Movie charts

On screen

Movies and discs coming your way

Upcoming movies

Thriller: THE MISSING (April 9, 2004) � Got a sense of déjà vu? This one�s been delayed and delayed and delayed. Will they show it on April 9? Who knows? Maggie Gilkeson (Cate Blanchett) is a cattle rancher. Her father Samuel Jones (Tommy Lee Jones) is mistaken for an Indian when he shows up; he abandoned his family to adopt a Native American identity. Maggie sends him away, but then decides she was wrong when her eldest daughter Lilly (Evan Rachel Wood) is kidnapped by a band of Native Americans. When the local police can�t find them, Maggie turns to her father for help.

Drama/Historical: THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST (April 13, 2004) �

If ever a film has provoked controversy this is it, having caused viewers to have heart attacks and provoking outrage amongst certain Christian groups. The movie is a film about the last 12 hours of Jesus Christ�s life, which can�t really be condensed into this short review. Put it this way: This is the movie about the crucifixion of the man many people believe to be the son of God. Because of the nature of the story and the way it�s presented, many think it�s anti-Jewish, while others think it�s just too bloody and graphic. Make up your own minds, but don�t expect an easy ride. Also bear in mind that it was made by Mel Gibson � the man who used to shoot people in the Mad Max and Lethal Weapon movies. Surely some contradiction?

VCDs/DVDs

Animation: THE LION KING 3: HAKUNA MATATA (March 12, 2004) � Isn�t it time Disney, Pixar and any other animation studio stopped force-feeding us dross in which lions don�t savage zebras and maul antelopes? The lion may be king of the jungle, but he certainly doesn�t speak and he would probably rip your head off as soon as sing an Elton John song (well, wouldn�t you?). Oh well, there�s no accounting for taste so here goes. This box-office smash takes you way back to the beginning before Simba�s tale began and beyond. In this all-new comedy-adventure, Timon and Pumbaa reveal where they came from, when they met and how they helped Simba save the Serengeti. And then they sing �Circle of Life� and everyone�s happy forever. Tra la la!

Horror/Thriller: COLD CREEK MANOR (March 26, 2004) �

New York couple Cooper and Leah Tilson (Dennis Quaid and Sharon Stone) decide to move to the country in order to give their children (Kristen Stewart and Ryan Wilson) a safer life. But they get more than they bargained for when they purchase Cold Creek Manor, a gigantic, crumbling house that has a murky, dangerous past. That past shows up at their front door one day in the form of Dale Massie (Stephen Dorff), an ex-convict who lost the house while in prison. At first, Dale�s presence is a comfort to the Tilsons, but Cooper begins to sense that something is wrong after studying videos and photographs that were left behind. Sure enough, his attempts to keep Dale off his property only anger the bitter psychopath, triggering a relentless assault that endangers the lives of the entire family. Great cast that just about supports a standard thriller flick.

For full movie reviews and local showtimes as well as an online DVD store, visit www.movieseer.com.