24 HOUR PARTY PEOPLE (R) -- NOT RATED
Michael Winterbottom chronicles the amazing Manchester music scene of the
late '70s/early '80s that spawned Joy Division/New Order, the Happy Mondays
and others. The very-cool soundtrack also features the Sex Pistols, the Clash
and the Buzzcocks. Happy, indeed. Canal Place
APOLLO 13 THE IMAX EXPERIENCE (PG)
-- NOT RATED
Ron Howard's 1995 film about the doomed space flight (starring Tom Hanks, Kevin
Bacon and Ed Harris) becomes the first 35mm live-action film to be digitally
remastered for IMAX viewing. Entergy IMAX
AUSTIN POWERS IN GOLDMEMBER (PG-13)
-- A-
Perhaps
the funniest of the Austin Powers trilogy, Goldmember introduces the
eponymous bad guy, a Dutch madman maimed in a smelting accident (Mike Myers),
as well as Powers patriarch Nigel (Michael Caine). (Carlson) AMC Palace 12,
AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20
BALLISTIC: ECKS VS. SEVER (R) -- NOT RATED
Antonio
Banderas and Lucy Liu are rival agents who, while playing their unending game
of cat-and-mouse, realize they might need to be on the same team in this action
thriller from Wych Kaosayananda. AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace
20, Chalmette, Downtown Joy, Hollywood Cinemas 9
THE BANGER SISTERS (R) -- NOT RATED
Down-and-out
bartender Goldie Hawn hunts down fellow ex-groupie Susan Sarandon in the suburbs
to loosen her up for old time's sake. AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace
20, Chalmette, Hollywood Cinemas 9, Prytania
THE BARBERSHOP (PG-13) -- NOT RATED
Employees
at a Chicago barbershop kick the gossip and speculation when a $50,000 reward
is offered for help in solving a recent bank heist. Cedric the Entertainer and
Ice Cube lead an ensemble cast. AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace
20, Chalmette, Downtown Joy, Hollywood Cinemas 9
CITY BY THE SEA (R) -- NOT RATED
New
York cop Robert De Niro investigates a murder only to find his erstwhile son
James Franco is a prime suspect. Frances McDormand and Eliza Dushku co-star.
AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Hollywood Cinemas 9
DIRGES AND STURGEONS (NR) -- NOT RATED
New
York City filmmaker Astria Suparak curates this collection of new videos from
America and Euope dealing with concepts of technology, planned obsolescence
and more 8 p.m. Wednesday at Zeitgeist
THE FOUR FEATHERS (PG-13) -- C-
Director
Shekhar Kapur (Elizabeth) gets lost in the desert in this remake of a
remake of a remake. Flat cinematography and a stilted script undermine a sympathetic
performance by Heath Ledger (The Patriot). This movie wants to be an
epic and has all the trappings, but none of the heart. A vapid Kate Hudson,
a catatonic Wes Bentley and an underused Djimon Hounsou costar. (Carlson) (Reviewed
in this issue.) AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Hollywood Cinemas
9
FULL FRONTAL (R) -- NOT RATED
Steven
Soderbergh gets back to his indie roots with this movie-within-a-movie starring
Julia Roberts, Blair Underwood and David Duchovny. Canal Place
THE GOOD GIRL (R) -- A-
This
black comedy starring Jennifer Aniston exposes the thin veneer of morality to
reveal the bedrock selfishness in human behavior. (Barton) AMC Palace 20
HAUNTED CASTLE (PG) -- NOT RATED
Combination of live-action characters and computer-generated scenes fill
this 3-D version of the Faustian tale. Entergy IMAX
MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING (PG) -- B+
Nia Vardalos wrote and stars in this romantic comedy about a Greek-American
woman from a traditional family who falls in love with a WASPy school teacher
(a charming John Corbett) and has to navigate the stormy seas of her family's
disapproval. (Barton) (Reviewed in this issue.) AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace
16, AMC Palace 20, Canal Place, Chalmette, Hollywood Cinemas 9
ONE HOUR PHOTO (R) -- B
Mark Romanek's thriller concerns a lonely store clerk's obsession with a young
a family. Avoiding chronic excesses, Robin Williams gives one of the best performances
of his career. Certain narrative contrivances are largely overcome with artful
visual symbolism, complex character development and a conclusion that doesn't
quite go where you expect. (Barton) (Reviewed in this issue.) AMC Palace
16, AMC Palace 20, Canal Place, Hollywood Cinemas 9
POSSESSION (PG-13) -- A-
Neil
LaBute artfully adapts the much-loved A.S. Byatt novel, which tells the story
of two modern-day academics (Gwyneth Paltrow and Aaron Eckhart) and their pursuit
of the romantic tale of two Victorian-era poets (Jeremy Northam and a luminous
Jennifer Ehle). (Carlson) AMC Palace 20
SIGNS (PG-13) -- B-
M.
Night Shyamalan continues what feels like a downward career trajectory after
his thrilling debut, The Sixth Sense, with this manipulative, choppy
and ultimately thin exploration of a creeping alien invasion. (Simmons) AMC
Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette
SPACE STATION (NR) -- NOT RATED --
A 3-D look at the International Space Station. Entergy IMAX
SPY KIDS 2 (PG) -- NOT RATED
Robert
Rodriguez's follow-up to last year's successful romp with a brother-sister team
taking over for their spy parents (Antonio Banderas, Carla Gugino) when mom
and pop are put out of action. AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20,
Chalmette, Hollywood Cinemas 9
STEALING HARVARD (PG-13) -- NOT RATED
Slackers
Jason Lee and Tom Green turn to crime to help finance the Harvard education
of Lee's sister in this comedy from former Kid in the Hall Bruce McCulloch (1999's
hilarious Dick). Co-stars Dennis Farina, Seymour Cassel and Will &
Grace's Meg Mullally. AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette,
Hollywood Cinemas 9
SWIMFAN (PG-13) -- NOT RATED
Fatal Attraction goes
to high school when new girl Erika Christensen seduces stud swimmer Jesse Bradford
then gets rabbit-boiling mad when he blows her off. AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace
16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette
TRAPPED (R) -- NOT RATED
Mom-and-pop Stuart Townshend and
Charlize Theron try to save their diabetic daughter from kidnappers Kevin Bacon
and Courtney Love within 24 hours. AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace
20, Chalmette, Hollywood Cinemas 9
UNDISPUTED (R) -- NOT RATED
Boxing champ Ving Rhames gets sent
to prison on a rape charge, only to be forced into a bout with prison boxing
champ Wesley Snipes in this film co-starring New Orleans' own Master P as the
leader of a prison rap group. AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Downtown Joy
WAR AND PEACE (NR) -- NOT RATED
Documentary by Indian filmmaker
Anand Patwardhan probes the arms race between India and Pakistan. 8 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday at Zeitgeist
XXX (PG-13) -- NOT RATED
Overnight action hunk Vin Diesel
reunites with The Fast and the Furious director Rob Cohen and producer
Neil Moritz in this story of an extreme-sports wild man (Diesel) recruited by
the government's Samuel L. Jackson to bust up a Russian crime gang. AMC Palace
12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette, Downtown Joy, Hollywood Cinemas
9
