On the screen

NEW FILMS FRIDAY

BANDSLAM — ★★ — Clearly aimed at tweens, this musical comedy takes itself a little too seriously. Running time: 111 minutes, PG (violence, slurs, vulgarity, brief drugs)

DISTRICT 9 — ★★★ — The "Blair Witch Project" of alien invasion movies is cerebral but gets dumb toward the end. Running time: 112 minutes, R (violence, gore, profanity, torture, drugs, vulgarity, slurs)

THE GOODS: LIVE HARD. SELL HARD. — ★★ — A raunchy comedy that should have been subtitled "Starts Fast. Dies Slowly." Running time: 90 minutes, R (vulgarity, profanity, sex, violence, nudity, drugs, slurs)

PAPER HEART — ★★ — Actress Charlyne Yi's mockumentary about love is more cutesy than cute — more self-indulgent than self-aware. Running time: 88 minutes, PG-13 (vulgarity, profanity, violence, brief drugs, nude art)

PONYO — ★★★ — Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki's latest animated fantasy is not career defining work, it's only merely good. Dubbed, running time: 100 minutes, G (violence, slurs)

THE TIME TRAVELER'S WIFE — ★★ — The adaptation of the best-selling novel is too busy trying to tug at our hearts. Eric Bana stars. Running time: 107 minutes, PG-13 (violence, nudity, sex) — Christy Lemire, Associated Press

MIDNIGHT MOVIE

TOWER AT MIDNIGHT SERIES — This week's movie is "Trainspotting" (1996). A schedule is available at www.towertheatre.com. (Aug. 14 and 15: Tower; also Aug. 16, noon)

KIDS MATINEES

TOWNE CINEMAS SUMMER MATINEES — This week's movies are "Happy Feet" and "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa." A schedule is available at www.townecinema.com. (Aug. 14, 11 a.m.: Towne Cinemas, American Fork)

SPECIAL SCREENINGS

THE 2009 SALT LAKE CITY FILM FESTIVAL — The inaugural event features screenings of such features as "Best Worst Movie" and "White on Rice." A schedule is available at www.saltlakecityfilmfestival.com. (Aug. 14-16: Post Theatre, Fort Douglas; Salt Lake City Library; Tower)