Scheduled to Open Wednesday
VANITY FAIR (PG-13) -- Mira Nair (Monsoon Wedding) directed Reese Witherspoon in yet another (seventh?) theatrically released adaptation of the William Makepeace Thackeray novel about a working girl in 1820s London who cunningly works her way up the social ladder. The higher she climbs, the more complicated life becomes. Co-stars Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Gabriel Byrne, Jim Broadbent, Eileen Atkins and Rhys Ifans.
Scheduled to Open Friday
COOKOUT (PG-13) -- NBA rookie Storm P finds himself a fish out of water when he throws a picnic for his family and old friends in a posh white neighborhood in this comedy directed by first-timer Lance Rivera and co-starring Eve, Queen Latifah, Danny Glover, Tim Meadows, Vincent Pastore, Ja Rule, Frankie Faison and Farrah Fawcett.
PAPARAZZI (PG-13) -- Movie star Cole Hauser has revenge on his mind when wife Robin Tunney and his son are injured in an automobile crash caused by celebrity-stalking photographers in this thriller co-starring Tom Sizemore and Dennis Farina with cameos by Chris Rock, Mel Gibson, Vince Vaughn and Matthew McConaughey. Directing debut by former Hollywood hairstylist Paul Abascal, whose previous hairstyling canon includes the first two Die Hard and the first three Lethal Weapon movies. (We'll assume this means he's a good editor.)
WE DON'T LIVE HERE ANYMORE (R) -- John Curran directed Naomi Watts, Mark Ruffalo, Laura Dern and Peter Krause as disaffected mate-swappers in this story based on a combination of Andres DuBus' (In the Bedroom) novella of the same name and his short story 'Adultery.'
WICKER PARK (PG-13) -- Heartbroken investment banker Josh Hartnett can't move on with his life, including an upcoming wedding, when he thinks he sees his previous flame in a restaurant and becomes obsessed in this thriller remake of the 1996 French film, L'Appartement. Directed by Brandon Boyce (Apt Pupil) and co-stars Matthew Lillard, Jessica Pare, Diane Kruger and Rose Byrne.
Now Showing
ALIEN VS. PREDATOR (PG-13) -- Not since Godzilla and Mothra tangled has there been such an anticipated match-up of very, very bad monsters in this film directed by Paul W.S. Anderson (Resident Evil, Mortal Kombat) and starring Sanaa Lathan and Lance Henriksen. AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Grand, Holiday 12, Hollywood Cinemas 9, Movies 8
ANACONDAS: THE HUNT FOR THE BLOOD ORCHID (PG-13) -- The cast is new but the snake is as big and menacing as ever this sequel to the campy, so-bad-its-good 1997 hit that starred Ice Cube, J-Lo and Jon Voight. This cast features Johnny Messner, Morris Chestnut, Peter Curtis and Eugene Byrd. Directed by Dwight H. Little, who has previously shepherded such lauded sequels as Halloween 4 and Free Willy 2. AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Grand, Holiday 12, Hollywood Cinemas 9, Movies 8
BENJI: OFF THE LEASH! (PG) -- Everybody's favorite mutt sleuth returns to the big screen with Benji teaming up with a dog named Shaggy (zoinks!) to help save Benji's mama. (Regional note: the film is set in Gulfport, Miss., not far from where this Benji was actually found as a stray. Co-stars Nick Whitaker and Chris Kendrick. AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20
THE BOURNE SUPREMACY (PG-13) -- Matt Damon returns as David Webb/Jason Bourne in the second installment of the Robert Ludlum spy trilogy, with the CIA in a panic when a fake 'Jason Bourne' assassinates a Chinese official and the real 'Jason Bourne' (Damon) goes on the hunt for him. Director Paul Greengrass (Bloody Sunday) replaces Doug Liman, with Franka Potente, Julia Stiles and Brian Cox returning to the cast. AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Holiday 12, Movies 8
CATWOMAN (PG-13) -- C- Halle Berry is a shy commercial artist who gets dead at the hand of meanies and reincarnated from the breath of a magic kitty. Time to dress like Donna the Dominatrix and kick some serious ass. Sharon Stone as a purveyor of addictive skin cream hangs around for the climactic butt bustin'. (Barton) Chalmette, Grand
