Web Edition

NEWS

FEATURES

ENTERTAINMENT

COLUMNS

CONTACT US

Kam's Kapsules by Kam Williams

Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London (PG for action violence and crude humor). Frankie Muniz returns for another round of hijinks as the cool teen recruited by the CIA for another gadget-laden caper. Cody goes undercover at a posh British prep school to find the rogue agent who has stolen a mind-control device.

The Barbarian Invasions (R for profanity, sex chat, and drug use). This Best Foreign Film Oscar-winner revolves around a womanizing professor who is now divorced, cancer ridden and attempting to reconcile with his ex-wife, his son, several mistresses, and old friends. In French with subtitles.

Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen (PG for mature themes and mild epithets). Disney adaptation of the young adult novel by Dylan Sheldon into a romantic comedy about the peer group adjustment problems of a high school girl (Lindsey Lohan) from Greenwich Village whose family moves to a New Jersey suburb.

The Cooler (R for violence, profanity, drug use, and intense sexuality). William H. Macy and Alec Baldwin, paired for the third time in their careers, are in a Mafia comedy about a contagious loser in Las Vegas whose luck turns around after he falls in love with a cocktail waitress, which serves to irritate the crooked casino manager.

Dawn of the Dead (R for profanity, sexuality, and pervasive gory violence). Remake of the creepy 1978 screamfest about survivors of a zombie-producing plague who barricade themselves in a shopping mall. With Ving Rhames, Mekhi Phifer and Sarah Polley.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (R for sex, expletives, and drug use). Romantic comedy with Kate Winslet and Jim Carrey as a couple who try to save their struggling relationship by undergoing a procedure which is supposed to erase only their bad memories of each other. With Kirsten Dunst, Mark Ruffalo and Elijah Wood.

Eurotrip (R for nudity, sex, profanity, drug, and alcohol use). The producers of Road Trip found a whole new cast, including Matt Damon in a cameo, for this madcap film about a high school student (Scott Thomas) who travels across Europe with a couple of friends in search of a German girl (Jessica Bohrs) he met over the Internet.

The Fog of War (PG-13 for disturbing images and adult themes). Biopic on Vietnam War era Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara digested from 20 hours of interviews conducted by Errol Morris.

50 First Dates (PG-13 for crude sexual humor and drug references). Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore, who worked so well together in The Wedding Singer, reunite for another offbeat romantic comedy, this about a veterinarian trying to woo an amnesiac with short-term memory loss who has to be courted afresh every day.

Girl with a Pearl Earring (PG-13 for sex content). Scarlett Johansson stars as the title character of this 17th century costume drama, based on the Tracy Chevalier novel of the same name, which speculates about the anonymous subject of the famous Vermeer painting of the same name.

Hidalgo (PG-13 for violence and mild sexual innuendo). A horseracing adventure, set in 1890, stars Viggo Mortensen as a half-breed Pony Express courier who travels to Saudia Arabia to ride his half-breed mustang in a grueling 3,000 mile race against the best pedigreed stallions in the world.

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (PG-13 for battle scenes and scary images). The J.R.R. Tolkien trilogy is completed with Frodo and friends returning for a final showdown for control of Middle Earth.

The Passion of the Christ (R for graphic violence). Devout Catholic Mel Gibson's long-awaited, arguably anti-Semitic, re-enactment of the last 12 hours in the life of Christ, starring Jim Caviezel as Jesus, Monica Belucci as Mary Magdalene, and Rosalinda Celentano as the Devil incarnate.

The Reckoning (Unrated). British adaptation of Barry Unsworth's Morality Play, an historical novel set in the 14th century about an adulterer/killer priest who hides in a traveling acting troupe which ends up trying to prove the innocence of a deaf mute woman accused of murder by staging a re-enactment.

Secret Window (PG-13 for violence, terror, sex content, and expletives). Johnny Depp stars in this adaptation of a Stephen King horror story about a writer being stalked by a stranger (John Turturro) who is accusing him of plagiarism. With Charles Dutton and Timothy Hutton.

Spartan (R for profanity and violence). David Mamet directs this espionage thriller about a secret agent (Val Kilmer) assigned to find the President's kidnapped daughter (Kristen Bell) who traces the roots of the plot back to the White House. Co-stars William H. Macy, Derek Luke, and Tia Tejada.

Starsky & Hutch (PG-13 for drug use, profanity, violence, nudity, and sexual situations). Perennial buddies Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson make their sixth film together, a tongue-in-cheek, retro adaptation of the popular TV show which enjoyed a five-year run from 1975-79. Supporting cast includes Snoop Dogg, Vince Vaughn, Juliette Lewis, Carmen Electra, and Amy Smart.

Taking Lives (R for sex, violence, disturbing images, and profane language). Angelina Jolie stars in this adaptation of the 1999 Michael Pye novel about an FBI profiler sent to Canada to track down the slippery serial killer who assumes the identity of his victims. With Ethan Hawke, Gena Rowlands, and Kiefer Sutherland.

Touching the Void (Unrated). Documentary retraces the perilous trek in 1985 to the top of the 21,000 foot Siula Grande by a couple of British mountain climbers, the first to reach the Peruvian Andes peak by scaling its 90 degree face.

Twisted (R for violence, language, and sexuality). Crime thriller about a cop (Ashley Judd) who becomes the subject of a murder investigation when all of a serial killer's victims turn out to be her ex-boyfriends. With Samuel L. Jackson and Andy Garcia.

Welcome to Mooseport (PG-13 for sex chat and nudity). Family comedy about the campaign for mayor of a quaint New England town which pits a retired U.S. President (Gene Hackman) against the owner (Ray Romano) of the local hardware store.