HIGH FIDELITY -- Harvard Exit, Metro, others

THE PRICE OF GLORY -- Meridian 16, others

THE ROAD TO EL DORADO -- Various theaters

THE SKULLS -- Pacific Place 11, Oak Tree, Metro, others

007: THE FIVE FACES OF BOND -- Egyptian

THE APU TRILOGY -- Grand Illusion

BLACK JACK -- Egyptian

BRINGING IT ALL BACK HOME -- 911 Media Arts

AN EVENING WITH ORSON WELLES -- Seattle Art Museum

THE FILMS OF JIRI MENZEL -- Grand Illusion

THE FILMS OF LUIS BUñUEL -- Seattle Art Museum

FREE FAMILY FILMS -- Seattle Asian Art Museum

FROM THE PAGE TO THE SCREEN -- Consolidated Works

HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES -- Grand Illusion

THE LAST SEPTEMBER -- Seattle Art Museum

A MOMENT OF INNOCENCE -- Varsity Calendar

SHOOTING GALLERY FILM SERIES -- Uptown

THE SILENCE -- Varsity Calendar

WE ARE REFUGEES -- Kane Hall

WE AREN'T BLOCKING TRAFFIC, WE ARE TRAFFIC! -- 911 Media Arts

WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN -- Little Theatre

April 7 -- Restaurant, Return to Me, Rules of Engagement, Head over Heels, Southpaw, The Castle of Cagliostro, Spike & Mike's Sick & Twisted Festival of Animation

April 14 -- American Psycho, Joe Gould's Secret, Ready to Rumble, East-West, Keeping the Faith, Where the Money Is, Me Myself I

007: THE FIVE FACES OF BOND
A full week of favorites featuring the five incarnations of Bond, James Bond -- everybody's favorite secret agent man (starring Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, and Pierce Brosnan). Action, unintentional hilarity, snooty cocktails, and curvy babes ensue. Fri-Thurs March 31-April 6; times vary, check Movie Times for specific listings. Egyptian

*All About My Mother
Pedro Almodovar's highly acclaimed new film, a mature look at women (with the obligatory drag queen). Metro

Amazon
An IMAX examination of the lush forests and exotic animals of the Amazon river basin. Omnidome

American Beauty
Entertaining fluff. Take your typical suburban satire (midlife crisis, bitchy wife, disaffected youth), throw in some admittedly excellent performances, and what you get is the front-runner in this year's Oscar race. (Andy Spletzer) Aurora Cinema Grill, Factoria, Grand Alderwood, Pacific Place 11, Redmond Town Center, Seven Gables

*The APU TRILOGY
India has always had a thriving film industry, but there was a time not too long ago when people didn't know too much about it. Then Satyajit Ray burst on the international scene with these three beautiful films about Apu, a boy growing up in a poor Bengali village. Pather Panchali (1955) plays Fri-Sat March 31-April 1 at 4:45, 7, 9:15; Aparajito (1956) plays Sun-Mon April 2-3 at (Sun 2:45), 4:45, 7, 9:15; and The World of Apu plays Tues-Thurs at 5, 7, 9. These are truly classics of world cinema. Grand Illusion

*Being John Malkovich
It's the best film of 1999, and it has a monkey in it. Coincidence? We don't think so. Meridian 16, Metro

Beyond the Mat
Beyond the Mat is a documentary that takes a behind-the-scenes look at the world of pro wrestling. First-time director Barry W. Blaustein is an unabashed wrestling fan, providing near-reverential narration ("I don't why I like it, I just always have") and a surprisingly poignant depiction of his subjects. The most harrowing footage has the wife and children of wrestler Mick Foley (a.k.a. Mankind) breaking down in tears and screams as they watch Daddy being pummeled on the head with a metal folding chair. Wrestling comes across as an addiction for men like Terry Funk, whose arthritic knees can't keep him from the ring, as well as Jake "The Snake" Roberts, a fallen star who's forsaken his family for life on the road, boa constrictor in tow. You won't figure out why wrestling's so popular, but like the best bout, it's a helluva show. (Gillian G. Gaar) Grand Alderwood, Meridian 16, Varsity

Black Jack
An eery, fast-paced Japanimation thriller (based on a manga comic by Osamu Tesuka) about an underground surgeon with "God-like" skills who goes up against his greatest enemy yet: a virus. Fri-Sat March 31-April 1 at midnight. Egyptian

