Apollo 18 (Unrated). Horror film, set in 1974, shedding light on a government cover-up of a NASA space mission on which the crew of astronauts were attacked by parasitic life forms they discovered on the moon.

Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star (R for profanity, nudity, crude humor, and pervasive sexuality). Comedy about a grocery clerk (Nick Swardson) who decides to move from the midwest to Hollywood to follow in his parents’ footsteps after discovering they were once porn stars. With Christina Ricci, Don Johnson, and Stephen Dorff.

Columbiana (PG-13 for violence, sexuality, intense action sequences, disturbing images, and brief profanity). Thriller set in Bogota, Colombia about a young girl (Zoe Saldana) who grows up to be a cold blooded assassin after witnessing the murder of her parents. With Michael Vartan, Cliff Curtis, and Callum Blue.

Contagion (PG-13 for profanity and disturbing images). International thriller, directed by Steven Soderbergh, chronicling the medical community’s race against time to stem the spread of a deadly virus imperiling all of humanity. Cast includes Oscar winners Matt Damon, Kate Winslet, Marion Cotillard, and Gwyneth Paltrow; Oscar nominees Jude Law, Laurence Fishburne, and Elliott Gould, as well as Sanaa Lathan, John Hawkes, and Bryan Cranston.

Creature (Unrated). Horror film about an ex-Navy Seal (Mehcad Brooks) who vacations with a group of friends in a backwoods region of Louisiana that has local folklore about a fabled swamp monster that’s half-man and half-alligator. Cast includes Sid Haig, Dillon Casey, and Serinda Swan.

The Debt (R for violence and profanity). International espionage thriller, set in 1997, about three former Mossad Agents (Helen Mirren, Tom Wilkinson and Ciaran Hinds) who come out of retirement to track down a Nazi war criminal (Jesper Christensen) back on the loose after having been apprehended by them 35 years earlier. With Jessica Chastain, Martin Csokas, and Sam Worthington.

Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark (R for violence and terror). Remake of the 1973 made-for-TV horror film about a 10-year-old girl (Bailee Madison) abandoned by her mother who moves in with her father (Guy Pearce) and his new girlfriend (Katie Holmes) only to discover that the spooky gothic mansion they’re renovating is haunted by creepy creatures. Supporting cast includes Jack Thompson, Edwina Ritchard, and Garry McDonald.

Fright Night (Unrated). 3-D remake of the 1985 horror comedy about a high school senior (Anton Yelchin) who enlists the assistance of a Las Vegas magician (Victor Tennant) to help make the new next-door neighbor (Colin Farell), whom he suspects of being a vampire, disappear. With Toni Colette, Imogen Poots, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse.

The Guard (Unrated). Comedy about a quick tempered Irish cop (Brendan Gleeson) who teams with a mild-mannered FBI agent (Don Cheadle) to crack an international drug smuggling ring operating in Galway. With Fionnula Flanagan, Mark Strong, and Liam Cunningham. In English and Gaelic with subtitles.

The Help (PG-13 for mature themes, ethnic slurs, and expletives). Screen adaptation of Kathryn Stockett’s poignant best-seller set in Mississippi in the early sixties contrasting the fortunes of privileged white females and their black housekeepers oppressed by Jim Crow segregation on the opposite side of the strictly enforced color line. Cast includes Oscar-winners Sissy Spacek and Mary Steenburgen, nominees Viola Davis and Cicely Tyson, along with Emma Stone, Allison Janney, Octavia Spencer, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Aunjanue Ellis.

Higher Ground (Unrated). Vera Farmiga makes her directorial debut and stars in this adaptation of The Dark World, Carolyn Briggs’s memoir about a born again christian who comes to question her faith while living in a tight-knit evangelical community. With Donna Murphy, John Hawkes, and Bill Irwin.

I Don’t Know How She Does It (Unrated). Sarah Jessica Parker stars in this tale of female empowerment based on Allison Pearson’s best-seller of the same name about a finance executive’s struggle to juggle caring for kids while being the family’s sole breadwinner after her architect husband (Greg Kinnear) lost his job due to downsizing. Cast includes Pierce Brosnan, Kelsey Grammer, Jane Curtin, and Seth Meyers.