COLLATERAL (R) -- B+ Hitman Tom Cruise forces cab driver Jamie Foxx to help drive him around as he does his &140;errands' over the course of one night in this taut and surprisingly cheeky noir thriller from Michael Mann. Cruise is at his coolest, in a deadly way, in this film, while Foxx provides an almost perfect counterpart as his flummoxed, unwilling partner. Mann, who's always had a thing or two to say about professionalism, works the clock as smoothly as ever, digitally shooting his cast (including Jada Pinkett Smith, Mark Ruffalo and Javier Bardem) against a blurry L.A. nightlife. (Simmons) AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette, Grand, Holiday 12, Hollywood Cinemas 9, Movies 8
DE-LOVELY (PG-13) -- D Another failed attempt at a film version of Cole Porter's life, De-Lovely is better than 1946's Night and Day, but only just. Screenwriter Jay Cocks sinks this film with an over-thought but underdeveloped script that relies too heavily on sophomoric narrative devices. The unconventional relationship of Cole (Kevin Kline) and his wife, Linda (Ashley Judd), is terribly simplified; the film -- which purports to be the whole truth -- does acknowledge his bisexuality, but any sense of sexual freedom is downplayed in favor of his unconvincing love affair with Linda. (Carlson) Causeway Cinema
DIONYSUS IN 69 (NR) -- Zeitgeist celebrates its fall season with a screening of the very first film screened by the collective, the 1970 movie directed by a young Brian de Palma and chronicling the Performance Group's avant-garde (and Obie Award-winning) staging of Euripides' play. Featuring split-screen narrative technique and a nearly orgiastic group participation, the film is considered an underground classic. 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Friday at Zeitgeist
DOLPHINS (NR) -- Fa love Pa! Actor Pierce Brosnan narrates Greg MacGillivray's documentary about the study of dolphins' communication skills. Featuring music by Sting. Entergy IMAX
THE DOOR IN THE FLOOR (R) -- B+ Children's author/artist Jeff Bridges and wife Kim Basinger remain in their own separate worlds of grief following the deaths of their teen sons in this film directed by Tod Williams and based on the first part of John Irving's novel A Widow for One Year. And though it does indeed feel like only part of a story, the typically brilliant but subtle Bridges and the engaging Basinger keep the narrative going with their somber performances. Jon Foster is the x-factor as a student hired to be Bridges' assistant for the summer but ultimately becomes a pawn in the couple's relationship, while Mimi Rogers does a rather bizarre turn as one of Bridges' many models and mistresses. (Simmons) Causeway Cinema
EXORCIST: THE BEGINNING (R) -- Seven years in the making, this troubled fourth installment of the chilly series about dealing with the devil features priests Stellan Skarsgard (Breaking the Waves) and James D'Arcy (Master and Commander) drawing the short straw this time around. Directed by Renny Harlin, who completely re-shot Paul Schrader's version after replacing him on the set on orders from Warner Bros. (Unlike the other follow-ups to William Friedkin's 1973 hit, this one is pitched as a sort-of prequel. AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette, Grand, Holiday 12, Hollywood Cinemas 9, North Shore Square
GARDEN STATE (R) -- B+ Zach Braff (TV's Scrubs) wrote, directed and stars in this self-consciously offbeat comedy-drama about a semi-successful actor who returns home to New Jersey for his mother's funeral and confront both his past and his future. Admittedly inspired by Harold and Maude, Braff sometimes relies too heavily on character quirks as character development, but his honesty and earnestness shine through in an effort to explore the painful confrontation with adulthood. Natalie Portman, Peter Sarsgaard, Ian Holm, Jean Smart and Method Mad form an impressive supporting cast, and Braff in particularly is delightfully subdued. (Simmons) AMC Palace 20, Canal Place
HAROLD AND KUMAR GO TO WHITE CASTLE (R) -- B This stoner buddy comedy concerns a monumental case of the munchies. Even and thoroughly contrived, the flick nonetheless delivers an adequate number of laughs along with a terrific no-look pass about American diversity. Our heroes are Korean and Indian but they are 100 percent American doofuses. And that says something hopeful about our role as the world's melting pot. (Barton) AMC Palace 20
HERO (PG-13) -- Director Zhang Yimou (Raise the Red Lantern) directed Chinese martial arts star Jet Li in this critically acclaimed film about a subject's efforts to fend off assassination attempts on the would-be emperor during the Qin dynasty. Co-stars Maggie Cheung (In the Mood for Love). This Oscar nominee for Best Foreign Language last year has been compared by many to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette, Grand, Holiday 12, Hollywood Cinemas 9, North Shore Square, Prytania
