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Weekend Movie Guide 07/29: Cowboys, Kids & Aliens
Cowboys & Aliens courtesy Universal Pictures
We like cowboys, we like aliens, but we're having trouble rounding up excitement for Cowboys & Aliens. The credits pack a lot of heat, but where's the cattle?
Daniel Craig leads the cast as a drifter with an alien ace up on his sleeve. Harrison Ford squares off against him as a corrupt sheriff. Supporting cast includes Sam Rockwell, Paul Dano (There Will Be Blood), Abigail Spencer (Mad Men) & Keith Carradine (Dexter). The Grade A talent behind the camera carry nerd cred a mile long: Jon Favreau directs; Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman (the Star Trek reboot), Damon Lindelof (Lost) and Mark Fergus & Hawk Ostby (Children of Men) contributed to the screenplay; and producers include Ryan Kavanaugh (3:10 to Yuma), Ron Howard & Steven Spielberg.
For such a pulpy title, the trailer's awful serious. There's none of the humor that brought Iron Man down to earth, and the sleepy desert setting supplies a mere handful of buildings to blow up. Even with Craig's extraterrestrial equalizer, it's hard to buy this as anything close to a fair fight. Luckily, it isn't the only alien action this weekend.
It's accents against aliens at ArcLight Hollywood when space invaders Attack the Block. The South London-set action-comedy finds a group of teens defending their housing project - and maybe the world - from fanged space creatures. The film won the Audience Award last month at the LA Film Festival and looks to launch its intergalactic irreverence this weekend. Executive producer & all-around excellent Englishman Edgar Wright hosts a special Q&A following tonight's 8:30 showing.
Are you an adventurous film-goer? Check out our weekly guide to the best of LA's repertory theaters, exclusive screenings & midnight movies. In honor of the forthcoming Fright Night remake, we've covered a few choice summer frights.
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Wide Release
Cowboys & Aliens (Reviews) (Showtimes)
Crazy, Stupid, Love (Reviews) (Showtimes)
The Smurfs (Reviews) (Showtimes) (3D Showtimes)
Limited Release
Attack The Block (Reviews) (ArcLight Hollywood)
The Devil's Double (Reviews) (ArcLight Hollywood) (The Landmark)
Good Neighbors (Reviews) (Laemmle's Sunset 5)
The Guard (Reviews) (The Landmark)
Life in a Day (Reviews) (Laemmle's Monica 4-Plex) (Laemmle's Playhouse 7) (Laemmle's Sunset 5)
The Maya Indie Film Series (Laemmle's Sunset 5)
Myth of the American Sleepover (Reviews) (Nuart Theatre)
Nine Nation Animation (Laemmle's Music Hall 3)
Point Blank (Reviews) (Laemmle Theatres)
The Sleeping Beauty (Reviews) (Laemmle's Sunset 5)
That's all for this week. See you at the movies!
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You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
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