Now

Playing

Anna and the King -

Jodie Foster and Chow Yun Fat star in this movie based on

"The King and I." This is not a musical. The

sets look lavish, the actors look right and their big

push for Oscar might be worthwhile. Rated PG-13.

Any Given Sunday -

Outstanding performances, a good script and incredibly

deft camera work and directing make this film a pleasure

to watch. Jamie Foxx was incredible as

"Steamin" Willie Beamen and football hasn't

looked this good since we were doing the dirty bird.

Rated R.

Bicentennial Man -

Based on a story by Isaac Asimov. Robin Williams plays

the robot that yearns to be human. It is directed by the

Lord of Lame, Chris Columbus, and looks like more of his

sentimental clap trap. Does anyone else wish that Robin

Williams would play a bad guy or a guy you're unsure of?

It just seems that every film he does is about a

sensitive man/robot/creature on a very special journey.

Boring. Rated PG.

Cradle will Rock -

This film is written and directed by Tim Robbins and

deals with life in the 1930s. Supposedly very

Altman-esque, this might be worth checking out. Rated R.

Down to You - Freddie

Prinze Jr. stars in this romantic comedy with Julia

Stiles ("Ten Things I Hate about You"). I don't

know what this movie is about but I'm sure they get

together at the end. Rated PG-13.

Eye of the Beholder -

Ewen MacGregor plays a voyeur in this mystery. The woman

he follows is played by Ashley Judd. The film looks quite

good. Rated R.

Galaxy Quest - This

movie was great. I feel very fortunate that it lasted in

the theaters as long as it has. There are strong

performances, big laughs and an even bigger heart. Rated

PG.

Girl, Interrupted -

Winona Ryder and Angelina Jolie star as two slightly

crazy girls in an institution in the late 1960s. Good

music abounds. Some dark moments, much foul language, but

overall uplifting theme. Rated R.

The Green Mile -

Stephen King's serial novel comes to the screen. This is

not a horror film, but more of a spiritual drama. It is

getting high praise all around, despite its length and

the brutality of an execution scene. Rated R.

The Hurricane - Denzel

Washington stars as a man falsely accused of murder. This

is based on a true story and has been wowing audiences

for weeks. Rated R.

Magnolia - An

excellent film with a stellar cast and an electric

script. This is possibly the best film of the year,

though it will not please everybody. It has very harsh

language and adult themes. Rated R.

Next Friday - Ice Cube

stars in this sequel to his hit film, Friday. He has left

hs parents' house to hide out with his cousins in the

suburbs. Be warned: There is no Chris Tucker in this film

and the topic of drugs comes up frequently. Rated R.

Play it to the Bone -

Woody Harrelson and Antonio Banderas play down on their

luck boxing buddies who are given a big opportunity to

fight... each other. Written and directed by king of the

sports film, Ron Shelton, this should be entertaining.

Rated R.

S cream 3 - This is not just a

cash cow film. The producers and directors intended on

making this a trilogy from the beginning. I loved the

first two installments. In fact, I am an extra in Scream

2. I look forward to this movie and hope that they end

the series on a good note, meaning that it is both funny

and scary. Rated R.

Stuart Little - Based

on E.B. White's children's story, Stuart is a small mouse

that lives with a normal sized human family. It looks

like lots of new stuff was added for the kids and the

traditional plot elements have fallen by the wayside. We

shall see though. Rated PG.

Supernova - A film

about aliens in space that is trying to be scary. If you

have seen "Alien," "Predator,"

"Event Horizon"... it probably won't be. Rated

PG-13.

T he Talented Mr. Ripley - I am

probably staying away from this until it hits the dollar

theater. Though I hear the performances are very good and

the film is shot beautifully, I hear it is boring,

boring, boring. Rated R.

The Beach - Want a

hit? Sprinkle a bit of Leonardo DiCaprio among some other

beautiful people and just add water. This film is based

on the popular novel by Alex Garland and is very

reminiscient of "Lord of the Flies." This is

not lighthearted Leo fare. Rated R.

Toy Story 2 - Woody

and Buzz are back and this time it's Woody who needs

rescuing. Utterly enjoyable and possibly better than the

first one. It has a great sense of humor and is the

perfect holiday film. Stay in your seats to enjoy the

bloopers. They have just been added to the credits. Rated

G.

Also

Playing

A nywhere But Here - Susan

Sarandon and Natalie Portman play mother and daughter in

this sentimental movie for women. The film

"Tumbleweeds" tells the same tale and got

better reviews and a few awards. Rated PG-13.

Blue Streak - Martin

Lawrence plays a jewel thief who passes as a detective.

If Eddie Murphy can do police comedy, Martin can do

police comedy. I hear this is pretty good. Rated PG-13.

T he Bone Collector - This was a

great book, so be careful of the film. Denzel Washington

plays a paralyzed man who was formerly a detective. He

helps a rookie cop track down a serial killer. It has

been out for awhile, so it has to be pretty good. Rated

R.

Crazy in

Alabama - Sticking close to Mark Childress's novel,

this film is very even-keeled. Melanie Griffith is great

as Aunt Lucille and her husband, Antonio Banderas, proves

he's not just a pretty face behind the camera. Rated

PG-13.

Double Jeopardy - This

was the movie with Ashley Judd and Tommy Lee Jones. She

went to jail for the murder of her husband, but he's not

dead. You can't be convicted twice for the same crime, so

what will happen? For a buck, this might be worth it.

Rated R.

End of Days - Arnold

Schwarzenegger returns to the big screen as a cop

battling the forces of evil. How much you want to bet the

story takes place in Los Angeles? Rated R.

Man on the

Moon - Jim Carrey was amazing as Andy Kaufman in this

film. It didn't live up to some people's expectations,

but I found the film to be entertaining. Rated R.

The

Messenger - Luc Besson's stylish retelling of the

story of Joan of Arc. The film has a good cast and great

visual effects, but the story is a bit slow. Rated R.

Random Hearts - This

looked promising when I first saw the previews, but I

heard it was the worst thing Harrison Ford has done ever.

It is a story of political intrigue, seduction and

murder. Many people passed in its regular theater run;

why waste a dollar? Rated R.

Runaway Bride - There

was so much hype about Richard Gere and Julia Roberts

teaming up again that you thought Sonny and Cher were

reuniting. This opened to warm reviews this summer, but

it didn't clean up at the box office. If you think you'll

be surprised and entertained, you probably will. Rated

PG.

Tarzan - A very good

Disney movie about our favorite king of the jungle. The

animation is out of this world and it was refreshing to

hear a soundtrack that did not feature Peabo Bryson. A

great movie for the whole family and only a dollar right

now. Rated G.

Three Kings - Set in

the Gulf War, this is the story of four soldiers who go

on a mission to recover some stolen gold. Starring Ice

Cube, George Clooney, Spike Jonze and Mark Wahlberg,

Three Kings got solid reviews and may pop up at the

Oscars. Rated R.

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