Animated 'Waltz With Bashir' haunting, surreal

Ari Folman uses stark animation to tell his personal documentary that reflects on his inability to remember what he did as an Israeli soldier during the 1982 massacres at Shatila and Sabra. He sets out to interview comrades to reconstruct a psychological puzzle with haunting, fascinating images that transform suppressed memories into surrealistic nightmares. As in "Persepolis" and "Chicago 10," animation takes a documentary to a new level. Rated R (for violence, nudity, sexual situations). 87 minutes.

Starts Friday, Jan. 23, at Chicago's Century Centre, Highland Park's Renaissance Place and the Evanston CineArts 6.

'Knight' IMAXes out!

Christopher Nolan's magnificent "The Dark Knight" returns to the BIG screen in the IMAX format. The Chicago-shot thriller contains six IMAX segments. If you haven't seen "The Dark Knight" in IMAX, you haven't had the full experience.

Starts Friday, Jan. 23, at IMAX theaters in Lincolnshire, Batavia, Woodridge and Chicago. (PG-13) 152 minutes.

Predict the Oscars!

Predict the Oscar winners in film, director, animated film and four acting slots and you might win a grand prize drawing of free movies for two for a year at area Classic Cinemas theaters, plus a $200 certificate for Chicagoland Francesca Restaurants. Twelve second-place winners get a movie pass for one for a year. Correct entries get a pair of tickets to the Brookfield Zoo and a pair of passes to a Classic cinema. Contest is sponsored by the Daily Herald and Francesca's Restaurants.

Starts Friday, Jan. 23, at all Classic Cinemas theaters. Go to classiccinemas.com for details.