The Prestige Movie

Walt Disney Co.'s thriller "The Prestige" about rival magicians in London's Victorian era worked some box-office magic as the top performer this weekend, while director Clint Eastwood's World War II drama "Flags of Our Fathers" finished a disappointing third. Directed by Christopher Nolan, "Prestige" pulled $14.8 million out of the hat in the U.S. and Canada, followed by Martin Scorsese's holdover crime thriller "The Departed" with $13.7 million.

Walt Disney Co.'s thriller "The Prestige" about rival magicians in London's Victorian era worked some box-office magic as the top performer this weekend, while director Clint Eastwood's World War II drama "Flags of Our Fathers" finished a disappointing third. Directed by Christopher Nolan, "Prestige" pulled $14.8 million out of the hat in the U.S. and Canada, followed by Martin Scorsese's holdover crime thriller "The Departed" with $13.7 million.

MUCH fun could be made of "The Prestige" as a sort of superhero showdown, cape versus claws, Batman versus Wolverine ... but that would be beneath us. Although "The Prestige" does star Christian Bale ("Batman Begins") and Hugh Jackman ("X-Men"), neither will be found in tights or spikes in this film about rival magicians set in London of the early 1900s. The movie does, however, reunite the 32-year-old Bale with his "Batman" director, Christopher Nolan ("Memento").

FILMMAKERS Chris and Jonah Nolan appear to be brothers in name only. Chris has the scruffy pallor of a sleep-deprived father (the 36-year-old has three young children), while Jonah, 30, shows the robust physique of a gym rat. Chris favors suits and dress shirts, Jonah jeans and T-shirts. Chris speaks with an English accent, while Jonah's is Chicago American. Chris doesn't even use e-mail, but Jonah lives by the Internet.

FILMMAKERS Chris and Jonah Nolan appear to be brothers in name only. Chris has the scruffy pallor of a sleep-deprived father (the 36-year-old has three young children), while Jonah, 30, shows the robust physique of a gym rat. Chris favors suits and dress shirts, Jonah jeans and T-shirts. Chris speaks with an English accent, while Jonah's is Chicago American. Chris doesn't even use e-mail, but Jonah lives by the Internet.

After months of Academy Award campaigning, parties, receptions, awards, more awards and even more awards, it finally comes down to opening 23 sealed envelopes Monday night on the stage of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. But the process leading to Oscar night is a structured, complicated one. It involves dozens of film distribution companies, 12 different branches of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and more than 200 eligible movies.

In "The Hunger Games," 24 teenagers fight to the death in a tournament whose slogan is "May the odds be ever in your favor. " Executives at Lions Gate Entertainment are hoping those words will ring true for them as they gamble on the most anticipated literary adaptation to hit Hollywood since "Twilight" and "Harry Potter. " The first of four planned "Hunger Games" films, based on Suzanne Collins' bestselling trilogy, wrapped production in North Carolina on Saturday and will hit theaters March 23. A successful "Hunger Games" franchise could transform the studio, much as "Twilight" did rival Summit Entertainment, by providing reliable income for years from box-office, DVD and digital sales as well as television licensing and merchandise.

Big fish often swim in small ponds, but in Tim Burton's wistful new film about a son, a father and the lies that come between them there are no small ponds -- just big, bright movie sets shimmering and bubbling with the director's imagination. Based on Daniel Wallace's delicate wisp of a novel, "Big Fish" tells the story of a raconteur who, after a lifetime of spinning whoppers about lachrymose giants and two-headed women, faces the prospect of dying under the dark cloud of his son's resentment.

MUCH fun could be made of "The Prestige" as a sort of superhero showdown, cape versus claws, Batman versus Wolverine ... but that would be beneath us. Although "The Prestige" does star Christian Bale ("Batman Begins") and Hugh Jackman ("X-Men"), neither will be found in tights or spikes in this film about rival magicians set in London of the early 1900s. The movie does, however, reunite the 32-year-old Bale with his "Batman" director, Christopher Nolan ("Memento").