You've just spent $8.50 on a movie. You think you understand it, but how do you know for sure? Wouldn't it be great if the writer or directer were on hand to talk after it afterwards? The Milwaukee Art Museum thought so, too.

Embarking on its second season, the MAM's film series gathers members of the film community -- particularily those with local ties -- for an evening of not just film watching, but film understanding. Movie producers, directors, writers, and instructors meet face to face with their audience to screen and discuss works of their choice.

"The unique piece of this series is that each evening's introductions and discussions are curated by a different individual, and the themes and focuses are based on the interest of these selected curators," says MAM director of adult programs and tours Fran Serlin.

The 2006 season series kicks off with "The Dark Side of the American Dream" on Thursday, Feb. 2. Milwaukee native director and screenwriter Niels Mueller will present his film "The Assasination of Richard Nixon," which focuses on the tragic true story of Sam Bicke (Sean Penn), a disillusioned everyman who was driven to plot the assassination of the 37th president of the United States in 1974.

"I always knew I had social and political interests, but when originally doing this film, I was most curious about what could lead a man -- who is living a relatively normal existence -- to violence? What makes him take that path?" says Mueller of his 2004 film.

"I was interested in what's been referred to as 'the decade of shock' -- from about '63 to Nixon's resignation. I was 12 when Watergate happened and I always felt that Nixon had an unsettling presence about him on TV."

Following the screening, which includes footage of the film's deleted scenes as well as a documentary about the making of the film, Mueller, who also wrote 2002's "Tadpole," will lead a discussion and talkback session about the movie.

"It's a small story with a big backdrop of America coming apart at the seams," he says. "I like to let the story speak for itself, but I am looking forward to hearing the varied reactions people have and what they took away from the film. Everyone's opinion matters to me."

The series continues on March 2 with " __________________: a daisy chain of video" (The official name of this one is to be determined by the audience). UWM Film instructor Carl Bogner has collected a group of curators, including Thomas Schur, Abina Manning, Steve Reinke, Mary Lucier, Luke Sieczek, and the Jody Monroe Gallery, to present a program of videos that are organized successively and associatively by the daisy chain of curators.

On April 6 director/producer Sarah Price, whose films include the feature documentaries "The Yes Men," "Caesar's Park" and "American Movie," will invite the viewer into "Summercamp," a day-to-day drama of 90 kids let loose in the woods of a northern Wisconsin camp. The audience will experience summer camp through the non-calloused eyes of kids, capturing raw emotional experience that will endure with them for the rest of their lives.

All programs start at 7 p.m. in the Lubar Auditorium. Cost is $7 general public and $5 Museum members, senior citizens and students.