Movies This Week: Sick and Twisted Cop Ghost Crazies

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 The Ghost Writer

Here are the movies opening in Austin today:

Cop Out -- Kevin Smith's latest didn't screen in advance in Austin. Considering his local popularity, that's surprising -- his last two movies had gala Paramount screenings, in fact. Buzz is mixed about his detective tale, so go check it out for yourself and let us know. (wide)

The Crazies -- Timothy Olyphant may be the star of this reimagining of George Romero's 1973 viral outbreak, but Joe Anderson (Across the Universe) as Deputy Russell Clank owns the film. Not perfect, but very memorable, with some great scene compositions, and I swear they held off the "scared ya" noises for at least a microsecond, making this creepy tale even creepier.  Debbie will tell you more in her review this weekend, and hopefully she'll share some of the Q&A with director Breck Eisner from Thursday night's Austin screening. (wide)

The Ghost Writer  -- Roman Polanksi's interpretation of novelist Robert Harris's post-political thriller has an intriguing mix of stars (pictured above).  With Ewan McGregor, Eli Wallach, Kim Cattrall, Timothy Hutton, James Belushi and Tom Wilkinson, is it complex, or confusing?  I really regret missing this screening, because I want to know. (Alamo Lamar, Arbor)

Teen Patti -- A mathematician, an equation, and a poker, done Bollywood style.  (Cinemark Tinseltown 17)

Spike & Mike's Sick & Twisted 2010 -- This ain't My Pretty Pony, or even Bugs Bunny.  It's a sick and twisted compilation of animation, and very popular, so don't wait until the last minute to get your tickets. (Alamo Ritz)

Check our event calendar for special film events, and our personal picks below. Don't forget you can always alert us to special screenings, new film series, etc. 

Debbie -- I'm interesting in seeing how Polanski handles the diverse ensemble of stars in The Ghost Writer.

Jette -- Austin Cinematheque is back, and on Monday night they're showing the David Lean film Hobson's Choice. All Austin Cinematheque films are 35mm prints, and screenings are free, so they're well worth the parking challenges near the UT campus.