Now In Theaters.

A Look at This Week's New and Specialty Film Releases Around Town.

42.
Director: Brian Helgeland.
Writer: Brian Helgeland.
Cast: Chadwick Boseman, Harrison Ford, Nicole Beharie.
Where's it playing? Various Metroplex megaplexes.

From Academy Award-winning writer Brian Helgeland (L.A. Confidential, Mystic River) comes this biopic chronicling the harrowing story of Jackie Robinson, the first African-American Major League Baseball Player who made history when he signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947, nearly a decade before our country saw racial segregation ruled unconstitutional. The film co-stars Harrison Ford as the man who broke the color barrier by signing Robinson. And, judging by the trailer, Ford is trying to knock it out of the park with his gruff, guttural delivery. I just hope there's a line in there where he says “Racism, get off my plane!“

Scary Movie 5.
Director: Malcolm D. Lee.
Writers: David Zucker, Pat Proft.
Cast: Mike Tyson, Charlie Sheen, Lindsay Lohan.
Where's it playing? In hell.

To give this a synopsis (assuming it even has a semblance of a story to summarize) would be to acknowledge its existence. I'm not going to give it the satisfaction. Do you see that cast listed above? Yes, the Scary Movie franchise is now officially the place where dead careers go to rot. As if it wasn't already.

Trance.
Director: Danny Boyle.
Writers: Joe Ahearne, John Hodge.
Cast: James McAvoy, Vincent Cassel, Rosario Dawson.
Where's it playing? The Angelika and The Magnolia.

Always the innovator, filmmaker Danny Boyle (28 Days Later, Slumdog Millionaire) returns to his roots with the hyper-stylized, kinetic movie-making that first put him on the map with 1996's Transpotting. This film tells the story of what happens when, according to press materials, “an art auctioneer who has become mixed up with a group of criminals partners with a hypnotherapist in order to recover a lost painting.” Sounds like a wild ride! And, judging by Boyle's experimental use of music in his films, it's a safe bet to assume that it's going to have a kick-ass techno soundtrack to go along with it. Book it.

Disconnect.
Director: Henry Alex Rubin.
Writer: Andrew Stern.
Cast: Jason Bateman, Hope Davis, Jonah Bobo.
Where's it playing? The Angelika.

This one, about a group of people searching for a connection in an overly connected world, looks to be a very cool and intense film from the Academy-nominated director of Murderball. Be careful what you wish for, though; the connection you find online might not be the one you want. Like the time I accidentally got married to a grandmother on MySpace. Let's just move on, OK?

Room 237.
Director: Rodney Ascher.
Cast: Bill Blakemore, Geoffrey Cocks, Juli Kearns.
Where's it playing? The Angelika.

What do we have here? A documentary exploring what Kubrick was really trying to say with his horror classic, The Shining? Oh, man. So many questions! Was it his confession that he was the man behind the camera on the faked moon landing? Was it about America's eradication of our continent's indigenous peoples? Did he intend for it to match up perfectly when played both backwards and forwards simultaneously? Or was the whole thing just a PSA for wearing extra layers when you go outside in the snow?

The Company You Keep.
Director: Robert Redford.
Writers: Lem Dobbs, Neil Gordon.
Cast: Robert Redford, Shia LaBeouf, Stanley Tucci.
Where's it playing? The Angelika.

Robert Redford brings us his latest directorial effort — a thriller centered around a cat-and-mouse game between a journalist and a former Weather Underground activist. Alternate title: LaBeouf Has Beef With Bob.

Fahrenheit 451 (1966) in 35MM.
Director: Francois Truffaut
Writers: Francois Truffaut, Jean-Louis Richard, Ray Bradbury.
Cast: Julie Christie, Oskar Werner, Cyril Cusack.
Where's it playing? Sunday at 4 p.m. at The Texas Theatre.

The Texas Theatre and D Magazine co-present this screening of Francois Truffaut's adaptation of Ray Bradbury's dystopic classic as part of the National Endowment for the Arts' The Big Read program. And they're showing it in fiery 35mm. Stick around after the film for a discussion with D arts editor Peter Simek and The Dallas Morning News' movie critic, Chris Vognar. Oh, and there's a suggested donation of just $4.51 to get in.

Willow (1988).
Director: Ron Howard.
Writers: George Lucas, Bob Dolman.
Cast: Val Kilmer, Joanne Whalley, Warwick Davis.
Where's it playing? Friday, April 12, and Saturday, April 13, at midnight at the Inwood Theatre.

Peck! Peck! Peck, peck, peck, peck, peck, peck, peck! Willow had all the makings of an instant classic when it came out during a boom of �80s fantasy epics, and it remains one today. Just look at everything this film has going for it. There's the screenplay by George Lucas. There's the direction by Ron Howard. There's Val Kilmer as a badass with a sword in his follow-up to Top Gun. And who could forget Willow himself, Warwick Davis. If you've never seen it, or even if you've seen it a thousand times (as is the case with me), then you owe it to yourself to see it on the big screen this weekend.

2013 Dallas International Film Festival.
Ends Sunday, April 14.

Yes, it's still going on! With more than 175 films to be screened over the course of this fest, it kind of has to take this long. And, truly, it's been another great year of DIFF. If you've been around at all, you've probably noticed some people with bags as big as film reels under their eyes from all this festing. Well, now we're rounding the home stretch. But that doesn't mean there aren't still great films to see in these last three days. Take for instance, Saturday's 40th anniversary screening of The Exorcist, which is to be followed by a retrospective chat with director William Friedkin. Click the above link for more info.