It’s the end of semester, and that means the end of the UWM Post. Until next fall, that is. This semester, my column has spanned nearly the entire century (1919-2007), and included comedies and dramas, and both celebrated and less-known directors.

I hope that I have introduced you to films that will become some of your favorites too. Now, it is time to take a break. But no worries, I’ll leave you with plenty of tips for discovering more overlooked flicks.

1. Brush up on your classics

All basic cable comes with one station that should be in the arsenal of every cinephile: Turner Classic Movies. TCM was founded by cable heavyweight Ted Turner, and has been showing movies sans-commercials since its first broadcast of “Gone with the Wind” in 1994.

The channel shows films all day long, and is a great way to get a lesson in all kinds of film, from silent pictures made in the Roaring ‘20s to cult classics from the 1970s. It’s also a great way to discover new favorites. Two of the films I wrote about this year, “Peeping Tom,” and “Look Back in Anger,” I first saw on TCM.

2. Skip the rental store.

I am always disappointed when I try to find a movie at Blockbuster. They have 200 copies of the latest blockbuster bomb, and not much else. However, when I sign onto my Netflix account (www.netflix.com), I am always surprised how quickly its archive increases.

The site boasts a selection of more than 100,000 titles, ranging from art house classics to mainstream new releases. Netflix almost always have what I’m looking for. If by chance they don’t, another site will pick up the slack.

If you want a more obscure collection, Green Cine (www.greencine.com) is the way to go. While the selection is smaller than Netflix, only about 80,000 titles, Green Cine has a better selection of experimental, art house and international titles, as well as an impressive LGBT collection.

The key to using these sites is searching, searching, searching. Try different key words, genres, people, etc. You’ll find what you’re looking for.

3. Use what you already know.

As you watch, you can use your ever-growing knowledge to go further. Enjoy a particular director? Check out some of their less known or earlier works.

This is a perfect way to discover gems like Hitchcock’s “Rope,” and Wilder’s “The Lost Weekend.” Do the same for actors, cinematographers and editors.

Take the subject of my last column, “Murder on the Orient Express,” the film was edited by Anne Coates, who also did “Lawrence of Arabia,” “The Elephant Man” and “In the Line of Fire.”

Work from “Murder” through some of her other films, then feel free to use the actors/directors/cinematographers to discover more. Think of this like Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon. The possibilities are endless. While you are bound to find some duds, there is a good chance you will uncover a masterpiece.

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