originally published June 6, 2007

28 WEEKS LATER

(R) An innovator of a horror sequel, Weeks continues the story begun in 28 Days Later - England is ravaged and nearly depopulated by the Rage virus. The U.S. Army is repopulating London when a new outbreak occurs. On the run from the infected and a trigger-happy military, two children must stay alive. Juan Carlos Fresnadillo's film kicks into high apocalyptic gear and never slows down. Ends Thursday (Beechwood, Carmike)

300

(R) The titular 300 are the hulked-out citizen-soldiers led by King Leonidas (Gerard Butler), who smash and grab glory from defeat at the arrowheads of the million-man Persian army. Stunning to behold, director Zack Snyder painstakingly renders Frank Miller’s graphic novel in three dimensions. (Georgia Square 5)

AMERICAN MOVIE

(R) 1999. Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, American Movie brought a great deal of attention to filmmakers Chris Smith and Sarah Price, but also to the movie's fascinating subject, Mark Borchardt, who continues his dream of shooting his short film Coven. Shows Wednesday, 6/13 (Georgia Theatre)

ARE WE DONE YET?

(PG) Kid-hater turned lovable thug Nick Persons (Ice Cube), his pregnant wife (Nia Long), and their two tweens decide to move to the country, biting off more than they can chew with the fixer-upper from Hell. This sequel to Are We There Yet? has a slightly more solid construction than the 2005 surprise smash. (Georgia Square 5)

AVENUE MONTAIGNE

(PG-13) 2006. Lives converge on the titular street where Jessica (two-time César Award winner Cécile de France), a new arrival to Paris, finds work as a waitress. The film by Danièle Thompson (Jet Lag) may sound more than slightly Amélie-ish, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Ends Thursday (Ciné)

AWAY FROM HER

(PG-13) 2006. Acclaimed Canadian actress Sarah Polley (The Sweet Hereafter, Dawn of the Dead) adapted Alice Munro’s “The Bear Came Over the Mountain” for her directorial debut. A husband (Gordon Pinsent) must cope with losing his institutionalized wife (Julie Christie) twice, as her mental health deteriorates and she falls in love with a fellow patient (Michael Murphy). Away from Her has already picked up accolades from the ACTRA Awards and the Sedona International Film Festival. With Olympia Dukakis. Starts Friday (Ciné)

THE BIG LEBOWSKI

(R) 1998. Filmmaking siblings Ethan and Joel Coen (Fargo) veer into bizarre comic territory with this quirky and well-made "mistaken identity" flick. Jeffrey "The Dude" Lebowski (Jeff Bridges), mistaken for millionaire Jeffrey Lebowski by gangsters, becomes entangled in a hilariously complicated plot when he goes to visit his namesake. Shows Wednesday, 6/13 (Georgia Theatre)

BLACK BOOK

(R) 2006. Paul Verhoeven returns with this highly acclaimed thriller set during World War II. A Dutch Jewish girl (Carice von Houten) joins the resistance to find out who betrayed her family to the Nazis. Harking back to his sexualized Basic Instinct days, Verhoeven supposedly gets the graphic most out of star van Houten. Ends Thursday (Ciné)

BUG

(R) I’m not about to tell you anything you don’t already know, but stage and screen are two entirely different animals. If you weren’t previously aware, check out William Friedkin’s filmed version of Tracy Letts’ stage play, Bug. Two highly dubious head cases, Angie (Ashley Judd) and paranoid Gulf War vet Peter (Michael Shannon), hole up in an Oklahoma motel room where crazy feeds on crazy as they begin to believe the room - and their bodies - to be infested with tiny invisible bugs. At least the first two acts, an awkward mating dance of the broken and their uncomfortable mental degeneration, are successfully mounted. Friedkin seems to remember how he made The Exorcist so scary, and his actors, especially Judd, sell it. Ends Thursday (Beechwood, Carmike)

CHARLOTTE’S WEB

(G) 2006. Moral but not preachy, educational but not didactic, E.B. White’s classic about a spider who saves the life of a farm pig is some terrific, radiant, humble family film. Shows Monday, 6/11 (Oconee County Library)

DIGGERS

(R) 2006. A quick check of the films made by former members of MTV’s “The State” surprisingly reveals Ken Marino to be near the head of the class. His writing debut, a slice of Long Island clam-digging life, makes an ugly life pretty. In the late 1970s, four buddies - Paul Rudd, Ron Eldard (Freedomland), Josh Hamilton (The House of Yes) and Marino - struggle to survive in a family business slowly being strangled by a nearby big fishery. Marino’s script generates some genuinely funny moments (many of which he steals as lovable lug Frankie), and Rudd continues to get better and better with each subsequent film. Also starring a trio of TV sirens, Lauren Ambrose (“Six Feet Under”), Sarah Paulson (“Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip”) and Maura Tierney (“ER”). Starts Friday (Ciné)

