Oct 17, 2003 By Lou Gaul Calkins Media Film Critic 4 min read

A legal thriller (“Runaway Jury”), a horror remake (“The Texas Chainsaw Massacre”) and two factual dramas (“Veronica Guerin” and “Wonderland”) are the top titles arriving on this post-Columbus Day weekend. The new motion pictures (with release dates subject to change) scheduled for a theater near you include:

– “Runaway Jury”: Based on the novel by John Grisham, this old-fashioned 128-minute thriller, rated PG-13, features a New Orleans legal battle between a caring attorney (Dustin Hoffman of “Rain Man”) and a vicious jury consultant (Gene Hackman of “Unforgiven”) during a high-profile suit against a gun manufacturer. John Cusack (“High Fidelity”) plays a juror caught in the midst of unexpected intrigue that results from the consultant using intimidation, threats and violence to pressure jurors to vote for his deep-pocketed client. Gary Fleder (“Don’t Say a Word”) directed.

– “The Station Agent”: A Sundance Film Festival favorite, this low-key 88-minute picture concerns a little person (Peter Dinklage of “Human Nature”) who inherits a railroad station in a remote section of New Jersey. He then finds himself connecting with some people in the community even though he continually attempts to keep to himself. The 4-foot-6 Dinklage delivers a scene-stealing performance as a dwarf who’s often exposed to the worst in people due to their obnoxious responses to his size and has trouble opening his heart to others. Patricia Clarkson (“Far From Home”) and Michelle Williams (TV’s “Dawson’s Creek”) co-star in the involving slice-of-life tale, rated R. Actor-turned-filmmaker Thomas McCarthy made his directing debut.

– “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre”: Leatherface (Philadelphia native Andrew Bryniarski of “Scooby-Doo”) again grabs his favorite power tool and chases some lost young adults whom he hopes to turn into hot meals for the members of his cannibal family. Jessica Biel (TV’s “7th Heaven”) and R. Lee Ermey (“Full Metal Jacket”) co-star in the R-rated remake of Tobe Hooper’s 1974 horror favorite. Music video specialist Marcus Nispel made his directing debut.

– “Veronica Guerin”: The tragic life of Dublin journalist Veronica Guerin (Cate Blanchett of “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy), who was viciously murdered by local Irish drug lords for reporting on their methods of destroying lives and neighborhoods, is chronicled during this 92-minute melodrama. It’s a compelling story, though the scope and subject matter often make the R-rated project seem more suitable for a TV movie. Joel Schumacher (“Phone Booth”) directed.

– “Wonderland”: After leaving a career as the adult-film industry’s most popular male porno star, John Holmes (Val Kilmer of “Tombstone”) entered the world of drugs and eventually became involved in one of the most gruesome multiple-murder cases in the history of Los Angeles. The grisly 99-minute film shows two views of the 1981 quadruple murder, with one putting Holmes as a participant at the scene of the crime and the other showing him as someone with no blood on his hands. An extremely grim work, the R-rated picture never really presents any solid solutions, though it does establish the interesting protective relationship between Holmes’ first wife (Lisa Kudrow of TV’s “Friends”) and the porn star’s teenage girlfriend (Kate Bosworth of “Blue Crush”). The strong supporting cast includes Dylan McDermott (TV’s “The Practice”), Tim Blake Nelson (“O Brother, Where Art Thou?”), Josh Lucas (“Sweet Home Alabama”), Christine Applegate (“The Sweetest Thing”), Eric Bogosian (“Talk Radio”) and Janeane Garofalo (“Dogma”). James Cox (“Highway”) directed.

At the buck$ office

“Bill” killed at the box office last weekend.

Quentin Tarantino’s highly anticipated “Kill Bill Vol. 1” easily took the No. 1 spot, grossing more than $22 million. That’s good news for the producers of the R-rated picture, since “Kill Bill Vol. 2” is set for release on Feb. 20 and now seems destined to be a hit.

According to the Associated Press, the top 10 films last weekend were:

1. “Kill Bill Vol. 1” ($22.7 million)

2. “School of Rock” ($15.4 million)

3. “Intolerable Cruelty” ($13.1 million)

4. “Good Boy!” ($13 million)

5. “Out of Time” ($8.6 million)

6. “House of the Dead” ($5.5 million)

7. “The Rundown” ($5.3 million)

8. “Under the Tuscan Sun” ($4.8 million)

9. “Secondhand Lions” ($3.3 million)

10. “Lost in Translation” ($2.9 million)

Coming Soon!

The major titles scheduled to open Oct. 24 include: “Scary Movie 3” (a horror spoof with Charlie Sheen), “Radio” (a sports picture with Cuba Gooding Jr.), “Beyond Borders” (a romantic adventure with Angelina Jolie and Clive Owen), “Gothika” (a fright film with Halle Berry and Robert Downey Jr.) and “In the Cut” (an adult thriller with Meg Ryan).