*Boys Don't Cry
Bellingham native Hilary Swank deserves every accolade she's received for her portrayal of Brandon Teena, a boy born in a girl's body, who was killed by hateful people who couldn't, or just wouldn't, understand. Broadway Market

Bringing It All Back Home
Multi-media artist James Luna, from the La Jolla Indian Reservation, will be giving a "performative lecture" and will screen his film Bringing It All Back Home (which he wrote, and which Chris Eyre, of Smoke Signals fame, directed). The film documents Luna's life on the reservation, his experiences as a mythical, modern-day American "Indian," his feelings toward stereotypes, and other social issues. Thurs March 30 at 8, $5. 911 Media Arts

Call Me Victor
Jeanne Moreau stars in this 1993 film about a woman who lives in the attic, and who tells stories about her pre-WWII life to her 11-year-old great-nephew. Thurs March 30 at 4:50, 7, 9:10. Varsity Calendar

The Cider House Rules
Based on the John Irving novel, a period piece about life and abortion. Aurora Cinema Grill, Guild 45th, Uptown

Dolphins
Those who've read Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker novels already know that dolphins are the smartest animals on the planet, and Dolphins proves that they're the coolest as well. They defy the laws of physics by jumping higher than they're "supposed" to be able to, their eyes move independently of each other, they can see for miles when they're in the air, and they can find food buried in the sand via echolocation (hearing sound bouncing off objects). Dolphins also presents a rare look at these animals in the wild, and the favored humans who are allowed to swim with and study them. In addition to the famous bottlenosed dolphins (TV's "Flipper" was a bottlenose), the viewer is also treated to footage of spotted, rough-toothed, and dusky dolphins. An entertaining and informative trip under the sea. "So long, and thanks for all the fish," as Flipper might've said. (Gillian G. Gaar) Pacific Science Center IMAX

Drowning Mona
A wacky comedy about a really mean woman (Bette Midler), and the town that is happy to see her die. Aurora Cinema Grill, Pacific Place 11

Erin Brockovich
Despite the fact that Erin Brockovich is directed by indie superstar Steven Soderbergh, this is not an independent film. Julia Roberts' role in it is certainly not the equivalent of Tom Cruise's stint in Magnolia. Instead, Erin Brockovich is just what it is: another big-budget Hollywood film starring Julia Roberts. Universal has made it clear that it wants to make big bucks on this film, and obviously couldn't care less about the reputation of the director, whose past films have never made the kind of money Universal has in mind for this expensive project. Still, this is not Steven Soderbergh's worst film -- that honor goes to his sophomore effort, Kafka. In fact, because this is a Hollywood film, we suddenly notice aspects of Soderbergh's filmmaking that are harder to detect when he has complete control over his material: Namely, how brilliant he is working with supporting actors, most notably men. In this case, it's Aaron Eckhart and Albert Finney. Without this, all you have left is a stupid plot and the dentiglorious spectacle that is Julia Roberts. (Charles Mudede) Factoria, Guild 45th, Lewis & Clark, Meridian 16, Oak Tree, Redmond Town Center

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

*An Evening with Orson Welles
Join Cinema Seattle, Center for Object Relations, and the Northwest Alliance for Psychoanalytic Study for a loving tribute to the legendary Orson Welles, including a screening (in 16mm) of Welles' most beloved and famous 1941 film. An audience discussion moderated by Austin Case (COR) and Warren Etheredge (Cinema Seattle) will follow. Fri March 31 at 7, $15; call 443-9045 for details. Seattle Art Museum

Fantasia 2000
The latest Walt Disney sweeping-animation-and-classical-music extravaganza. Bring your own mind-altering substances. Pacific Science Center

The FILMS OF JIRI MENZEL
Six glorious weeks of weekend screenings, showcasing the works of humorist/humanist Czech New Wave filmmaker Jirí Menzel. Cutting it Short (1980) is a family drama set in a brewery town in the 1920s. Sat-Sun April 1-2 at noon. Grand Illusion

*The FILMS OF LUIS BUñUEL
A thoughtful retrospective of the sensitive and satirical European/ Spanish filmmaker's works, including films made while Buñuel rubbed elbows in Paris with Picasso and Duchamp, and collaborations with other cultural icons like Salvador Dali and Catherine Deneuve. The series starts off with Un Chien Andalou (An Andalusian Dog) (1928) and Los Olvidados (1950). Thurs April 6 at 7:30, series pass $48; call 625-8900 for details. Seattle Art Museum

