Your WEEKEND PIC (Aug 25-27)

(A guide to help you plan your cinema-going)

1. THE ANT BULLY (fantasy adventure with voices of Nicolas Cage, Meryl Streep & Julia Roberts) Rated * * * (3 stars out of 4): A boy, who takes out his frustrations on a colony of ants, learns some of life’s lessons when he is shrunk to ant size and taken to live with the colony. Great for the kids.

2. MONSTER HOUSE (Animated Kiddie Horror with the voices of Mitchel Musso, Sam Lerner, Maggie Gyllenhaal Steve Buscemi) Rated * * * (3 stars): This family film recalls Halloween, Amityville Horror and A Nightmare On Elm Street but not to worry, it won’t really freak the kids out. Also, the action turns out nice and fluid.

3. SNAKES ON A PLANE (Disaster comedy Samuel L. Jackson and Julianna Margulies) Rated: * * 1/2 (2.5 stars): If you like half-baked plots, Samuel Jackson's stares and hissable scares, then book yourself a ticket for this cult movie and have a nice fright.

4. MISTRESS OF SPICES (fantasy romance with Aishwarya Rai and Dylan McDermott) Rated * * (2 stars): This story about the magical cures of spices is supposed to be exotic and romantic but it turns out lifeless and bland. Mainly for Aishwarya fans.

5. BENEATH STILL WATERS (Horror thriller with Michael McKell and Raquel Merono) Rated * ½ (1.5 stars): This gorefest is the work of Spanish director Brian Yuzna whose forte is making B-grade horror (and mostly horrible) DVDs. It is all fog and zombies and very low IQ.