fri, oct 17

FILM | Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

The Undergraduate Council continues their Friday-night screenings of recent Hollywood blockbusters with this entertaining, slapdash Disney amusement-park gem. Go to drool over Orlando Bloom or Kiera Knightley—or Johnny Depp with eyeliner, who steals the entire show. 8 p.m., $3, students $1. Science Center B. (TIH)

DANCE | Undercurrents

The latest presentation of the 18-year-old Jose Mateo’s Ballet Theatre. In it, lead couple Elizabeth Scherban Shinzawa and Parren Ballard take Mateo’s trademark vertical choreography to the next level with even more leaps and lifts. Fri.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 4 p.m., and Thurs. at 8 p.m. through October 26, $28; at the Sanctuary Theatre, 400 Harvard St., Cambridge. (AJB)

DANCE | Rennie Harris

Rennie Harris/Facing Mekka is hip hop theatre at its best. Harris’ raw dance talent, honed on the streets of North Philadelphia, is displayed with 11 dancers, four live musicians, a DJ and a video montage. The piece puts hip hop in a global context to celebrate dance as a universal language. Fri. at 7 p.m., Sat. at 8 p.m., and Sun. at 2 p.m. $25-$45; the Cutler Majestic Theatre, 219 Tremont St., Boston. (AJB)

DANCE | Seidman Says Dance

“Body Languages,” a Seidman presentation, is composed of eight separate works. It features modern dance works by Boston/Vermont-based choreographer Susan Seidman, as well as works and premieres by guest choreographers Susan Barnard of New Hampshire, and Boston yoga-dance artist Stefani Reitter. Fri.-Sat. at 8 p.m. $15, $12 for students, seniors; Green Street Studios, 185 Green St., Cambridge. (AJB)

MUSIC | Interpol with Elefant and the Occasion

Interpol’s full length debut, Turn on the Bright Lights, has catapulted them from an underground New York City phenomenon to the national stage. Catch them with Elefant, another New York act, and the Occasion before they get too famous. 7 p.m., $20 general admission, 18+. Avalon, 15 Lansdowne St., Boston. (AJB)

MUSIC| The Coffeehouse

Organized by Women In Color, the event will bring themes such as gender, race, class and sexuality together with riveting art and entertainment. Student performers include new band Forced Premise (comprised of four Lampoon dudes) and singer-songwriters Liz Carlisle and Juliet Girard, as well as a spate of spoken word artists. Promises to be a funky and liberating show, with complementary coffee and donuts. 8 p.m. Friday. $3 door. Winthrop JCR. (RJK)

MUSIC | DJ Sammy

Hailing from Spain, DJ Sammy has crossed the pond for Avalon’s Friday Avaland spectacle. As a DJ and music producer in Europe for over 15 years, he is best known in the United States as the producer of “Heaven” and “Boys of Summer.” 10 p.m., $20 cover, 19+. Avalon, 15 Lansdowne St., Boston. (AJB)

MUSIC | Evan Dando with Vic Chestnutt

Former Lemonheads frontman Evan Dando mounts his first solo tour since disbanding the Lemonheads more than seven years ago. He shares the stage with Vic Chestnutt, an Athens, Ga. based songwriter touring to support his first album, /Silver// //Lake/. 9 p.m., $16, 18+. Paradise Rock Club, 967 Comm. Ave., Boston. (AJB)

MUSIC | Gov’t Mule, Chris Robinson and New Earth Mud

Gov’t Mule, a visceral blues and jazz-based band, meets up with Chris Robinson and his band, New Earth Mud. Go to hear Robinson’s music instead of seeing his picture in the tabloids with pregnant wife Kate Hudson. 7:30 p.m., $25, Orpheum Theatre, Hamilton Place, Boston. (AJB)

MUSIC | PW Long, Antler, The Brought Low

Singer-Songwriter PW Long is back after a five-year hiatus. After serving in hillbilly rock bands Mule and Redfoot, he has released a solo album, Remembered. Long is joined by The Brought Low, who can only be described as the best Southern Rock band you’re going to find in Brooklyn and Antler. 9 p.m., $9; 18+. Middle East Upstairs. (AJB)

READINGS | Andrea Di Robilant

Andrea Di Robilant reads from A Venetian Affair. 7 p.m. Free. Wordsworth Books. (AJB)