Midnight in Paris (PG-13 for sexual references and smoking). Romantic comedy directed by Woody Allen about the troubles of a couple (Owen Wilson and Rachel McAdams) who find themselves reevaluating their elusive dreams while in France on business. With Kathy Bates, Michael Sheen, Marion Cotillard, Adrien Brody, Alison Pill, Tom Hiddleston, and Carla Bruni.

Our Idiot Brother (R for nudity, sexuality, and pervasive profanity). Paul Rudd stars as the title character of this comedy about an idealistic ex-con’s effort to readjust to civilian life with the help of his three sisters (Emily Mortimer, Zoe Deschanel, and Elizabeth Banks) after serving time in prison for selling pot. With Rashida Jones, Adam Scott, and Steve Coogan.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes (PG-13 for frightening images and intense violence). Prequel to the Gorillas Gone Wild series, set in San Francisco, pits primates against people after a scientist’s (James Franco) test of an experimental cure for Alzheimer’s leaves millions of chimps with human-like intelligence. Cast includes Andy Serkis, John Lithgow, Freida Pinto, and Brian Cox.

Sarah’s Key (PG-13 for mature themes and disturbing images). Holocaust drama, set in present-day Paris, about an investigative journalist’s (Kristin Scott Thomas) research on the story of how the family of a 10-year-old girl (Melusine Mayance) was torn asunder by the roundup of Jews in occupied France during World War II. With Karina Hin, Sarah Ber, and Kate Moran. In French and English with subtitles.

Seven Days in Utopia (G). Drama about a promising young golfer (Lucas Black) who’s befriended by an eccentric rancher (Robert Duvall) in a tiny Texas town after making a disastrous debut on the pro tour. With Robert Bear, Madison Burge, and Brady Coleman.

Shark Night 3-D (PG-13 for terror, violence, disturbing images, profanity, mature themes, sexual references, and partial nudity). Horror film about a Louisiana Gulf getaway which turns into a nightmare for vacationers sharing a beachfront home surrounded by shark infested waters. Cast includes Sara Paxton, Dustin Milligan, and Donal Logue.

The Smurfs (PG for action and rude humor). Animated/live action 3-D adventure featuring the arrival of an army of diminutive blue creatures in New York’s Central Park after they are chased through a portal from medieval times to the present by an evil wizard (Hank Azaria). Starring Neil Patrick Harris and Jayma Mays with voiceover work by Katy Perry, George Lopez, Fred Armisen, Jeff Foxworthy, Kenan Thompson, and Paul “Pee Wee Herman” Reubens.

Spy Kids: All the Time in the World (PG for mild action and rude humor). 4-D adventure featuring scratch-n-sniff ”aromascope” finds a pair of pint-sized twins (Rowan Blanchard and Mason Cook) outfitted with state-of-the-art gadgetry squaring off against their nemesis (Jeremy Piven) who is bent on world domination. Cast includes Alexa Vega, Daryl Sabara, Jessica Alba, Antonio Banderas, Danny Trejo, George Lopez, Ricky Gervais, and Tony Shalhoub.

Straw Dogs (R for rape, sexuality, graphic violence, and pervasive profanity). Remake of Sam Pekinpah’s 1971 thriller about a married screenwriter (James Marsden) and actress (Kate Bosworth) who encounter escalating hostility from resentful locals after relocating from Hollywood to her backwoods hometown in the south. With James Woods, Alexander Skarsgard, Laz Alonso, Rhys Coiro, and Dominic Purcell.

Warrior (PG-13 for profanity, mature themes, and intense fight sequences). Saga about an ex-Marine (Tom Hardy) haunted by a tragic past who returns home to be trained by his retired boxer father (Nick Nolte) for a big showdown with his estranged brother (Joel Edgerton) in a mixed martial arts tournament. With Noah Emmerich, Denzel Whitaker, and Kevin Dunn.

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