The last two weeks at Hulu have been all about bringing more movies to our users. And while we've added more than 20 full-length feature films since the Hulu Days of Summer wrapped up, we've also introduced popular television shows from the past. Here are the highlights, just in case you missed them.

More Movies
This week has been all about the mega-movie stars: Brad Pitt, Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, Robert Redford ... Cheech & Chong? From Legends of the Fall and Sleepless in Seattle to Robert Redford's Oscar-winning directorial debut, Ordinary People, drama is finding its place on Hulu -- but we're not all about the tear-jerkers.

New-to-Hulu movies like Jackass 2.5 -- outtakes from Jackass 2 -- and Yellowbeard -- a swashbuckler spoof starring Cheech & Chong -- ensure there's still plenty to laugh about.

And if you prefer thought-provoking war movies, check out Saints and Soldiers, a low-budget film loosely based on actual events that occurred following the Melmedy massacre during World War II's Battle of the Bulge. Without relying on special effects or gore, it still manages to depict the fear and struggle this band of Allied soliders experienced as they made the dangerous journey from Nazi territory back to their troops.

More TV Favorites
Can't get enough teen drama? Get your fix with select episodes of One Tree Hill and The O.C.. We have the first half of each show's first season available right now; we'll introduce more episodes as they become available.

More Web Originals
While this past year's writers' strike may have slowed down Hollywood, a bunch of top-notch writers and producers got together to create their own new comedies and dramas specifically for the Web. From The Line, directed by Saturday Night Live's Seth Meyers, to Gemini Division, starring Rosario Dawson, and Coma, which headlines a number of Hollywood regulars, including Michael Madsen, we continue to bring you the top web originals around.

We'll continue to add more programming to the site every day. Stay tuned next week: Fall premieres are just around the corner. We'll have more updates on Tuesday.

Rebecca
rebecca.harper@hulu.com
Hulu Editor

I have always been riveted by the American political process. I love the energy of a political campaign, the devotion of the people who volunteer their time and donate their money in hopes that their candidate will be the one to raise their right hand and repeat the words "I solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of…"

This last year, I have seen this energy greatly increased, cynicism bowled over, and hope returned. Millions of new voters have rushed to the polls in the primaries on both sides of the aisle, with vigor that hasn't been seen in decades, and certainly not in my lifetime.

I've stayed up all night to watch the results from the past four general elections, and I love few things more than getting the information I want about the campaigns and the late-breaking developments as soon as I can. That's why I'm happy to say that Hulu is bringing you the latest and greatest election and political updates through our newest news partner, MSNBC. We've got The Today Show to get you through your morning, and NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams for those late-breaking developments I was talking about. If you're interested in more detail, a little Meet the Press should be right up your alley. And of course we’ll be bringing you everything we can from the Denver Democratic National Convention (DNC).

For more political coverage, tune in to The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, which returns from a brief hiatus to report on "Indecision 2008" from the DNC, as well. And with America's Election HQ, a daily wrap-up of the day's political events, Fox News keeps you on top of the latest issues.

See you in the first hundred days!

Travis McCann
Hulu Political Correspondent

It's the final day of the Hulu Days of Summer, where we introduced new movies, TV shows, or exclusive web content (Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along-Blog, we're looking at you) to our site each weekday. We want to thank everyone that watched, commented and shared any of the videos we featured over the last 10 weeks. Our content team has worked hard to bring more quality videos to you during the summer, normally a slow season for new content.

Today's feature is Eddie Murphy Raw, a film from the great American stand-up comedian. Recorded in 1987 at New York City's Felt Forum (a venue now called the WaMu Theater in the Madison Square Garden complex), Eddie Murphy Raw was Murphy's second stand-up feature (following 1983's Delirious), grossing more than $50 million at the box office.

If you're familiar with Murphy's stand-up acts, you'll know that this film is for adult audiences, to say the least. At the time of its release, three years after Beverly Hills Cop, Eddie Murphy Raw contained more uses of the "f" word than any other feature-length film, surpassing Scarface for the distinction.

