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Movie guide: Capsule listing of current releases

Ratings by the Motion Picture Association of America are: (G) for general audiences; (PG) parental guidance urged because of material possibly unsuitable for children; (PG-13) parents are strongly cautioned to give guidance for attendance of children younger than 13; (R) restricted, younger than 17 admitted only with parent or adult guardian; (NC-17) no one younger than 17 admitted.

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OPENING IN HOLLYWOOD THIS WEEK

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“All Is Lost” — When his boat is wrecked in the middle of the Indian Ocean, a lone sailor must rely on his limited resources and strength of will to survive. With Robert Redford. Written and directed by J.C. Chandor. (1:47) PG-13.

“Big Ass Spider” — A 50-foot alien arachnid escapes from a military lab and rampages across Los Angeles. With Greg Grunberg, Lombardo Boyar and Ray Wise. Written by Gregory Gieras. Directed by Mike Mendez. (1:20) PG-13.

“Birth of the Living Dead” — A documentary about the making of George A. Romero’s landmark horror movie, “Night of the Living Dead,” and its enduring legacy. Directed by Rob Kuhns. (1:16) NR.

“Bridegroom” — A documentary about Shane Bitney Crone, who lost his boyfriend in a tragic accident and was ostracized by the deceased’s family in the aftermath. Directed by Linda Bloodworth Thomason. (1:20) NR.

“Carrie” — A re-imagining of the 1976 horror tale in which a shy girl ostracized by her peers and sheltered by her deeply religious mother is pushed too far and explodes in a telekinetic rage. With Chloe Grace Moretz, Julianne Moore, Judy Greer and Gabriella Wilde. Written by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa. Directed by Kimberly Peirce. (1:39) R.

“Escape Plan” — An expert on structural security agrees to take on one last job — breaking out of a top-secret high-tech prison — but is then duped and wrongly imprisoned, spurring him to recruit a fellow inmate to help him escape. With Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jim Caviezel. Written by Miles Chapman and Arnell Jesko. Directed by Mikael Hafstrom. (1:54) R.

“The Fifth Estate” — A drama based on the rise of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and his quest to expose government and corporate secrets. With Benedict Cumberbatch, Daniel Brehl, Anthony Mackie and David Thewlis. Written by Josh Singer. Directed by Bill Condon. (2:03) R.

“God Loves Uganda” — A documentary exploring the role of the American evangelical Christian movement in fueling state-sponsored homophobia in Uganda. Directed by Roger Ross Williams. (1:23) NR.

“Hellbenders 3D” — A team of blasphemous ministers whose duty requires them to live in a constant state of debauchery works to keep the world safe from demons. With Clifton Collins Jr., Clancy Brown and Andre Royo. Written and directed by J.T. Petty. In 3-D. (1:25) R.

“I’m in Love With a Church Girl” — A former high-level drug trafficker is torn between his old life and a new love. With Ja Rule, Adrienne Bailon and Stephen Baldwin. Written by Galley Molina. Directed by Steve Race. (1:58) PG.

“Kill Your Darlings” — A drama portraying the formative years of Allen Ginsberg, William S. Burroughs, Jack Kerouac and other members of the Beat Generation, including their embroilment in a mysterious murder. With Daniel Radcliffe, Dane DeHaan and Ben Foster. Written by Austin Bunn and John Krokidas. Directed by Krokidas. (1:40) R.

“Let the Fire Burn” — An all-archival documentary about a 1985 clash between Philadelphia police and the black liberation group MOVE that resulted in a fire that killed 11 people and burned down 61 homes. Directed by Jason Osder. (1:35) NR.

“Life According to Sam” — A documentary about a Massachusetts boy diagnosed with the rare aging disorder progeria and the efforts of his physician parents to combat the disease. Directed by Sean Fine and Andrea Fine. (1:33) NR.

“Lost for Words” — In Hong Kong, a newly arrived ex-Marine and a dancer from the mainland strike up a relationship despite cultural and religious differences. With Sean Faris, Grace Huang and Joman Chiang. Written by C. Joseph Bendy and Stanley J. Orzel. Directed by Orzel. (1:47) NR.

“Mondays With William” — A documentary about William Laga, a homeless, schizophrenic artist discovered and supported by a local gallery owner. Directed by Steve Beebe. (1:30) NR.

“Paradise” — After narrowly surviving a plane crash and experiencing a crisis of faith, a wide-eyed 21-year-old from a conservative Montana town travels to Las Vegas to let go of her inhibitions. With Julianne Hough, Russell Brand and Octavia Spencer. Written and directed by Diablo Cody. (1:26) PG-13.

“The Paw Project” — A documentary chronicling a veterinarian’s quest to ban cat declawing. Directed by Jennifer Conrad. (1:13) NR.

“Toad Road” — In a dead-end town in Pennsylvania, a drug-addled slacker enters a relationship with a bright young woman who takes an interest in narcotics and a sinister local legend. With Sara Anne Jones, James Davidson and Jim Driscoll. Written and directed by Jason Banker. (1:16) NR.

“12 Years a Slave” — In the antebellum United States, a free black man from upstate New York is abducted and sold into slavery, forcing him to fight for years to survive and maintain his dignity. With Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, Benedict Cumberbatch and Paul Dano. Written by John Ridley. Directed by Steve McQueen. (2:14) R.

“2 Jacks” — A famous filmmaker returns to Hollywood after a long absence and seduces a beautiful woman, and 20 years later his son follows in his footsteps in this contemporary adaptation of the Leo Tolstoy short story “Two Hussars.” With Danny Huston, Sienna Miller and Jack Huston. Written and directed by Bernard Rose. (1:30) NR.

