Opening Friday

Pitch Black — A crew of a spaceship is terrorized by a species of aliens that attack in the dark. Hooray, another “blow up the aliens” movie! Rated R.

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.

Scream 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.

The 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

Anywhere 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.

The 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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