Have you ever wondered how the Dutch came to speak impeccable English? One of the reasons may be the fact that English films shown in Holland are merely subtitled, not dubbed -- good news for both late-night hotel-TV viewers and city-cinema visitors. This Dutch command of English has allowed many Dutch directors -- alienated by the long lackluster local scene -- to make the shift to Hollywood (the notorious Paul Verhoeven being the most famous example, as witnessed in his Basic Instinct and RoboCop). But visitors returning home should really harass their local video store for the latest generation of directors who have decided to stay put and produce their own personal and happily genre-free films that are inspired by the efforts of local heroes and international festival darlings Alex Van Warmerdam (Abel,De Noorderlingen), Eddie Terstall (Hufters and Hofdames,Rent-a-Friend), and Robert Jan Westdijk (Zusje). Some names to look out for (or look up) are Paula van der Oest, Lodewijk Crijns, Martin Koolhoven, Erik de Bruijn, and Karim Traidia.

And true film buffs should certainly consider timing their vacation around such internationally renowned events as the International Film Festival Rotterdam (www.filmfestivalrotterdam.com) in late January/early February (it's only an hour away by train, after all); the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (www.idfa.nl) in November; or the Festival of Fantastic Film (www.filmevents.nl) in April.

Although there are cinema programs available or on display at most every bar and café in town, and such Dutch-language mags as the free De Filmkrant or the "Saturday PS" supplement of De Parool newspaper are easy enough to decipher, it may help to have some general information about the scene. Mainstream cinemas are concentrated near the Leidseplein; the largest and most Hollywood blockbuster-oriented is the seven-screen (and monument of functionalist architecture).