NEW FILMS FRIDAY

DJOMEH — Iranian-made drama about the title character, a young Afghani who is sent to live in Iran and who encounters prejudice in his new home country. In Farsi, with English subtitles. Not rated, probable PG (brief violence, mild profanity). (Exclusive, Tower.)

40 DAYS AND 40 NIGHTS — The title of Michael Lehmann's comedy refers to the length of time a promiscuous twentysomething (Josh Hartnett) vows to remain celibate, only to regret that when he meets the girl of his dreams. R (vulgarity, sex, nudity, profanity, brief drugs, brief violence). (Carmike 12, Century, Gateway, Holladay, Jordan Commons, Jordan Landing, Megaplex 12, Ritz.)

IRIS — Oscar nominees Kate Winslet and Dame Judi Dench portray different ages and aspects of the title character in this biographical drama about late the British author and philosopher Iris Murdoch. Jim Broadbent (a Best Supporting Actor nominee) co-stars. R (nudity, brief sex, profanity, brief violence, vulgarity). (Exclusive, Century.)

SCOTLAND, PA — Dark, humorous period piece based on Shakespeare's "Macbeth," about going-nowhere marrieds (James LeGros and Maura Tierney) who would literally kill to get their own fast-food restaurant. Christopher Walken co-stars. A selection of the 2001 Sundance Film Festival. R (profanity, violence, drug use, sex, brief gore, vulgarity). (Exclusive, Tower.)

WE WERE SOLDIERS — Mel Gibson re-teams with his "Braveheart" collaborator Randall Wallace for this military thriller, based on the real-life stories of those who fought in the first battle between U.S. and North Vietnamese forces. Co-stars include Chris Klein and Madeleine Stowe. In English, Vietnamese and French, with English subtitles. R (violence, gore, profanity, vulgarity, racial epithets). (Carmike 12, Century, 5-Star, Gateway, Holladay, Jordan Commons, Jordan Landing, Megaplex 12, Ritz.)

RE-RELEASES

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST — **** — Disney's wondrous, Oscar-nominated 1991 animated musical has been remastered (both the picture and color) and "blown up" for the large-format screen for this 10th anniversary re-release. The new musical number, "Human Again," only adds to the splendor of one of the studio's all-time classics. G (violence). (Exclusive, Jordan Commons.)

MIDNIGHT MOVIES

RUSHMORE — **** — Try to imagine "The Graduate" in reverse, and you might envision this terrifically offbeat comedy. Newcomer Jason Schwartzman, playing a private school student, is a real find, and Bill Murray has never been better as his mentor, and later, his romantic rival. Running time: 93 minutes. R (profanity, violence, vulgarity, nude photos, ethnic slurs). (Tower, Friday and Saturday.) (Feb. 19, 1999)

SPECIAL SCREENINGS

COOL HAND LUKE — **** — Paul Newman is terrific in the title role of this socially conscious 1967 comedy-drama, a Southern chain-gang prisoner who refuses to buckle in the face of inhuman conditions. Watch for the memorable egg-eating contest, as well as George Kennedy's solid supporting performance, which earned him an Oscar. Made before ratings, probable PG (violence, language, vulgarity). (Jordan Commons.)

THE GENERAL — **** — Buster Keaton's favorite of his many films was this 1927 comic adventure, in which Old Stoneface plays an engineer trying to re-take a captured locomotive during the Civil War. The action is inspired and there's more story here than in many silent comedies. Featuring organ accompaniment by Blaine Gale. In black and white. Made before ratings, probable G (slapstick violence). (Organ Loft, Friday, 7:30 p.m.)

GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES — *** — Co-star Jane Russell nearly steals the show from Marilyn Monroe in this 1953 comic romp about fortune-hunting singles. Some classic musical numbers (including Marilyn performing "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend") make up for some slow spots. Made before ratings, probably G (mild vulgarity). (Jordan Commons.)