EDDIE MURPHY: RAW

(R) 1987. Eddie Murphy comes off pretty Raw in this standup blockbuster. Humorously and offensively discussing issues with fame, offending the rich and powerful (i.e. Bill Cosby), and women that want their half, Raw is the bridge that connects Richard Pryor and Chris Rock. Look for Samuel L. Jackson in the film’s opening sketch. Part of Ciné’s Special Summer Midnite Comedy Series. Shows Friday, 6/8 and Saturday, 6/9 (Ciné)

FIREHOUSE DOG

(PG) Dog superstar Rexxx finds himself walking the streets of Toronto until firefighter’s kid Shane (Josh Hutcherson) takes him home. A flick filled with silly, harmless homages, some over a kiddie audience’s head and some right up their alley. Ends Thursday (Georgia Square 5)

GEORGIA RULE

(R) Out-of-control teen Rachel (Lindsay Lohan) is taken by her mother (Felicity Huffman) to spend the summer with her strict grandmother (Jane Fonda) in Mormon country. Though not a black comedy, Georgia Rule tries to milk laughs from child molestation. Sick. Ends Thursday (Beechwood)

HOSTEL: PART II

(R) At least you know what to expect from Hostel and Cabin Fever writer-director Eli Roth’s third exploitative splatterflick. While studying art in Rome, three girls accompany a fellow model on a weekend trip, then terrible things happen. Opens Friday (Carmike)

KNOCKED UP

(R) See Movie Pick. (Beechwood, Carmike)

MEN AT WORK

(NR) 2006. Based on a story by Abbas Kiarostami (A Taste of Cherry), Men at Work follows four men whose weekend trip leads them to a natural rock formation they feel needs tipping over. The buddies then begin discussing what all men discuss while attempting to accomplish something foolish yet manly - women. Directed and written by Mani Haghighi. Part of the ACC Library’s iFilms series. Shows Thursday, 6/7 (ACC Library)

MR. BROOKS

(R) See Flick Skinny. Not as bad as its decades-old premise (a brilliant serial killer is being hunted by a determined cop) or its decade past their prime stars, Kevin Costner and Demi Moore, portend, Mr. Brooks niftily riffs on Costner’s image with a violently supportive look at a regretful killer. Earl Brooks (Costner) is a family man, a philanthropist and Portland’s Man of the Year; he’s also a lifelong addict to murder who carries on conversations with his imaginary friend, Marshall (William Hurt). Tracking Mr. Brooks is Detective Tracy Atwood (Moore), who is going through a nasty divorce as well as being hunted by an escaped killer she recently put away. This abnormal family drama-cum-psychological thriller smartly tweaks the overdone serial killer formula; Mr. Brooks is a good dad and he really does want to quit killing. Have some sympathy for Mr. Brooks; he’s not as bad a guy as you might think. (Beechwood, Carmike)

NEXT

(PG-13) This latest Philip K. Dick adaptation starring Nicolas Cage is boring. A Vegas magician (Cage),must use his ability to see two minutes into the future to save America from some leftover “24” plot device. With Jessica Biel. Starts Friday (Georgia Square 5)

OCEAN’S THIRTEEN

(PG-13) Thirteen seems to hark back to the heady days of Ocean's Eleven as Danny Ocean (George Clooney) asks his crew (including Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, and Bernie Mac) to avenge one of their own, Reuben Tishkoff (Elliot Gould), after he’s double-crossed by casino owner Willy Banks (Al Pacino). Directed by Steven Soderbergh. Opens Friday (Beechwood, Carmike)

PERFECT STRANGER

(R) Say what you will about Basic Instinct 2. At least that slutty flick put out; Perfect Stranger is a tease. Investigative journalist Rowena Price (Halle Berry) runs into her next story when her old friend, Grace, ends up murdered. With Bruce Willis. (Georgia Square 5)

