Story last updated at 12:49 PM EST on January 25, 2007

AT THE MOVIES

Movies shown at local theaters are marked as follows: MJR (MJR Cinema 20 in Southgate), AMC (AMC Star Taylor), AP (Allen Park Theater), IMAX (Henry Ford IMAX Theatre in Dearborn).

LATEST OPENINGS:

BLOOD & CHOCOLATE —Ten years ago, in the remote mountains of Colorado, a young girl watched helplessly as her family was murdered by a pack of angry men for the secret they carried in their blood. She survived by running into the woods and changing into something the hunters could never find — a wolf. Stars Agnes Bruckner and Hugh Dancy. Rated PG-13 (MGM). MJR

Timothy Olyphant and Jennifer Garner star in Columbia Pictures' romantic comedy/drama, "Catch and Release." Columbia Pictures

CATCH AND RELEASE — After the sudden death of her fiance, Gray Wheeler (Jennifer Garner) finds comfort in the company of his friends. As secrets about her supposedly perfect fiance emerge, Gray comes to see new sides of the man she thought she knew. Also stars Timothy Olyphant, Kevin Smith and Sam Jaeger. Rated PG-13 (Columbia Pictures). MJR, AMC

EPIC MOVIE — Four not-so-young orphans visit a chocolate factory, where they stumble into an enchanted wardrobe that transports them to the land of Gnarnia (with a "G"). Stars Kal Penn, Adam Campbell and Jennifer Coolidge. Rated PG-13. MJR, AMC

NOTES ON A SCANDAL —The twists and turns of the story are noted in the acerbic diary of Barbara Covett (Judi Dench), a domineering and solitary teacher who rules with an iron fist over her classroom at a decaying state-run London secondary school. The lonely teacher's world changes when she meets the school's new art teacher, Sheba Hart (Cate Blanchett), who appears to be the kindred spirit and loyal friend Barbara seeks. Also stars Bill Nighy. Rated R (Fox Searchlight). MJR

SMOKIN' ACES — An FBI agent (Ryan Reynolds) hunts for Las Vegas performer Buddy Israel (Jeremy Piven) who has decided to squeal on the mob. Before he heads off for protective custody, Israel goes to the casinos at Lake Tahoe for one last good time, drawing a crowd of assassins. Also stars Ben Affleck and Alicia Keys. Rated R (Universal Pictures). MJR, AMC

ALSO SHOWING:

ALPHA DOG — Johnny Truelove (Emile Hirsch) is a young man living the high life on the streets of the San Gabriel Valley, but when one of his schemes goes terribly wrong, his father (Bruce Willis) is forced to step in and save him from a life behind bars. Also stars Justin Timberlake and Sharon Stone. Rated R (Universal Pictures). MJR, AMC

ARTHUR AND THE INVISIBLES — A boy sets out to save his family home from real estate developers, and in the process, discovers a new world filled with mysterious little people, so tiny they are considered invisible. Stars Mia Farrow and Freddie Highmore. Rated PG (MGM/The Weinstein Co.). MJR

BORAT — Borat (Sacha Baron Cohen), an outrageous Kazakh reporter, travels from his primitive home in Kazakhstan to the United States to make a documentary. On his cross-country road trip, Borat meets real people in real situations with hysterical consequences. Rated R (Twentieth Century Fox). AP

CHARLOTTE'S WEB —Charlotte the spider spins a web to save the life of her friend, Wilbur the pig. Rated G (Paramount Pictures). MJR, AMC

CHILDREN OF MEN — A futuristic society faces extinction when the human race has lost the ability to reproduce. Rated R (Universal Pictures). MJR

DECK THE HALLS — Steve (Matthew Broderick), a suburban dad and Christmas enthusiast, who leads a well-ordered life, and his new neighbor, Buddy (Danny DeVito), who is just the opposite, try to outdo each other in decorating their homes for Christmas. Rated PG (Twentieth Century Fox). AP

DEJA VU — FBI agent Doug Carlin (Denzel Washington) travels back in time, where he falls in love with a woman as her murder approaches. Rated PG-13 (Touchstone Pictures). AP