READINGS | John McWhorter

John McWhorter reads from Doing Our Own Thing: The Degradation of Language and Music and Why We Should, Like, Care. 3 p.m. Free. Harvard Book Store. (AJB)

sat, oct 18

DANCE | Chhandika

The Chhandam Institute of Kathak Dance presents “Naya Deep” (New Light), a concert of traditional North Indian dance with live accompaniment in celebration of the season of Diwali. Soloist Gretchen Hayden guest stars. 7:30 p.m. $20 general, $15 students. MIT’s Little Kresge Theater, 48 Mass Ave. (MO)

MUSIC | Josh Rouse, Leona Naess

Josh Rouse, a country singer-songwriter from Nebraska, shares the stage with British alt-rocker Leona Naess. Rouse played in both punk bands and school orchestras while in high school and his current songs reflect the influence of both. Naess’ soulful indie-pop style has been compared to that of Liz Phair and Alanis Morissette. 8 p.m. $10. Paradise Rock Club, 967 Commonwealth Ave., Boston. (MO)

MUSIC | Beulah, John Vanderslice

If you enjoy John Vanderslice’s southern indie-rock set this Saturday, visit his website to download the latest songs from this vocal advocate of free internet music. He will perform with Beulah, an upbeat yet mellow group that features everything from percussion to strings to subtle melodies. 8 p.m. $10 in advance, $12 at the door. 18+. The Middle East Downstairs, 472 Mass. Ave. (MO)

MUSIC | Bob Weir and Ratdog

Former Grateful Dead guitarist Bob Weir teams up with Grammy-winning bassist Rob Wasserman to perform as Ratdog, a mellow acoustic duo. 8 p.m. $35, $25. Orpheum Theater, 1 Hamilton Pl., Boston. (MO)

MUSIC | Kris Delmhorst CD Release, Peter Mulvey

Kris Delmhorst celebrates the release of his new CD “Five Stories” with guest acoustic guitarist Peter Mulvey. Delmhorst is a singer-songwriter and artist from Brooklyn whose warm folk-pop style is influenced by country, gospel, and jazz. 8 p.m. $19.50. Somerville Theater, 55 Davis Square, Somerville. (MO)

MUSIC | Holly Golightly, Ko and the Knockouts, Dame Fate

Singer-songwriter Holly Golightly sets out on her own after touring with The White Stripes to perform her bluesy garage rock here in Boston. Ko and the Knockouts is a garage-rock trio from Detroit, led by the uniquely mesmerizing Ko Shih. Dame Fate is a darker, more caustic rock quartet from Washington, D.C. 9 p.m. $9. The Middle East, 472 Mass. Ave. (MO)

READINGS | Candlelite Open Bark Poetry Night

Local poet Deborah Priestly hosts this open performance of music, songs, poetry, and spoken word in the Out of the Blue Gallery. 8 p.m. $3-5 donation. Out of the Blue Gallery, 106 Prospect St. (MO)

MISC | “I Could Be Happy with You: A Conscious Cabaret”

Conscious Cabaret presents an evening of song exploring family life, marriage, career choices, generational differences, and changing gender roles. The show is intended to inspire dialogue and will be followed by a moderated discussion between the audience and the cast. 8 p.m. $15, $13 BACA members. Cambridge Center for Adult Education, 56 Brattle St. (MO)

sun, oct 19

MISC | Eric Idle

Monty Python Eric Idle sings, performs skits and wears silly clothing for his “Greedy Bastard Tour” now visiting Boston. 7:30 PM. $55, $40. Orpheum Theatre, 1 Hamilton Pl., Boston. (ADH)

MUSIC | Dare Diablo

This NYC instrumental bass-drum-organ trio delivers tunes just complex enough to be interesting and just simple enough to be good. 9:00 PM. $9; 18+. Middle East (Upstairs), 472 Mass. Ave. (ADH)

MUSIC | Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci, Kingsbury Manx

The mellow Welsh band Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci, with music almost as foreign-sounding as its name as its name, joins the North Carolina guitar band Kingsbury Manx. $10; 18+. Middle East (Downstairs), 480 Mass. Ave. (ADH)

READING | Mark Zanger

Mark Zanger reads from his The American History Cookbook, a book of recipes, able to be made in a modern kitchen, for historical American foods from 1524 to 1977. 3 p.m. Free and open to the public. Jamaicaway Books, 676 Centre St., Jamaica Plain. (ADH)

