OPENING THIS WEEK:

DEFIANCE—True story of three hard-nosed brothers who helped organize a community of Jewish refugees in the Belarussian forest during World War II. Starring Daniel Craig, Leiv Schreiber, Jamie Bell, Alexa Davalos and Allan Corduner. Directed by Edward Zwick (Blood Diamond). Reviewed this issue. Amherst, Regal Elmwood, Regal Hollywood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria

HOTEL FOR DOGS—Family comedy with Emma Roberts and Jake T. Austin as kids who turn a vacant house in to a shelter for stray dogs. Co-starring Don Cheadle, Troy Gentile, Lisa Kudrow, and Kevin Dillon. Directed by Thor Freudenthal. Maple Ridge, Market Arcade, Regal Elmwood, Regal Hollywood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria

LAST CHANCE HARVEY— You’d think with a film starring Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson, as a couple who begin a late-in-life love affair at his daughter’s wedding, the distributor would give this a little publicity instead of sneaking it into theaters with no advance word. You’d be wrong. With Eileen Atkins, Kathy Baker and James Brolin. Directed by Joel Hopkins, whose Jump Tomorrow, an IFC perennial, was filmed in Niagara Falls. Flix, Regal Elmwood, Regal Walden Galleria, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit

MY BLOODY VALENTINE IN 3-D—‘Nuff said. With Jensen Ackles, Jaime King, Kerr Smith, Betsy Rue. Directed by Patrick Lussier (Dracula 2000). Flix, Maple Ridge, Market Arcade, McKinley, Regal Elmwood, Regal Hollywood, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria

NOTORIOUS—Biopic about the late Brooklyn rap star Christopher “Biggie” Wallace. Starring Jamal Woolard, Angela Bassett, Derek Luke, Dennis L.A. White, and Naturi Naughton. Directed by George Tillman Jr. (Soul Food). Market Arcade, Regal Elmwood, Regal Hollywood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria

PAUL BLART MALL COP—Can it possibly be a coincidence that “Blart” rhymes with “fart”? I doubt it. Starring Kevin James, Keir O’Donnell, Jayma Mays, Shirley Knight, and Bobby Cannavale. Directed by Steve Carr (Daddy Day Care). Flix, Maple Ridge, Market Arcade, Regal Elmwood, Regal Hollywood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria

THE WRESTLER—Mickey Rourke as a professional wrestler who refuses to get out of the ring even though he’s 20 years past his prime. With Marisa Tomei and Evan Rachel Wood. Directed by Darren Aronofsky (The Fountain). Reviewed this issue. North Park

ETC:

THE BIRDS (1963)—Alfred Hitchcock’s macabre fable about a small town in northern California beset by inexplicable avian attacks. Starring Tippi Hedren, Rod Taylor, Suzanne Pleshette, Veronica Cartwright and Jessica Tandy. Sat midnight, Sun 4 pm. Hamburg Palace Theatre, 31 Buffalo St, Hamburg (649-2295) www.hamburgpalace.com

CHARADE (1964)—As slick and sophisticated as you’d expect from a movie starring Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant. Hepburn’s recently deceased husband swindled a lot of money out of some men who want it back; Grant offers to help keep them off her tail, but is he after the loot too? A supporting cast including Walter Matthau, James Coburn, and Ned Glass only makes it even more watchable. Fri-Sat 8:30 pm. The Screening Room, Northtown Plaza in Century Mall, 3131 Sheridan Drive, Amherst (837-0376)

SHOCK (1946)—Vincent Price hadn’t yet established a reputation as a horror icon when he starred in this noirish thriller as a psychiatrist who accidentally kills his wife and is forced to discredit a witness as mentally unstable. Directed by the reliable B-movie veteran Alfred L. Werker (He Walked by Night). Fri-Sat 7pm. The Screening Room, Northtown Plaza in Century Mall, 3131 Sheridan Drive, Amherst (837-0376) www.screeningroom.net

“STOP AND GO: STOP MOTION FILMS AND VIDEOS,” a program of animated film curated by San Francisco artist Sarah Klein. Fri 8 pm. Hallwalls, 341 Delaware Ave (854-1694) www.Hallwalls.org

SULLIVAN’S TRAVELS (1941)—Preston Sturges’ classic film about a successful movie director (Joel McCrea) who is tired of the fluff the studio assigns him. To research a hard-hitting film called O Brother Where Art Thou (yes, this is where the Coen Brothers got the title), he takes to the road as a hobo, though what he learns is not what he expected. As moving as it is hilarious, this is one of the unarguable masterpieces of American cinema. Presented as part of the Buffalo Film Seminar. Tues 7 p.m. Market Arcade Film and Arts Center, 639 Main St. (855-3022)