And while today is the last day of the Hulu Days of Summer, we'll keep adding more shows and movies on a regular basis. In fact, we already have some good stuff lined up for next week. You can track what's new to the site from our Recently Added pages: Recently Added TV Shows, Recently Added Movies and All Recently Added Videos. Filters along the left side of these pages allow you to narrow the list down to whatever interests you. Prefer to get this info from your inbox or homepage? Subscribe to an RSS feed for any of these by clicking on the orange RSS button at the top left of these pages, or by visiting our RSS feed page.

Finally, with the fall season just a few weeks away, you can expect to catch the season premieres of many of your favorites right here on Hulu.

Brandon
brandon.boone@hulu.com

To fans of TLC's Trading Spaces, Vern Yip is a familiar face. The interior designer, known for his clean, tasteful projects, has since moved on to host his own show, HGTV's Deserving Design. In each episode, he goes to the home of a deserving person, family or even sorority -- people who have made a big effort to help others -- and makes over a room with some input from the homeowner. What they don't know, however, is that a surprise makeover of a second room is also in store. For armchair decorators like myself, Yip provides helpful tips and inspiring ideas along way, most of which are simple enough to try at home.

Another HGTV newcomer now available on Hulu is Myles of Style, hosted by Design Star 2 winner Kim Myles. The charismatic New Yorker challenges homeowners to unlock their creativity, teaming up with them to transform a drab patio into a modern Moroccan retreat, or an oversized living room into a classic chic hangout. Best of all, Myles proves that high-end design isn't out of reach for budget-conscious homeowners: Most of her projects are do-it-yourself, from a concrete table with built-in lighting to a silk-lined light fixture framed with wire mesh.

With 13 full-length episodes for each of these titles, we think you'll find plenty of inspiration for any end-of-summer home improvement projects you might have in mind. Enjoy!

Rebecca
rebecca.harper@hulu.com

A warm welcome to all of my Food Network friends: Bobby, Paula, Ellie, Robin, Dave and Ingrid. I have been a huge fan of the Food Network for years and am excited to introduce all of my favorites to Hulu. Scripps Networks (the owner of Food Network, Fine Living, HGTV and DIY) has been gracious enough to provide Hulu with a number of clips from our favorite shows.

Hulu is kicking off the Food Network with one of its superstars -- Bobby Flay (Mesa Grill), host of Throwdown with Bobby Flay. In Throwdown, Bobby and his team select a dish, such as cheesecake or BBQ, search for the person who does it best, and then launch a surprise attack on the pro, challenging them to a cook-off in front of the cameras. On Hulu, he provides helpful kitchen techniques such as Basic Knife Skills.

I can’t tell you how many hours I have watched Bobby striving for victory on Throwdown with Bobby Flay, but I've found inspiration from other Food Network stars, too. I have been motivated to cook healthy meals with Ellie (Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger), whose food is so delicious, you wouldn’t guess that it’s also good for you. One of my new favorites is Dave Does, webisodes that highlight food, drink and gadgets, and where to find the best of them. I've taken numerous trips to Miami, Brazil and Puerto Rico -- all fueled by my love of Latin food -- and Ingrid (Simply Delicioso) brings a little Cuban and Brazilian flavor my way with Latin drinks. And, whenever I need a southern fix, there's Paula Deen of Paula's Home Cooking. I love that she isn’t afraid to use loads of butter, fry anything (including butter), and make sweet southern treats (pecan pie, anyone?). Clips from all these favorites are now available on Hulu.

Rachel
rachel.nico@hulu.com

Comedy is full of great duos: Laurel and Hardy, Abbott and Costello, Cheech and Chong... In today's Hulu Days of Summer feature, Wallace & Gromit: Cracking Contraptions, the minds at Aardman Animations put together a similar duo: A daffy inventor, Wallace, and his trusty dog, Gromit.

