What’s New

Along Came a Spider (2001). Morgan Freeman manages to give a master class in acting every time he appears on screen. And though the film tries its hardest to outsmart us, in general outline and rhythm it’s fairly standard. With Monica Potter. Directed by Lee Tamahori. Paramount: no list price; DVD: $29.99; (CC); R, for violence and language.

* Amores Perros (2001). A major work from Mexican director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu that daringly envisions cruelty to animals, dogs in particular, as a metaphor for the savagery of society as three interlinked episodes unfold, embodying the eternal themes of love, tragedy and redemption. Studio: no list price; DVD: $24.99; (CC); R, for violence/gore, language and sexuality.

The Forsaken (2001). Putting a sardonic, postmodern kick on the undead-from-the-crypt horror trip, director-writer J.S. Cardone maneuvers his cast of ravishing kids through the ravages of ghoulish possession. Columbia: no list price; DVD: $24.95; (CC); R, for strong violence/gore, language and sexuality.

* Kingdom Come (2001). A rare and rich pleasure, at once uproarious and serious, about a resoundingly dysfunctional family gathering for the funeral of an unloved patriarch. Fox: no list price; DVD: $26.98; (CC); PG, for thematic elements, language and sensuality.

A Knight’s Tale (2001). The idea for marrying modern rock music to 14th century jousting was a good one, but we spend too much time watching a tedious romance between Heath Ledger and newcomer Shannyn Sossamon. Columbia: no list price; DVD: $27.96; (CC); PG-13, for action violence, some nudity and brief sex-related dialogue.

What’s Hot

* Last week’s Top 5 VHS rentals: 1. Blow (2001). A film in which the notion that “drugs make you lose sight of what’s important” passes for a searing insight is more tired than it knows or wants to admit. With Johnny Depp and Penelope Cruz. Directed by Ted Demme. R, for pervasive drug content and language, violence and sexuality.

2. 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. R, for strong violence, language and sexuality/nudity.

3. Tailor of Panama (2001). A spiffy entertainment, taken from the John le Carre novel, in which a dissolute British spy (Pierce Brosnan) and a suave tailor with a secret (an excellent Geoffrey Rush) do all kinds of damage passing on exaggerated secrets. Directed by John Boorman. R, for strong sexuality, language and some violence.4. Hannibal (2001). The film is creepy and grotesque rather than terrifying. If Hannibal Lecter isn’t scaring us silly, what’s the point of having him around? Starring Anthony Hopkins and Julianne Moore. Directed by Ridley Scott. R, for gruesome violence, some nudity and language.5. Memento (2001). Christopher Nolan’s exceptional film is a haunting, nervy thriller about a man who can remember nothing at all. More than a film of ideas, however, it’s a provocatively structured and thrillingly executed film noir. With Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss and Joe Pantoliano. R, for violence, language and some drug content.

* Last week’s Top 5 DVD rentals:1. Blow2. Exit Wounds 3. Memento 4. 15 Minutes (2001). This dark thriller is too long, too violent and not always convincing. But at the same time, there’s no denying that its savage indictment of the nexus between media, crime and a voracious public is a statement difficult to ignore. Written and directed by John Herzfeld. Robert De Niro, Edward Burns and Kelsey Grammer. R, for strong violence, language and sexuality. 5. Tailor of Panama (2000). * Last week’s Top 5 VHS sellers:1. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971). 2. Men of Honor (2000). The life of Carl Brashear, the first African American Navy diver, has been turned into socially critical pop mythology at its most potent. You may be left wondering what Brashear’s real life was really like, but this is nonetheless a rousing cheer-the-superhero, hiss-the-supervillain entertainment.R, for language.3. 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). The movie barks, bites and has fleas. PG, for crude humor, language and comic violence. 4. 61* (2001). A very watchable made-for-cable movie about Roger Maris’ tortuous brush with baseball greatness alongside Mickey Mantle. Featured here are Barry Pepper as Maris and Thomas Jane as Mantle, actors as persuasive on the field as off. Unrated. 5. Pokemon 3: The Movie (2000). G.

* Last week’s Top 5 DVD sellers:1. Blow 2. Exit Wounds 3. Hannibal4. Memento5. 61*

What’s Coming

Tuesday: “Beautiful Creatures,” “Heartbreakers,” “The Mummy Returns.”

Oct. 9: “Bridget Jones’s Diary,” “One Night at McCool’s,” “I’m the One That I Want.”

Oct. 16: “Angel Eyes,” “Cats & Dogs,” “The Crimson Rivers.”

Oct. 23: “About Adam,” “Dr. Dolittle 2,” “Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within,” “Freddy Got Fingered,” Songcatcher,” “Town & Country,” “With a Friend Like Harry.”

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