BATS -- Pacific Place, others

THE BEST MAN -- City Centre, Varsity

BODY SHOTS -- Meridian, Metro, Oak Tree, others

BRINGING OUT THE DEAD -- Meridian, Metro, Oak Tree, others

CRAZY IN ALABAMA -- various theaters

JOE THE KING -- Broadway Market

ON THE ROPES -- Grand Illusion

STOP MAKING SENSE -- Egyptian

THE STRAIGHT STORY -- Harvard Exit

THAT'S THE WAY I LIKE IT -- Broadway Market

THREE TO TANGO -- Pacific Place, Metro, others

ARTIFICIAL LIFE: FILM SERIES -- Consolidated Works

ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN VETERANS ON FILM -- Wing Luke Asian Museum

THE BAT WHISPERS -- Grand Illusion

THE CENTURY OF CINEMA -- Grand Illusion

DON'T DIE WITHOUT TELLING ME WHERE YOU'RE GOING -- Seattle Art Museum

EYES OF THE RAINBOW -- Kane Hall

FILM NOIR FOREVER -- Seattle Art Museum

FILMS OF CAVEH ZAHEDI -- Little Theatre

GOETHE: RARE AND ONSCREEN -- Speakeasy

INDEPENDENT EXPOSURE -- Speakeasy

HAUNTED LITTLE KIDS' THEATRE -- Little Theatre

LESBIAN & GAY FILM FESTIVAL -- Egyptian, Little Theatre

MY FOOTSTEPS IN BARAGUA -- Garfield Community Center

OLYMPIA FILM FESTIVAL -- Capitol Theater

SPIKE & MIKE'S CLASSIC FESTIVAL OF ANIMATION -- Varsity Calendar

SPOOKY FILM NIGHT -- Sit & Spin

TRUFFAUT CELEBRATION -- Varsity Calendar

THE WITCHFINDER GENERAL -- Grand Illusion

October 29 -- Being John Malkovich, julien donkey-boy, Boys Don't Cry, Caligula, Music of the Heart, The House on Haunted Hill, Terror Firmer, The Grandfather

November 5 -- Princess Mononoke, The Bone Collector, Man of the Century, Dry Cleaning, The Insider, Light It Up, The Bachelor, Paulina

American Beauty
Kevin Spacey stars as Lester Burnham, a semi-typical suburbanite recalling the last year of his life. He's married to Carolyn (Annette Bening), a bitchy real estate agent more interested in the appearance of success than true happiness. Their daughter Jane (Thora Birch) is also unhappy, saddled with an awkward beauty that doesn't play in high school, and alienated from her dad because he lusts after every girlfriend she brings home. When a mysterious teen with a camcorder moves in next door, people learn to see themselves more clearly and everything changes. The first film of Broadway director Sam Mendes, the writing is snappy enough, and the actors are good enough, that you nearly forget how artificial the whole set-up is, this look at suburban life through the recollections of a dead, disgruntled pedophile. (Andy Spletzer) Factoria, Guild 45th, Oak Tree, Pacific Place 11, Redmond Town Center

*ARTIFICIAL LIFE: FILM SERIES
In conjunction with the rest of the hubub surrounding the new arts center, Consolidated Works, their eight-week film series kicks off with George Lucas' first film, THX 1138 (Fri-Sat Oct 22-23), from way back, when he made Tarkovsky-inspired art films instead of Disney-inspired megahits. The series is short on overplayed Blade Runner-type films, instead choosing to show stuff like Cronenberg's Videodrome, films by the Brothers Quay and Survival Research Laboratories, and Warhol's Sleep, so we can easily recommend buying the series pass. Films start at 8, $7/series pass $30. Consolidated Works

Asian Pacific American Veterans on Film
To coincide with the Wing Luke's current exhibit, A Different Battle: Stories of Asian Pacific Veterans, three films that examine the effects of war -- Beyond Barbed Wire, Juxta, and The Story of Vinh -- will be shown. How do Japanese American WWII veterans and their families deal with battlefield memories? How do mixed-race "war babies" deal with racism, identity, and complex households? The wars may be over, but their damage lingers on. Wed Oct 27 at 7, FREE. The Wing Luke Asian Museum

