originally published October 24, 2007

30 DAYS OF NIGHT

(R) See Movie Pick and Flick Skinny. (Beechwood, Carmike)

ACROSS THE UNIVERSE

(PG-13) Director Julie Taymor's latest film follows a group of young people (Evan Rachel Wood as Lucy, Jim Sturgess as Jude, Joe Anderson as Max, Dana Fuchs as Sadie - get it? And no, Max is not a serial killer) finding their way during the turmoil of the late 1960s. This film is Hair (same basic story, even) where all the hippies are cleaner and more attractive - and only sing Beatles songs. Stay home and watch Hair while listening to Let It Be. [Margaret Moore] (Beechwood)

ARMY OF DARKNESS

(R) 1993. Ash (Bruce Campbell) returns for a third Deadite-demolishing installment of Sam Raimi’s ode to Lovecraft. While this third film has claimed the top spot in many a fan’s heart, I find it's “everything is bigger” (except for Mini-Ash) mentality a bit overwhelming. Yet, the sheer liveliness of Raimi’s direction and Campbell’s wit pull me back into this medieval clash of good and evil. Ends Thursday (Ciné)

THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD

(R) Brad Pitt plays the legendary outlaw who unwittingly brings his killer, Robert Ford (Casey Affleck), into his gang during the lean winter of 1881. Even with Pitt on board, a Western can be a tough sell, much less a dark, three-hour character study. With Sam Shepard, Mary-Louise Parker, Zooey Deschanel and Sam Rockwell. Opens Friday (Carmike)

BALLS OF FURY

(PG-13) Balls of Fury is a lowest-comedy-denominator flick made mildly amusing by some seriously funny performances. Former ping pong champion and Def Leppard megafan Randy Montana (Dan Fogler) must bring down crime boss, Feng (Christopher Walken). Starts Friday (Georgia Square 5)

THE BOTHERSOME MAN

(NR) 2006. When Andreas (Trond Fausa Aurvaag) arrives in a strange new town, he is greeted by a job, an apartment and a wife. But once Andreas figures out something is wrong, he can’t leave; the city won’t let him. The film by director Jens Lien, a two-time Palme d’Or winner for Best Short Film, won the Cannes Film Festival’s ACID Award and three Amandas for Best Actor, Best Direction and Best Screenplay. Part of the ACC Library’s iFilms series. Shows Thursday, 10/25 (ACC Library)

THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM

(PG-13) Director Paul Greengrass returns with a third entry that elevates the series’ threat level to midnight. Shot and edited at a breakneck pace, Ultimatum is bursting with brutal beatings, deadly double crosses and revelations about Bourne’s (Matt Damon) past. (Georgia Square 5)

THE COMEBACKS

(PG-13) Maybe it’s because inspirational sports films (no sacred cows may exist in parodies, but I have to admit that poking fun at the real-life Radio makes me feel a little icky) need to be tackled more than horror flicks, romantic comedies or epics, but The Comebacks feels funnier than its Movie parody peers. The comically pathetic Coach Lambeau Fields (the truly funny David Koechner), the losingest coach in college football, takes over Heartland State University in Plainfolk, TX. After defeating the Titans (remember them? You’d better; that’s the whole joke) and the Friday Night Lights, the Comebacks face off with the Unbeatables (coached by Carl “Apollo Creed” Weathers) in the Second Annual Toilet Bowl. With Will Arnett, Andy Dick and several athletes riding the cameo bench, audiences are left with lesser-known starters like Matthew Lawrence (“Boy Meets World”) and ATL’s Jackie Long. Working from a playbook of lame jokes about superior films rather than a reenactment of scenes from those better films, The Comebacks made me laugh more than any of the Movie movies - Scary, Date or Epic (that being said, I genuinely laughed once, though at what I cannot remember). (Beechwood, Carmike)

DAN IN REAL LIFE

(PG-13) I like Steve Carell. You know how I know? I’m looking forward to Dan in Real Life. While attending a family reunion, advice columnist and single father Dan Burns (Carell), who can’t seem to catch a break, falls for Beth (Juliette Binoche), who happens to be dating Dan’s brother (Dane Cook). Opens Friday (Beechwood, Carmike)

THE DARJEELING LIMITED

(R) Star Owen Wilson's recent suicide attempt has overshadowed auteur Wes Anderson's newest film. Co-written by Anderson (The Royal Tenenbaums), Jason Schwartzman and Roman Coppola, The Darjeeling Limited stars Wilson, Schwartzman and Adrien Brody as three brothers traveling across India by train. The brothers' trip soon veers wildly off course in the quirky manner of Anderson's previous work. Winner of the Venice Film Festival's Golden Lion Cub and the festival's prizes for Best Screenplay and Best Cinematography. Opens Friday (Beechwood)

