The Back Space Theatre

(1120 Main Ave., 259-7940)

Splinters. In the 1980s a pilot left a surfboard with a group of natives in Papua New Guinea. This movie shows what they’ve learned over the years.

The Oscar Nominated Short Films 2012. A collection of the live action, animated and documentary short films up for the hardware at this year’s gala.

Gaslight Cinema

(102 Fifth St. Next to the railroad depot, 247-8133)

The Iron Lady.HH Meryl Streep is spot-on as Britain’s first female prime minister, Margaret Thatcher. Rated PG-13.

The Artist. HHHH We finally get a look at what could be the first silent Oscar winner since 1927. (See review this page.) Rated PG-13.

Durango Stadium 9

(Next to Durango Mall, 247-9799)

LA Phil Live: Dudamel Conducts Mahler. (Saturday only) Simulcast of Gustavo Dudamel conducting the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela in Mahler’s Symphony of a Thousand (No. 8). More than 1,000 musicians will be on stage in Caracas, Venezuela.

Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance. (No Ebert rating) Nic Cage is back as the Devil’s bounty hunter Johnny Blaze. But he might have a way out. I hope so, as that would likely mean we’d be spared a third one of these things. And we still haven’t gotten “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy”...? Rated PG-13.

The Secret World of Arrietty (Kari-gurashi no Arietti). I don’t even know what this means. It’s some kind of Japanimation thing where a family of very little people live unbeknownst to a regular sized family until this Arrietty girl gets found out. Also apparently more intriguing than an Oscar-nominated spy flick...? Rated G.

This Means War.H½ Two CIA tough guys fall for the same girl (Reese Witherspoon) and use spy stuff to try to win her. It’s a romantic comedy, as opposed to a real movie about spies and international intrigue... Rated PG-13.

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island. HH½ (In standard and digital 3-D with surcharge.) In the sequel to “Journey to the Center of the Earth,” the Rock is back leading some people around an island that’s not supposed to exist. Rated PG.

Safe House. (No Ebert rating) Denzel plays an CIA guy who teams up with young Ryan Reynolds to figure out who’s trying to kill them. Rated R.

Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace 3D. Just like “Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace,” but in 3-D. Rated PG-13.

The Vow.HH½ A newlywed wife loses her memory after a car crash and her husband sets out to win her heart all over again. Rated PG-13.

Big Miracle. (No Ebert rating) Based on a true story, John Krasinski and Drew Barrymore star as a reporter and animal-rights activist who fight to save a family of gray whales in the Arctic Circle. Rated PG.

Chronicle. HHH½ Three kids go down a hole, find a curious glowing object and emerge with super powers. Then things get weird. Rated R.

The Grey.HHH½ Liam Neeson’s latest has him leading a bunch of oil rig roughnecks who survive a plane crash only to encounter a pack of nasty wolves in the wilderness. Rated R.

Ted holteen and roger ebert