*The Bat Whispers
(1930) A rare chance to see Roland West's restored 35mm CinemaScope print of this early sound-era thriller, about a criminal named "The Bat" roaming the dark streets of a city ripe for corruption. A remake of West's 1926 silent film, The Bat, which, of course, inspired the Batman comics. Thurs Oct 21 at 5, 7, 9. Grand Illusion

Bats
When army-engineered flying mammals invade a small Texas town, sheriff Lou Diamond Phillips starts chomping his cigar and acting self-consciously butch. Luckily, strident supermodel zoologist Dina Meyer is on hand to reflect on Chinese bat mythology. Director Jacques Moreau shakes his camera a lot and bludgeons his sound effects crew, though I'll be damned if you can ever tell what's going on. The film is almost completely without suspense, but its paint-by-numbers slavishness to genre is fairly hysterical for fans of unintentional humor. The crawling, seething, rubber bat puppets that everybody's wrestling with are huge fun and, better still, sweaty mad doctor Bob Gunton is around to tell us why he created a breed of genius, mutant, flesh-eating bats: "Because I'm a scientist! That's what we do. We make things better." Happy Halloween, suckers. (Steve Wiecking) Pacific Place, others

*The Best Man
Of the small number of black films that were released this year, this is by far the best. And not only is it the best black film, it's also the best romantic comedy of the year. Its story concerns a group of college friends who are reunited in New York City for the marriage of a professional football star and his college sweetheart. With the exception of the wedding scene at the end, which goes on a bit long, the movie is simply delightful. Directed by Spike Lee's cousin, Malcolm Lee, this is a strong debut from a director who, in the years to come, will flourish into something wonderful. He is a good writer and pulled superb performances from his entire cast, especially Terrence Howard, whose portrayal of an unrepentant Epicurean stole the show. Nia Long -- "the woman with hips for days," as one critic in a local black newspaper called her -- is in top form. And then there is Taye Diggs, who must be the most handsome man working in Hollywood. I wish I was him. I wish I had those muscles. I wish I had those eyes. (Charles Mudede) City Centre, Varsity

Blue Streak
Unexpectedly funny. A black jewel thief, Miles Logan (Martin Lawrence), has to con his way into the LAPD so as to recover a stolen jewel he unluckily left in their building while it was under construction. Once in the department, he makes friends with the cops, gets a promotion, and before long he is brutalizing suspects in ways that impress his jaded colleagues. (Charles Mudede) Grand Alderwood, Meridian 16, Varsity

Body Shots
A cautionary tale about being 20-something and drunk. WARNING: The characters occasionally speak directly to the camera. Reviewed this issue. City Centre, Varsity

Bringing Out the Dead
Martin Scorsese redoes Taxi Driver as a ghostly comedy with ambulance drivers. Meridian, Metro, Oak Tree, others

*The CENTURY OF CINEMA
The "Century of Cinema" series arrives in Nashville (1975) this week. Robert "King of Ensemble Casts" Altman's classic is about the lives of two dozen people during a political campaign. Don't worry, you won't get confused. He's that good. He'll firmly guide you, while keeping you fascinated with the tangled web of characters and emotional messes. Sat-Sun Oct 23-24 at noon. Grand Illusion

Crazy in Alabama
Antonio Banderas directs his wife Melanie Griffith in what is likely her best film since, um, A Stranger Among Us?