MUSIC | Regis Philbin and Susan Lucci in Concert

If you’ve ever wanted to hear talk show host Regis Philbin and TV actress Susan Lucci perform in concert with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, this is your chance. 4:00 p.m. $55. Boston Symphony Hall, 301 Massachusetts Ave, Boston. (ADH)

MUSIC | Bob Schneider, with Jeff Klein

Austin-based singer-songwriters Bob Schneider and Jeff Klein perform country- and indie-flavored rock. Doors open at 7:00 PM. $15; 18+. Paradise Rock Club, 967 Commonwealth Ave., Boston. (ADH)

mon, oct 20

MUSIC | Brian Jonestown Massacre, High Strung

The obscure (and sometimes inflammatory) but well-received psychedelic band Brian Jonestown Massacre joins the garage-style punk group High Strung. 9:00 PM. $10; 18+. Middle East (Upstairs), 472 Mass Ave. (ADH)

READING | Lawrence Douglas

Lawrence Douglas, professor of law and jurisprudence at Amherst College, reads from his 2001 book The Memory of Judgment: Making Law and History in the Trials of the Holocaust, which examines five different trials of Nazi war criminals. Free and open to the public. Kennedy School, Malkin Penthouse, Littauer Building. (ADH)

tue, oct 21

MUSIC | Barenaked Ladies

Toronto’s Barenaked Ladies, best known for their fusion of rap and catchy pop in the cleverly written single “One Week,” will open their new headlining tour in Boston on the day their new CD, Everything for Everyone, is released. The Ladies will foster an intimate setting at the Orpheum by promoting the audience’s interaction with the band through a mid-concert Q&A session. 7:30 p.m. $40. Orpheum Theater, 1 Hamilton Pl., Boston. (JM)

MUSIC | Superchunk

With thirteen albums under their belt, indie rock band Superchunk knows a thing or two about preserving one’s allure amidst the often-homogeneous batch of alternative rock. The latest of their albums, Cup of Sand, is a two disc compilation that traces the band’s diverse sonorous endeavors and serves as an example of what the band does best: deliver singles. 8 p.m. $12; 18+. The Middle East Downstairs, 472 Mass. Ave., Cambridge. (JM)

MUSIC | Drunk Horse, Bongzilla, On Trial

A retro blend of hard rock and the blues, Drunk Horse’s third album, Adult Situations, is a throwback to classic 70s rock while still remaining unique through the edgy modern punk that’s thrown in the mix. The slow yet loud and angry tunes of Bongzilla lash at the country’s current marijuana laws in their third release, Gateway. Denmark-based On Trial, armed with their third album titled Blinded By The Sun, evoke the psychedelic 60s through the use of the organ and the sitar. 9:00 p.m. $9; 18+. The Middle East Upstairs, 472 Mass. Ave., Cambridge. (JM)

READING | Sherwin Nuland

Surgeon and best-selling author Nuland dialogues on his new book, The Doctor’s Plague: Germs, Childbed Fever, and the Strange Story of Ignac Semmelweis, a medical detective story about Semmelweis, a figure remembered for his establishment of the notion that doctors must wash their hands prior to examining patients. Free. Harvard Book Store, 1256 Mass. Ave., Cambridge. (JM)

THEATER | Say Goodnight, Gracie

The critically acclaimed Broadway play allows audiences to experience an entertainment-infused American century through George Burns’ eyes. Renowned stage and screen actor Frank Gorshin assumes the role of Burns, an interpretation that earned him the coveted 2003 Outer Critics Circle Award. Runs through November 2. 8:00 p.m. $25-$67. Wilbur Theatre, 246 Tremont St., Boston. (JM)

MISC | Eddie Izzard

Emmy Award-winning comedian and actor Eddie Izzard is in the midst of the largest tour his career has seen yet. His cleverly surreal humor is likely to make “Sexie” a show to rival the success of his HBO one-man show “Dress to Kill,” while his side project-appearance on Broadway’s “A Day in the Death of Joe Egg” has earned him a Tony Award nomination. Runs through October 25. 8:00 p.m. $40-$60. Shubert Theatre, 246 Tremont St., Boston. (JM)

weds, oct 22

MUSIC | Love with Arthur Lee – The Forever Changes Concert

The band Love and it’s legendary frontman, Arthur Lee, blazed a path through ’60s L.A. that produced Forever Changes, one of the undisputed masterpieces of the era. 8 p.m. $25; 21+. Paradise Rock Club, 969 Commonwealth Ave., Boston. (JM)