Gromit plays the straight man to his absent-minded owner, whose seemingly handy gadgets -- a device that changes the channel (in "The Tellyscope") and a robot that makes breakfast (in "The Autochef"), for instance -- always seem to backfire. Luckily, the long-suffering dog takes it all in stride, gamely donning a sheep's costume when Wallace has insomnia in "The Snoozatron" and taking a few hits in "The Soccamatic".

These plasticine Brits come from the minds of the four-time Academy Award-winning team at Aardman. They had produced 12 stills of Wallace's wacky inventions for a calendar, so they played off these contraptions to produce these 10 short, stop-animation films for their fans. We are happy to welcome Wallace and Gromit (and all their troublesome contraptions) to Hulu and hope you enjoy.

Rebecca
rebecca.harper@hulu.com

There is really no other way for me to describe today's Hulu Days of Summer features except to call them American classics. The Karate Kid and The Karate Kid, Part II are classically cheesy, yet they're great movies that spotlight one young man's journey through self-doubt, puppy love, personal discipline and bullying. In The Karate Kid, Daniel, a teen from New Jersey, becomes the target of the affluent bullies at his new school in Los Angeles. When the rich kids gang up on Daniel, an unassuming elderly man -- Daniel's handyman, Mr. Miyagi -- comes to his rescue, using karate to fend the boys off. Impressed by Mr. Miyagi's skills, Daniel asks him for karate lessons.

The sequel, The Karate Kid, Part II, picks up right where the first movie left off. Mr. Miyagi and Daniel take a trip to Okinawa to visit Mr. Miyagi's dying father. After arriving in Japan, Mr. Miyagi finds he still has feelings for a past love, which ends up creating new trouble with an old rival. In the meantime, Daniel encounters a new love and also makes some enemies along the way.

Now, I'm pretty sure I'm not spoiling either movie by saying Daniel and Mr. Miyagi prevail and overcome their nemeses while gaining respect and admiration. That said, there are a number of lessons to relearn from watching these movies again. I'll never forget all the great one-liners, and I'll never get tired of watching Daniel-san practice his Crane Kick on the beach.

Enjoy today's double feature. I know I will.

Brandon Boone
brandon.boone@hulu.com

We've recently added two new settings to the Privacy and Settings tab in your user profile. Both can be found under Personal Settings in the left column of your Privacy and Settings page, as shown below.

One setting is for Closed Captioning and it allows you to set the Hulu player to always turn on English captions when available. The second setting allows you to instruct the Hulu player to always default to the hi-res (1Mbps, 480p) stream if available for any video.

These are both in addition to the two settings that remain from before. One opts you in to receive the occasional (and by occasional, we mean rare) e-mail from us when we have exciting news or site features to share. The second activates queue updates. These short text e-mails let you know if we've added a video from any of your subscriptions to your queue. We also will send a short e-mail if any of the videos in your queue are expiring soon so you have a chance to view them. These queue update e-mails are batched and sent at most once a day, and only when there's relevant activity to share.

You'll need a Hulu account to access and adjust these settings. If you haven't signed up for a Hulu account, it's free and quick.

Enjoy,

Eugene
eugene.wei@hulu.com

In the hands of Hollywood today, 1974's The Taking of Pelham One Two Three might be an entirely different movie. Maybe it would start with a back story that explains why four men would team up to hijack a subway car for $1 million. Perhaps several of the passengers would rally to try and overtake the bad guys. And there'd be huge explosions, impressive special effects and daring rescues, of course.

But in the hands of director Joseph Sargent, today's Hulu Days of Summer premiere substitutes grit for flash, yet there's still plenty of action. Robert Shaw (Jaws) plays Mr. Blue, the ringleader of the terrorists who board the New York City subway, one by one, in the same disguise: trilbies, horn rim glasses and raincoats. They manage to take control of the car with little fuss -- so little, in fact, the passengers hardly notice a thing.