Don't Die Without Telling Me Where You're Going
For one night only! Don't miss Argentine director Eliseo Subiela's futuristic fantasy flick about a man who invents a "dream collector," and uses the contraption to take dreams and make them visible. Fri Oct 22 at 8. Seattle Art Museum

Double Jeopardy
Libby Parsons' (Ashley Judd) perfect life is straight out of J. Crew, at least until she's framed for her husband's murder and goes to jail. While in prison, Libby discovers her husband is very much alive and shacked up with a family friend. Six years later she's released and she heads out on an obsessive quest to get her son back. Tommy Lee Jones is the gruff 'n' tough parole officer who tracks her down when she violates parole, but ends up taking her side when he sees how driven she is to clear her name. Despite the tense moments and brief thrills, the movie asks too much of you. Judd is supposed to be so sympathetic and likeable, they must have thought you'd be too busy rooting for her to notice the farfetched circumstances or gaping holes in logic. Even with her undeniable beauty and talent, Judd can't possibly save this blurry mess. (Min Liao) Factoria, Lewis & Clark, Meridian 16, Metro, Oak Tree, Redmond Town Center

Drive Me Crazy
She's All That starring Sabrina, the Teenage Witch. Grand Alderwood, Pacific Place 11

Earth
In 1947 India was split up by the British and Pakistan was born. Director Deepa Mehta sets her new melodrama in one resulting border town, but a documentary about the chaotic events would have been much more dramatic. (Andy Spletzer) Broadway Market

Elmo in Grouchland
Elmo and grouches. Elmo makes us grouchy. Go to hell, Elmo. Redmond Town Center, Uptown

The Eruption of Mount St. Helens
The mountain blew up in 1980, and has been blowing up on film ever since. Omnidome

Everest
The first IMAX footage ever shot on top of the world. Pacific Science Center

Eyes of the Rainbow
For a little pre-Latino Film and Video Festival action, check out this screening and discussion of Afro Cuban director Gloria Rolando's Eyes of the Rainbow. Thurs Oct 21 at 7, FREE. Kane Hall

color="#FF0000">*Fight Club
David Fincher's brilliant new film about disenchanted men beating the hell out of each other so they can feel something in their lives. Factoria, Grand Alderwood, Lewis & Clark, Meridian 16, Metro, Oak Tree

FILM NOIR FOREVER
SAM's popular series continues with Nightmare Alley (1947), starring Tyrone Power and Joan Blondell (Thurs Oct 21 at 7:30); then it's Felix Feist's The Threat (1949), with Michael O'Shea and Virginia Grey. Call 625-8900 for more details. Seattle Art Museum

FILMS OF CAVEH ZAHEDI
Self-absorbed, self-deprecating, and haplessly given to rambling metaphysical babble, Caveh Zahedi is one of the most engaging presences in American cinema, a New Age Henry Jaglom with charm. His debut, A Little Stiff, is the most conventional of his films, a winning study of a love story that doesn't quite click. 1994's I Don't Hate Las Vegas Anymore is the director's masterpiece so far, a road trip with a berating father and a sullen younger brother that hunts down happiness, drug addiction, the family, and the existence of God. The latter is also the subject of I Was Possessed By God, a recent video piece documenting Zahedi's experience on hallucinogenic mushrooms; he says the title was accurate, I inevitably disagree, but the piece itself is as ascetic and driven as the topic deserves. Last but by no means least is an edited down highlights reel of a series of video postcards Zahedi and fellow filmmaker Jay Rosenblatt (Human Remains) sent one another; in their directness and simplicity they make a touching, earnest portrait of how friendship sustains you when other losses seem overwhelming. Thurs-Sat Oct 21-23. Little Theatre

For Love of the Game
For love of misogyny! Billy Chapel (Kevin Costner) is a 40-year-old pitcher throwing in his last game, which happens to be a no-hitter. Jane (Kelly Preston) is his girlfriend who has decided to end their relationship because... well, Billy has been nothing but an asshole to her for the past five years. Over the course of the game, Billy flashes back to the past, re-living his mistakes. By the end, he has thrown the perfect game and learned absolutely nothing about himself. Still, Jane takes him back. Ugh. (Bradley Steinbacher) Aurora Cinema Grill, Pacific Place 11, Redmond Town Center

