committed to.

And what makes a lawyer successful in Hollywood is not the ability to choose movies.

"My idea then was to choose movies I really liked," he said.