As the crime unfolds and the hijackers make their demands, we're treated to a glimpse of the Big Apple circa 1974, complete with New Yawk accents and attitudes. Walter Matthau tackles his role as the unflappable Lt. Garber, a transit cop in a game of cat and mouse. Through all the negotiations, he keeps a sense of humor, dropping wry comments right alongside Frank Costanza himself, Jerry Stiller.

And for those wondering just how The Taking of Pelham One Two Three would shape up if it were made today, rest easy: Tony Scott (Spy Game) is directing a remake starring Denzel Washington and John Travolta, due out in 2009.

Enjoy,
Rebecca
rebecca.harper@hulu.com

This week on Hulu, we've added more high-definition videos, including the season finales of select hit shows, and introduced two web series from some SNL stars.

New HD Videos
We've updated our HD Gallery with select, full-length episodes of hit shows like 30 Rock, The Office, Bones and 24. It also has Joss Whedon's Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog in 720p, so you can get up close and personal with the singing supervillain.

Web Originals from SNL Stars
You can get a dose of comedy in less five minutes with the help of SNL's Seth Meyers, Bill Hader and Simon Rich in The Line. The State's Joe Lo Truglio joins superfan Bill Hader in line for the world premiere of Future Space, the summer's biggest film. As the guys sit on the verge of going "line crazy," they face all sorts of challenges: spoiler man, ex-girlfriends, and the freaky Telepathic Triplets of Cybar.

A few other SNL alums -- Tim Meadows and David Spade -- team up in Carpet Bros. Full of groovy '70s costumes and seriously dry wit, it's the story of three very different brothers who inherit a carpet store, only to discover their father left the company in serious debt. As they dream up ways to save the business, entrepreneur Raymond Davies Allen (Spade), plans a takeover.

What We're Watching
This week, I began diving into old episodes of the critically acclaimed -- and very underrated -- Friday Night Lights. I'm hooked. From the first scenes of the pilot, I was in. I'd discounted the show as another football drama, but now I'm rooting for the Dillon Panthers through and through. Yeah, it's about high-school football, but the drama is so much more than touchdowns and jocks dating cheerleaders: Kyle Chandler offers a complex, extremely likable Coach Taylor who carries the weight of this Texas town on his shoulders, and Connie Britton deserved an Emmy nomination for her performance as Tami, the coach's strong-willed wife. With the first two seasons available here on Hulu, it's worth giving the show a try.

Go Panthers,
Rebecca
rebecca.harper@hulu.com

They say the truth will set you free, but all Liar Liar's Fletcher (Jim Carrey) knows are lies. His ability to weave a tangled web of lies is his strength, after all: It's made him a rising star at his law firm, where he's under consideration to become partner. But his tendency to put his job first -- and make excuses for it -- has hurt his personal life, placing his relationship with his son, Max, in jeopardy.

When Fletcher misses Max's birthday, Max does the only thing a five-year-old can do: He blows out candles, wishing that his dad would stop lying for a day. And because birthday wishes can be magical in movies, Max's wish comes true and Fletcher gets into a whole heap of trouble. He has a big court appearance the next day, and the only way he thinks he can win is by lying.

The result is a bunch of mad antics as Fletcher comes to terms with telling nothing but the truth. Leave it to Jim Carrey to turn this plight into a marathon of slapstick as Fletcher loses himself to the truth, putting his career on the line in the process. As Fletcher digs himself a deeper hole of truths in the courtroom, however, a strange thing happens: He begins to feel euphoric when he sets himself free from all his lies.

Rebecca
rebecca.harper@hulu.com

Every athlete dreams of the day, the moment in time, when their best is better than everyone else's. It's a dream that normally starts as a kid in a backyard, local swimming pool or youth basketball league. It's a dream that requires sacrifice, dedication, resolve and the ability to not be told "no". I know this dream very well, as it was once my own.

