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What’s Playing? From 'Bram Stoker’s Dracula' to 'Wallace & Gromit,' Our Weekend Movie Picks Around LA
Brain Dead Studios on Fairfax Ave in Los Angeles on March 31, 2024.
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Julie Leopo
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LAist
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Weekend coming back around in L.A.? That means it's movie time! Below, we have some choice picks from independent movie theaters around the city — from Christopher Nolan to claymation, there's something for everyone on this list.
For the Batman fans
The Dark Knight
Gardena Cinema
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Friday, May 24 and Saturday, May 25 @ multiple showtimes
Tickets are $12, more info here.
Synopsis: It’s not an exaggeration to say that Christopher Nolan’s take on Batman changed superhero movies forever. The caped crusader (Christian Bale) and the Joker (an Oscar-winning performance from Heath Ledger) face off in this dark comic book movie about surveillance states and the nature of justice.
You’ll like this if … you dig the rainy darkness and race-against-the-clock thriller elements of films like Se7en, or Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the Lambs is one of your favorite villains.
For the coming-of-age angst
Turning Red (Accessible screening)
The Academy Museum’s Ted Mann Theater
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Saturday, May 25 @ 11 a.m.
Tickets are $10, more info here.
Synopsis: 13-year-old Mei is desperate to see her favorite boy band, but her problems are a little bigger than fandom and teen angst when she discovers a family secret — when emotions run high, the women in her family turn into giant red pandas. Turning Red had a limited theatrical release when it initially came out in 2022, so this is your chance to see the red panda hijinks on a big screen! This family matinee is an accessible screening, offering open captions, dim lighting, and reduced volume.
You’ll like this if … You’ve enjoyed other recent Pixar offerings like Luca, or if Petite Maman and Everything Everywhere All at Once made you wish you and your mom understood each other better, or you love friendship-focused stories like Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.
For the daydreamers
Desperately Seeking Susan
American Cinematheque at the Los Feliz 3
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Saturday, May 25 @ 4 p.m.
Tickets are $8-13, more info here.
Synopsis: Madonna’s first major big-screen role! She plays the titular Susan, an impossibly cool woman exchanging personal ads in the newspaper that catch the eye of bored housewife Roberta Glass (Rosanna Arquette). Lost memories, mistaken identities and mob-related shenanigans ensue.
You’ll like this if … you dig the mid-80s fashion, cool girl crimes and yuppie skewering of Something Wild, or if you wish The Parent Trap had higher stakes.
For the vampire lovers
Bram Stoker’s Dracula
Vidiots
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Saturday, May 25 @ 9:45 p.m.
Tickets are $12 , more info here.
Synopsis: Romance! Dreamy gothic vibes! Horror! Set in the 19th century, Winona Ryder and Keanu Reeves play lovers threatened by the titular Dracula (Gary Oldman). Teaming up with vampire hunter Van Helsing (Anthony Hopkins), will they be able to stop the vampire’s reign of terror in this Francis Ford Coppola-directed, star-studded flick?
You’ll like this if … Winona Ryder’s costumes and demeanor in Beetlejuice or Edward Scissorhands shaped your personality, or you’re ready to make the jump from Twilight to bloodier fare.
For the stop-motion fanatics
Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
Brain Dead Studios
Sunday, May 26 @ 1 p.m.
Tickets are $13 (kids under 10 free!), more info here.
Synopsis: Affable inventor Wallace and his brilliant companion Gromit have been handling garden pests in their charming English town. But when an invention goes awry, there’s a mystery to handle and a dangerous creature on the loose, threatening the yearly veggie growing contest! Directed by Nick Park, this is a sumptuous claymation feature length adventure.
You’ll like this if … you’ve enjoyed the humor and animation style of Chicken Run, the Wallace & Gromit short films, or Shaun the Sheep.
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