CONTINUING FILMS

ALEXANDRE DUMAS' THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO — ** — Jim Caviezel is too bland as the title character of this swashbuckling revenge tale, a sailor who seeks vengeance on his former best friend (Guy Pearce), and there are too many anachronistic touches. Running time: 131 minutes. PG-13 (violence, gore, torture, brief sex, brief veiled nudity). (Broadway, Carmike 12, Century, Holladay, Jordan Commons, Jordan Landing, Ritz, Trolley North.) (Jan. 25, 2002)

ALI —** 1/2 — Oscar nominee Will Smith is terrific as the legendary prize fighter and folk hero, but Michael Mann's superficial biographical drama doesn't really do its subject justice. Running time: 157 minutes. R (violence, gore, profanity, vulgarity, sex, racial epithets). (Sandy, Sugar House, Valley Fair.) (Dec. 25, 2001)

AMELIE — **** — Sure it's a bit off-beat (there are some unfortunate R-rated moments as well), but French director Jean-Pierre Jeunet's comedy/fantasy is also clearly the best foreign film released this year (it's an Oscar nominee in that category). It's a delightful whimsy about a young woman (star-in-the-making Audrey Tatou) who meddles in the lives of others while neglecting her own personal affairs. In French, with English subtitles. Running time: 120 minutes. R (nudity, sex, profanity, brief violence). (Broadway.) (Nov. 9, 2001)

BANDITS — *** 1/2 — It runs out of steam about two-thirds of the way in, but this darkly comic caper still manages to charm, thanks its stellar cast — including stars Bruce Willis and Billy Bob Thornton, playing bank robbers who squabble over a hostage (Cate Blanchett). Not perfect, but funny and smart. Running time: 125 minutes. PG-13 (violence, profanity, gore, vulgarity, brief sex). (Sandy, Sugar House.) (Oct. 12, 2001)

A BEAUTIFUL MIND — ** — An intellectually dishonest and highly fictional adaptation of Sylvia Nasar's best-selling biography of troubled, Nobel Prize-winning mathematician John Forbes Nash Jr. (Oscar nominee Russell Crowe). Even the talented cast (which includes Oscar nominee Jennifer Connelly) can't save this one. Running time: 129 minutes. PG-13 (violence, profanity, vulgarity, brief sex, racial epithets). (Century, Jordan Commons, Jordan Landing, Megaplex 12.) (Dec. 25, 2001)

BEHIND ENEMY LINES — ** — This military thriller has a few exciting sequences, but it's ham-fisted and preposterous, and comic actor Owen Wilson isn't convincing as a U.S. Navy pilot shot down in enemy territory. Running time: 108 minutes. PG-13 (violence, profanity, gore, vulgarity). (Kaysville, Sandy, Showcase, Sugar House, Valley Fair.) (Nov. 30, 2001)

BIG FAT LIAR — ** — "Malcolm in the Middle's" Frankie Muniz deserves a better starring vehicle than this lame, "Home Alone"-style comedy about a schoolboy taking his revenge on a sleazy Hollywood producer (Paul Giamatti). Running time: 88 minutes. PG (slapstick violence, mild vulgarity, mild profanity). (Carmike 12, Century, 5-Star, Jordan Commons, Jordan Landing, Megaplex 12, Ritz.) (Feb. 8. 2002)

BLACK HAWK DOWN — *** — A cast of up-and-coming actors (including Josh Hartnett and Eric Bana) heads up director Ridley Scott's exciting but extremely gory military thriller (a Best Picture Oscar nominee), based on a real-life incident in which U.S. soldiers were stuck in the middle of a Somalian war zone. Running time: 143 minutes. R (violence, gore, profanity, vulgarity, racial epithets.) (Century, Jordan Commons, Jordan Landing, Megaplex 12, Ritz.) (Jan. 18, 2002)

BLACK KNIGHT — * — Possibly the most painful adaptation of Mark Twain's much-filmed (in various forms) fantasy tale, with a never-more-unfunny Martin Lawrence playing the modern man sent back in time to a medieval kingdom. Running time: 93 minutes. PG-13 (profanity, vulgarity, violence). (Valley Fair.) (Nov. 21, 2001)

