What’s New

Company Man (2001). Members of an all-star cast make happy fools of themselves in Douglas McGrath’s flaky but uneven period lampoon of the CIA and 1960s Cuba. With Sigourney Weaver, Woody Allen, John Turturro, Ryan Phillippe, Denis Leary, Alan Cumming and Anthony LaPaglia. Paramount: no list price; DVD: $29.99; (CC) PG-13, for sexual humor and drug content.

The Dish (2001). Mixing fictional characters and some actual incidents that happened to the Australian team in the course of the four-day Apollo 11 mission, the film does a wonderful job of evoking the awesome effect of Neil Armstrong’s becoming the first person to set foot on the moon, on July 20, 1969. Directed by Rob Sitch. With Sam Neill, Kevin Harrington, Tom Long and Patrick Warburton. Warner: no list price; DVD: $19.98; (CC); PG-13, for brief, strong language.

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Exit Wounds (2001). Steven Seagal returns to action in this grimy, noisy cop thriller in which he plays a renegade detective chasing down corruption in a rough-and-tumble precinct. Directed by Andrzej Bartkowiak. Warner: no list price; DVD: $24.98; (CC); (1:41) R, for strong violence, language and some sexuality/nudity.

Into the Arms of Strangers (2000). A documentary on the British rescue mission that in the nine months leading up to World War II saved 10,000 children, mostly Jewish, living in German territory. As much a story about childhood as it is about the Holocaust, it’s an especially moving and effective piece of work. Warner: $19.98; DVD: $24.98; (CC) PG, for thematic elements.

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The Invisible Circus (2001). A young woman who missed the ‘60s goes off in search of a suicidal sister’s shadow. The movie hits one note and holds it for 90-odd minutes. With Jordana Brewster, Christopher Eccleston, Cameron Diaz, Blythe Danner. Warner: no list price; DVD: n/a; (CC); R, for sexuality, language and drug content.

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Joe Dirt (2001). Lewdness, scatology and David Spade’s hairdresser rule in this farcical ode to the basic goodness of white trash. Spade is a janitor who searches for his long-estranged parents and gets a lot of gooey things dumped on his head along the way. Columbia/TriStar: no list price; DVD: $24.95; (CC) PG-13, for crude and sex-related humor, language.

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See Spot Run (2001). A federal police dog hides out from hired gunmen with a nitwit mail carrier (David Arquette) baby-sitting a small boy (Angus Jones). With Paul Sorvino, Michael Clarke Duncan. Warner: $22.96; DVD: $24.98; (CC) PG for crude humor, language and comic violence.

What’s Hot

* Last week’s Top 5 VHS rentals:1. The Mexican (2001). A violence-prone screwball farce that has its eye on being a jaunty, picaresque adventure, kind of an updated version of those off-the-cuff road movies of some years back. It wants ever so desperately to be hip and offbeat, but it can’t manage to make it happen. With Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, James Gandolfini. R, for violence and language.

2. Enemy at the Gates (2001). Large and ungainly, this World War II tale of a sniper duel that parallels the bloody battle for Stalingrad has an indisputable visual power, but it’s nothing you’d want to have a conversation with--or, for that matter, about. Directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud. With Joseph Fiennes, Jude Law, Rachel Weisz, Bob Hoskins and Ed Harris. R, for strong, graphic war violence and some sexuality. 3. 15 Minutes (2001). Both audacious and unwieldy, exciting and excessive, this dark thriller is too long, too violent and not always convincing. But at the same time, there’s no denying that it’s onto something, that its savage indictment of the nexus of media, crime and a voracious public is a cinematic statement difficult to ignore. Written and directed by John Herzfeld. Robert De Niro, Edward Burns and Kelsey Grammer. R, for strong violence, language and some sexuality.4. The Family Man (2000). Nicolas Cage makes a heroic effort to induce us to go along with this fantasy about a ruthless Wall Street tycoon who gets a chance to see what his life would have been like had he married his college sweetheart (Tea Leoni) and sold tires for his father-in-law. This attempt to make an “It’s a Wonderful Life” for the new millennium lacks the honesty to pull it off. PG-13, for sensuality and some language.5. Chocolat (2000). A fairy tale embracing the human comedy, observed by Lasse Hallstrom with his usual warmth and humor, extending inclusiveness to outsiders as always. Juliette Binoche descends upon an ancient French village, ruled by a pious aristocrat (Alfred Molina), to open a chocolate shop. With splendid supporting roles for Judi Dench, Lena Olin and Johnny Depp. PG-13, for a scene of sexuality and some violence.* Last week’s Top 5 DVD rentals:1. 15 Minutes 2. The Mexican3. Enemy at the Gates 4. 3,000 Miles to Graceland (2001). Kevin Costner and Kurt Russell star as Elvis imitators who rob a Las Vegas casino and then have to live (and die) with the consequences. A reduction to near absurdity of many modern cinema trends and a film that takes a shot at redefining shameless for a new generation. R, for strong violence, sexuality and language. 5. The Family Man* Last week’s Top 5 VHS sellers:1. Recess: School’s Out (2000). A complacent yet competent animation that kids will enjoy despite its mundane nature. G.

2. Shirley Temple gift set

3. DBZ-Lord Slug (edited). 4. The Book of Pooh5. Coyote Ugly (2000). It’s a bad movie--but it’s not one of those fiascoes that leaves you in a foul mood. A small-town innocent (Piper Perabo) moves to New York to follow her dream of becoming a songwriter in this combination of sentimental romance and carefully sanitized raunch. PG-13, for sensuality.

* Last week’s Top 5 DVD sellers:1. Enemy at the Gate2. 15 Minutes

3. The Mexican4. Chocolat 5. 3,000 Miles to Graceland

What’s Coming

Tuesday: “Exit Wounds,” “The Dish,” “The Invisible Circus.”

Sept. 4: “Memento.”

Sept. 11: “Blow,” “Just Visiting,” “Me You Them,” “Shadow Magic,” “The Tailor of Panama.”

Sept. 18: “Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles,” “Driven,” “The Luzhin Defence,” “Spy Kids,” “Startup.com,” “The Widow of Saint-Pierre.”

Sept. 25: “Along Came a Spider,” “Amores Perros,” “The Forsaken,” “Kingdom Come,” “A Knight’s Tale,” “One Night at McCool’s,” “Series 7,” “Someone Like You.”

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Rental video charts provided by VSDAVidTrac, sales charts by VideoScan Inc.