DRAGON WARS: D-WAR

(PG-13) How did this large cinematic turd escape being flushed down the toilet of the Sci Fi Channel’s Saturday night movie and land a theatrical release? Based on a Korean legend, Dragon Wars is absolutely ludicrous, a bunch of “What the hell?” exposition about monsters destroying L.A., strung together by cheapo FX. (Highway 17 Theatres)

ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE

(PG-13) Elizabeth: The Golden Age shows just how hard (and sexually frustrating) it is to be queen, especially a Protestant one in the still predominantly Catholic Europe of the 1580s. Cate Blanchett’s second reign as Queen Elizabeth I is just as monarchically absolute as her previous Oscar-nominated one, but director Shekhar Kapur’s stunning film (this picture’s better seen than heard) is not. Ends Thursday (Beechwood, Carmike)

FOR THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO

(NR) This documentary from first-time director Daniel G. Karslake examines the "intersection of religion and homosexuality" in America. The film features five American Christian families (like those of House Majority Leader Richard Gephardt and Episcopalian Bishop Gene Robinson) and how each dealt with a child being gay. Ends Thursday (Ciné)

THE GAME PLAN

(PG) Professional football player Joe Kingman (Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson) has only one thing in mind - winning a championship ring - until his daughter, sweet little Peyton (Madison Pettis), is left on his doorstep. Kids will love The Game Plan for two hours and promptly forget it; parents could do worse. (Beechwood, Carmike)

GONE BABY GONE

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

HALLOWEEN

(R) Rob Zombie’s reimagining (for lack of a better term) of John Carpenter’s slasher classic redesigns the entire concept of a remake. Halloween is the franchise’s best effort in nearly 30 years, and a fitting addition to Zombie’s brief, promising filmmaking career. (Highway 17 Theatres)

HALLOWEEN 4 & HALLOWEEN 5

(R) 1988/ 1989. Beechwood is screening a special double feature on the fourth and fifth installments of the original franchise - on All Hallows Eve Eve, of course! Shows Tuesday, 10/30 (Beechwood)

HARRY POTTER & THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX

(PG-13) HP5 begins with more danger and intrigue than any previous Potter outing. Voldemort’s resurrection has Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) fighting for his life. A solid, if not quite dazzling, transition from HP4 to HP6, HP5 will not disappoint hardcore Potterheads. Ends Thursday. (Georgia Square 5)

THE HEARTBREAK KID

(R) Confirmed bachelor Eddie Cantrow (Ben Stiller) thinks he’s met his soulmate (Malin Ackerman), until a honeymoon in Cabo reveals the real girl of his dreams (Michelle Monaghan). The Heartbreak Kid reacquaints the Farrellys with the raunchy romance that made There’s Something About Mary so wonderful. Ends Wednesday (Carmike); Ends Thursday (Beechwood)

THE HUNGER

(R) 1983. Susan Sarandon, David Bowie and Catherine Deneuve star in this stylish twist on the vampire genre. Ages 21 & up. Hosted by DJ Applepaul. Shows Tuesday, 10/30 (Go Bar)

IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOON

(PG) David Sington’s documentary portrait of the 24 real American heroes who remain the only human beings to travel to the moon deserves any Oscar consideration sent its way. (Ron Howard’s name above the title shouldn’t hurt.) Between 1969 and 1972, the United States sent nine ships to the moon so as not to make a liar of late President John F. Kennedy, who predicted the accomplishment of such a feat by the end of the decade. As In the Shadow of the Moon wanes, the remaining astronauts wax nostalgic about the 240,000-mile lunar journey. Mike Collins and Buzz Aldrin describe shipmate Neil Armstrong’s “giant leap for mankind;” Jim Lovell and the astronauts of mission control relive Apollo 13’s fateful trip; and everyone mourns the loss of the three Apollo astronauts (Gus Grissom, Ed White and Roger Chaffee). This entertainingly edifying trek made me want to run out and rent The Right Stuff, the Oscar-winning account of the Mercury program. Stick around through the credits to hear the astronauts’ responses to claims that the moon landings were an elaborate hoax. Starts Friday (Ciné)

LAUGH FACTORY

(NR) Yuck it up to 100 minutes of never-before-seen stand-up comedy from the world-famous Laugh Factory in Hollywood, CA. Part of a series of Thursday night comedy events at the theater. Shows Thursday, 10/25 (Carmike)

