At the theaters 9/8/06

NEW AT THEATERS

'The Covenant'

Starring Steven Strait. 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)

'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)

STILL PLAYING

'Barnyard: The Original Party Animals'

Starring the voice of Kevin James. A carefree cow, Otis, likes to play tricks on the humans who work at his farm. But his father and an old mule think Otis needs to be more discreet about the fact that the animals at the farm have humanlike intelligence. When Otis finds himself in a position of responsibility around the barnyard, he must 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. 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)

'Crank'

Starring Jason Statham. The life of a trained assassin is never easy, but for Chev it gets much worse when he discovers he has been poisoned, and must keep his adrenaline above a certain level to prevent himself from dying. Rated R for strong violence, pervasive language, sexuality, nudity and drug use, running time 83 minutes. (Town Plaza Cinema)

'Crossover'

Starring Anthony Mackie and Wayne Brady. Noah Cruise plans to use his hoop skills and UCLA basketball scholarship to become a doctor. But a shady agent wants him to go to the NBA and ditch college. Meanwhile, his old friend Tech has less lofty ambitions: he just wants his GED and a shot at winning a streetball tourney. Rated PG-13 for sexual content and some language, running time 96 minutes. (Town Plaza Cinema)

'How to eat fried worms'

Starring Timothy Patrick Cavanaugh. Eleven-year-old Billy inadvertently challenges the school bully on his first day at a new school. In order to 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)

'Idlewild'

Starring Big Boi, Macy Gray, Patti Labelle and Ving Rhames. In a Prohibition-era speakeasy, a manager-performer and his piano player fight off gangsters looking to take over their business. Rated R for violence, sexuality, nudity and language, running time 121 minutes. (Cape West Cine)

'Invincible'

Starring Mark Wahlberg 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 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. The Hoovers 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)

'Pulse'

Starring Kristen Bell. 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 find a way to stop it. Rated PG-13 for violent and disturbing images, running time 90 minutes. (Cape West Cine)

'Snakes on a Plane'

Starring Samuel L. Jackson. An assassin lets poisonous snakes loose on a passenger plane in an attempt to kill a witness being shepherded to Los Angeles from Hawaii by an FBI agent. Rated R for language, a scene of sexuality and drug use and intense sequences of terror and violence, running time 106 minutes. (Cape West Cine)

'Step Up'

Starring Channing Tatum. Tyler Gage wants to escape his Baltimore neighborhood. Nora is a ballet dancer from the Maryland School of the Arts. She's got everything -- 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. 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 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)

'The Wicker Man'

Starring Nicolas Cage. In Neil LaBute's remake of the 1973 horror classic, a sheriff is investigating a young girl's disappearance from an isolated, mysterious island off the coast of Maine. As he uncovers evidence of disturbing pagan rituals, he realizes there's something strange about the local community. Rated PG-13 for disturbing images and violence, language and thematic issues, running time 102 minutes. (Town Plaza Cinema)

'World Trade Center'

Starring Nicolas Cage. 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)

-- From staff reports