“Two: The Story of Roman and Nyro” — A documentary about songwriter Desmond Child; his lifelong partner, Curtis Shaw; and Angela Whittaker, the woman who would carry and birth their twin sons. Directed by Heather Winters. (1:11) NR.

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ALSO IN THEATERS

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“Baggage Claim” — Determined to get engaged before her youngest sister’s wedding in 30 days, a flight attendant travels the country bumping into eligible ex-boyfriends and searching for Mr. Right. With Paula Patton, Derek Luke, Taye Diggs and Jill Scott. Written and directed by David E. Talbert. (1:33) PG-13.

“Captain Phillips” — A dramatic account of the story of Capt. Richard Phillips and the 2009 hijacking of the cargo ship Maersk Alabama by Somali pirates. With Tom Hanks, Barkhad Abdi and Barkhad Abdirahman. Written by Billy Ray. Directed by Paul Greengrass. (2:14) PG-13.

“Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2” — Having previously endangered the world and then saved it from a machine that turned water into food, a young inventor learns that his contraption survived and is now creating dangerous food-animal hybrids. With the voices of Bill Hader, Anna Faris, James Caan and Will Forte. Written by Erica Rivinoja, John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein. Directed by Cody Cameron and Kris Pearn. (1:34) PG.

“Despicable Me 2” — The seemingly reformed supervillain Gru is recruited by the Anti-Villain League to help save the world in this sequel to the 2010 animated film. With the voices of Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig and Al Pacino. Written by Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio. Directed by Chris Renaud and Pierre Coffin. In 3-D. (1:38) PG.

“Don Jon” —A handsome lothario’s addiction to Internet pornography threatens to torpedo his budding relationship with a young lady who has an idealistic view of love and courtship. With Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Scarlett Johansson, Julianne Moore and Tony Danza. Written and directed by Gordon-Levitt. (1:30) R.

“The Family” —After snitching on the mob, a former mafia boss and his family enter the witness protection program but have a hard time adjusting to their new life in a sleepy French town. With Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer, Tommy Lee Jones and Dianna Agron. Written by Luc Besson and Michael Caleo. Directed by Besson. (1:51) R.

“Grace Unplugged” —A talented young singer-songwriter’s Christian faith and family ties are tested when she defies her pastor father to pursue pop music stardom. With A.J. Michalka, James Denton and Kevin Pollak. Written and directed by Brad J. Silverman. (1:42) PG.

“Gravity” — When their shuttle is destroyed during a routine spacewalk, a veteran astronaut and a brilliant engineer are stranded in space together. With Sandra Bullock and George Clooney. Written by Alfonso Cuaron and Jonas Cuaron. Directed by Alfonso Cuaron. In 3-D and Imax. (1:31) PG-13.

“Insidious: Chapter 2” — A young married couple seek to uncover the mysterious childhood secret that has left their family dangerously connected to the spirit world in this sequel to the 2011 film “Insidious.” With Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne and Lin Shaye. Written by Leigh Whannell. Directed by James Wan. (1:45) PG-13.

“Instructions Not Included” — After a former fling leaves a baby on his doorstep and disappears, an Acapulco playboy ends up an unlikely single father in Los Angeles — until the girl’s mother shows up out of the blue six years later. With Eugenio Derbez, Jessica Lindsey and Loreto Peralta. Written by Derbez, Guillermo Rios and Leticia Lopez Margalli. Directed by Derbez. (1:55) PG-13.

“Lee Daniels’ The Butler” — A dramatic account of the life of the White House butler Cecil Gaines, who served during seven presidential administrations between 1957 and 1986. With Forest Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey, Mariah Carey and John Cusack. Written by Danny Strong and Lee Daniels. Directed by Daniels. (2:06) PG-13.

“Machete Kills” — An ex-federale is recruited by the president of the United States to take down a crazed revolutionary and a billionaire arms dealer in this sequel to the 2010 film “Machete.” With Danny Trejo, Michelle Rodriguez, Sofia Vergara and Amber Heard. Written by Kyle Ward. Directed by Robert Rodriguez. (1:47) R.

“Pulling Strings” — After being denied a visa so he can bring his daughter from Mexico City to the U.S. to visit her grandparents, a professional mariachi seizes upon a chance encounter to help an embassy worker and get in her good graces. With Jaime Camil, Laura Ramsey and Omar Chaparro. Written by Oscar Torres, Issa Lopez, Gabriel Ripstein and Georgina Riedel. Directed by Pitipol Ybarra. In English and Spanish, with English subtitles. (1:50) PG.

“Romeo and Juliet” — A new adaptation of Shakespeare’s classic tale of star-crossed lovers from feuding families. With Hailee Steinfeld, Douglas Booth and Stellan Skarsgard. Written by Julian Fellowes. Directed by Carlo Carlei. (1:58) PG-13.

“Runner Runner” — A Princeton grad student who believes he’s been swindled travels to Costa Rica to confront an online gambling tycoon and is seduced by the man’s promise of wealth. With Justin Timberlake, Gemma Arterton, Anthony Mackie and Ben Affleck. Written by Brian Koppelman and David Levien. Directed by Brad Furman. (1:31) R.

“Rush” — A drama about the rivalry between the 1970s Formula 1 racing stars James Hunt, a charismatic Englishman, and Niki Lauda, his methodical Austrian counterpart. With Chris Hemsworth, Daniel Bruhl and Olivia Wilde. Written by Peter Morgan. Directed by Ron Howard. (2:03) R.

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©2013 Los Angeles Times

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