Final Destination
Just because a director comes from The X-Files doesn't mean he's clever. At least Final Destination doesn't have one of those Jacob's Ladder or Sixth Sense trick endings. That's the best I can say about it, outside of the fact that a couple of the deaths in this "mood piece" are really funny. Unfortunately, it's not a comedy. Okay, so when a boy has a vision of the plane he's about to take crashing in a big fiery ball, he freaks out and gets kicked off the plane, along with several other people. Then the plane crashes. Spooky. But you can't cheat death, and so the survivors start dying, one by one. That's the point of the movie. You can't cheat death. It never gets any more clever or complex than that. If you must cheat, then sneak into a screening without paying. That'll show 'em. (Andy Spletzer) Grand Alderwood, Pacific Place 11

FREE FAMILY FILMS
This two-part series offers free, G-rated entertainment. This week, it's The Five Thousand Fingers of Dr. T (1953), the Dr. Seuss classic about a little boy who hates practicing the piano, and is forced to fight evil Dr. Terwiliker in a land where "piano is king." In retro 1950s Technicolor. Sat April 1 at 1:30, FREE. Seattle Asian Art Museum

*FROM THE PAGE TO THE SCREEN
Film expert-about-town Robert Graves starts his reign at Consolidated Works with this collection of adapted films. First up, it's Queen of Spades (1948), based on Dickens' classic about a Russian soldier's thirst for gambling (Fri-Sun March 31-April 2 at 8); then a rare print of The Haunted Palace (1963), Roger Corman's interpretation of H. P. Lovecraft's The Strange Case of Charles Dexter Ward (Fri-Sun March 31-April 2 at 10), with Vincent Price and Lon Chaney, and a screenplay by The Twilight Zone's Charles Beaumont. This weekend series runs until May 14, $7, call 860-5245 for more info. Consolidated Works

*Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai
Background information: when he was young, Ghost Dog (Forest Whitaker) was saved from a group of street thugs by Louie (John Tormey), a low-level Mafioso who just happened to be passing by. In thanks, Ghost Dog pledged to serve Louie for the rest of his life, as faithful to him as any ancient samurai was to his master. Their relationship formed the core of Jim Jarmusch's latest. Whitaker's Ghost Dog is like Clint Eastwood's "Man with No Name" -- coldly professional when it comes to killing, but instead of Ennio Morricone's strings and whistles, he's got Wu-Tang Clan's RZA doing his soundtrack. But the movie isn't all guns and bloodshed. Thanks to a relatively simple story, Jarmusch has room to play with some of the characters and situations, often for comedic effect, giving Ghost Dog the same deadpan humor of his earliest films. (Andy Spletzer) Neptune

Here on Earth
Another stoopid teen romantic blunder, this time starring the jock from American Pie and Ms. Joan of Arc. Factoria, Grand Alderwood, Meridian 16, Metro, Oak Tree

High Fidelity
Stephen Frear's new film, starring John Cusak as an irresponsible record store owner unlucky in love. Reviewed this issue.

*Holy Smoke
Ruth (Kate Winslet), on vacation in India, attends the religious service of a guru and falls head over heels into it. Her family fears she's been brainwashed, so they force Ruth into meeting with cult deprogrammer P. J. Waters (Harvey Keitel), flown in from America at great expense. Inevitably, sex becomes a way to balance their power relationship. The two leads deserve credit for such brave, honest performances, but save most of the praise for director Jane Campion, once again pushing everything to its bitter conclusion and then, surprisingly but coherently, going past even that. (Bruce Reid) Broadway Market

Hound of the Baskervilles
Dudley Moore and Peter Cook wrote and star in Paul Morrisey's 1978 spoof of Sherlock Holmes, featuring French nuns, one-legged people, and a phony spiritualist mom. The movie never got a proper release in the States, and is not available on video. A must-see for fans of British comedy. Fri-Sat March 31-April 1 at 11:30. Grand Illusion

The Hurricane
Denzel Washington plays a boxer who was falsely imprisoned, who then becomes a folk hero when Bob Dylan writes a song about him. City Centre

Island of the Sharks
Them there's SHARKS on the IMAX screen! Swim with the fishes at your peril. Pacific Science Center

Kadosh
Rivka is deeply in love but has no children, so she has her rabbi tell her husband he should remarry. Her sister Malka, meanwhile, is resisting an arranged marriage. Kadosh explores the conflicts of living in an ultra-orthodox community in Jerusalem. Thurs March 30 at 4:30, 7, 9:30. Egyptian