HIJACKING CATASTROPHE: 9/11, FEAR & THE SELLING OF AMERICAN EMPIRE (NR) -- Jeremy Earp and Sut Jhally co-directed and Julian Bond narrates this documentary that posits the theory that the right wing of the Republican Party has exploited the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks to carry out an agenda based on conservative ideology on everything from civil liberties and social policies on the domestic front and military domination overseas. Interviewees include former chief U.N. weapons inspector Scott Ritter, Pentagon whistle-blower Lt. Col. Karen Kwiatkowski, Norman Mailer, Noam Chomsky, Jody Williams and Daniel Ellsberg. (Volunteers available for voter registration.) 7:30 p.m. Tuesday-Wednesday at Zeitgeist
A HOME AT THE END OF THE WORLD (R) -- In 1980s New York City, at the dawn of the AIDS crisis, bisexual chef Colin Farrell, gay restaurant critic Dallas Roberts and fashion designer Robin Wright Penn form an awkward friendship in Michael Meyer's adaptation of the novel by Michael Cunningham (The Hours). Causeway Cinema
I, ROBOT (PG-13) -- C Will Smith contributes his usual summer action feature. This time he's a homicide detective who hates robots and thinks some artificial malevolence is involved in the apparent suicide of a leading robotics designer. Will takes on hundreds of robots at a time, but don't bet against him. In short, we've seen this all before, and we'll see it again. For the robots have already established their foothold on our world. It's called Hollywood. (Barton) AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette, Holiday 12
INTO THE DEEP (NR) -- IMAX cameras take a journey through the undersea world. Entergy IMAX
LITTLE BLACK BOOK (PG-13) -- Young TV producer Brittany Murphy (Just Married) is so suspicious of commitment-averse boyfriend Ron Livingston (Office Space) that she &140;interviews' all of his past girlfriends to find out his problem in this romantic comedy directed by Nick Hurran and co-starring Holly Hunter and Kathy Bates. AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette, Holiday 12, North Shore Square
M (NR) -- Fritz Lang's 1931 classic thriller features the screen debut of slithery Peter Lorre. 7 p.m. Thursday at the Deutsches Haus
THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE (R) -- A- Jonathan Demme's remake of the 1962 classic political thriller about a sinister attempt to control the American presidency stands on its own as worth seeing even by those thoroughly familiar with the original. The plot plays out with key differences, and the ending is entirely different. Denzel Washington, Meryl Streep and Liev Schreiber star. (Barton) AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20
NAPOLEON DYNAMITE (PG) -- A- Co-writer and director Jared Hess has created one of the most blissfully abstract comedies in recent memory in his story about Napoleon Dynamite (Jon Heder), a dorky high school student who might actually be a superhero. In what almost feels like a goof on John Hughes' &140;80s teen comedies, Hess has produced something thoroughly offbeat and surprisingly profound, displaying a love for people who aren't nearly as ordinary as we think. Plus it has one of the coolest opening title sequences of all time. (Simmons) Canal Place
THE NOTEBOOK (PG-13) -- Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams co-star in Nick Cassavetes' adaptation of the Nicholas Sparks romance novel about a romantic triangle recalled by an older man (James Garner) to his former love (Gena Rowlands), who is now suffering from Alzheimer's disease. (Gosling and McAdams play two of the younger lovers.) Rowlands, it should be noted, is the mother of Cassavetes and widow of John Cassavetes. Causeway Cinema
OCEAN WONDERLAND (NR) -- IMAX takes its cameras to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and the coral reef of the Bahamas. Directed by Jean-Jacques Mantello. Entergy IMAX
OPEN WATER (R) -- C Chris Kentis' low-budget film is the story of a vacationing couple who are abandoned at sea by their scuba-diving boat. A movie about the horrors of powerlessness, this picture is over-long at a scant 79 minutes. There's only such much story you can tell about two people bobbing on the ocean for 24 hours. (Barton) (Reviewed in this issue.) AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Canal Place, Grand, Holiday 12, Hollywood Cinemas 9, Movies 8