BROTHERHOOD OF THE WOLF (LE PACTE DES LOUPS) — ** — What starts out as a freakish mystery — one based on the true story of two men hunting a predatory beast in 18th-century France — devolves into a mishmash parody of kickboxing, ludicrous occult shenanigans and flaccid romance. In French, with English subtitles. Running time: 142 minutes. R (violence, gore, nudity). (Broadway.) (Jan, 25, 2002) — Anthony Breznican, Associated Press

COLLATERAL DAMAGE — ** — It may have been made before Sept. 11, but this latest Arnold Schwarzenegger vehicle — a ho-hum thriller about a firefighter seeking vengeance on terrorists — still seems exploitative. Running time: 115 minutes. R (violence, profanity, gore, torture, drugs, vulgarity, racial epithets). (Jordan Commons, Jordan Landing, Megaplex 12, Ritz.) (Feb. 8, 2002)

CROSSROADS —* 1/2 — She's not the worst actress in the world, but pop singer Britney Spears's feature-film starring debut is a painfully cliched, even exploitative drama that will appeal to only her most loyal fans. Running time: 94 minutes. PG-13 (sex, vulgarity, profanity). (Carmike 12, Century, Gateway, Jordan Commons, Jordan Landing, Ritz, Trolley Corners.) (Feb. 15, 2002)

DRAGONFLY — * 1/2 — Kevin Costner's latest comeback attempt is a boring supernatural drama about a man who believes his deceased wife is trying to communicate from the afterlife. Yawn! Running time: 105 minutes. PG-13 (profanity, brief violence, brief sex, brief gore). (Carmike 12, Century, 5-Star, Gateway, Holladay, Jordan Commons, Jordan Landing, Megaplex 12, Ritz.) (Feb. 22, 2002)

GOSFORD PARK — **** — Director Robert Altman's best film in many years (a Best Picture Oscar nominee) is a scathing class comedy/mystery/drama about a murder that occurs during a party at a guest house in London. The first-rate cast includes Emily Watson, Kristin Scott Thomas, Ryan Phillippe and Oscar nominee Maggie Smith, who's hilarious in a supporting turn. Running time: 137 minutes. R (violence, profanity, brief gore, brief sex, vulgarity). (Jordan Landing, Megaplex 12.) (Jan. 4, 2002)

HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE — *** — This big-budgeted adaptation of the first of J.K. Rowling's best-selling children's novels is perfectly cast — especially with newcomer Daniel Radcliffe starring as the young wizard-in-training. But some of the magic is missing, and it's too long for neophytes. Still, Potter-philes will be pleased. Running time: 153 minutes. PG (violence, mild profanity, mild vulgarity). (Jordan Landing.) (Nov. 16, 2001)

HART'S WAR — ** — A film with too many ideas to explore, this World War II thriller gets bogged down in courtroom scenes and preposterous intrigue. In English and German, with English subtitles. Running time: 125 minutes. R (violence, profanity, gore, racial epithets, torture, vulgarity, brief partial nudity). (Carmike 12, Century, Gateway, Jordan Commons, Jordan Landing, Megaplex 12, Ritz.) (Feb. 15, 2002)

HOW HIGH — * — No amount of the most mind-altering drug could make this alleged comedy — a would-be, black version of "Animal House" starring rappers Redman and Method Man — funny. Running time: 94 minutes. R (drug use, profanity, vulgarity, nudity, sex, violence, racial epithets). (Sugar House.) (Dec. 21, 2001) — Christy Lemire, Associated Press

I AM SAM —* 1/2 — Oscar nominee Sean Penn is credible as the title character, a mentally handicapped man trying to regain custody of his daughter. But the film itself is incredibly manipulative and doesn't ring true. Running time: 130 minutes. PG-13 (profanity, vulgarity). (Jordan Commons, Jordan Landing.) (Jan. 25, 2002)

