June 6, 2011 Arts & Entertainment Downtown News 15 Close Encounters of the Third Kind at Pershing Square Crime Writers o city is harder boiled than . n the past few years, the Friday Night Flicks series has become one of the most NThis is due less to historic events than Ipopular events in Downtown, and crowds flock to the free showings in Pershing Panel to the imaginative writers who pen crime sto- Square. It’s on again this summer, and starts with a bang July 15 with Steven at the Central Library ries set in the underside of the City of Angels. Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind. All movies will be shown after dark Private detective Philip Marlowe may be L.A.’s on a 40-by-20 foot screen at the park. The lineup runs all the way through Oct. 28. supreme bad-guy mystery solver, but Raymond Other highlights include Young Sherlock Holmes July 22, Raiders of the Lost Ark Aug. 5 Chandler’s creation was just the start of a long - and, on July 29, Mommy Dearest, with Faye Dunaway portraying screen legend Joan tradition that’s still alive and potboiling to Crawford’s abusive relationship with her adopted children. Maybe leave the kids at day. On July 14, the Aloud series hosts four home for that one. modern crime writers for a Central Library At 532 S. Olive St., (213) 847-4970 or laparks.org/pershingsquare. panel discussion on their genre, and the stories- that keep even them up at night. And some body give whoever wrote the event’s tagline —- “We murder, so you don’t have to” — a sin cere pat on the back. Paula Woods (Charlotte Justice) moderates the talk with Gar Anthony Haywood (Cemetery Road), Naomi Hirahara (Blood Hina) and Mark Haskell Smith (Baked). photo from the Herald-Examiner Collection, courtesy of the Los Angeles Public Library At 630 W. Fifth St., (213) 228-7500 or lfla.org.

n 2004, John Hennessy had a vision: Do a City I Leonard Gary by photo one-day, Los Angeles- specific version of the hit e at Dodger TV show “The Amazing raC Race.” His RaceL.A. was a at Olvera Street huge success, and in 2007- it spawned the short re you feeling cramped in your Downtown apartment? Here’s a thought: er CityRace. The three-hour scavenger contests take place in ATake a trip to for the June 24-26 against the hunt/puzzle-solving Anaheim Angels — you’ll get both a little summer evening entertainment and the various neighborhoods, and on June 25, chance to literally stretch out. The Dodgers’ ownership issues have soured fans’ re- the race returns to El Pueblo and Olvera lationship with the team, and they’re not so hot on the field these days either. With Street. Teams of two to four players get attendance falling, that’s good for bargain hunters who delight in cheap seats, a a clue at 10 a.m., launching them into a spacious stadium and folks who just want to take in a ballgame for old time’s sake. challenging, fun event that has the bonus of DodgersAnd, because there are so few vs. people, yourAngels chance to catch a fly ball has increased imparting a wealth of information about the significantly! So bring a glove. area where Los Angeles was founded in 1781. photo by Gary Leonard At 1000 Elysian Park Ave, (323) 224-1507 or dodgers.com. Registration at racela.com.