A PAGE OF MADNESS (NR) -- Teinosuke Kinugasa's 1926 silent classic about a Japanese man who seeks various employment at an insane asylum to be close to his deranged wife, who drowned her baby, in the hopes of someday freeing her. 7:30 p.m. Saturday-Sunday at Zeitgeist
THE PRINCESS DIARIES 2: ROYAL ENGAGEMENT (G) -- Now that American teen Anne Hathaway is firmly set as the princess of Genovia, she now must find her prince in this sequel to the 2001 hit. Co-stars Julie Andrews, Heather Matarazzo and Hector Elizondo. AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette, Grand, Holiday 12, Hollywood Cinemas 9, North Shore Square
SHE HATE ME (R) -- Spike Lee offers what may be his most unfocused (dare we say worst?) film in the story about a corporate whistle-blower (New Orleans' Anthony Mackie, the film's lone bright spot) who finds himself siring children for lesbian mothers-in-waiting for pay. Huh? As usual, Spike's got plenty to say about race, politics, greed and sex, but he has actually become more incoherent over the years instead of coherent. He seems content to play with ideas more than shape them, and along the way wastes a promising supporting cast of Ellen Barkin, Woody Harrelson, Lonette McKee and even Q-Tip. (Simmons) Canal Place, Grand
SPIDER-MAN 2 (PG-13) -- A- Director Sam Raimi finally displays his spidey sense in this superior sequel to the 2002 hit movie. An unhinged-yet-sympathetic Doctor Octopus (Alfred Molina) is the villain, but the real struggle here is between identity and secret identity, as Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) wrestles with the tangled question: to be or not to be a webslinger. (Tisserand) AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette
SUPERBABIES 2: BABY GENIUSES (PG) -- Talking babies assume superpowers and fight evil in the form of Jon Voight. Stars Scott Baio and Vanessa Angel. Bob Clark directed. AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Movies 8
SUSPECT ZERO (R) -- FBI agent Aaron Eckhart finds his investigation of a serial killer hitting a major moral snag when he thinks retired agent Ben Kingsley might be whacking other serial killers in his own form of street justice. The trail leads to the ultimate target: the mother of all killers ('Suspect Zero'), whose killing just might be a good thing, no? Directed by E. Elias Merhige (Shadow of the Vampire) and co-starring Carrie-Anne Moss. AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Grand, Hollywood Cinemas 9, North Shore Square
THE VILLAGE (PG-13) -- C M. Night Shyamalan's career trajectory continues ever downward with yet another 'movie with a secret' approach that spoils a fairly intriguing story. Rural villagers who adhere to a Luddite lifestyle -- filled with its own creepy superstitions -- start to panic when someone inadvertently breaks a truce with their menacing neighbor in the nearby woods. Shyamalan's deftness with color and sound as atmosphere is typically wondrous, and the ensemble cast (featuring newcomer Bryce Dallas Howard, Ron's daughter) is capable, but this secret ending is Shyamalan's most ludicrous yet. Let's kill the Hitchcock comparisons now, can we? Co-stars William Hurt, Sigourney Weaver and Adrien Brody. (Simmons) AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette, Holiday 12, Movies 8
VOLCANOES OF THE DEEP SEA -- Actor Ed Harris narrates this look at life 12,000 feet below sea level, including the strange creatures that thrive near underwater volcanoes. Entergy IMAX
WITHOUT A PADDLE (PG-13) -- City slickers Seth Green, Matthew Lillard and Abraham Benrubi decide to pick up on their dead friend's quest for stolen loot on a canoe trip in this film billed by more than source as City Slickers meets Deliverance (insert Ned Beatty joke here). Directed by Stephen Brill (Mr. Deeds, Little Nicky). Co-stars, ahem, Burt Reynolds. AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette, Grand, Holiday 12, Hollywood Cinemas 9, Movies 8
YU-GI-OH! (PG) -- The popular Japanese animation show comes to the big screen courtesy of director Ryosuke Takahashi, with the evil spirit Anubis rising from the sands of Egypt. AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette, Grand, Holiday 12, Hollywood Cinemas 9, Movies 8
