OPENING THIS WEEK:

BOLT—Disney animation about a dog who stars as a superhero on a popular television series, and who learns that he doesn’t really have super powers until an accident strands him in the real world. With the voices of John Travolta, Miley Cyrus, Susie Essman and Malcolm McDowell. Directed by Byron Howard and Chris Williams. Flix, Maple Ridge, Market Arcade, Regal Elmwood, Regal Hollywood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria

THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PYJAMAS—World War II drama about a sheltered German boy who moves with his family to the site of his father’s new job, as the Commandant of a Nazi death camp. Starring Asa Butterfield, Zac Mattoon O’Brien ,Vera Farmiga and David Thewlis. Directed by Mark Herman (Little Voice). Reviewed this issue. North Park

TWILIGHT—Film adaptation of the hugely popular teen novel about a misfit girl who falls in love with a vampire. Starring Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Billy Burke, and Ashley Greene. Directed by Catherine Hardwicke (The Nativity Story). Reviewed this issue. Flix, Maple Ridge, Market Arcade, Regal Elmwood, Regal Hollywood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria

ETC:

CHRISTMAS ON MARS: A FANTASTICAL FILM FREAKOUT—The Flaming Lips movie, after six years of work by the uncategorizable band. The title does about as good a job of summarizing the plot as I could hope to do. Directed by Lips frontman Wayne Coyne and George Salisbury, the band’s audiovisual technician. Fri 8pm. Squeaky Wheel, 712 Main St (884-7172) www.queaky.org

DEREK—Documentary about the late filmmaker Derek Jarman by his associates and collaborators, artist Isaac Julien and actress Tilda Swinton, featuring rarely seen home movie footage, interviews, and excerpts of Jarman’s feature films, music videos and super-8 work. The screening is fundraiser for Life Memorial Park. Thurs-Fri 8pm. Hallwalls, 341 Delaware Ave. (854-1694) www.hallwalls.org

A FLASH OF GENIUS—True story starring Greg Kinnear as an inventor who sues Detroit automakers for stealing his idea. With Lauren Graham, Alan Alda and Dermot Mulroney. Directed by Marc Abraham. Sat 8pm; Tue 7:30pm. Fredonia Opera House, 9 Church St. Fredonia (716-679-0891) www.fredopera.org

THE GENERAL (1927)—Widely considered Buster Keaton’s crowning achievement, which is to say, one of the greatest comedies in cinema history. He stars as a Southern engineer of a train during the Civil War, and the stunt sequences involving the real, full-sized locomotive are still astonishing. Fri 9 pm. The Screening Room, Northtown Plaza in the Century Mall, 3131 Sheridan Drive, Amherst 837-0376

THE LIVES OF OTHERS—From Germany, the winner of last year’s Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, a drama about the Stasi, the secret police who obsessively spied on ordinary citizens in order to maintain control over East German society. Starring Martina Gedeck, Ulrich Mühe and Sebastian Koch. Directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck. Presented as part of the Buffalo Film Seminar. Tues 7 pm, Market Arcade Film and Arts Center, 639 Main St. (855-3022).

THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW (1975)—Dig out your fishnet stockings and bustiers and get ready to do the Time Warp again with Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon, Barry Bostwick, Meat Loaf and Magenta. Weds midnight. Palace Theater, 31 Buffalo St., Hamburg (649–2295)

SOMETHING DARK—Premiere of a locally-made horror anthology with contributions from five different filmmakers. See the feature on producer Emil Novak in this issue. Sat 7, 9 pm. The Screening Room, Northtown Plaza in the Century Mall, 3131 Sheridan Drive, Amherst 837-0376

THINGS TO COME (Great Britain, 1936)—Classic adaptation of the H. G. Wells novel speculating what might happen in the next century, and how life might be after such events. Starring Raymond Massey, Edward Chapman, Ralph Richardson, Cedric Hardwicke and Margaretta Scott. Directed by William Cameron Menzies. Fri 7:15 pm. The Screening Room, Northtown Plaza in the Century Mall, 3131 Sheridan Drive, Amherst 837-0376