MICHAEL CLAYTON

(R) George Clooney truly gets better with each passing year and each subsequent film. In Michael Clayton, Clooney tailors his sleek image into the designer mystery of a bag-man called on to clean up his firm’s dirtiest messes, like when the lead attorney (Tom Wilkinson) on a multibillion-dollar class action lawsuit goes off his rocker. Writer-director Tony Gilroy (the Bourne franchise) crafts a labyrinthine legal maze that never gets so twisty the viewer can’t find his way out. Michael Clayton’s tense, assiduous unease effortlessly sorts itself out, and first-time director Gilroy wields an efficient control. Clooney continues to prove his thespian mettle, while Tilda Swinton is as icy-cold a customer as she was when I first saw her in Orlando. That Michael Clayton is as smooth as its star should surprise no one. (Beechwood, Carmike)

MR. FREEDOM

(NR) 1969. Mr. Freedom (John Abbey, Jacques Tati’s Play Time) is the hero of capitalist America, employed by Freedom Inc. to defend freedom with ultraviolence, and go tête-à-tête with the French Anti-Freedom. Expatriate photographer and filmmaker William Klein’s black comedy features Donald Pleasance and a host of European arthouse scenesters. Ages 21 & up. Shows Monday, 10/29 (Flicker)

THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS 3-D

(PG) 1993. What a grand new tradition is Disney’s annual re-releasing of the 3-D version of Nightmare. After visiting Christmas Town, Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King, gets the bright idea of giving Santa Claus the night off while the denizens of Halloween Town do the gift-giving. (Carmike)

NO RESERVATIONS

(PG) Control freak chef Kate (Catherine Zeta-Jones) has her life flipped upside down after she becomes the guardian of her niece Zoe (Abigail Breslin). Enter sous chef Nick (Aaron Eckhart), who shows Kate there’s more to life than dinner rushes. Though a predictable, frozen romancer, No Reservations doesn’t get cold before the will-they-or-won’t-they climax. (Georgia Square 5)

RANDY AND THE MOB

(PG) Academy Award winner (and Georgia native) Ray McKinnon’s second feature has everything right about life in a small Southern town. Randy Pearson (McKinnon), the entrepreneurial idiot who owns a local truck stop, climate-controlled storage units, and part of a barbecue joint, owes the mob and the IRS. When the mob enforcer, Tino Armani (producer Walter Goggins of “The Shield”), sent to town to collect money instead runs off with it, Randy must turn to his flush, gay, nearly estranged, identical twin brother, Cecil (McKinnon again). Not filled with Yankee stereotypes or snide representations of the region’s colorful denizens, Randy accomplishes what so many other films about or set in the South can or do not. Whereas so many Southern-centric comedies are deep-fried turkeys, Randy and the Mob has the local flavor of slow-roasted BBQ (with a small side of sun-baked Burt Reynolds). Winner of the Audience Choice and President’s Awards from the Nashville Film Festival. Held over! (Ciné)

RATATOUILLE

(G) Remy the rat (Patton Oswalt) dreams of being a top chef. Garbage boy Linguine (Lou Romano) doesn’t want to lose another job. Together they become the gastronomic sensation of Paris. Ratatouille again proves Pixar is king. Directed by Brad Bird (The Incredibles). (Georgia Square 5)

RENDITION

(R) Three parallel stories - a young wife (Reese Witherspoon) seeks answers about the disappearance of her Egyptian-born husband; a CIA analyst (Jake Gyllenhaal) questions his assignment torturing /interrogating a suspected terrorist; a young Muslim woman falls in love with a young man not chosen by her father - twist perpendicularly when they intersect in a painfully explosive manner. Rendition is a stagnant, one-note film that has one pat, easy answer (i.e. the government is pretty much evil). Director Gavin Hood (the Academy Award winning Tsotsi) milks Witherspoon’s pregnant mother for all its manipulative nutrients (though the histrionic actress is far from Oscar-winning form), and Gyllenhaal broods with likability and sympathy, if not much reason. Even with three stories, too little happens in Rendition, and the final twist - indispensable in the redemption of an otherwise superfluous subplot - only serves to muddy a timeline that I have yet to straighten (granted, I quit trying as soon as the credits rolled). Rendition wastes too much talent (including Meryl Streep and Alan Arkin, as well as Peter Sarsgaard and J.K. Simmons) on nightmarish fear-mongering and political oversimplification. (Beechwood, Carmike)

