The Charles offers fine array of films

The Charles Theatre, best known as Baltimore's venue for viewing independent films, is having a sudden revival after a few month's lull. Ending the year with a bang (a trend which will hopefully continue into the winter and beyond) the theater is currently showing eight films. All of them are worth checking out, and you have no excuse not to, since it's right down on North Charles Street and students get a discount on all weeknight shows. This week's schedule is as following:

Mulholland Drive

Showtimes: Through Thursday Nov. 15: Nightly 9:10. No show Friday 11/16. Sat., Sun. 4, 7:15. Monday Nov. 19 to Thursday Nov. 22 7:15.

2001 France/USA Dir. David Lynch. Justin Theroux, Naomi Watts, Laura Harring, Ann Miller, Dan Hedaya, Mark Pellegrino, Brian Beacock, Robert Forster, Chad Everett. Rated R. 146m.

The offering from notoriously bizarre director Lynch (Lost Highway) tells the story of a mysterious woman, "Rita," who gets into a car accident on Mulholland Drive in Hollywood and ends up with amnesia. She makes her way to an apartment in the city where a young aspiring actress, Betty, is staying while she auditions for a role. Betty takes Rita under her wing and the two attempt to discover Rita's identity and why her purse contains piles of cash and a blue key. The search leads the women into dangerous territories, complete with Lynch's usual cast of unusual characters and psychological twists. Enjoy the efforts of a well-seasoned director and the excellent visuals without putting too much pressure on yourself to understand it all.

Monty Python and the Holy Grail

Showtimes: Nightly 7:10. Ends Nov 15

1975 UK Dirs. Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones. GRAHAM CHAPMAN King Arthur/Voice of God/Middle Head/Hiccoughing Guard. JOHN CLEESE Second Soldier with a Keen Interest in Birds/Large Man with Dead Body/Black Knight/Mr. Newt, A Quite Extraordinarily Rude Frenchman/Tim the Wizard/Sir Launcelot the Brave. TERRY GILLIAM Patsy (Arthur's Trusty Steed)/Green Knight/Soothsayer/Bridgekeeper/Sir Gawain/Animator. ERIC IDLE The Dead Collector/Mr Blint (A Village N'er-Do-Well Very Keen on Burning Witches)/Sir Robin the Not-Quite-So-Brave-as-Sir Launcelot/The Guard Who Doesn't Hiccough but Tries to Get Things Straight/Concorde (Sir Launcelot's Trusty Steed)/Roger the Shrubber (A Shrubber)/Brother Maynard. MICHAEL PALIN 1st Soldier with a Keen Interest in Birds/Dennis/Mr Duck (A Village Carpenter Who is Almost Keener Than Anyone Else to Burn Witches)/Right Head/Sir Galahad the Pure/Leader of the Knights Who Say "Ni!"/Narrator/King of Swamp Castle/Brother Maynard's Roommate. TERRY JONES Dennis's Mother/Sir Bedevere/Left Head/Voice of Cartoon Scribe/Prince Herbert. Running time 90m.

An old classic of British humor returns to the big screen, sure to be a crowd-pleaser.

Amelie

Showtimes: Nightly 7:30, 10; Sat., Sun. 2, 4:30, 7:30, 10.

2001 France/Germany Dir. Jean-Pierre Jeunet. Audrey Tautou, Mathieu Kassovitz, Rufus, Yolande Moreau. Rated R. In French with English subtitles. Running time 120m.

For lovers of French film, it looks as though this is going to be an uplifting one, replete with a lively cast of characters, a love story and whimsical special effects. The title character is "a waitress in central Paris, who "interacts curiously with her neighbors and customers, as well as a mysterious Photomaton-image collector and one of his even more mysterious photo subjects." If you're thinking of an option for a date movie, it looks like this would be the most appropriate.

The Man Who Wasn't There

Showtimes: Nightly 7:45, 10:15; Sat., Sun. 2:30, 5:00, 7:45, 10:15. 2001 USA Dir. Joel Coen. Billy Bob Thornton, Frances McDormand, Michael Badalucco, James Gandolfini, Scarlett Johansson. Running time 116m. Rated R.

Only a year after their last production, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, the Coen brothers have released yet another, which has been called by more than one person a distinct possibility for the Academy Awards. The film, shot in black and white (a seemingly growing trend in film, like the musical genre), tells the story of Ed Crane (Billy Bob Thornton), a barber in a small Northern California town. Ed is dissatisfied with life, but his wife Doris' (Frances McDormand) infidelity presents Ed with an opportunity for blackmail that he thinks will help him change it." Check out our own review from the Nov. 1 issue.

Waking Life

Showtimes: Nightly 8, 10:10. Sat., Sun. 3:15, 5:45, 8, 10:10. 2001 USA Dir. Richard Linklater. Trevor Jack Brooks, Lorelei Linklater, Wiley Wiggins, Glover Gill, Lara Hicks, Ames Asbell, Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy, Richard Linklater.

A brilliant effort from Richard Linklater (Slacker, Dazed and Confused), Waking Life is like being in a stimulating philosophy lecture for an hour and a half, except that the teachers are a host of colorful, animated characters of all walks of life, and the entire production is set to a wonderful tango score. Plot is minimal, following a young man on his odyssey through an extended dream world in search of the greater meanings of modern life. Watch out for Linklater's next film, Tape (featuring Linklater favorite Ethan Hawke), coming up later this year.

Haiku Tunnel

Showtimes: Nightly 7; No show Wednesday Nov. 14. 2001 USA Dir. Jacob Kornbluth. Josh Kornbluth, Warren Keith, Helen Shumaker. Running time 88m. Rated R.

"Haiku Tunnel is a frenetic office comedy about a neurotic male secretary who is a terrific temp but a horrible perm. When his new boss (a tax attorney who just may be Satan) gives him 17 very important letters to mail out, he doesn't, and the ensuing complications bring him face-to-face with a lifetime of personal demons."

Grateful Dawg

Showtimes: Nightly 10:15; Sat., Sun. 2:10, 10:15. No show Friday Nov. 16. 2001 USA Dir. Gillian Grisman. Jerry Garcia, Joe Craven, David Grisman. Rated PG 13. Running time 81m.

A documentary exploring the musical and personal aspects of the relationship between late Grateful Dead frontman Jerry Garcia and David Grisman.

The Don and Bill Show

Showtimes: Nightly 8:45. Running time 68m.

"A collection of animated short films by Don Hertzfeldt and Bill Plympton."

The Charles Theatre is located at 1711 North Charles St. For more information call 410- 727-FILM or check out http://www.thecharles.com.Thanks to the Charles Theatre for all citations.