FILM SNEAK PEEK 'MAKING FACES' AT UCLA'S FOWLER MUSEUM.

Byline: - Valerie Kuklenski

Prosthetic makeup has come a long way since Boris Karloff put on an angular headpiece for the 1931 horror classic ``Frankenstein.''

Beginning Sunday, the UCLA Fowler Museum of Cultural History will offer a special exhibition in praise of the painters and sculptors who have helped actors morph from the human to the inhuman in movies and TV shows such as ``Tales From the Crypt,'' ``Babylon 5'' and ``Buffy the Vampire Slayer.''

``Making Faces, Playing God: Identity and the Art of Transformational Makeup'' is broken into six categories: the demonic, aliens, disguise, old age, impersonations and ``almost human,'' which covers half-animal, half-human figures and other imaginary beings.

``Making Faces'' is one section of a three-part show about movie magic; along with an exhibit of hand-painted movie posters from Ghana; and ``Marquee Madness: The Attack of the 50-Foot Poster,'' a collection of banners, life-size cutouts, mobiles, floor graphics and other promotional materials.

The Fowler, just west of Royce Hall on the UCLA campus, is open noon to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays, until 8 p.m. Thursdays. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for seniors and non-UCLA students, $1 for UCLA students and free for those 17 and under. All admissions are free on Thursdays. Information: [phone] or www.fmch.ucla.edu.

'ZOOT' YOURSELF: Twenty years ago, Luis Valdez adapted his stage musical ``Zoot Suit'' for the big screen with stars Edward James Olmos, Tony Plana, Daniel Valdez and Tyne Daly.

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art is giving it an anniversary showing and reunion at 7:30 tonight as part of the museum's ``Politics and Protest'' film series. Luis Valdez, composer Lalo Guerrero and actress Lupe Ontiveros plan to attend.

``Zoot Suit'' tells of the unjust murder trials of four Latino men in 1942 at the height of racial tensions in Los Angeles and the ``zoot suit'' riots named for the flashy, baggy-cut suits the young men wore.

The film series continues Saturday with the Oscar-winning documentary ``The Life and Times of Harvey Milk,'' about the slain San Francisco supervisor, starting at 7:30 p.m., followed by the 1990 documentary ``Berkeley in the Sixties.''

Tickets are $7 general admission, $5 for museum and AFI members, seniors and students. Tickets may be purchased at the museum ticket office, 5905 Wilshire Blvd., or ordered by calling [phone]. Information: [phone].

MOXIE! GOES SCI-FI: The 2001 Moxie! Santa Monica International Film Festival is in full swing this weekend with screenings, awards, tributes and an out-of-this-world theme.

The festival slate includes 23 features, 13 animated films and 58 shorts playing at the Laemmle Monica 4-Plex and other venues. Panels set for Saturday and Sunday will address movie music, digital video, visual effects, marketing a film in the digital age, the definition of independent film, and the Internet's impact on the industry.

The festival's science-fiction theme is apparent in its tributes to writer Ray Bradbury, model animator Ray Harryhausen and collector Forrest J. Ackerman - who is said to have coined the term sci-fi - as well as in tonight's star-studded fashion show.

The awards gala on Monday will honor the fest's top films, performers and filmmakers in various categories, and Martin Landau will receive a lifetime achievement award. Information: [phone] or www.smff.com.

THE RIGHT TO VOTE: So you wanna vote for movie awards but you forgot to renew your memberships in the appropriate guilds, academies and organizations? Dial up AOL Moviephone or go to www.Moviefone.com on the Web and cast a vote for ``Cast Away,'' or one of Moviefone's other outstanding film nominees: ``Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,'' ``Erin Brockovich,'' ``Gladiator'' or ``Traffic.'' Winners will be announced March 16.

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Photo: Daniel Valdez, left, and Edward James Olmos star in the 1981 movie ``Zoot Suit,'' screening at 7:30 tonight as part of LACMA's ``Politics and Protest'' film series.