Opening in Dallas today, Friday, July 29, 2011 (listed in order of priority):

• ‘Septien.’ Michael Tully’s film, inspired by the Dallas Cowboys’ Rafael Septien and his fall from grace in 1987, follows a former athlete who returns after disappearing for 18 years. It’s received mixed critical reaction, but the ambition and the striking imagery promise a strong vision that’s off the beaten path. (Texas Theatre.) Not previewed. How Septien Inspired ‘Septien,’ at NBCDFW.com.

• ‘Sunny.’ Seven friends reunite, 25 years after they attended junior high school together, in a nostalgic film that is this year’s biggest local release in its native South Korea, (AMC Grapevine Mills 30.) Not previewed. My Asian Film Monthly column at Movies.com (scroll down).

• ‘Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest.’ Actor / filmmaker Michael Rappaport documents the reunion tour and travails of the hugely popular and pioneering hip hop group that splintered apart due to personal issues. (Angelika Dallas, Angelika Plano.) Not previewed. Meg Furey reviews at Pegasus News.

• ‘Night of the Comet.’ Catherine Mary Stewart and Kelli Maroney as Valley Girls who survive a disaster that kills everyone in Los Angeles except them, a Native American man, a pack of zombies, and a group of mad scientists. 1984 was a sweet year, baby. (Texas Theatre.) Recommended.

• ‘Life, Above All.’ A young girl goes in search of her grieving, AIDS-stricken mother. (Angelika Dallas.) Not previewed.

• ‘Sarah’s Key.’ Kristin Scott Thomas stars as an American writer in Paris who investigates the tragic story of a Jewish family rounded up by the Vichy in 1942. (Angelika Dallas, Angelika Plano.) Not previewed.

• ‘A Little Help.’  Jenna Fischer stars as a woman navigating life after her husband dies in post-9/11 suburban New York. Questionable decisions doom this comedy-drama to the waste bin. (AMC Grapevine Mills 30, UA Grand Prairie 10.) My review at Red Carpet Crash. Not recommended.

Wide across the Metroplex (listed alphabetically):

• ‘Cowboys & Aliens.’ Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, and Olivia Wilde team up to battle invaders from space in the Old West. It’s passable entertainment, but not nearly as good as it needs to be. My review at Twitch. Not recommended.

• ‘Crazy, Stupid, Love.’ Steve Carrell and Juliane Moore deal with divorce, while Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone search for that one special someone. If you like your strings pulled, enjoy yourself. My review at Twitch. Not recommended.

• ‘The Smurfs.’ Little blue people run amuck in New York City in an adaptation of the TV series that combines animation and live action. Not previewed.