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD’S END

(PG-13) Darker than the first two films, At World’s End rediscovers Black Pearl’s quirky sense of humor, thought lost at sea with Captain Jack (Johnny Depp) at the end of Dead Man’s Chest. Jack has never seemed more addled, more sun-stroked and more fey than when he is rescued by Will Turner (Orlando Bloom), Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) and Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) on their way to Shipwreck Cove, where the Brethren Court is meeting to discuss the East India Trading Company’s genocidal assault on the sea’s population of buccaneers, brigands and bandits. The film feels reenergized by Jack’s return to his proper role as reluctant, brainless, lucky anti-hero. A three-hour behemoth, At World’s End is one clever swashbuckler fueled by Depp’s slapstick coconut rummy and some banging FX. (Beechwood, Carmike)

PREMONITION

(PG-13) When the world of Linda Hanson (Sandra Bullock) collapses upon the accidental death of her husband Jim (Julian McMahon), the housewife breaks from reality and starts experiencing that fateful week out of order. I’m buying everything Bullock’s selling. (Georgia Square 5)

PSYCHO

(R) 1960. Alfred Hitchcock’s classic chiller, the prototypical slasher film, set the standard for horror to come, be that good or bad. Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) might seem like the mild-mannered, All-American boy, but Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) would tell you otherwise. Part of the Oconee County Library’s Summer Suspense at the Library: Filmfest & Trivia Raffle featuring Alfred Hitchcock. Shows Tuesday, 6/12 (Oconee County Library)

SHREK THE THIRD

(PG) After the death of King Harold (voiced by John Cleese), Shrek (v. Mike Myers), Donkey (v. Eddie Murphy) and Puss In Boots (v. Antonio Banderas) strike out in search of the youthful Artie (v. Justin Timberlake). Meanwhile, Fiona (v. Cameron Diaz) and her sisters in tiaras (v. Amy Poehler, Amy Sedaris, Maya Rudolph and Cheri Oteri) must deal with Prince Charming (v. Rupert Everett), who has banded together with Far Far Away’s villains. Shrek the Third is far, far away the least of the franchise’s three films. (Beechwood, Carmike, Highway 17 Theatres)

SPIDER-MAN 3

(PG-13) In his third adventure, Spidey (Tobey Maguire) must out-duel fan favorite Venom (Topher Grace), the Sandman (Thomas Haden Church), and himself, as Marvel’s most popular hero has swapped his red and blue underwear for a black costume/ alien symbiote. However, the greatest battle facing your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man is within the franchise itself. The bloated Spider-Man 3 packs on far too many pounds of fatty story. Still, a chunky Spider-Man 3 sprints where bony-ass comic book adaptations like Ghost Rider limp. (Beechwood, Carmike, Highway 17 Theatres)

STROKES OF GENIUS

(NR) 1984. A documentary film series, Strokes of Genius explores the Abstract Expressionist movement through the personal lives and artistic contributions of its principal players. The June 6 selection, “De Kooning on De Kooning,” is all about Willem de Kooning and his wife Elaine. The June 13 screenings, “Arshile Gorky” and “Franz Kline Remembered,” document the former’s influence upon the birth of the New York School of Abstract Expressionism and revelations of the latter’s iconoclastic spirit. Part of the Georgia Museum of Art’s Wednesday Night Films in June series. Shows Wednesday, 6/6 & 6/13 (GMOA)

SURF’S UP

(PG) A CGI mockumentary of the Penguin World Surfing Championship, where teenage Cody Maverick (voiced by Shia LeBeouf), must out-surf the champ. Opens Friday (Beechwood, Carmike, Highway 17 Theatres)

TMNT

(PG) As perfectly as writer-director Kevin Munroe captures the four distinct personalities of the turtles, why does he prove such a bad judge of villainy? Leaving Shredder out makes the Turtles’ latest adventure instantly forgettable. Ends Thursday (Georgia Square 5)

VACANCY

(R) A crackerjack, scary-as-hell premise - visitors to a remote motel are forced to star in cheapo snuff films - make this cheapo, thrills-only slasher flick not so different than the snuff films-within-the-film. With Kate Beckinsale and Luke Wilson. Starts Friday (Georgia Square 5)

WAITRESS

(PG-13) The year’s sweetest film, Waitress, the late Adrienne Shelly’s love letter to her daughter, is also most “tragically cute.” Unhappily married and pregnant, Jenna (Keri Russell) whiles away her days creating fabulously delicious pies. When Jenna begins having an affair with the town’s new ob-gyn (Nathan Fillion), the talented young pie maker rediscovers her worth outside her suffocating marriage to the infuriatingly childlike Earl (Jeremy Sisto). This indie romcom might turn a few off with its pro-infidelity I prefer to think of as anti-lovelessness. (Beechwood)

Drew Wheeler