Friday, October 15th

READING | Billy Corgan

Singer-songwriter Billy Corgan of former Smashing Pumpkins fame will read from his newly released collection of poems. Come hear this ever-evolving mind of the ’90s, in the process of writing his first novel, stripped of synthesizers and guitar strings. Free. Harvard Book Store, 1256 Mass Ave. 7 p.m. (JSG)

MUSIC | Capitol Steps

This time of year politics is everywhere. A group of congressional staffers turned songwriters, Capitol Steps take that to heart, using politics as material and putting it to Ella Fitzgerald or a pop number. Song titles include “Fakey Purple Heart” and “Edwards vs. Cheney”. Tickets $30, $27, 22. Harvard Box Office (617) 496-2222. 8:30 p.m. Sanders Theatre. (JSG)

FILM | Infernal Affairs

Remember when knowing about John Woo was the cutting edge of cinematic cool? You know, before he started making claptrap like Paycheck? Well, there is a new Hong Kong action flick that those in the know have been talking about since its 2002 megablockbuster release in its native country: Infernal Affairs. It is the story of a cop who is undercover in the mob and a mob man working undercover as a cop. But this is no namby-pamby Donnie Brasco knockoff. Both sides realize they have a traitor, and the action begins in the classic Hong Kong action style. The remake, to be directed by Martin Scorsese, is already in production. Catch the original now. 7:30 p.m. The Brattle Theater. 16 Brattle St. (SAW)

Saturday, October 16

DANCE | Ain’t No Half Steppin’

This dance benefit concert is put on by the Harvard Society of Black Scientistsand Engineers, which is dedicated to the advancement of minorities in science.Proceeds from the third annual step show will benefit HSBSE’s Science Club forGirls, designed to encourage more young minority women to pursue careers in thesciences. Tickets $7 general; $5 HSBSE members $5. 7:30 p.m. Lowell Lecture Hall. Harvard Box Office (617)496-2222. (MEB)

THEATER | Far Away

A disturbing venture into the world of trauma and abuse. See today’s review. Written by Caryl Gluck, directed by Aoife Spillane-Hinks and produced by Mollie Kirk and Sarah Curtis. The play is presented and sponsored by the Harvard University Committee on Human Rights Studies and the Ann Radcliffe Trust. Loeb Ex. Tickets free at the Loeb Drama Center box office. (617) 547-3800. (JSG)

MUSIC | Boston Early Music Festival Concerts: Fretwork

Called “the world’s leading viol vonsort,” Fretwork features guest artist Emma Kirkby, soprano. Works include English consort songs by Byrd, Wilbye, Tye, Hume, Dowland and Gibbons. A lecture precedes the concert. Tickets are $21-$59, with discounts available for students, senior citizens and groups. (Harvard Box Office) (617) 424-7232. Paine Hall, 8 p.m. (JSG)

MUSIC | Melissa Ferrick

Rolling Stone has described her music as “gritty realism.” Undoubtedly prolific, singer and songwriter Melissa Ferrick celebrates her new album The Other Side. Sanders Theatre, 8 p.m. Tickets are $26/$22. Harvard Box Office (617) 496-2222. (JSG)

MUSIC | Camper Van Beethoven

Where the hell are Camper Van Beethoven? After an extended hiatus, the quirky pop band from the ’80s are back to prove that David Lowery was better off with CVB than he ever was with Cracker. New Roman Times dropped last week, and with Guided By Voices in retirement, CVB may well be the greatest group of aging indie stars under a three-word band name. Stereo 360 opens. Tickets $18, $20 at door. 18+. 8pm. The Middle East Downstairs. (CAK)

Sunday, October 17

FILM | Roy Andersson

Renowned primarily for his ingenious television commercials, Swedish director Roy Andersson, former student of Ingmar Bergman, has also produced celebrated films. The most recent of these, Songs from the Second Floor, won the Prix du Jury of the 2000 Cannes Film Festival. Described as “a searing meditation on millennial decadence” by the Harvard Film Archive, the film is composed of 45 surreal, darkly comedic vignettes that highlight the absurdity of human existence against a dreary European backdrop. As for Andersson’s other films, catch A Swedish Love Story on Wednesday, October 20 at 9 p.m.; Giliap on Tuesday, October 26 at

9:15 p.m.; Something Happened, A World of Glory, and his commercials on Wednesday, November 3 at 9 p.m. Harvard Film Archive. (MEB)

MUSIC | Boston Chamber Music Society

A trio of Beethoven’s chamber works will be performed including the Kreutzer string quintet. The featured performers are clarinetist Thomas Hill, violinists Ida Levin and Harumi Rhodes, violists Marcus Thompson and Jonathan Vinocour, cellist Ronald Thomas and pianist Mihae Lee. Sanders Theatre, 7:30 p.m. Tickets $46/$37/$26/$17. Harvard Box Office (617) 496-2222. (JSG)

MUSIC | Boston Philharmonic Orchestra

The music of Brahms highlights this concert with the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, mezzo-soprano Susan Platts and tenor Thomas Young. Conductor Benjamin Zander hosts a pre-concert talk at 1:45. Sanders Theatre, 3 p.m. Tickets $69/$53/$39/$26 general; $4 off students and senior citizens; half price for Mass. Student rush tickets $8 (cash only), 90 minutes prior to the concert. Harvard Box Office (617) 496-2222. (JSG)

