Tonight’s showing of “Dirty Dancing” has been cancelled because of stormy weather.

We hope you’ll plan to attend next week’s movie “True Grit.”

The Little Rock Film Festival and Movies in the Park are proud to present the classic 1977 film Smokey and the Bandit, outdoors at the Riverfest Amphitheater, as the closing night film of the 2011 Little Rock Film Festival. Legendary Hollywood stuntman and director Hal Needham will be on hand to introduce the film, and take photos in front of a film perfect replica of the Smokey Pontiac Firebird Trans-Am.

“Smokey,” aka Sheriff Buford T. Justice (Jackie Gleason), is the prospective father-in-law of unwilling bride Carrie (Sally Field). The Bandit (Burt Reynolds), a maverick race car driver, makes an $80,000 bet that he can transport a shipment of Coors beer from Texarkana, Texas, to Atlanta within 28 hours.

It’s important to note that in 1977, it was illegal to sell the Coors brand east of the Mississippi River without a permit. Already in danger of arrest from redneck lawmen like Buford T. Justice, Bandit furthers his chances at a stiff jail term when he offers a ride to Carrie, who hopes to escape her unwanted wedding to Justice’s boy. Debuting the same year as Star Wars, Smokey and the Bandit became an instant Southern classic and reaped close to $50 million at the box office and led to two sequels.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (May 16, 2011) – Movies in the Park, the popular outdoor free movie night at the Riverfest Amphitheater, announces its 2011 summer schedule with a diverse list of blockbuster titles beginning June 1.

Movies in the Park begins its seventh season with special thanks to sponsors The River Market, The Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau, Stone Ward, B98.5, City of Little Rock, Downtown Little Rock Partnership, and Sumotext. Movies will play weekly at dusk on Wednesday nights through July 27.

“Movies in the Park has become a new southern, summer pastime for Little Rock families to come together and enjoy all of the cultural offerings of the downtown entertainment district,” said Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau President and CEO Gretchen Hall. “We look forward to another record-breaking attendance season and welcome everyone to participate in the continued growth and vitality of Little Rock.”

The 2011 schedule includes:

• June 1 - Twilight: New Moon (PG-13)
• June 8 – Star Trek (2009) (PG-13)
• June 15 – Notting Hill (PG-13)
• June 22 - How to Train your Dragon (PG)
• June 29 - Ghost Busters (PG)
• July 6 - The Hangover (R)
• July 13 – Dirty Dancing (PG-13)
• July 20 – True Grit (2010) (PG-13)
• July 27 - Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (original 1971 version) (G)

Families, picnics and pets are invited to the park to enjoy movies under the stars. The amphitheater will open an hour before film showings and movies will start at sundown each week. For more information visit MoviesInTheParkLR.net.

A comprehensive list of all River Market events and information this season can be found at RiverMarket.info or by calling the River Market at (501) 375-2552.

For those you that have inquired about the film tonight, “The Wizard of Oz” will be shown at sundown at the Riverfest Amphitheater.

For those of you that have asked about the weather, The Blind Side will proceed as scheduled on June 16th. This will be our final announcement on the matter.

Opening Night Party Wednesday, June 9th 5:30pm – 7:30 pm at River Market Pavilion East, $20 at the door.

-Brought to you by Create Little Rock and Movies in the Park

Tonight’s screening of “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” has been canceled due to rain. The film will not be rescheduled for the 2009 season, rather it will kick off the 2010 year.

Juliet Lapidos, writing for Slate.com, offers her thoughts on outdoor movies. In short she hates them. Her reasons: its uncomfortable, too dark, no air conditioning, and talking.

Clearly, she’s never been to Movies in the Park in Little Rock. I’m offering her an open invitation to join us anytime this summer. Hopefully she’ll take me on it.