L'Ennui
A depressed, middle-aged philosophy professor becomes sexually obsessed with an all-too-ordinary 17-year-old girl. But of course! This is a French film! Thurs March 30 at 4:45, 7, 9:15. Grand Illusion

The Last September
The Seattle premiere of this adaptation of Elizabeth Bowen's novel about Irish-British struggles during the early 20th century, and a romantic-political drama in the midst of all the upheaval. With Maggie Smith and Michael Gambon. Wed April 5 at 7:30, call 345-0669 to reserve tickets. Seattle Art Museum

Mifune
Immediately after his wedding to the boss' daughter -- a move we quickly gather was motivated less by love than as another step up the corporate ladder -- Kresten gets a phone call informing him that his father has died. "You never told me you had a father," the new bride complains. "I didn't want you to know I come from the sticks and have a retarded brother," he explains. Given that set-up, it shouldn't come as any surprise that the mercenary, soulless Kresten mellows during his sojourn at the country house, that he actually learns something about life from his brother, and that when a hooker gets worked into the plot as a new housekeeper, she turns out to have a heart of gold. This is the latest effort under the Dogme95 banner, which only conclusively proves that all the interesting gimmicks in the world (and Dogme has been one of the more entertaining) can't help a story as dull, hackneyed, and offensive as this. (Bruce Reid) Harvard Exit

Mission to Mars
One thing I don't need -- nor, frankly, ever thought I would see -- is a feel-good Brian De Palma film, yet the director's latest hired-gun assignment proves just that: an attempt to show off De Palma's soft and tender side. Guess what? He doesn't have one, and that lack is precisely what gives his best films their unique, demented kick. Without it, Mission to Mars is exactly what the ads look like: a misty-eyed and misty-headed sci-fi tale so proud of its naive, half-baked ideas about heroism, honor, and The Meaning of It All, it never realizes what a thoroughly dull and predictable mess it is. (This, instead of what I had hoped the ads were hinting at; namely, a vicious satire/rip-off of Kubrick's 2001!) De Palma, the professional, can't help but pull off the suspense scenes with flair, and they offer the few lively moments; but De Palma the cynic -- the one I'm more fond of -- should've used his slasher expertise to eviscerate the script. (Bruce Reid) Cinerama, Factoria Grand Alderwood, Pacific Place 11, Southcenter

*A Moment of Innocence
Iranian director Mohsen Makhmalbaf's brilliant movie about memory and regret, based on the true story about how he stabbed a police officer while protesting the Shaw, met up with the police officer years later, and compared how the two remembered the incident. Fri-Thurs March 31-April 6 at (Sat-Sun 2:40), 5:40, 9:15. Reviewed this issue. Varsity Calendar

My Dog Skip
Another heartwarming tale of a boy and his dog. Metro, Oak Tree, Redmond Town Center, Uptown

Mysteries of Egypt
Find out what the heck's going on over in Egypt, anyway. Omnidome

The Ninth Gate
Johnny Depp, playing a dealer of antique books, gets involved in a mission to open the ninth gate of hell, thus springing Satan. City Centre, Grand Alderwood, Metro

Onegin
Ralph Fiennes has just the right mix of lazy entitlement and intellectual self-loathing to play a wealthy Russian dilettante trapped by his own notions of love and honor; a better, sharper movie could have even prompted me to say Fiennes was born to play Evgeny Onegin. Unfortunately, Fiennes' sister Martha certainly wasn't born to direct it. This period drama based on Pushkin's poem is handsome enough, but once you're done admiring the pretty decorations (costumes, buildings, and Liv Tyler, all equally lovely and vapid), there's nothing else for you to care about. What should be passionate, even inflamed -- the story hinges on a fatal duel, after all -- is only dutifully spun out, until even brother Ralph's potentially fine work seems thin and bloodless. That said, even I must admit the room where Fiennes and Tyler have their last conversation is a miracle of set design. (Bruce Reid) Broadway Market

The Price of Glory
Jimmy Smits stars as a boxer who just wants his sons to be the best damn boxers they can be. Lewis & Clark, Meridian 16, Redmond Town Center

*Rear Window
Voyeur in a wheelchair gets his comeuppance when he witnesses a murder and tries to do something about it. Harvard Exit

The Road to El Dorado
Dreamwork's latest foray into animation, after the abysmal The Prince of Egypt. Factoria, Grand Alderwood, Lewis & Clark, Meridian 16, Metro, Oak Tree,

Redmond Town Center

*Romeo Must Die
How's this for casting: Jet Li, pop singer Aaliyah, Delroy Lindo, and rap superstar DMX. Right on! Factoria, Lewis & Clark, Meridian 16, Metro, Oak Tree, Redmond Town Center