IN THE BEDROOM — *** — Great lead performances by Sissy Spacek and Tom Wilkinson (both of whom are nominated for Oscars) highlight this tense little drama about a couple grieving over the death of their college-age son. The turn towards revenge thriller at the end is a little off-putting, but the acting is terrific. Running time: 130 minutes. R (profanity, brief violence, brief gore, vulgarity). (Broadway, Century, Jordan Landing.) (Jan. 4, 2002)

JIMMY NEUTRON: BOY GENIUS —** 1/2 — An animated feature starring the kid with big hair who's been playing havoc with Nickelodeon's programming. Frankly, the concept works better on television. Running time: 84 minutes. G (slapstick violence, mild vulgarity). (Kaysville.) (Dec. 21, 2001) — Bob Strauss, Los Angeles Daily News

JOE SOMEBODY — ** — Tim Allen has rarely been as charmless as he is in this leaden comedy, about a picked-on man (Tim Allen) who decides to fight back after being bullied on Bring Your Daughter to Work Day. Running time: 98 minutes. PG (violence, profanity, vulgarity). (Kaysville, Sandy, Showcase.) (Dec. 21, 2001)

JOHN Q. —* 1/2 — Even another characteristically fine Denzel Washington performance can't salvage this laughably heavy-handed drama about a father who takes an emergency room hostage, hoping it will force doctors to give his ailing son a heart transplant operation. Running time: 118 minutes. PG-13 (gore, violence, profanity, vulgarity). (Carmike 12, Century, Jordan Commons, Jordan Landing, Megaplex 12, Ritz.) (Feb. 15, 2002)

KATE & LEOPOLD — ** — Hugh Jackman is charming as a time-lost 19th-century nobleman romancing a 21st-century career woman. But Meg Ryan is simply phoning this one in. Running time: 115 minutes. PG-13 (profanity, vulgarity). (Kaysville, Sandy, Showcase, Sugar House, Valley Fair.) (Dec. 25, 2001)

KUNG POW: ENTER THE FIST — The year's worst film so far, director Steve Oedekirk's send-up of the martial-arts genre uses footage from other movies, which he dubbed over and shot a handful of new scenes. Excruciatingly unfunny. Running time: 84 minutes. PG-13 (violence, vulgarity, gore, brief profanity). (Sandy, Showcase, Sugar House, Valley Fair.) (Jan. 26, 2002)

LANTANA —*** 1/2 — Australian filmmaker Raymond Lawrence ("Bliss") returns after a 15-year hiatus with this well-acted, involving dramatic thriller about a philandering detective (Anthony LaPaglia) investigating the disappearance of a prominent psychiatrist (Barbara Hershey). Running time: 114 minutes. R (profanity, sex, violence, gore, brief drugs, brief partial nudity, vulgarity). (Brewvies, must be 21 or older.) (Jan. 25, 2002)

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING — **** — New Zealand director Peter Jackson's big-budgeted adaptation of the first of the much-read fantasy trilogy is also the year's best, an awe-inspiring, thrilling adventure with plenty of "Wow!" moments. Also, the all-star cast (which includes Elijah Wood, Sir Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler and Christopher Lee) is top to bottom excellent. Nominated for 13 Academy Awards. Running time: 178 minutes. PG-13 (violence, gore). (Broadway, Century, Gateway, Jordan Commons, Jordan Landing, Villa.) (Dec. 19, 2001)

THE MAJESTIC —** 1/2 — Filmmaker Frank Darabont's attempt at a Capra-esque fable is too long and too ambitious, though Jim Carrey is solid as a blacklisted Hollywood writer who becomes a theater owner after a car wreck causes him to lose his memory. Running time: 152 minutes. PG (profanity, violence). (Kaysville, Sandy, Showcase, Sugar House, Valley Fair.) (Dec. 21, 2001)

