FREEZE FRAMES
COLOR ADJUSTMENT A fascinating and unsettling study of racial perceptions as reflected by the mostly mindless expressions of American television, from the problematic hilarity of "Amos Andy" to the self-conscious imagemaking of "The Cosby Show." Directed by Marlon T. Riggs, whose earlier work includes the provocative "Tongues Untied," the documentary takes nothing at face value and stimulates thought even when its conclusions seem simplistic or contentious. (Not rated) HARD PROMISES
Still in love, an ex-husband tries every trick he can think of to persuade his former wife that remarrying isn't a good idea. This movie has a good heart, not to mention a couple of cute kids and a very cute dog. But everything else is wrong with it, from the trite dialogue to the predictable plot twists. Martin Davidson directed.
(Rated PG) SHINING THROUGH
A spunky New Yorker falls in love with a military spy master just before World War II and soon finds herself in Nazi Germany on a dangerous mission. The film doesn't have one meaningful thought about fascism, anti-Semitism, or the other big issues it raises, except to remind us that the Nazis were bad. But it's great movie fun, as packed with romance and humor as the old-style Hollywood pictures that the heroine can't stop chattering about. David Seltzer directed from his own screenplay. (Rated R)