GOETHE: RARE AND ONSCREEN
This may be your only chance to catch never released and not-on-video film versions of the formidable Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's writings. Straight from the Goethe Institut to our humble Speakeasy: This week, Jan Svankmajer's Faust will be screened along with the shorts "Le Tout Petit Foust" (1910) and "Camilla Horn Sees Herself as Gretchen in Murnau's Faust." Tues Oct 26 at 8; call 728-9770 for more details. Speakeasy

Guinevere
Harper (Sarah Polley) is a crushingly insecure 20-year-old who embarks on an affair with a photographer (Stephen Rea) at least twice her age. In telling her story, director Audrey Wells is able to not only deal honestly with female sexuality, but to present it and its accompanying personal growth in a light that does not completely defame the involvement of a Lothario. I have a feeling it won't work for everybody: There's a cool polish to it where others might want some edges, but for whatever Wells may have done too slickly, she did make a film in the United States that shows a woman's rite of passage as an event with no losers and no winners, only participants. That, in and of itself, is an achievement. (Steve Wiecking) Harvard Exit

"Halloweird" Independent Exposure
The last and always-fun Independent Exposure screening event of the millennium will feature odd 'n' creepy film shorts, videos, and digital works, as well as food, wine, and beer. Participants include Seattle's own Dylan Sisson and dzigafilmsyndicate, San Francisco's John Geary, and New York's Brian Tane. Shorts from France, Australia, and Montreal will also be screened. Thurs Oct 28 at 7:30, $4, 21+ ONLY. Speakeasy

Happy, Texas
A quirky comedy about two escaped prisoners posing as gay beauty pageant experts. Guild 45th, Pacific Place 11

Haunted Little Kids' Theatre
Kids, bring your adults! Gather (in full costume, of course) for classic Halloween kids' films (the scary Legend of Sleepy Hollow, and Abbott and Costello Meet the Monsters, plus a scary surprise), a "haunted theatre," and PRIZES for the best kid's costume! Thurs-Sun Oct 28-31 at 4, 6, 8; $5. Little Theatre

Head On
A teenager discovers a little something about himself while spending one night getting stoned out of his mind and going to dance clubs. Broadway Market

color="#FF0000">*The Iron Giant
Giant robot falls to earth, befriends a local boy, and eats lots of metal. An animated film from Warner Brothers. Admiral, Aurora Cinema Grill, Crest

Joe the King
The likeable Frank Whaley makes a likeable debut film.

LESBIAN & GAY FILM FESTIVAL
Our very own orgy of queer cinema commences this week, with screenings at the Egyptian and the Little Theatre. Highlights include Queer as Folk, the popular British TV series; Victor Salva's Rites of Passage; the French coming-out comedy Those Who Love Me Can Take the Train; Why Not Me?; and Living with Pride: Ruth Ellis at 100, a documentary about the world's oldest living African American lesbian. Grab a complete, detailed program guide at local bookstores, cafes, and bars. Fri-Thurs Oct 22-28. Call 323-4274 for advance tickets and more info, or visit www.seattlequeerfilm.com. Reviewed this issue. Egyptian, Little Theatre

color="#FF0000">*The Limey
In Steven Soderbergh's latest, fading '60s icon Terence Stamp plays an unstoppable force of vengeance searching for the person responsible for killing his daughter. Fading '60s icon Peter Fonda plays a downwardly mobile record exec who used to date her. Here, Soderbergh expands on the style he began to explore in Out of Sight, the layering of visual flashbacks and flash-forwards grounded with dialogue. Whereas most filmmakers pad their films to two hours or more, this layering compresses what would normally be a two-hour movie into 90 action-packed minutes that keep moving and keep you thinking. The Limey is one of the best films of the year, and Steven Soderbergh is one of the most interesting filmmakers working today. I can't wait to see what he does next. (Andy Spletzer) Neptune

Mark Twain's America in 3D
Officially the scariest title currently at the IMAX Theater. But hey! Take a risk! Who knows? Maybe you'll LOVE Huck Finn, "Injun Joe," life on the Mississippi, and examples of racist times in U.S. history on a GIGANTIC screen. Pacific Science Center