MUSIC | The Pharcyde, People Under the Stairs

The funky trio The Pharcyde have seemed to be on the verge of breakout fame since their entry into the hip hop scene in 1992. Their 2000 release, Plain Rap, made the possibility seem not so far away with a blues-influenced sound and more mature lyrics. The People Under the Stairs’ brand-new album, Or Stay Tuned, features an eclectic mix of songs sure to satisfy fans of the L.A. based duo. 8:00 p.m. $20, 18+. The Middle East Downstairs, 472 Mass. Ave., Cambridge. (JM)

MUSIC | Bettie Serveert

After a five year long absence, the Dutch group Bettie Serveert emerges with their fifth studio album, Log 22 and their characteristic heavy guitar sound. 11:00 p.m. T.T. The Bear’s Place, 10 Brookline St., Cambridge. (JM)

MUSIC | The Decemberists

With a strong acoustic sound, The Decemberists use simplicity in both lyrics and sound to sing about 19th century life. 9:00 p.m. $9; 18+. The Middle East Upstairs, 472 Mass. Ave., Cambridge. (JM)

READING | Katharine Weber

Inspired by Louisa May Alcott’s classic, Weber’s The Little Women tells the story of three sisters (Jo, Meg and Amy) whose disappointment with both their mother’s affair and their father’s dismissive attitude about it lead them to live on their own with Meg acting in as their mother. Free. Harvard Book Store, 1256 Mass. Ave., Cambridge. (JM)

thurs, oct 23

VISUALS | The Fluidity of Light

Sponsored by Harvard Real Estate Services, this art installation features pieces from Nicholas Down, George Oommen, and Amy Segami—doctor, architect, and engineer, respectively, hailing from England, India, and China. The Fluidity of Light brings together the work of three artists who share a passion for using the medium of paint to evoke emotion and spirituality. Through Nov. 19. Holyoke Center Exhibition Space, Holyoke Center Arcade. (TIH)

films

Kill Bill: Volume I

Quentin Tarantino’s new film centers on a woman known only as The Bride (Uma Thurman), who awakens from a coma four years after she is nearly assassinated at her wedding party by the elite fighting force to which she once belonged. Once she’s up and about again, The Bride sets out on a mission of revenge against her former compatriots. On paper, Kill Bill: Volume I sounds dangerously close to Charlie’s Angels: there are many martial arts action sequences, all of the main characters are women and one of them is played by Lucy Liu. However, whereas Angels was mindless fun, Kill Bill is a thoughtful and beautiful homage to classic themes and styles while remaining the most fun and exciting film of the year. Within the film, one can see hints of all of Tarantino’s influences and tastes—blaxploitation, spaghetti westerns, Hong Kong kung fu, Japanese samurai, anime—but all are wonderfully adapted to fit into the unique Tarantino vision. (SNJ)

Lost in Translation

Fulfilling the boundless promise exhibited in her debut effort, The Virgin Suicides, director Sofia Coppola crafts a sublime love letter to both Tokyo and transitory friendship with her newest film, Lost in Translation. Hollywood star Bob Harris (Bill Murray) has been shipped off to Japan to hawk Suntory whiskey to the natives. There he encounters Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson), the beautiful wife of a photographer who spends much of her day staring out her window in hopes of somehow finding herself within the city’s skyline. The pair are soon discovering Tokyo culture and a profundity in their friendship that is lacking in their respective marriages. Johansson perfects the prolonged sulk, while Murray delivers his best performance yet, donning the hats of weary voyager, droll companion and cynical mentor with equal comfort. There are plenty of belly laughs to be had along the way, but what remains with the viewer is the significance of the fleeting connection that these two people share. Coppola dreamily lingers on every scene, adorning each of them with the sensation of the aftermath of a first kiss. (BYC)