SAW IV

(R) You may have thought Jiggy was done torturing unsuspecting C-list actors after perishing in the previous Saw entry. But where a box office heart still beats, so does a sequel. Jigsaw’s final game must be played by two FBI agents (Scott Patterson of “Gilmore Girls” and Athena Karkanis). Directed by Darren Lynn Bousman, the grisly man behind Saw II and Saw III. Opens Friday (Beechwood, Carmike)

SEA MONSTERS: A PREHISTORIC ADVENTURE

(NR) Carmike hosts its first National Geographic Giant Screen 3-D film, a documentary about prehistoric sea creatures. Photo-realistic, high-resolution computer graphics with a run time of 40 minutes. Narrated by Liev Schreiber. (Carmike)

THE SHINING

(R) 1980. Stanley Kubrick’s cold look at one family man’s descent into madness while acting as winter caretaker at a remote Colorado hotel is confusing, overlong and maddening. Yet the film continues to possess a strange hold over viewers nearly 30 years later. Most likely, it’s the iconic performance by Jack Nicholson that keeps The Shining atop many a horror "best of" list. With Shelley Duvall and Scatman Crothers. Starts Friday (Ciné)

THINGS WE LOST IN THE FIRE

(R) Almost heart-wrenching to a fault, Things We Lost in the Fire follows Audrey Burke (Halle Berry) as she attempts to cope with the tragic death of her husband Brian (David Duchovny) by having his childhood friend, Jerry Sunborne (Benicio Del Toro), move in with her and her two children. Through poignant flashbacks, we watch Brian try to help Jerry battle his addiction to heroin, a task that Audrey reluctantly shoulders after his death. Amongst a great cast, it is Del Toro who makes this movie unforgettable; without his breathtaking performance, the film would fall flat. His face is wrought with emotion at every turn, exceptionally shown through the movie’s camera work, shot by director Suzanne Bier. This is an intense film about grief and addiction. [Maggie Summers] (Beechwood)

TRANSFORMERS

(PG-13) The good-guy Autobots befriend young Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf), who aids them in their quest to stop the evil Decepticons from eradicating mankind. Transformers is the best adaptation of a cartoon ever. (Georgia Square 5)

TROLL 2

(PG-13) 1990. After moving to Nilbog (check what it spells backwards), a young child is frightened to learn his grandpa’s bedtime stories are filled with magical creatures that happen to be real. Troll 2, written and directed by Claudio Fragasso, is so popularly bad it has its own fan-run website, www.bestworstmovie.com. Ages 21 & up. Shows Tuesday, 10/30 (Flicker)

WE OWN THE NIGHT

(R) We Own the Night tells a very familiar gangland tale rife with familial tensions and an über-serious striving for honor. The Grusinskys - daddy Burt (a meaninglessly heroic Robert Duvall), older brother Joseph (Mark Wahlberg, who seems to have walked straight over from The Departed set, wardrobe and all), and baby bro Bobby Green (Joaquin Phoenix) - are like any family made up of two career cops and a screw-up club owner. When the cop side of the family runs afoul of the Russian mafia, everything goes to hell in a couple of lamely staged shootout. Writer-director James Gray (Little Odessa, The Yards) is going for something a lot more operatically grand than his film accomplishes. (Carmike); Ends Thursday (Beechwood)

WHY DID I GET MARRIED?

(PG-13) Tyler Perry’s latest film furthers the multi-hyphenate’s brand of over-dramatized pap I’ve come to expect and look forward to. The marital dirty laundry of four couples - Terry and Diane (Perry and Sharon Leal of Dreamgirls), Patricia and Gavin (Janet Jackson and Malik Yoba), Angela and Marcus (Tasha Smith of Daddy’s Little Girls and Michael Jai White, who I’ll always remember from Spawn), Sheila and Mike (Jill Scott and Richard T. Jones of “Girlfriends” and G) - is aired during a week-long sojourn in the Colorado mountains. This frank look at marriage wears the worn-out conjugal clothing of a dead child, workaholism, infidelity, etc. with Perry’s typically flat characters. Jones’ lowdown Mike behaves like such a P.O.S. that I couldn’t determine why Terry or Gavin would have remained his friend. Perry still writes dialogue for the stage, not the screen; songstresses Jackson and Scott nearly choke on theirs. Yet, like all of Perry’s dynamically melodramatic films, Why Did I Get Married? is humanly engaging despite any number of cinematic flaws. (Beechwood, Carmike)

Drew Wheeler