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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Friday’s openings: chess, storks, presumed magnificence

Dan Webster

The weeks pass, the summer wanes, the nights grow colder … and yet the movies continue to flow in and out of area movie theaters. The same holds for this coming weekend. A tentative list of Friday's openings:

"The Magnificent Seven": Antoine Fuqua ("Training Day," "Southpaw") bypasses the 1960 John Sturges film and reimagines Akira Kurosawa's 1954 original story. No doubt Fuqua will imbue his film with today's penchant for CGI and ultra-violence. Question is, will he pursue the codes of honor that made the first two films so … well, magnificent?

"Storks": Taking up the old myth, writer-director Nicholas Stoller tells the animated story of what happens when a stork is given a rush job on a baby delivery. The good news: Stoller directed "Forgetting Sarah Marshall." The bad: He directed "Neighbors."

"Queen of Katwe": Another inspired-by-real-events drama, this one an adaptation of an ESPN story (and book) about a Ugandan girl from an impoverished background who displays a talent for playing chess. Check and mate.

That's all for now. I'll update as needed.

Finally, negotiations are still in process at the Magic Lantern. Expect to hear more in the coming weeks.