NEW YORK (CNS) -- The following are capsule reviews of theatrical movies on network and cable television the week of Feb. 18. Please note that televised versions may or may not be edited for language, nudity, violence and sexual situations.

Sunday, Feb. 18, 9:30 a.m.-noon EST (AMC) "Signs" (2002). Struggling with loss of faith after the sudden death of his wife, an Episcopal priest (Mel Gibson) fears for the lives of his children (Rory Culkin and Abigail Breslin) after he and his brother (Joaquin Phoenix) discover huge circular patterns in his cornfield that suggest an invasion by hostile aliens. Writer-director M. Night Shyamalan masterfully builds dread and tension while touching upon issues of faith, but the lightweight narrative doesn't provide a powerful punch to match the unnerving apprehension that shapes the film. Some intensely frightening moments and occasional crass expressions. The Catholic News Service classification of the theatrical version was A-II -- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating was PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

Monday, Feb. 19, 9:45-11:45 p.m. EST (AMC) "The Princess Bride" (1987). Affectionate, lighthearted parody of medieval romance as a young beauty (Robin Wright) is saved from a forced marriage to a nasty prince (Chris Sarandon) by a farm boy turned pirate (Cary Elwes). Directed by Rob Reiner from William Goldman's script, the comic proceedings are marked with verbal wit and some silly turns by Mandy Patinkin, Wallace Shawn and Billy Crystal. Some comic-book violence. The Catholic News Service classification of the theatrical version was A-II -- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating was PG -- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

Tuesday, Feb. 20, 6-8 p.m. EST (TCM) "The Subject Was Roses" (1968). Fine drama about a Bronx Irish family's domestic crisis succeeds far beyond the limitations of its basically one-set story. Starring Patricia Neal and Jack Albertson as the parents, and Martin Sheen as their serviceman son, the movie probes the love and hate that alternately bind the three together and tear them apart. Adapted from Frank Gilroy's Broadway drama, the movie contains intimate touches of family life, its joys and its frustrations, and is masterful in its revelation of human nature, jealousy and love. Mature themes. The Catholic News Service classification of the theatrical version was A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating was G -- general audiences. All ages admitted.

Wednesday, Feb. 21, 8 p.m.-midnight EST (History) "Lincoln" (2012). Daniel Day-Lewis' bravura performance in the title role is the highlight -- but by no means the only asset -- of director Steven Spielberg's splendid historical drama. The plot focuses on the Civil War president's passionate yet wily struggle, during the closing days of that conflict, to steer a constitutional amendment abolishing slavery through Congress. Aided by his secretary of state, William Seward (David Strathairn), but distracted by his troubled personal life -- Sally Field plays his famously high-strung wife, Mary -- Lincoln uses rhetoric to win over his hesitant Cabinet and patronage to woo his opponents. The trajectory of the tale is, by its nature, uplifting, while Lincoln's multifaceted personality -- which encompassed idealism, political shrewdness, melancholy, humor and even a few endearing foibles -- is vividly illuminated in Tony Kushner's screenplay. The educational value and moral import of the film may make it acceptable for older adolescents. Intense but mostly bloodless battlefield violence, a scene involving severed limbs, cohabitation, about a dozen uses of profanity, racial slurs, a couple of rough terms, occasional crude and crass language. The Catholic News Service classification of the theatrical version was A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating was PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

Friday, Feb. 23, 8-10 p.m. EST (ABC) "A Bug's Life" (1998). Vividly animated tale of a spunky ant (voice of Dave Foley) who rounds up several performing circus bugs, mistaking them for warriors needed to defend his endangered ant colony against marauding grasshoppers. Directed by John Lasseter and Andrew Stanton, the animation and pacing are outstanding but young children may find the intensity of the menace quite upsetting. Some scenes of physical abuse and verbal intimidation. The Catholic News Service classification of the theatrical version was A-II -- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating was G -- general audiences. All ages admitted.

Saturday, Feb. 24, 10 a.m.-noon EST (TCM) "Abe Lincoln in Illinois" (1940). Raymond Massey stars as the future president with Ruth Gordon playing Mary Todd in this well-acted drama based on Robert Sherwood's Pulitzer Prize-winning play. Directed by John Cromwell, the movie's emphasis is upon the development of Lincoln's character as a backwoodsman-turned-lawyer and his compassionate confrontation with adversity. The Catholic News Service classification of the theatrical version was A-I -- general patronage. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America.

Saturday, Feb. 24, 9:45-11:25 p.m. EST (Cinemax) "Drag Me to Hell" (2009). Intentionally over-the-top horror tale in which a Los Angeles loan officer (Alison Lohman) is cursed to death and damnation by a woman (Lorna Raver) on whose home her bank is foreclosing and, with the reluctant support of her skeptical boyfriend (Justin Long), enlists the aid of a fortuneteller (Dileep Rao) in her increasingly frantic efforts to undo the spell. Gross-out sight gags abound in director and co-writer Sam Raimi's canny shockfest, but bloodletting is generally minimal and the occult elements, like the dubious premise that one person can consign another to Hades, need not be taken seriously. Some hand-to-hand violence, a premarital situation, a couple of uses of profanity and of the S-word, and a few crass terms. The Catholic News Service classification of the theatrical version was A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating was PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

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Mulderig is on the staff of Catholic News Service.