Mating Habits of the Earthbound Human
Directed by Jeff Abugov, who has worked on several TV sitcoms like Cheers, Roseanne, and Grace Under Fire, the premise of this new comedy is this: One night a week on the "Galactic Discovery Channel," aliens all over the universe get to watch and learn the mating habits of humans. The documentary is narrated by none other than David Hyde Pyrce, who stars as Kelsey Grammer's uptight brother in Frasier, and the human subjects are Carmen Electra (woman) and Mackenzie Astin (man). We observe their first encounter and exchange of phone numbers (in a night club), their first awkward fuck (at her place), their first passionate fuck without a condom (at a cabin), their consequent marriage (in a church), and baby (in a hospital). Throughout this romantic comedy, I had the distinct impression that something was missing. Days later it suddenly struck me: it needed a laugh track. (Charles Mudede) Broadway Market

Mumford
Lawrence Kasdan makes movies about whiney white people. His new film, Mumford, is no exception. Dr. Mumford (Loren Dean) is the town of Mumford's #1 psychologist, only he's not really a psychologist, but rather a man in hiding who is only pretending to be a psychologist. This, by itself, is a fine premise for a film, but (surprise!) Mumford never really goes anywhere. In fact, it's rarely even funny, which is a problem since it is supposed to be a comedy. (Bradley Steinbacher) Metro

color="#FF0000">*The Muse
Screenwriter Albert Brooks employs the services of Sharon Stone, a purported Divine Muse, in hopes that she will inspire him to write a smash comedy for Jim Carrey. Uptown

My Footsteps in Baragua
Afro Cuban filmmaker Gloria Rolando's film will be shown before a discussion and potluck dinner. Rolando's career spans over 20 years in Cuba, and her work focuses on Afro-Cuban myth, ethnicity, and culture. Fri Oct 22 at 6, sliding scale donation $5-10. Garfield Community Center

Mystery, Alaska
There is really no excuse for how bad this film is. Based on a true story of hockey players in small-town Alaska given the opportunity to play the New York Rangers in an exhibition match. Can this rag-tag team beat the professionals? Do we care? The movie plays like The Mighty Ducks for grownups, complete with fucking, cursing, and boozing, and who would think that's a good idea? (Charles Mudede) Grand Alderwood, Metro, Pacific Place 11

color="#FF0000">*Olympia Film Festival
One of the sharpest festivals in the United States, the 16th Annual Olympia Film Festival continues through the weekend, ending with a screening of Orson Welles' take on Kafka's The Trial, with a new print struck from the original negative. Until Sun Oct 24. Tickets available at Scarecrow Video, or call 360-754-6670 for more information. Capitol Theater

The Omega Code
The Christian channel, the one with the woman with the purple hair, takes a stab at spreading God's word in theaters with this movie about the end of the world, and one man's race to save as many souls as he can before the music stops. Lewis & Clark, Uptown

color="#FF0000">*On the Ropes
In the tradition of Hoop Dreams, Nanette Burstein and Brett Morgen's urban documentary chronicles the lives and struggles of 3 aspiring boxers and their dedicated coach. Fri-Thurs Oct 22-Nov 4 at (Sat-Sun 3:15), 5, 7, 9. Reviewed this issue. Grand Illusion

Perfect Blue
An animated psychological thriller from Satoshi Kon about a pop music star who ends up as a soap opera actress; scary enough, yes. But then her character's life begins to resemble her own, and reality and fiction become intertwined. Varsity

Random Hearts
If you can imagine Kristin Scott Thomas as the new Audrey Hepburn and Harrison Ford as the new Carey Grant, you may be able to infuse Random Hearts with the class and meaning to which it aspires. With the pace and feel of an old movie, the plot plods from cocktail angst to small revelation: When Police Sergeant "Dutch" Van Den Broek's (Ford) wife dies in a plane crash, he discovers that she's been having an illicit affair with a Congresswoman's (Thomas) husband. Poor ol' Dutch slides right into anguish, and tries to drag Thomas down with him. But Thomas' character will have none of that -- she's determined to buck up and carry on. Perversely, they fall in love. Random Hearts is a fine vehicle for two solid actors (who actually evidence real chemistry) -- an entertaining enough addition to Ford's "If I Can't Save My Wife, I Might As Well Kill Myself" genre. (Traci Vogel) Factoria, Metro, Oak Tree, Pacific Place 11, Redmond Town Center, Southcenter

