Kick-Ass

"Kick-Ass" tells the story of average teenager Dave Lizewski, a comic-book fanboy who decides to take his obsession as inspiration to become a real-life superhero. As any good superhero would, he chooses a new name -- Kick-Ass -- assembles a suit and mask to wear, and gets to work fighting crime. There's only one problem standing in his way: Kick-Ass has absolutely no superpowers. His life is forever changed as he inspires a subculture of copy cats, is hunted by assorted violent and unpleasant characters, and meets up with a pair of crazed vigilantes, including an 11-year-old sword-wielding dynamo, Hit Girl, and her father, Big Daddy.

Director: Matthew Vaughn. Stars: Aaron Johnson, Garrett M. Brown, Clark Duke, Evan Peters, Nicolas Cage, Deborah Twiss, Lyndsy Fonseca, Sophie Wu, Elizabeth McGovern, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Mark Strong, Chloe Moretz. 2010, 117 mins., comedy.

The Ghost Writer

A gifted author hired to ghostwrite the memoirs of a controversial former British prime minister becomes a hunted man when he uncovers explosive secrets about the past. When The Ghost gets the lucrative assignment to complete Adam Lang's autobiography, he senses something is wrong. For starters, the previous ghostwriter, a longtime aide to the ex-prime minister, is dead -- an apparent suicide victim. As Lang becomes engulfed in a scandal over his administration's harsh counterterrorism tactics, The Ghost digs into the charismatic politician's past, discovering clues that he may be hiding something far more shocking than the current allegations against him.

Director: Roman Polanski. Stars: Ewan McGregor, Pierce Brosnan, Olivia Williams, Kim Cattrall, Jon Bernthal, Tim Preece, Timothy Hutton, James Belushi, Tom Wilkinson, Anna Botting, Eli Wallach. 2010, 128 mins., drama.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

The hysterically funny, best-selling book comes to life in this smash-hit family comedy! Greg Heffley is headed for big things, but first he has to survive the scariest, most humiliating experience of any kid's life -- middle school. That won't be easy, considering he's surrounded by hairy-freckled morons, wedgie-loving bullies and a moldy slice of cheese with nuclear cooties.

Director: Thor Freudenthal. Stars: Zachary Gordon, Robert Capron, Rachel Harris, Steve Zahn, Connor Fielding, Owen Fielding, Devon Bostick, Chloe Moretz, Karan Brar, Grayson Russell. 2010, 92 mins., comedy.

After.Life

After a horrific car accident, Anna wakes up to find the local funeral director Eliot Deacon preparing her body for her funeral. Confused, terrified and feeling still very much alive, Anna doesn't believe she's dead, despite the funeral director's reassurances that she is merely in transition to the afterlife. Eliot convinces her he has the ability to communicate with the dead and is the only one who can help her. Trapped inside the funeral home, with nobody to turn to except Eliot, Anna is forced to face her deepest fears and accept her own death.

Director: Agnieszka Wojtowicz-Vosloo. Stars: Christina Ricci, Liam Neeson, Justin Long, Chandler Canterbury, Josh Charles, Celia Weston, Shuler Hensley, Malachy McCourt, Rosemary Murphy, Luz Alexandra Ramos, Barbara Singer. 2009, 97 mins., horror.

Open House

A couple on the verge of a nasty divorce attempt to sell their empty love nest and move on with their lives, separately. After a successful open house, they are horrified to discover, days later, that a potential buyer didn't leave their home. While Alice is being held captive in the basement, the unannounced houseguest moves in upstairs. Knowing that no one knows she is being held captive, Alice realizes that if she wants out alive, she will have to save herself.

Director: Andrew Paquin. Stars: Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer, Tricia Helfer, Rachel Blanchard, Brian Geraghty, Jessica Collins, Larry Sullivan, Gabriel Olds, Gerald Downey, Mia Riverton, Naja Hill, Kris Wheeler. 2010, 88 mins., horror.

Finding Bliss

Aspiring filmmaker Jody Balaban takes a job at an adult-entertainment studio, planning to use the company's lush facilities to secretly film her own movie after hours. When Jody's ruse is discovered, she's forced to collaborate with infamous adult entertainment director Jeff Drake -- an initially fractious relationship that simmers into an unexpected romance.

Director: Julie Davis. Stars: Leelee Sobieski, Matthew Davis, Denise Richards, Kristen Johnston, Caroline Aaron, Tim Bagley, Jamie Kennedy, Mircea Monroe, P.J. Byrne, Zach Cumer, Stormy Daniels. 2010, 96 mins., comedy.