This weekend, I had the pleasure (and pain) of seeing two distinctly different movies while in the Greater Kinston Area. These films re-affirmed some much-needed faith in movie-going as an escapist passtime.

Let’s start with “300,” an already-blockbuster smash hit that will most-likely dominate the late winter box office for some time to come. The hotly anticipated film is an adaptation of Frank Miller’s (”Sin City”) graphic novel depiction of the Battle of Thermopylae, in which the King Leonidas and his Spartan army of 300 fended off the Persian army of thousands upon thousands.

The movie is visually stunning, and every scene is filled with eye candy -whether it’s the epic battle scenes, eye-popping CGI backdrops, or scantily clad (sometimes unclad) women (men too, if that’s your thing). A few scenes stood out, such as an early hail storm of Persian arrows descending upon the Spartans and Persian troops silhouetted as they’re forced off the side of a cliff. But it’s easy to tell that director Zack Snyder ran out of ideas after about the fourth beheading. The dialogue is horrendous - even for a comic book adaptation - and the acting is largely cringeworthy.

Gerard Butler, as King Leonidas, is excellent. He definitely has the charisma to carry the part, and given some better material to work with, would have carried the film to success. His intensity, both in battle and in the movie’s slower moments, is noteworthy. And Lena Headley, as his queen, is utterly stunning. I’m not sure I remember too many lines she delivered, but I’ll be damned if she didn’t look the part. She carried herself as respectfully as a semi-nude queen can.

What “300″ ultimately becomes is a cheap amalgamation of “Braveheart,” “Lord of the Rings” and “The Scorpion King.” It works about as well as a that combination sounds, but it looks great doing it.

On Friday night, I ventured out to see “Zodiac,” the newest David Fincher (”Seven,” “Fight Club”) offering. The story revolves around the late-’60s, early-’70s sensational, unsolved Zodiac Killer case.

It held me riveted for its entire 2 hours and 45 minutes.

There could be a couple personal reasons for this: I’m a reporter, and the action centers around the San Francisco Chronicle’s newsroom and the killer’s letters to the editor. Also, I have a not-so-secret passion for studying serial murder cases. This movie fed both interests.

Beyond that, it’s just a particularly well-told story, and Fincher’s direction - and the way he weaves between the film’s three main characters - is masterful.

Jake Gyllenhaal again proves himself reliable, and is quickly becoming just about the best actor of his young generation. He’s endearing and believable as amateur sleuth and Chronicle cartoonist Robert Graysmith. Robert Downey Jr. turns in one of his usual frantic, flamboyant performances as crime reporter Paul Avery, and Mark Ruffalo aims for and hits some surprising depth as a tortured S.F.P.D. detective.

It’s an eerie film, tough to forget and all-too-easy to remember as soon as the lights go out and you’re left alone in your bedroom. One scene in particular is one of the creepiest I’ve ever seen on film. It left the hairs standing on the back of my neck for a good couple hours.

Overall, I’d give “Zodiac” an ‘A’: Great story, well-adapted screenplay, solid performances and classy, restrained direction that reveals the psychology of the hunter and the hunted.

Anyone else want to chime in? What’s good out there?