Romance
An uncut, uncensored, provocative French film, titled Romance. We all know what kind of movie this is. Pure smut. Don't see this with your parents. 18+ ONLY! Broadway Market

Run Lola Run
A young Berlin hipster named Lola has 20 minutes to find enough money to stop her boyfriend from being killed. German filmmaker Tom Tykwer tells the story three times, each with different but equally incredible twists, surprises, tangents, and endings -- which is exactly what makes this movie fun to watch. (Charles Mudede) Harvard Exit

Runaway Bride
Director Garry Marshall (Pretty Woman) reunites with Julia Roberts and Richard Gere to make another cheerful movie about two opposites who attract and (of course) end up together. What develops is typical Hollywood Lite. (Min Liao) Aurora Cinema Grill

color="#FF0000">*The Sixth Sense
Months after being shot by a former patient, child psychologist Bruce Willis has become obsessed with that failure, and his marriage is suffering. Meanwhile, he has started treating a new patient who, as you probably know from the ads, sees dead people. Though the direction of the story by M. Night Shyamalan is often obvious, the structure of his script is very smart. Most impressive is that we don't see the boy's ghosts for half the film. When we do it's quite scary, particularly knowing these are the dead people he sees all the time! (Andy Spletzer) Meridian 16, Metro, Oak Tree, Redmond Town Center

Spike & Mike's Classic Festival of Animation
This latest round of animated shorts could have been assembled with a bit more care (it's as randomly hit and miss as ever), but all in all, it is 17 shorts giving the opportunity to see where animation is taking us. Not revelatory, but worth the trip. Thurs Oct 21 at 4:30, 7, 9:30. (Steve Wiecking) Varsity Calendar

Spooky Film Night
Sure, it's not Halloween yet. But before your official festivities begin, catch this fun Sunday night screening of Dracula (1931) -- that's the old school version, mind you -- in the Sit & Spin's "Spooky Lounge." Free candy and drink specials! Sun Oct 24 at 9, FREE. Sit & Spin

Stigmata
Stigmata is atrocious: bad acting, silly attempts to generate mood by dumping a monsoon season rain on Pittsburgh, an annoying rock video aesthetic. It's so atrocious, in fact, that it sometimes threatens to become fun, but by the end turns out even worse than you could have imagined. (Bruce Reid) Lewis & Clark

Stir of Echoes
Kevin Bacon hears dead people. Uptown

color="#FF0000">*Stop Making Sense
An '80s treat: Jonathan Demme focuses on the Talking Heads in all their new wave splendor, as culled from four nights of live performances. Thurs Oct 21 at 5:30, 7:30, 9:30. Egyptian

The Story of Us
Using wry voice-overs, meaningful flashbacks (with an evolution of hairstyles to show the "passage of time"), and a lot of yelling, Rob Reiner (When Harry Met Sally) attempts to show us how the strong, loving marriage between Ben and Katie Jordan (Bruce Willis, Michelle Pfeiffer) could possibly fall apart after 15 years. What's frustrating is that Reiner almost pulls it off; but insists on featuring annoying secondary characters (a spastic Rita Wilson and Paul Reiser) who carelessly toss clichéd battle-of-the-sexes banter around. While the scenes between Katie and Ben are touching and authentic -- the luminous Pfeiffer and a gentler, "post-Demi" Willis both give great performances, and you start to really care about the couple's problems -- but any potential magic is spoiled by distractions from Wilson, Reiser, and Reiner himself (in another supporting "witty friend" role). What is meant to be comic relief ends up being unnecessary shtick. (Min Liao) Factoria, Grand Alderwood, Pacific Place 11, Seven Gables

The Straight Story
David Lynch drops all the creepy sex and demonic figures to make a G-rated film for Disney. Reviewed this issue.

