The Downtown Independent has a winning line-up this weekend! Everyone's favorite Adonis warlock has been booted from the small screen, but Charlie Sheen truly explodes on the big screen! The Charlie Sheen Weekend Bender features Wall Street on Friday night, and a tenacious trio of The Chase, Hot Shots & Major League on Saturday! Between films, the Bender boasts #tigerblood competitions & a Charlie Sheen Lookalike contest. Fans of the Downtown Independent have also started a #wewantcharlie campaign on Twitter in an attempt to lure the actor away from his "goddesses" and into an appearance at the event. more ›

Somebody must have sat on a scarab beetle, because the Egyptian hits the ground running this weekend! Friday, party with Native Wayne (formerly of KROQ, currently of Indie 103.1) and pour out a little Red Stripe in memory of Perry Henzell, whose 1972 classic The Harder They Come introduced the world to the heights of reggae more ›

There’s a launch party and reading at Skylight Books of Peter Gadol’s brand-new novel Silver Lake, set in...Silver Lake. In his seventh book, Gadol chronicles two architects’ happy life together, and how that happiness is shattered by a peculiar, yet attractive, stranger. The reading begins at 7:30 pm. Free. more ›

My first month in Los Angeles, I worked a short stint at Hollywood's El Capitan Theatre, and one of the Mouse's lesser-known secrets is the large number of foreign exchange workers employed at the snack bar. I remember the Thai teens best; they were all sweet kids, and it's in their honor that I recommend the Thai Film Miracles Festival at the Arclight. Well, them and Tony Jaa, who steps behind the camera between bouts for the sequel to his muay-thai masterpiece Ong-Bak. For those with tastes running more regal, Princess Ubolratana makes her dramatic debut in Where The Miracle Happens, and the oldest surviving Thai film, The King Of The White Elephant, makes a rare theatrical appearance. And to seal the deal, each of these screenings are free with RSVP! more ›

Barack Obama bested the Presidential campaign by reaching across all places and people. It seems only fitting that his inauguration week bears a similarly dynamic platform: from the earliest cinematic pioneers to the latest digital technologies, from campy cult comedies to maverick macho westerns, from classic actors to Jean Claude Van Damme, from sea to shining sea. This is why I love L.A. Nay, this is why I love America! more ›

New to DVD today is Humboldt County, an introspective character piece by novice writer/director duo, Darren Grodsky and Danny Jacobs (both also act in the film). The film follows disenchanted medical student, Peter (Jeremy Strong), as he spends a summer lost within the confines of a marijuana commune hidden deep in the backwoods of Northern California. more ›

Though hardly a mainsteam name, George Hickenlooper has managed to carve out a long filmmaking career full of varied and fascinating work. From documentaries (. more ›

The week begins with a John Hayes double feature. In Grave of the Vampire, legendary vampire Kroft awakens and rapes a woman in a graveyard. The resulting child doesn't need milk. He needs… blood! This is paired with Jailbait Babysitter, which stars Therese Pare as a teenager who's turned out by an older prostitute (Lydia Wagner). more ›

Get a chuckle in at Borders on the Third Street Promenade when George Carlin makes an appearance to sign his new book, When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops?, at 7:30 PM. more ›