The Magdalene Sisters

Set in an unconventional nunnery in 1960s Ireland, The Magdalene Sisters is a film about hypocrisy, dogma and the horrible deeds committed as a result of religious hysteria. This fact-based story focuses on the lives of three women who, in one sense or another, are judged by the Catholic Church as having been “sinful” and, as a result, are essentially sentenced to a lifetime of hard labor and abuse at the hands of the Sisters of Mercy in what was known as a Magdalene Laundry. The sins of these women extend from the merely unthinkable—flirting with boys—to the purely satanic bearing a child out of wedlock or being raped by one’s cousin. In reprisal for these transgressions, the nuns of the Laundry subject the women to humiliation, threats of eternal damnation, and pure outright sadism, which all but force the women—many of whom had been entirely sexually innocent prior to their arrival—to sell themselves for the slightest opportunity of escape. Not so much an attack on Catholicism as all religion, this film depicts the needless abuses inflicted upon women in the name of faith. (SNJ)

Mambo Italiano

Mambo Italiano opens with promise: warm coloring, fluid camerawork and appealing Italian-themed scenes, with the family eating gelato. We are introduced to in-the-closet Angelo (Luke Kirby), a young Italian man from Montreal finally moving out after 27 years of what he calls “the trap,” living at home with his parents, who just want him to meet and fall in love with a nice Italian girl. After Angelo’s new apartment is robbed, he moves in with Nino, a childhood friend who, like Angelo, is gay. But tell their parents? Fugghedaboutit. Mambo Italiano is a mess. Where sexual orientation, ethnic and family issues should be addressed seriously, another joke is made to relieve the tension. The idea of a gay Italian-French-Canadian has a lot of comic potential; in the end, unfortunately, the director is too overwhelmed to stop making jokes and tell what could have been a winning story. (MRR)

School of Rock

Jack Black is not a particularly funny man. He can pull off a one-liner, and he brightly sustains the Chris Farley torch of manic physical clowning, but it’s clear that his comedic range is inversely related to his girth. Fortunately, the producers of School of Rock have forged an ideal vehicle for Black’s brand of mischief, and with a sturdy cast and script behind him, he manages to whip up some of the biggest laughs of the year. Black plays Dewey Finn, a guitarist thrown out of his band, rendering him even less capable of paying the rent that he owes his substitute teacher roommate. Posing as his roommate, he assumes the responsibility of educating a classroom of unusually well-behaved fifth graders, who he discovers to be, rather conveniently, excellent musicians. School of Rock echoes with comic and emotional resonance without getting mired in sentimentality, allowing Black to revel in a role in which he manages to hit all of his notes perfectly. (BJS)

Thirteen

Tracy (Evan Rachel Wood) and Evie (Nikki Reed) have just become teenagers in Thirteen, the story of a nice dorky girl who befriends the most popular girl in junior high and is led into the seedy underbelly of teenage life: drugs, sex and petty crime. Co-written by Reed and based on her own experiences, Thirteen has a refreshingly true perspective: it doesn’t blame anyone for Reed’s interest in the cool clique, it just shows her desire to be a part of it. As Wood follows Reed deeper and deeper into the hole they create for themselves, the movie becomes more and more over the top, but the strong acting keeps it from becoming a cheap, cautionary after-school special. But the key is Holly Hunter, playing Wood’s divorced mother. She embodies a mother who is both easy to hate and rebel against and then, finally, to come back to in an ending that lets the audience forgive all her maternal mistakes in the aura of the true love she shares with her daughter. (ASW)

Under the Tuscan Sun

A bit of late-summer escapism unfolds on the other side of the pond, as a recent divorcee (Diane Lane) flees to Italy, purchases a villa and finds a mysterious foreign love interest. Adapted for the screen by Audrey Well—who also produced and directed—from author Frances Mayes’ bestselling memoir, with a number of departures from the book. In the past, Wells has been responsible for such mixed fare as George of the Jungle, The Truth About Cats and Dogs and The Kid; here she strives to transcend the cliches of the typical romantic romp. An array of complications and subplots flesh out the simple story of one woman falling in love with a countryside estate, a beautiful landscape and a new life. (SWVL)

—Happening was edited by Tiffany I. Hsieh and compiled by Nathan K. Burstein, Tina Rivers, Jordan Walker, M. Patricia Li, William S. Payne, Simon W. Vozick-Levinson, Scoop A. Wasserstein, Audrey J. Boguchwal, Marin J.D. Orlosky, Alexandra D. Hoffer, Jackeline Montalvo and Steven N. Jacobs.

—To submit an event for inclusion in Happening, please e-mail listing information to listings@thecrimson.com.