Info: Opens today in theaters everywhere; rated R for strong horror violence and language; 110 minutes.

Chillingly atmospheric and bloody as hell, this Halloween treat for adults centers on a gaggle of vampires with an idea somebody should have thought of before: Striking an Alaskan oil town, well north of the Arctic Circle, during the one month the sun never shines. The few surviving humans trying to stay alive until the next sunrise include the sheriff, Eben (Josh Hartnett), and the fire marshal, Stella (Melissa George), who is also Eben's estranged wife. Director David Slade (who made the pedophile drama "Hard Candy") employs a largely monochromatic slate, in keeping with the story's origins as a graphic novel, to make us feel the chill of this ravaged town. Slade doesn't skimp on the gore, or on the disturbing imagery of these fast-moving vampires - led by an effectively sinister Danny Huston - hunting the townsfolks through the snow.

Moondance Alexander

Info: Opens today in area theaters; rated G; 93 minutes.

This family drama, premiering in Salt Lake City today leading to a national run, tries so hard to be warm and uplifting that you keep rooting for it to be better than it is. The title character, played by cute-as-a-button Kay Panabaker (star of the Disney Channel movie "Read It and Weep," and sister of "Sky High" star Danielle Panabaker), is a gawky high-schooler who befriends a wayward pinto and convinces the horse's taciturn owner (Don Johnson) to train her and the horse for a prestigious show-jumping competition. Director Michael Damian (the longtime "Young and the Restless" heartthrob), co-writing with his wife Janeen, follows the familiar arc of the underdog sports story with clockwork predictability, as well as saddling poor Moondance with a deceased father and snooty classmates/rivals (one played by Olympic skater Sasha Cohen). But the cast - notably Panabaker, "Full House's" Lori Loughlin as Moondance's vegetarian-artist mom and James Best (Roscoe P. Coltrane from "The Dukes of Hazzard") as the town's resident wise man - add considerable charm to this well-worn storyline.

For the Bible Tells Me So

Info: Opens today at the Broadway Centre Cinemas; not rated, but probably PG-13 for sexual content and language; 95 minutes.

Daniel G. Karslake's thorough documentary explores the divide between homosexuals and the Christian right, so you'd expect to hear interviews from families who have been torn apart on that divide. There are also the happier stories, such as the consecration of Bishop Gene Robinson (the first openly gay bishop in the Episcopal Church) and the coming-together of the family of former congressman and presidential candidate Richard Gephardt. What Karslake and writing partner Helen R. Mendoza bring that's new to the table are the theologians and clergy, including Nobel Peace Prize winner Bishop Desmond Tutu, who challenge the usual right-wing readings of scriptural passages often used to condemn homosexuality - so you'll have plenty of ammunition next time you want to tell some Bible-thumper where they can stick their Leviticus.