At the theaters 9/15/06

NEW AT THEATERS

'The Black Dahlia'

Starring Josh Hartnett, Scarlett Johansson, Hilary Swank, Aaron Eckhart and Mia Kirshner. In 1940s Los Angeles, two cops, Bucky Bleichert and his partner, Lee Blanchard, investigate the death of Elizabeth Short, a young woman found brutally murdered. Bucky soon realizes that Lee's significant other, Kay, had ties to the deceased, and soon after that, he begins uncovering corruption and conspiracy within the police department. Rated R for strong violence, some grisly images, sexual content and language, running time 121 minutes. (Cape West Cine)

'Everyone's Hero'

Starring the voices of Jake Austion, Raven Symone, Brian Dennehy, Whoopi Goldberg, William H. Macy, Mandy Patinkin, Rob Reiner and Joe Torre. A young boy teams up with a sassy girl for a cross-country quest to help the New York Yankees win the 1932 world series. Rated G, running time 88 minutes. (Town Plaza Cinema)

'Gridiron Gang'

Starring The Rock, Xzibit, Vanessa Ferlito, L. Scott Caldwell, Leon Rippy and Kevin Dunn. Juvey detention camp officer Sean Porter and his friend Malcolm Moore turn a group of teen felons into a football team in four weeks. Confronted with gang rivalries between his teammates, Porter teaches the former thugs self-respect and responsibility. Rated PG-13 for some startling scenes of violence, mature thematic material and language, running time 127 minutes. (Town Plaza Cinema)

'The Guardian'

Starring Kevin Costner, Ashton Kutcher, Clancy Brown, Sela Ward, Melissa Sagemiller and Travis Willingham. Ben Randall is a maverick teacher who trains rescue swimmers for the Coast Guard. Randall shows the talented Jake Fischer how to become a member of his team, only for danger to loom large when the men set off on a trip to Alaska. Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of action/peril, brief strong language and some sensuality, running time 135 minutes. Sneak preview Saturday. (Cape West Cine)

'Last Kiss'

Starring Zach Braff, Casey Affleck, Harold Ramis, Rachel Bilson and Jacinda Barrett. A whiny, self-obsessed, about-to-turn-30 guy freaks out when his totally hot girlfriend decides they should buy a house. So of course he decides to sabotage his relationship by flirting with a slightly younger but no less hot girl. His idiocy results in possibly losing both women. Rated R for sexuality, nudity and language, running time 104 minutes. (Town Plaza Cinema)

STILL PLAYING

'Barnyard: The Original Party Animals'

Starring the voices of Kevin James, Courteney Cox, John Di Maggio and Danny Glover. A carefree cow, Otis, likes to play tricks on the humans who work at his farm. But his father, Ben, and an old mule, Miles, think Otis needs to be more discreet about the fact that the animals at the farm have humanlike intelligence. When Otis suddenly finds himself in a position of responsibility around the barnyard, he must somehow find the courage and confidence to be a leader. Rated PG for some mild peril and rude humor, running time 90 minutes. (Cape West Cine)

'Beerfest'

Starring Erik Stolhanske, Paul Soter, Jay Chandrasekhar, Steve Lemme and Kevin Heffernan. When American brothers travel to Germany to spread their grandfather's ashes at Oktoberfest, they stumble upon Beerfest -- the secret Olympics of beer drinking. The brothers receive a less than warm welcome from their German cousins, the Von Wolfhausens, who cast them out of the event. Vowing to return in a year to defend their family's honor, the Wolfhouse boys assemble a team of beer drinkers for a showdown. Rated R for pervasive crude and sexual content, language, nudity and substance abuse, running time 103 minutes. (Cape West Cine)

'The Covenant'

Starring Steven Strait, Sebastian Stan, Toby Hemingway and Chace Crawford. A long time ago five families settled and formed the Ipswich Colony in Massachusetts. In the present day, four students at the elite Spenser Academy are bound by their sacred ancestry: As descendants of the original families, the boys have all been born with special powers. When the body of a dead student is discovered after a party, secrets begin to unravel and their identities may be revealed. Rated R for violence, disturbing images and some sexuality, running time 97 minutes. (Cape West Cine)

'Hollywoodland'

Starring Adrien Brody, Ben Affleck, Diane Lane and Bob Hoskins. A private detective investigates the mysterious death of Superman star George Reeves and uncovers unexpected connections to his own life. The affair Reeves had with the wife of a studio executive might hold the key to the truth. Rated R for language, some violence and sexual content, running time 126 minutes. (Cape West Cine)

'How to Eat Fried Worms'