SHOOTING GALLERY FILM SERIES
Indie film studio the Shooting Gallery presents a six-week film series, featuring movies that were well-received at various international film festivals. Monday night is "club night," where you can pay a little extra to see the next film in the series, which is the boxing movie Southpaw, and hear local critics moderate a discussion afterward. Mon April 3 at 7, $15. Call 877-905-3456 for more info. Uptown

*The Silence
Master Iranian director Mohsen Makhmalbaf's lyrical story of a blind 10-year-old boy. Fri-Thurs March 31-April 6 at (Sat-Sun 1), 4, 7:30. Reviewed this issue. Varsity Calendar

The Skulls
A secretive Ivy League society is out to kill one of the boys from Dawson's Creek. Reviewed this issue. Factoria, Lewis & Clark, Metro, Northgate, Pacific Place 11, Redmond Town Center

Such A Long Journey
Roshan Seth is featured in this elaborately moral comedy (with a twist of Kafka) about a Bombay bank clerk whose life takes a turn toward dissolution when he does a favor for a shady old friend. Part of the Shooting Gallery Film Series. Uptown

Titus
Movie based on the early, violent play by William Shakespeare, with plenty of scenery chewed by Anthony Hopkins and Jessica Lange. Varsity

Waking the Dead
Waking the Dead is a tear-stained romance suffused with a real love, equal parts vital devotion and a kind of pained questioning. Billy Crudup and Jennifer Connelly play lovers in scenes calmly layered with stares, honest silences, and the rewards of listening to another human being. Crudup plays Fielding Pierce, a young, charismatic would-be politician who falls for Connelly's Sarah Williams, an assured Catholic girl who's devoted to leftist causes. Jumping back and forth from the idealistic early '70s to the morally corrupt early '80s, the story patiently unfolds Fielding's "haunting" and personal journey after Sarah is apparently killed in a terrorist bombing while accompanying a pair of Chilean rebels. Waking the Dead has an uncommon lyricism, its verses part of a larger song that, with rare accomplishment, achieves an understanding that love is not so much a transformation as it is the method by which we become the person we were meant to be. (Steve Wiecking) Broadway Market

We Are Refugees
At 58 minutes and alternately composed of stills and video footage, director Brian Quist's documentary of two Tibetan refugees (one's a monk, the other's a student) won't be winning any awards anytime soon. Fortunately, for the six million Tibetans currently living under oppressive Chinese rule, cinematography isn't as much of a concern as good publicity. In that Quist has succeeded.We Are Refugees will undoubtedly be screened at Students for a Free Tibet meetings for many semesters to come. Wed April 5 at 7, $5 suggested donation. (Jason Pagano) Kane Hall

We Aren't Blocking Traffic, We Are Traffic!
Ted White's documentary about the strength, dedication, and community of bicycle activists and Critical Mass, a nationwide "bicycle movement" that makes a pro-environment, con-automobile statement. Creating social change never made your thighs look so good. Fri March 31 at 8, $4. 911 Media Arts

Whatever it Takes
Yet another stoopid teen romantic blunder, this time starring the girl who plays Lucy on The Practice. Grand Alderwood, Metro, Oak Tree, Pacific Place 11

The Whole Nine Yards
Matthew Perry freaks when he discovers a professional killer (Bruce Willis) has moved in next door. Hilarity, of course, ensues. Pacific Place 11

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
An early Pedro Almodovar (All About My Mother) flick about a soap opera actress who loses her marbles after she's dumped by her lover via answering machine. A crazy supporting cast (including Antonio Banderas) only adds to the mayhem. Thurs-Sun March 30-April 2 at 5:30, 7:30, 9:30. See also Stranger Suggests. Little Theatre

Wonder Boys
Any film that can make an audience stomach Michael Douglas is a minor accomplishment. Curtis Hanson's film does more than that -- this is Douglas' finest performance in years. Vulnerability is far from his forte (and so is likability, for that matter), but somehow Douglas relaxes into a casual, harried weakness, and it's actually his reserve that allows you to believe that so much of what happens could unfold so naturally. Hanson, fresh from the success of L.A. Confidential, wisely stays cool and lets his camera pick up the quirks as they come. There's an appealing looseness to the dialogue, yet when Douglas says he has to save Toby Maguire because "sometimes people just need to be rescued," like the film around it, the scene has a gentle gravity. (Steve Wiecking) Metro, Pacific Place 11