As a former Division I athlete who followed his dream of representing the United States in the Olympics as far as the 1998 and 1999 NCAA Track & Field Championships, I can truly say that I relate to today's feature. MOJO's A Shot At Glory takes an in-depth look at the Olympic journey of 10 American athletes. (Eight of the episodes are available today; the remaining two will be available later this week.) Each has their own touching and triumphant story of how they earned their spot and chance to represent the U.S. in this summer's Olympic Games in China. Whether you relate to Kate Ziegler, who swam over 200,000 miles for the chance to compete in Beijing, or BMX champion Donny Robinson, who broke more bones than he can count, A Shot At Glory brings you behind the scenes, giving you a look at what it takes to compete in the biggest sporting event on the planet.

Whether you are a sports fan or you just like inspirational stories, A Shot At Glory will acquaint you with a few of Team USA's medal hopefuls.

Brandon Boone
brandon.boone@hulu.com
Hulu's Former Olympic Hopeful

Time is running out in today's Hulu Days of Summer premiere, Spy Game. Directed by Tony Scott (Top Gun, Enemy of the State) , this thinking man's thriller uses flashbacks to piece together the stories of CIA agents Nathan Muir (Robert Redford) and his protégé, Tom Bishop (Brad Pitt), as Muir plans a rescue operation to free Bishop from a Chinese prison.

The fast-paced action spans the Vietnam War to the end of the Cold War -- the eve of Muir's retirement from the Agency, in fact. When news of Bishop's arrest and pending execution arrive at CIA headquarters, it's considered a diplomatic disaster. As the powers that be try to determine whether to stage a prison break or simply let Bishop die, Muir plays a spy game of his own, secretly working to ensure the rogue agent's freedom.

No stranger to action, Scott manages to pack a fair share of action into several flashbacks that depict the two agents' careers, including their time in Vietnam, training and missions in Berlin, a critical operation in Beirut, and, later on, a falling out between the mentor and his student.

But what's most notable about Spy Game is how Redford immersed himself into his role as Nathan Muir. We're given little to no information about Muir, yet we come to care about the character by the end of the movie, saying a lot for Redford's performance. We see how Muir has a conscience and values, even when the other CIA operatives do not.

Rebecca
rebecca.harper@hulu.com

You know a film is a classic when its title becomes part of the language. When someone says "It's like Groundhog Day," you know exactly what they mean. It's become shorthand for a situation that feels like it's repeating itself. It's more frustrating than dèjá vu; it's more a feeling of being stuck in an endless loop of events that we can't control.

Spoiler Alert!
In Groundhog Day, Phil (Bill Murray) starts the day off as a weatherman so egotistical that he actually says things like "I make the weather." He has a God-like view of himself and his own importance, but then things change. Phil wakes up and finds that he has to repeat the day that he lived through yesterday, only to repeat it again, and again, and again, like a man stuck on a treadmill. Despite his supersized ego, Phil is not God; he has no control at all. The film leads you to wonder what you would do if you had to relive one day of your life over and over. What would you do during that day?

When the screenwriter, Danny Rubin, came up this concept, he needed his script to have a clear structure. He tried many different approaches to organize the events, but he couldn't get the story to progress anywhere. Then he came upon Elisabeth Kübler-Ross' On Death and Dying, a famous book about the grieving process. It traces the five steps -- denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance -- that a person goes through while coping with death. Rubin used these five steps as a framework for Phil to deal with his situation.

If you watch the film with this in mind, you can see Phil move from step to step as he slips from fighting his fate towards becoming suicidal. At the end, he triumphantly arrives at acceptance and everything is resolved. The lesson that Phil learns is powerful, one that I think can be applied to our regular, non-repeating lives.

In addition to its deep philosophical message, Groundhog Day is hilarious. Murray is brilliant, offering a very subtle, nuanced performance as a self-centered jerk who becomes a real hero in the end. I love the scene where he knows everything about everyone in the diner. And while a lot of people believed Murray was robbed of the Oscar for Lost in Translation, I think his performance of Phil deserved a nod.

Murray doesn't carry Groundhog Day alone; the rest of the cast delivers strong performances. I love the character Ned Ryerson (the insurance salesman played by Stephen Tobolowsky), the very embodiment of a person that you don't want to see once, let alone every morning for the rest of your life.