THE DEPARTED — Young undercover cop Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) is assigned to infiltrate the Costello mob. At the same time, Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon), a hardened young criminal, infiltrates the Boston Police Department. Also stars Jack Nicholson, Martin Sheen, Alex Baldwin and Mark Wahlberg. Rated R (Warner Bros.) MJR

DREAMGIRLS — Set in the turbulent early 1960s to mid-'70s, the film follows the rise of a trio of women played by Jennifer Hudson, Beyonce Knowles and Anika Noni Rose, who have formed a promising girl group. Rated PG-13. (Paramount Pictures). MJR, AMC

FLUSHED AWAY — Syd, a common sewer rat, comes spewing out of an upper-crust "society sink." Rated PG (Paramount Pictures). AP

FREEDOM WRITERS —After the riots in Los Angeles, teacher Erin Gruwell (Hilary Swank) is challenged by a group of black, Latino and Asian gangs who hate her even more than each other. Rated PG-13 (Paramount Pictures). MJR, AMC

THE GOOD SHEPHERD — Matt Damon plays Edward Wilson, who is recruited to work for the OSS, the precursor to the CIA, during World War II. Rated (Universal Pictures). MJR, AMC

HAPPY FEET — Mumble (the voice of Elijah Wood), the worst singer in the world, is born tap dancing to his own tune, getting him thrown out of Emperor land. Rated PG (Warner Bros.). MJR, IMAX

THE HITCHER — This remake of the 1986 terror classic traces the terrifying cross-country travels of Grace (Sophia Bush) and Jim (Zachary Knighton), two college students who are tormented by a mysterious hitchhiker, John Ryder, a.k.a. The Hitcher (Sean Bean). Rated R (Rogue Pictures). MJR, AMC

HURRICANE ON THE BAYOU — Viewers go on a breathtaking tour of the Louisiana bayou and the city of New Orleans, a place overflowing with life, music and natural beauty. IMAX

THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND — The film recounts the horrific reign of Ugandan President Idi Amin (Forest Whitaker) through the eyes of a semi-fictional character, Nick Garrigan (James McAvoy), a young doctor who travels from Scotland to Uganda hoping to help people. Rated R (Fox Searchlight). MJR

LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA — Sixty-one years ago, U.S. and Japanese armies met on Iwo Jima. Decades later, several hundred letters were unearthed from the island's soil that give faces and voices to the men who fought there, as well as the general who led them. Rated R (Warner Bros.). MJR

NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM — When Larry Daley (Ben Stiller) accepts a job as a graveyard-shift security guard at a natural history museum, extraordinary things begin to occur. Rated PG (Twentieth Century Fox). MJR, AMC

PAN'S LABYRINTH — A young girl travels with her mother and adoptive father to a rural area in northern Spain. Stars Ivana Baquero, Doug Jones and Sergi Lopez. Rated R (Picturehouse). MJR

THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS — Chris Gardner (Will Smith), a marginally employed salesman and single father of a 5-year-old son, is evicted from his apartment with no place to go. Rated PG-13 (Columbia Pictures). MJR, AMC

THE QUEEN — The story focuses on the death of Diana Princess of Wales and the relationship between British Prime Minister Tony Blair and the British royal family upon hearing of her death. Helen Mirren plays Queen Elizabeth II, and Michael Sheen plays Blair. Rated PG-13 (Miramax). MJR

ROVING MARS — The reality of the Mars surface as seen through the eyes of the Mars rovers — Spirit and Opportunity — is shown up close and personal as the Rovers travel over the rugged terrain. IMAX

THE SANTA CLAUSE 3: THE ESCAPE CLAUSE — Scott Calvin (Tim Allen) once again juggles a full house of family and the mischievous Jack Frost. Rated G (Walt Disney Pictures). AP

SAW III — With his new apprentice ,Jig-saw the puppet-master behind the cruel, intricate games that have terrified a community, has once again vanished. Rated R (Lionsgate Films). AP

STOMP THE YARD — When DJ (Columbus Short), a troubled youth from Los Angeles, moves to Atlanta to attend college, he discovers "stepping," a traditional African-American fraternity style of dance that has teams demonstrating complex moves and creating rhythmic sounds by using their bodies. Rated PG-13 (Screen Gems). MJR, AMC