Superstar
Let's not kid each other: Superstar is an uninspired, disposable movie that looks like it was made for about two bucks, but if Molly Shannon's Mary Catherine Gallagher character, her painfully awkward Saturday Night Live Catholic schoolgirl, is someone you long to see pursuing her dreams then you will frequently laugh despite yourself. Unlike "Stupid Movie King" Adam Sandler, whose goofiness only extends to the point at which he can still get laid or have frat guys wanting to buy him beers, Shannon's comic energy is shamelessly, exquisitely unattractive (which means she's 10 times truer and funnier). Although director and Kids in the Hall alumnus Bruce McCulloch doesn't clear up all of the jokey deadwood, the film also features Shannon's fellow SNL gem Will Ferrell, and is, for hardcore fans, worth at least a guilty matinee. (Steve Wiecking) Cinerama, Factoria, Grand Alderwood, Oak Tree

T-Rex: Back to the Cretaceous
Budding paleontologist Ally (Liz Stauber) doesn't get enough attention from her dad (thirtysomething's Peter Horton), so she ends up going back in time for face-to-face encounters with real dinosaurs, including the titular 'rex herself. The 3D FX are so realistic, you'll swear you can feel the breath of Big Mama TR, and no matter how many times you've seen 3D films, you'll still be hard pressed to not duck when boulders and dino bones come whizzing straight at you. (Gillian G. Gaar) Pacific Science Center

Talk Cinema
A Sunday morning series devoted to "secretly" screening upcoming independent, art house, and foreign films. Post-film discussions are moderated by guest speakers. Through Dec 19. Sun Oct 17 at 10 am, $15 single/$99 series pass; call 800-551-9221 for more details. Pacific Place 11

That's the Way I Like It
No, the disco revival is not quite over yet. Unfortunately.

color="#FF0000">*The Thomas Crown Affair
The new Thomas Crown Affair manages to keep the fun tone of the '68 version and update it at the same time, which is not an easy trick. Thomas Crown is a billionaire businessman who likes to rob art museums on the side. When a beautiful insurance investigator (Rene Russo) comes to town to recover a painting, she immediately suspects Thomas Crown. They fall for each other, all the while playing a flirtatious game of cat and mouse. (Bradley Steinbacher) City Centre, Metro

Three Kings
At the end of the war, four U.S. soldiers (George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Ice Cube, and Spike Jonze) find a map leading to a bunker where gold stolen from Kuwait is being stashed, and must decide whether to help the natives who were encouraged by President Bush to rise up against Saddam and are now being slaughtered, or just steal the gold. In its efforts to be a comedy and a drama, as well as an action movie, Three Kings actually pulls it off, despite an occasional misstep. You laugh while you're in the theater, curse the U.S. as you leave, then relax in your La-Z-Boy once you get home. (Bradley Steinbacher) Factoria, Grand Alderwood, Lewis & Clark, Meridian 16, Metro, Northgate

Three to Tango
Chandler, Bobby Donnel, and the girl from Party of Five get mixed up in a confused ménàge-a-trois.

TRUFFAUT CELEBRATION
The Varsity's tribute to French film director Francois Truffaut boasts new 35mm prints and an impressive lineup of his cinematic accomplishments! See the Stranger Movie Times for detailed listings. Fri-Thurs Oct 22-Nov 4. Reviewed this issue. Varsity Calendar

The Witchfinder General
The Grand Illusion's "Unspeakable Horrors" series kicks off with Vincent Price's 1968 graphic thriller about legendary witch-hunter Matthew Hopkins. Fri-Sat Oct 22-23 at 11. Grand Illusion

Wolves
One of the most mythical and misunderstood creatures in nature finally gets some screen time, in this 3D documentary from the National Wildlife Federation. Pacific Science Center