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Arts & Entertainment

Weekend Movie Guide 04/29: Mo Cars, Mo Money, Mo Vampires, Mo Problems

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Last week, Disney proved itself adept at wrangling packs of wild cats. They follow it up with a deadlier pride of preeners in Prom. Not to burst their bubble, but my prom was neither Fast nor Furious. Luckily, Vin Diesel & Paul Walker were, and they mark their ten-year reunion with Fast Five. It's the third sequel in the high-octane franchise directed by Justin Lin (who once upon a time directed a neat indie thriller, Better Luck Tomorrow), and the first to strap in Dwayne "Can't Stop (Calling Him) The Rock" Johnson as a series villain.

Gonzo documentarian Morgan Spurlock has gone on an all McDonald's™ diet and Orbitz™ed the globe in search of Osama bin Laden. His latest work, Pom Wonderful™ Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold expands beyond Arclight™ Hollywood (where it opened last week) into its sister locations in Sherman Oaks & El Segundo, as well as AMC™ Century City. Never one to Xerox™ his previous subjects, Spurlock's latest takes a "fair and balanced"™ look at how trademarks & product placement play into the financing of Blockbusters™. In metatextual fashion, Pom Wonderful™ Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold's case study is its own funding through corporate contributors. Very Funny™!

Then it's three times the thrills! Dylan Dog: Dead Of Night opens in wide release, with Stake Land & Rift in limited at the Laemmle's. Adapted from an Italian comic, Dylan Dog stars Brandon Routh (Superman Returns, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World) as a human detective who investigates crimes committed amongst a supernatural community of vampires, werewolves & zombies. In terms of tone, it looks somewhere between the Hellboy & Night Watch films.

Stake Land is a much bleaker, grittier scenario. Set in a post-apocalyptic America awash with bloodsuckers, a vampire hunter must escort a teenager to relative safety before they both become unwilling blood donors. Rift's plot hinges on unsolved murders, cult rituals & unseen evil, but the film itself is a force for good. The film's producers will donate this weekend's theatrical grosses to the Red Cross to assist in Japanese relief efforts. Real fear fans abhor real-life horrors!

Looking for something further off the beaten path? Check out our weekly Film Calendar, spotlighting the best of LA's repertory theaters, midnight movies & special events. See you at the movies!

Wide Release
Dylan Dog: Dead Of Night (Showtimes)
Fast Five (Showtimes) (IMAX Showtimes)
Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil (Showtimes) (3D Showtimes)
Prom (Showtimes)

Limited Release
13 Assassins (2010) (Nuart Theatre)
The Double Hour (2009) (The Landmark)
Exporting Raymond (2011) (Laemmle's Monica 4-Plex) (Laemmle's Playhouse 7) (Laemmle's Sunset 5) (Laemmle's Town Center 5)
The Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival (Laemmle's Sunset 5)
Making the Boys (2009) (Laemmle's Sunset 5)
Meek's Cutoff (2010) (Laemmle's Music Hall 3)
Pom Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold (AMC Century City 16) (Arclight Beach Cities) (Arclight Hollywood) (Arclight Sherman Oaks)
Rift (2011) (Laemmle's Music Hall 3)
Stake Land (2010) (Laemmle's Sunset 5)
Sympathy for Delicious (2010) (Laemmle's Sunset 5)

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Featured Trailers
Pom Wonderful™ Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold

Stake Land

Rift

Dylan Dog: Dead Of Night

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Fast Five

Prom

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