My advice: Watch the movie. Watch it again. Pay attention to the details. And watch it again.

It's like Groundhog Day. You know a film is a classic when its title becomes part of the language. When someone says "It's like Groundhog Day," you know exactly what they mean…

Jonathan
jonathan.harris@hulu.com

Off the top of my head, and many TV shows live there, I can't think of any TV dramas about businesses that I've found compelling. All the TV dramas of note seem to be set in hospitals, law firms, police departments, or the White House.

But then there's Mad Men. It's not only a period piece, set as it is in early 1960's America, but it focuses on an advertising agency in New York City. There's no stunt casting, no crossover movie stars or famous TV stars recognizable from monthly appearances on magazine covers. In terms of degree of difficulty, Mad Men is ambitious and uncompromising.

After one season, it's also this: my favorite show on television.

It turns out that this business, the advertising business, is a rich metaphor for examining the tension between the image we want to project to others and our inner selves. Show runner Matthew Weiner mines it for every possibility. Weiner, whose pilot for Mad Men earned him a job as a writer and executive producer on The Sopranos, has the men and women of fictional ad agency Sterling Cooper crafting brand campaigns for their clients, but their greatest challenges lie in creating personas that they can still live with when they're alone with just a stiff drink to keep them company. As the characters light up one cigarette after another with almost eerie self-assurance, you realize each and every one of them is under an intense pressure to stave off the unsettling suspicion that the images they've constructed for themselves are as artificial as the ones they conjure for their clients.

It's difficult to discuss Mad Men without mentioning the stylish period costumes--the fedoras, three-piece suits, zeppelin bras--and period props, from authentic vintage typewriters to the monolithic copy machine that appears in the season two premiere. Though Sterling Cooper is fictional, many of the ad agencies and campaigns mentioned in the show are real, like easter eggs for advertising and design junkies. And the dialogue is a fireworks show of wit. When you hear these ad men trade bon mots over cognac, you'll understand how they command top dollar for their copy.

But it's what lies beyond these visible markers that elevates the show to greatness. There is a subtlety and refinement to the shape of scenes in this series that is breathtaking. Many a scene ends with an extra several beats, to let the subtext hang in the air like smoke curling up from a lit cigarette. This show is powered by true ensemble acting, and a conversation about the show's plot can dwell on any number of the characters, from Don Draper, played by Golden-Globe winner Jon Hamm, to secretary turned junior copywriter Peggy Olson, played by Elisabeth Moss (Zoey Bartlet from The West Wing is all grown up!), to Account Executive Pete Campbell, played by Vincent Kartheiser as a sometime villain and yet ironically the one character closest to letting his true self out in public. Come for the outfits, but stay for their stories.

The premiere of season 2 of Mad Men, set in 1962, two years after the finale of season one, hints that more than ever that what we're watching is akin to a horror movie in which we watch each of the characters killed off by some unseen bogeyman. In the case of Mad Men, the people of Sterling Cooper, with their sexist, racist attitudes, are about to be ambushed by the 1960's counterculture. We know it, and we realize it will overtake them faster than they suspect.

Here's the part where you get to tell us if we're mad. We were only able to secure streaming clearances for one full episode, this premiere of season 2, to be posted to our site a short delay after air date, in addition to some clips from Mad Men throughout this season. In most cases like this, we'd pass on adding the show to the site. At a minimum, we'd wait until we could add more than one episode. Like you, we prefer full runs of shows to individual seasons, full seasons to rolling five episodes, and full episodes to clips, the closer to TV air date the better.

But we love this show so so much, and more importantly, we think that the best way to accelerate the online content clearance process is to continue to demonstrate the strength of this channel. The more viewers watch videos on Hulu, the more of you write us demanding more episodes be streamed on our service, the more convincing is our argument for more.

Whether you agree with our decision or not, you can reach us, as always, at feedback@hulu.com.

One of Hulu's Mad Men,
Eugene
eugene.wei@hulu.com