As summer ends, two films about teens light up movie screens. Tim Blake Nelson’s “O” transfers Shakespeare’s “Othello” to an all white, Southern boarding school, and Terry Zwigoff’s “Ghost World” reinterprets a renowned comic novel by Daniel Clowes who collaborated on this film script.

“O” sat on the shelf for more than a year largely due to its unmotivated but extremely violent ending and post-Columbine sensitivities. In streamlining Shakespeare’s tale of love, jealousy, deceit and betrayal for the screen, Blake and screenwriter Brad Kaaya are not altogether successful. But, strong performances by a talented cast carry it for a while, as do the exciting basketball sequences.

Odin “O” James (Spike Lee’s “Clockers’” Mekhi Phifer) has it all: Prowess on the court, popularity, and the dean’s desirable daughter, Desi (“Save the Last Dance’s” Julia Stiles). His teammate Hugo (“Pearl Harbor’s” Josh Hartnett) is the son of Coach Duke Goulding (“West Wing’s” Martin Sheen). Hugo, also a top player, resents his father’s interest in Odin, and, therefore, sets in motion Shakespeare’s devious plot to poison Odin’s mind with the suspicion that Desi is carrying on secretly with another court hotshot, Michael Casio (Andrew Keegan). To make the play relevant, the movie also tosses in such topics as rough sex and racism. For parents and educators, reading the play before seeing this cinematic interpretation will translate into a good discussion comparing the two art forms.

“Ghost World” is the haunting tale of alienated teenage girls. In a nutshell: Enid (“American Beauty’s” Thora Birch), the main protagonist, is a cultural descendent of Holden Caufield. She and her best friend Rebecca (“An American Rhapsody’s” Scarlett Johansson) are emotionally adrift among the dumbed-down culture of suburbia. The girls’ wicked joke of answering a pathetic personal ad leads them to Seymour (the marvelous Steve Buscemi), a thirty-something frump who interests Enid in the obsessive world of record collecting. The two girls drift apart when Rebecca chooses conventional independence and the more eccentric Enid embarks on her own quest to find her place in a world she clearly questions. (“O,” 91 minutes, released by Lion’s Gate Films, Rated R; “Ghost World,” 111 minutes, released by United Artists, Rated R. Call 777-Film for venues.)

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