Dr. Larabee (Laurence Fishburne) helps Akeelah (Keke Palmer) make it to the national spelling bee in "Akeelah and the Bee."

Two triumph-over-adversity charmers step out and cast a spell on ...

The big screen scene: Can you spell I-N-S-P-I-R-A-T-I-O-N-A-L? "Akeelah and the Bee" (Lionsgate) certainly can, as a starchy academic (Laurence Fishburne) coaches an inner-city middle schooler (Keke Palmer) to the national spelling bee finals.

And on the dance floor, Antonio Banderas shows how to "Take the Lead" (New Line) in a fact-based account of a debonair dance instructor's quest to bring ballroom's discipline, grace and teamwork to impoverished New York high schoolers.

Shifting from heartwarmers to thrillers, a veteran Secret Service agent (Michael Douglas) finds himself the prime suspect in an assassination plot against the president in "The Sentinel" (Fox). Kiefer Sutherland and Kim Basinger co-star.

On the comedy front, a single teacher-turned-maid (Jennifer Aniston) perplexes her married, well-to-do pals (Frances McDormand, Catherine Keener, Joan Cusack) in "Friends With Money" (Sony).

And Albert Brooks goes "Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World" (Warner), a mock-documentary satire about a whiny comedian -- guess who? -- dispatched to India and Pakistan by the U.S. government.

The prodigal son (Casey Affleck), a struggling writer, returns home to rural Indiana in "Lonesome Jim" (IFC).

Topping the foreign-language file, "Water" (Fox), set in 1938 India, focuses on exiled widows -- from a holy man's assistant to an 8-year-old newcomer -- who challenge religious restrictions that have made them penniless outcasts. And two home-alone teens battle boredom in the Mexican coming-of-age comedy "Duck Season" (Warner).

Critic's choice: The around-the-world-on-DVD parade continues as volunteers battle poachers to save the Tibetan antelope from extinction in the fact-based "Mountain Patrol: Kekexeli" (Sony). The 1964 Italian classic "Seduced and Abandoned" (Criterion), meanwhile, traces the comic catastrophes that ensue when a Sicilian teen (Stefania Sandrelli) suffers the title indignities, sending her father into a vengeful frenzy.

France's Claude Chabrol examines "The Swindle" (New Yorker) as a pair of con artists (Isabelle Huppert, Michel Serrault) target a financial courier (Fran?ois Clouzet). "Iron Island" (Kino) focuses on a vibrant community living inside an abandoned oil tanker anchored in the Persian Gulf. And vacationing friends (Geraldine Chaplin, Dominique Sanda) explore the French countryside, and their own relationship, in 1980's "Voyage en Douce" (New Yorker).

Hot docs: The ground-level reality of the Iraq war hits home in "Baghdad ER" (HBO), while "The History Channel Presents: Washington the Warrior" (A&E) profiles America's first commander-in-chief. And "Kill Your Idols" (Palm) explores New York's underground post-punk scene.

Kidvid corner: Animated animal pals move to the small screen in "Brother Bear 2" (Disney), a made-for-video sequel to the 2003 feature. And the Wayans family oversees animated back-to-school antics in "Thugaboo: Sneaker Madness" (Warner).

Impatient for Halloween? Get in the spirit with "Thomas & Friends: Thomas' Halloween Adventures" and "Scary Godmother 2: The Revenge of Jimmy" (both from Anchor Bay).

Also arriving on DVD: "Darkwing Duck: Vol. 1" and "Talespin: Volume 1" (both from Disney) and the "Toy Castle" titles "Nutcracker Sweet," "Dance for Joy" and "Nursery Rhyme Time" (all from Questar).

TV transfers: Scare up some suspense with Stephen King's "Desperation" (Lionsgate), which pits hapless travelers (including Tom Skeritt and Steven Weber) against an evil small-town Nevada sheriff (Ron Perlman).

And 1975's still-spooky "Trilogy of Terror" (Dark Sky) showcases four tour-de-force performances from Karen Black in three tales featuring Gregory Harrison, John Karlen -- and a murderous Zuni fetish doll.

"Epitafios: The Complete First Season" (HBO), meanwhile, focuses on the cat-and-mouse chase between a Buenos Aires cop and a vengeful psychotic killer. If you're celebrating Halloween early, "Criss Angel Mindfreak: Halloween Special" (A&E) and the "Roseanne: Halloween Special" (Anchor Bay) deliver TV tricks and treats.

Series collections hitting DVD today: "The Andy Griffith Show: The Complete Seventh Season" (Paramount), "Arrested Development: Season Three" (Fox), "Desperate Housewives: The Complete Second Season" (Touchstone), "Flavor of Love: The Complete First Season" (Paramount), "Nip/Tuck: The Complete Third Season" (Warner), "South Park: The Complete Eighth Season" (Paramount), "Survivor Palau: The Complete Season" (Paramount), "The Tick vs. Season One" (Buena Vista) and "Will & Grace: Season Five" (Lionsgate).