By Dave Montalbano

There is just too much happening these days in our cinematic neighborhood!

No fooling, this Saturday evening, 90-year-old Ernest Borgnine will romance Ray Romano’s Mama (Doris Roberts) at Cinema Paradiso. Both Borgnine and Roberts will attend the screening of their new movie Another Harvest Moon.

Set in a nursing home, Another Harvest Moon examines the aging process and the effects upon the family. While the subject is serious, life affirming humor rules the day. Besides Borgnine and Roberts, this fine ensemble cast features Piper Laurie, Anne Meara, Cybil Shepherd and Amber Benson. Already there is Oscar buzz for Borgnine’s performance. Besides Cinema Paradiso, Another Harvest Moon will also be screened at the Living Room Theater on the FAU campus.

Besides opening Potiche this weekend, the Living Room Theatre has screened The Human Resources Manager, a foreign film in Hebrew about a bakery in Jerusalem with financial problems. After an employee is killed in a terrorist bombing, the Human Resources Manager is accused of indifference. While he did not really know the individual while she was alive, the supervisor learns to respect the woman in memoriam.

Insidious will open on many screens this April Fool’s Day Friday. From the creators of the original Saw and Paranormal Activity, Insidious is a creepy horror movie made for the fans of the genre. With nods toward Poltergeist, The Sixth Sense and The Exorcist, writer Leigh Whannell and Director James Wan deliver the jolts and laughs required for a film of this genre.

While playing in the attic of their new home, Dalton (Ty Simpkins) becomes catatonic. After visiting medical specialist after medical specialist, the father (Patrick Lambert) learns from his mother (Barbara Hershey) that the solution could have a paranormal answer. Noted Paranormal Psychic Elise Rainer (Lin Shaye) investigates the mystery that involves visiting the astroplane in the 4th dimension.

Don’t let the paranormal mumbo jumbo distract you. Insidious is a triumph of technical artistry over low budget. Instead of overwhelming the viewer with CGI special effects, Insidious contains “old school” special effects, creating a more intimate experience. It proves that stagecraft is alive and well in the motion picture world.

While Insidious, The Human Resources Manager and  Potiche look interesting, meeting Ernest Borgnine and Doris Roberts at Cinema Paradiso this weekend seems an extremely entertaining choice for this April Fool’s weekend. Info: www.fliff.com