THE MAN WHO WASN'T THERE — *** — The latest from the Coen brothers is an uneven but oddball noir thriller about a barber (Billy Bob Thornton) blackmailing his wife's lover. The performances are strong, the photography and production design handsome, both of which compensate for the sometimes sketchy plotting. In black and white. Running time: 116 minutes. R (profanity, violence, brief gore, racial epithets, vulgarity, brief sex). (Brewvies, must be 21 or older.) (Nov. 30, 2001)

MONSTER'S BALL —** 1/2 — The performances by Billy Bob Thornton and, especially, Oscar nominee Halle Berry barely save this ludicrous drama about a penitentiary guard who becomes involved with the widow of an executed prisoner. Running time: 108 minutes. R (profanity, sex, nudity, violence, gore, vulgarity, racial epithets). (Exclusive, Century.) (Feb. 8, 2002)

THE MOTHMAN PROPHECIES — *** — Richard Gere is perhaps too wooden, playing a reporter investigating mysterious sightings and premonitions in a small West Virginia town. But this supernatural thriller does have its effective moments. Running time: 115 minutes. PG-13 (profanity, brief sex, violence, brief partial nudity). (Jordan Landing.) (Jan. 25, 2002)

NOT ANOTHER TEEN MOVIE — * — Unfunny, tasteless send-up of the glut of teen-oriented films, including spoofs of "Bring it On," among many others. Even a promising Molly Ringwald cameo and gag falls flat. Running time: 82 minutes. R (vulgarity, profanity, violence, nudity, sex, brief drug use, brief gore, racial epithets). (Sugar House, Valley Fair.) (Dec. 14, 2001)

OCEAN'S ELEVEN — *** — Director Steven Soderberg's all-star remake of the 1960 Rat Pack heist picture is a little shaky, materialwise, but it is fun to see George Clooney interacting with Brad Pitt and the others, and the script is pretty witty. Running time: 116 minutes. PG-13 (profanity, violence, vulgarity, racial epithets, nude artwork). (Megaplex 12.) (Dec. 7, 2001)

ORANGE COUNTY —** 1/2 — It's got its moments, but this slightly disappointing comedy — about a high school student (Colin Hanks) trying to get into Stanford — stoops to lowest common denominator humor when things get tough. Running time: 95 minutes. PG-13 (profanity, vulgarity, drug use, slapstick violence, brief sex, brief partial nudity). (Brewvies, must be 21 or older; Kaysville; Sandy; Showcase; Sugar House; Valley Fair.) (Jan. 11, 2001)

THE OTHER SIDE OF HEAVEN — ** 1/2 — Handsome-looking but too superficial drama, based on the harrowing real-life experiences of an LDS general authority when he was a teenager serving a mission to the Kingdom of Tonga. A good cast, including Anne Hathaway ("The Princess Diaries"), helps, but it's a little too squeaky-clean for its own good. Running time: 113 minutes. PG (violence, vulgarity, brief gore). (Gateway, Jordan Landing, Trolley Corners.) (Dec. 14, 2001)

OUT COLD —** — A low-rent remake of the 1984 low-rent teen-age sex comedy "Hot Dog . . . The Movie." But the characters are pretty likable, and the cinematography is gorgeous. Running time: 89 minutes. PG-13 (profanity, vulgarity). (Valley Fair.) (Nov. 21, 2001) — Christy Lemire, Associated Press

OUT OF STEP —** 1/2 — As likable and as genuinely sweet as it is cliched, this locally produced drama could be called the Mormon "Flashdance." Despite some technical problems, the cast (which includes newcomer Alison Akin Clark) makes it watchable. Running time: 90 minutes. PG (brief violence, mild vulgarity). (Carmike 12.) (Feb. 15. 2002)

QUEEN OF THE DAMNED — ** — It's got some stylish moments, but this ludicrous horror movie, based on the Anne Rice best-seller, is a sad farewell for late R&B singer Aaliyah, who plays the title character. Running time: 101 minutes. R (violence, gore, nude artwork, profanity, vulgarity, brief drugs). (Carmike 12, Century, Holladay, Jordan Commons, Jordan Landing, Ritz, Trolley Corners, Trolley North.) (Feb. 22, 2002)