Starring Timothy Patrick Cavanaugh, Kimberly Williams and Clint Howard. Eleven-year-old Billy inadvertently challenges the school bully on his first day at a new school. In order to save face and earn the respect of his new classmates, Billy agrees to a bet to eat 10 worms in one day. Rated PG for mild bullying and some crude humor, running time 99 minutes. (Cape West Cine)

'The Illusionist'

Starring Edward Norton, Jessica Biel, Paul Giamatti and Rufus Sewell. Eisenheim is a stage magician who amazes the audiences of turn-of-the-century Vienna, drawing the attention of Crown Prince Leopold. When the Prince's intended, Sophie von Teschen, assists the magician onstage, Eisenheim and Sophie recognize each other from their childhoods -- and a dormant love affair is rekindled. As the clandestine romance continues, Chief Inspector Uhl is charged by Leopold to expose Eisenheim, and Eisenheim prepares to execute his greatest illusion yet. Rated PG-13 for some sexuality and violence, running time 109 minutes. (Cape West Cine)

'Invincible'

Starring Mark Wahlberg, Elizabeth Banks and Greg Kinnear. When the coach of the Philadelphia Eagles hosts an unprecedented open tryout, everyone thinks it'll be a waste of time. Everyone except for Vince Papale, a down-on-his-luck, 30-year-old, substitute teacher and part-time bartender who never even played college football. Against the odds, he makes the team and finds himself playing alongside his hometown heroes. Rated PG for sports action and some mild language, running time 99 minutes. (Cape West Cine)

'Little Miss Sunshine'

Starring Toni Collette, Greg Kinnear, Alan Arkin, Abigail Breslin, and Paul Dano. The Hoover and their 7-year-old, Olive, travel from Albuquerque, N.M., to the Little Miss Sunshine pageant in Redondo Beach, Calif. Rated R for language, some sex and drug content, running time 101 minutes. (Cape West Cine)

'Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest'

Starring Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley and Bill Nighy. Captain Jack owes a blood debt to the legendary Davy Jones, captain of the dreaded Flying Dutchman. He threatens to curse Jack to an afterlife of eternal servitude and damnation if he can't settle up. Soon-to-be-married Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann join Jack on a quest to find the Dead Man's Chest, which may contain a treasure that Jones will accept as payment. Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of adventure, violence, including frightening images, running time 151 minutes. (Cape West Cine)

'The Protector'

Starring Tony Jaa, and Petchthai Wongkamlao. A Thai martial arts warrior takes on a crime syndicate that raids his hometown and destroys his way of life. Rated R for sexuality, violence and language, running time 81 minutes. (Town Plaza Cinema)

'Pulse'

Starring Kristen Bell, Ian Somerhalder and Christina Milian. Based on the Japanese horror movie "Kairo," this horror/thriller centers on a group of college students who discover that a computer hacker unwittingly pirated a strange wireless signal that opens a doorway for evil spirits to cross over into the world. The evil spreads like a virus, and the students must race to find a way to stop it. Rated PG-13 for violent and disturbing images, running time 90 minutes. (Cape West Cine)

'Step Up'

Starring Channing Tatum, Jenna Dewan and Rachel Griffiths. Tyler Gage wants to escape his Baltimore neighborhood. Nora is a ballet dancer from the preppy Maryland School of the Arts. She's got everything in the world -- except a dance partner for her senior showcase. When Tyler's assigned to do community service at the school, sparks fly between them. Rated PG-13 for thematic elements, brief violence and innuendo, running time 103 minutes. (Cape West Cine)

'Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby'

Starring Will Ferrell, Sacha Baron Cohen, John C. Reilly, Amy Adams, Gary Cole and Elvis Costello. NASCAR stud Ricky Bobby is a national hero and the best driver in the biz. His racing partner, childhood friend Cal Naughton Jr., makes for a great teammate, who almost always crosses the finish line in second place, right behind Ricky. But when a French Formula One driver, Jean Girard challenges the duo for racing supremacy, it's a battle the likes of which the sporting world has never seen. Rated PG-13 for crude and sexual humor, language, drug references and brief comic violence, running time 108 minutes. (Town Plaza Cinema)

'World Trade Center'

Starring Nicolas Cage, Maria Bello, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Frank Whaley. This docudrama tells the story of Port Authority policemen John McLoughlin and Will Jimeno, who were trapped in the rubble of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, after they went in to help people escape. Rated PG-13 for intense and emotional content, some disturbing images and language, running time 129 minutes. (Cape West Cine)

'You, Me and Dupree'

Starring Matt Dillon, Kate Hudson, Owen Wilson and Amanda Detmer. The unemployed best buddy of a newlywed man moves in with the couple and immediately causes problems. Rated PG-13 for sexual humor and references, running time 109 minutes. (Cape West Cine)

-- From staff reports