Happy Friday, everybody! I’m hard at work on next week’s ridiculous release slate, so let’s get right into the roundup, shall we? Awesome!

“The Arbor“: Clio Barnard’s formally bracing, utterly compelling experimental documentary explores the life and legacy of Yorkshire playwright Andrea Dunbar, who died at 29 leaving two plays and three children behind. Barnard explains it better than I can; just go see it.

“Battle Los Angeles“: Jonathan Liebesman’s alien-invasion actioner is like eating a whole box of Junior Mints at once — you get so buzzed from the sugar rush that you can’t think about the total lack of nutritional value until it’s far too late. Which means I kinda didn’t mind it, while it was happening.

“Mars Needs Moms”: Berke Breathed’s children’s book becomes a computer-animated epic from Robert Zemeckis’ ImageMovers motion-capture shop. I’ve never really liked any of Zemeckis’ mo-cap movies, but apparently this one’s pretty good. UPDATE: Glenn likes it!

“Red Riding Hood“: Catherine Hardwicke’s abject incompetence rears its monstrous head once again, making an incoherent hash of a classic fable. (Virginia Madsen and Julie Christie look vaguely ashamed to have fallen for whatever mythic-feminist bollocks Hardwicke sold them at the read-through.) My review will be online this afternoon … but really, that’s the gist of it. UPDATE: There you are!

“Sweet Karma”: Waiting for a good Canadian exploitation movie about a mute Russian stripper who follows her abducted sister to Toronto and brings some revenge in her carry-on bag? Well, keep waiting; Andrew says this one’s terrible.

And don’t forget Steven Soderbergh’s Spalding Gray memorial “And Everything Is Going Fine”, which opened yesterday and is really very good.