Valley Life Digest || The 5

“Cowboys & Aliens,” which arrived in theaters Friday, is taking a gamble by blending two disparate genres. It’s one thing to make a romantic comedy, but a sci-fi-Western? Here are five of the riskiest genre-blending movies of all time, some of which exploded and some of which fizzled.

v “Predator” (1987): It starts with Arnold Schwarzenegger leading commandos through a jungle, then introduces a heat-sensing creature from outer space. The unlikely combo worked so well it spawned four more films.

v “An American Werewolf in London” (1981): John Landis’ horror-comedy mixed both genres in equal measure. One minute, the lycanthrope David (David Naughton) is tearing apart a victim, the next he’s chatting with his undead, rotting friend Jack (Griffin Dunne). Still a classic.

v “Brick” (2005): Joseph Gordon- Levitt, Meagan Good and Lukas Haas star in this brutal film noir set in high school. Terrific reviews did not equal box-office success.

v “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” (2010): Michael Cera stars as an indie-rock slacker and superhero in this cross-cultural, multigenre mash-up. Though fast-paced, funny and wildly inventive, it proved too much even for today’s multitasking youth.

v “Behind the Green Door” (1972): An unlikely mix of art-film and hard-core porn, it became a mainstream hit and launched Marilyn Chambers to stardom.

Rust Belt workshop for young actors

YOUNGSTOWN

Rust Belt Theater Company’s Studio for Young Actors will have a summer workshop for students age 12 to 24. The workshop will focus on creating and producing original work, as well as adapting classic and contemporary material for the stage.

Participants will work with local actors, directors, artists and musicians. The program is free for students, and newcomers are welcome. Rehearsals will take place weekdays beginning Monday and will end with public performances Aug. 20 and 21.

There will be an informational meeting at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the chapel at the Calvin Center, 755 Mahoning Ave., near downtown Youngstown. Those who would like to participate but cannot attend the meeting can contact the theater at 330-507-2358, or via email at rustbelttheater@aol.com.

Canfield concert band plans show

CANFIELD

The Canfield Community Concert Band will perform for free on the Village Green at 7 p.m. Monday in one of its final concerts of the summer season and is free and open to the public. The 52-member band is under the direction of Anthony Cebriak.

The band’s final summer concert will be at 3 p.m. Sept. 4 at the Canfield Fair.