file_get_contents urlencode spaces: yeah right?

PHP Version 5.1.6 $contents = file_get_contents("http://user:pass@domain.com/some/path/htmlfile.html"); //WORKS $contents = file_get_contents("http://user:pass@domain.com/some/path/htmlfile with spaces.html"); //FAILS(1) $contents = file_get_contents("http://user:pass@domain.com/some/path/nonhtmlfile.ext"); //WORKS $contents = file_get_contents("http://user:pass@domain.com/some/path/nonhtmlfile with spaces.ext"); //FAILS(2) $contents = file_get_contents(urlencode("http://user:pass@domain.com/some/path/eitherfile with spaces.ext")); //FAILS BUT I DON'T REALLY CARE $contents = file_get_contents(urlencode("http://user:pass@domain.com/some/path/eitherfilenospaces.ext")); //FAILS BUT I DON'T REALLY CARE $contents = file_get_contents("http://user:pass@domain.com/some/path/".urlencode("eitherfile with spaces.ext")); //FAILS WTF(1) $contents = file_get_contents("http://user:pass@domain.com/some/path/eitherfile+with+spaces.ext"); //FAILS WTF(2) <br /> <b>Warning</b>: file_get_contents(http://...@domain.com/some/path/eitherfile+with+spaces.ext) [<a href='function.file-get-contents'>function.file-get-contents</a>]: failed to open stream: HTTP request failed! HTTP/1.1 404 Not Found in <b>/the/script/index.php</b> on line <b>(the file_get_contents line)</b><br /> Yes, the files are there. file_get_contents docs: Note: If you're opening a URI with special characters, such as spaces, you need to encode the URI with urlencode(). WTF?!?! How do I get FAILS(1) and FAILS(2) to work, in light of FAILS WTF(1) and FAILS WTF(2)?