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Arts and Entertainment

Weekend Movie Guide: 4th of July Edition!

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Please see this movie instead of that awful Will Smith garbage! | Photo courtesy of Sony Classics

If you don't want to deal with the crowds that will invariably shuffle mindlessly into Hancock, take the time see a movie that is actually funny and entertaining. Take the time to see The Wackness. Ben Kingsley's long streak of great roles continues. Here he plays a stoned psychiatrist to Josh Peck. Peck was forgettable in Drillbit Taylor, but here he shines as a petty drug dealer pursuing the transcendent Olivia Thirlby.

Like it or not, Will Smith is the biggest movie star on the planet right now. The fact that his lone talent seems to be "generic likability" doesn't appear to matter to anyone so Hancock will obviously be a huge hit. It's really a shame that Smith chose this project because the underlying premise has potential--what would it be like to be the only superhuman being on the planet. If only someone else were playing the title role.

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Alex Gibney may be the best documentary filmmaker out there right now. After winning an Oscar for Taxi to the Dark Side, he returns to the big screen with Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson. Thompson's eclectic circle of friends (Johnny Depp and Jimmy Carter?) reminisce about his unusual life. There's no shortage of Thompson material out there, but Gonzo is a good primer for the uninitiated.

Tickets, Showtimes, Reviews and Previews after the jump!

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Will Smith stars in another movie that would have been better without him. | Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures

Tickets & Showtimes

The Wackness
Hancock
Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson

Reviews

Support for LAist comes from

The Wackness
Hancock
Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson

Previews

The Wackness

Hancock

Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson

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