Paul Newman, the Hollywood essence of cool, died Sept. 26 at age 83, leaving a legacy in film. Why not stage your own Newman film fest at home this weekend?

He played edgy characters � cowpoke, con man, hustler � but lived a relatively quiet but diverse life off camera as a devoted husband, philanthropist and race-car driver.

Pop up some of his Newman's Own popcorn, and review these classics � my Newman keepers � or secure your own favorites:

� "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" (1969): One of the greatest buddy films, with Newman as Cassidy and Robert Redford as Kid, with outlaw cowboy shenanigans galore, Burt Bacharach ditties and a memorable final freeze-frame. Trivia: "The Hole in the Wall Gang" originally was dubbed "The Wild Bunch" but was changed to distance itself from the Sam Peckinpah movie of the same name.

� "The Sting": (1973): A cool caper, reuniting Newman and Redford, who play Depression-era Chicago grifters in a series of episodes showing how crime plays well � the film even earned an Oscar for best picture. Scott Joplin's ragtime music ("The Entertainer"), adapted by Marvin Hamlisch, enhances the fun. Trivia: The soundtrack album hit No. 1 on the Billboard charts.

� "Hud" (1963): Newman plays an arrogant, drunken and crude yet sexy cowboy, intent on starting barroom brawls � and taking joy rides in a pink Caddy. Trivia: The con was dubbed "the man with the barbed-wire soul."

� "Cool Hand Luke" (1967): As a convict in a Florida prison camp, Newman's Luke is a square peg that doesn't conform in the circle. He lands behind bars after a drunken rage � a parallel to McMurphy in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest." Trivia: Quotable line from the movie � "What we've got here is ... failure to communicate" � surfaced in a pair of Guns N' Roses songs, "Civil War" and "Madagascar."

� "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" (1958): Star power prevails, with Newman as a solid Brick, Elizabeth Taylor as Maggie the cat. This Tennessee Williams classic revved up Newman's Hollywood idol status, despite the hint of the character's implied homosexuality. Trivia: Grace Kelly and Lana Turner were considered for the Maggie role.