Now in Theaters.

On Witching & Bitching And The Rest Of This Week's New And Special Film Releases.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.
Director: Matt Reeves.
Writer: Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver, Mark Bomback.
Cast: Jason Clarke, Gary Oldman, Keri Russell.
Where it's playing: Everywhere.

Those damn dirty apes and humans are at it once again. Really: This movie should really be called Battle for the Planet of the Apes. But what do I know? Director Matt Reeves (Cloverfield) continues to make this franchise eye-appealing and just plain awesome. Check out our full review here. — Chase Whale

Coherence.
Director: James Ward Byrkit.
Writer: James Ward Byrkit, Alex Manugian.
Cast: Emily Baldoni, Maury Sterling, Nicholas Brendon.
Where it's playing: Angelika.

Eight friends meet for dinner and strange events follow. This film did well during its festival fun, and all the cool kid horror critics out there really dig it. You just might, too. —CW

Venus in Fur.
Director: Roman Polanski.
Writer: David Ives, Roman Polanski, Leopold von Sacher-Masoch.
Cast: Emmanuelle Seigner, Mathieu Amalric.
Where it's playing: Magnolia.

Child enthusiast and movie director Roman Polanski avoided being arrested by filming his new feature in France. It's called Venus in Fur Or: The Greatest Velvet Underground Song, Ever. Venus pairs The Diving Bell and the Butterfly's Mathieu Amalric and Emmanuelle Seigner for another poignant story on bizarre love. It's in subtitles, too. So I hope you can read. — CW

Witching and Bitching.
Director: Alex de la Iglesia.
Writer: Jorge Guerricaechevarria, Alex de la Iglesia.
Cast: Hugo Silva, Mario Casas, Pepon Nieto.
Where it's playing: Texas Theatre.

Alex de la Iglesia is the master of black comedy. And, as with most of his excellent films, Witching and Bitching is horror with a sense of humor. This story follows a gang of thieves led by a hack Jesus Christ. Yes, you read that right. Their goal is to steal a bunch of jewels and get rich. Their fortune then meets misfortune, and they wind up trapped in a house full of hungry witches with an appetite for destruction. Just when you think you have this film all figured out, Iglesias literally opens another door of what the motherfuck!? It's outrageous fun. — CW

Princess Mononoke.
Director: Hayao Miyazaki.
Writer: Hayao Miyazaki.
Cast: Yoji Matsuda, Yuriko Ishida, Yuko Tanaka.
Where it's playing: Inwood.

Hayao Miyazaki is perhaps the most respected filmmaker in the animation industry — and rightfully so. With a career expanding over 50 years, his stories of past and present and pure fantasy have built him an empire of awards, recognition and fame. It's a shame his last film ever was released last year. This one, however, is from 1997 and is his most recognizable hit in the States. Point is, the guy's 73 and paid his dues. He's earned every bit of acclaim he now gets. — CW

Summer Mockbusters: Con Air.
Director: Simon West.
Writer: Scott Rosenberg.
Cast: Nicolas Cage, John Cusack, John Malkovich.
Where it's playing: Granada Theater.

Have you ever tried to read this detailed summary of the 1997 classic, Con Air? This movie is ridiculous. But it's a must-see for fans of ridiculous movies. And, as luck would have it, the Granada Theater has a free screening of Con Air of it this weekend. There's going to be a live Twitter feed shown alongside the silver screen, which is especially nice because the crew from the Dallas Comedy House, who'll be on-hand, are bound to drop some heckling gold. — Chris Escarfullery