RETURN TO NEVER LAND — ** — Devoid of the charm and originality of its predecessor, Disney's classic 1953 adaptation of "Peter Pan," this animated sequel about the adventures of Wendy's daughter probably should have gone straight to video. Running time: 79 minutes. G (animated violence, mild vulgarity). (Carmike 12, Century, 5-Star, Gateway, Holladay, Jordan Commons, Jordan Landing, Ritz, Trolley Corners.) (Feb. 15, 2002)

THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS — **** — Sure it's quirky, but director Wes Anderson's third film is also his richest and funniest. It's a comedy a family patriarch (a never-better Gene Hackman) striving to reconnect with his estranged children (including Gwyneth Paltrow and Ben Stiller). Running time: 108 minutes. R (profanity, violence, drugs, brief sex, vulgarity, brief nudity, brief gore, racial epithets). (Broadway.) (Jan. 4, 2002)

SERENDIPITY — ** 1/2 — This uneven but watchable romantic comedy stars as John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale as two would-be lovers who leave their relationship up to fate. Hilarious co-stars Jeremy Piven and Eugene Levy steal the film. Running time: 90 minutes. PG-13 (profanity, sex, vulgarity, brief slapstick violence). (Sandy.) (Oct. 5, 2001)

SHALLOW HAL — *** — The Farrelly brothers' much-maligned, "weight-ist" comedy is actually a sweet, funny piece about an arrogant twentysomething (comic character actor Jack Black) who falls in love with a "plus-sized" woman (Gwyneth Paltrow in disguise) after being hypnotized into seeing her "inner beauty." Running time: 113 minutes. PG-13 (vulgarity, profanity, sex). (Sandy, Sugar House, Valley Fair.) (Nov. 9, 2001)

THE SINGLES WARD — ** — Essentially a filmed road show, this locally produced romantic comedy relies too heavily and cameos by such local celebrities as Steve Young, Richard Dutcher and Danny Ainge) and "inside" humor, though leads Will Swenson and Connie Young do have a certain charm. Running time: 102 minutes. PG (slapstick violence). (Jordan Commons, Jordan Landing, Megaplex 12, Trolley North.) (Feb. 1, 2002)

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SNOW DOGS — ** — This comedy, starring Cuba Gooding Jr. as a dentist who inherits a team of sled dogs, is lightweight and predictable. And the animatronic dogs are so expressive they're spooky. Running time: 99 minutes. PG (mild vulgarity, slapstick violence). (Carmike 12, Jordan Commons, Jordan Landing, Megaplex 12, Ritz, Trolley North.) (Jan. 18, 2002) — Christy Lemire, Associate Press

SPY GAME — ** 1/2 — Robert Redford and Redford-for-the-New-Millenium Brad Pitt make this style-over-substance spy thriller better just by being in it. The rather convoluted plot is full of holes, though, and Tony Scott over-directs as usual. Running time: 126 minutes. R (profanity, violence, sex). (Sugar House.) (Nov. 21, 2001)

SUPER TROOPERS —** 1/2 — Yes, it's juvenile, but this farce from the Broken Lizard comedy troupe is good nasty fun in the "Caddyshack" vein, and some of the bits involving the title characters, a group of highway patrolmen, are inspired. Running time: 100 minutes. R (vulgarity, violence, profanity, drug use, nudity, sex, racial epithets). (Carmike 12, Century, Jordan Commons, Jordan Landing, Megaplex 12, Ritz.) (Feb. 15, 2002)

A WALK TO REMEMBER — ** — It's sort of refreshing to watch this cornball romance — at least until the third act, which has the kids facing death, albeit with all the consternation of teens spending an entire Saturday with their parents. Running time: 100 minutes. PG (sex, brief violence). (Carmike 12, 5-Star, Gateway, Jordan Commons, Jordan Landing, Megaplex 12, Ritz.) (Jan. 25, 2002) — Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Daily News

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