George Koval was a smart, likable guy, an Army veteran and a City College student. He was also a Soviet spy who gained broad access to U.S. atomic secrets, including those of the Manhattan Project. Although American intelligence agencies have long known of Koval's activities, his identity  only became public knowledge after his death last year. On November 2nd, Russian President Vladimir Putin posthumously awarded Dr. Koval a Gold Star of the Hero of the Soviet Union.

As the Cold War waned in the 1980s, the spy movie genre sputtered, and international thrillers became stocked with villainous megalomaniacs, drug dealers and religious fanatics rather than the lethal agents of shadowy foreign governments. But new enemies have emerged and new additions to the cinematic spy world cannot be far behind.

After the jump, vote for the best espionage film. And for a more down-home version of spying, check out Rear Window on AMC tomorrow night.