DANCE | Argentine Tango

The Argentine tango is performed in all its glory by world famous dancers Gloria and Eduardo Arquimbau. The couple has been performing for 50 years, beginning with Francisco Canaro’s Orchestra in the 1950’s, yet they never cease to amaze with the brilliant seduction of the tango. The show is co-presented by the Tango Society of Boston. Tickets $20 members, students and seniors, $24 general admission. 7:30 p.m., Museum of Fine Arts (617) 369-3306. (JSG)

MUSIC | Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center

A group of esteemed performers with thriving solo careers assemble in different formats in this chamber series. The New Yorker called this “New York’s supreme chamber music series.” This concert includes a Dvorak bass quintet and Schumann’s “Marchenbilder.” 1:30 p.m., The Isabella Steward Gardner Museum, 280 The Fenway. Tickets $10 students, $20 general. Purchase through TicketWeb (866) 468-7619 or at the door. (JSG)

Monday, October 18

MUSIC | McLusky

Welsh three-piece McLusky brings the pain to Central Square on the heels of their May release The Difference Between You and Me Is I’m Not on Fire, a disc of abrasive punk and indie album mastered by Steve Albini. With any luck, the small stage at T.T.’s will be enough to contain the band’s attack, or for some people, allow them to bring the ruckus into the audience. Either way, fans’ ears will endure the same. With Night Rally and Black Helicopter. Tickets $8, $10 day of. 9pm. T.T. the Bear’s Place. (CAK)

Tuesday, October 19

Reading | Susan Orlean

New Yorker essayist and novelist Susan Orlean, whose book The Orchid Thief was the inspiration for the film Adaptation, will discuss her new book My Kind of Place: Travel Stories from a Woman Who’s Been Everywhere. In her travel narrative, Orlean climbs Mt. Fuji, plays ball with Cuba’s Little Leaguers, and visits Dubya’s hometown of Midland, Texas among other notable locales. Free tickets are required and can be obtained at Harvard Book Store. 6 p.m. Brattle Theatre. 40 Brattle Street. (MEB)

FILM | Murder at Harvard

No, it’s not a cinematic version of the Pring-Wilson story: Murder at Harvard is a classic film noir being screened as part of the Brattle’s Film Noir 101 festival. The most interesting part is how the forensic medicine, thought of as so cutting edge at the time, has been so picked up by modern media. During most of the film, one could almost be watching a flashback episode of CSI: Boston. A detective (fine Cordoban leather purveyor Ricardo Montalban) joins forces with a forensic scientist to find out exactly what happened during femme fatale Jan Sterling’s final trip to Cape Cod. The trip that ended in murder. 7:30 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. Brattle Theatre. 16 Brattle Street. (SAW)

MUSIC | Death Cab for Cutie

After brushing the mainstream with Transatlanticism and song appearances on The O.C., the road-warriors of Death Cab for Cutie stop in for a show on Lansdowne Street. The bat-swinging neighbors across the street will either be in New York or done for the season, so expect the band’s melancholic strands to jive well with the surroundings. Matador rockers Pretty Girls Make Graves open, so get there early. $17.50. All ages. Avalon Night Club, 15 Lansdowne St., Boston. (CAK)

Wednesday, October 20

Reading | Stephen Elliott

Writer and political enthusiast Stephen Elliott will speak on his new book Looking Forward to It; or, how I learned to stop worrying and love the American Electoral Process. His book recounts his journey through the election process, during which he encounters a menagerie of characters including washed-up campaign managers, corrupt reporters and politicians. A reception at Noir at the Charles Hotel will follow the event. Free. 6:30 p.m. Harvard Book Store. 1256 Massachusetts Avenue. (MEB)

FILM | The Asphalt Jungle

See Marilyn Monroe in all her cinematic glory before she became cracked out. ‘Nuff said. 4:45 p.m., 7:15 p.m., 10:00 p.m. The Brattle Theater. 16 Brattle Street. (SAW)

Thursday, October 21

MUSIC | Midday Organ Recital.

The Harvard Organ Society, HUAM and Memorial church sponsor an afternoon recital with organist Andrew Paul Holman. Harvard-Epworth United Methodist Church. Adolphus-Busch Hall, 12:15 p.m. Free and open to the public. (JSG)

MUSIC | Harvard Group for New Music

New music has never been closer to home. The concert features original compositions by Harvard composers and members of the Harvard Group for New Music performed by Interensemble. Paine Hall, 8 p.m. Free and open to the public. (617) 496-6013. (JSG)

Ongoing

VISUALS | X

Architect Alejandro Aravena presents X, his largest United States exhibition featuring ten projects. The exhibition also presents the entries for the ELEMENTAL competition for the design of public housing projects in Chile. Gund Hall Gallery. (JSG)

VISUALS | Dependable Objects

The Busch-Reisinger Museum presents an exhibition of sculpture by artists who were ambivalent toward the media. “Dependable Objects” presents the works of German artists beginning in the 1960’s including works by Franz Erhard Walther, Hans Haacke, Charlotte Posenenske and Gerhard Richter. Through January 2. The Busch-Reisinger Museum. (JSG)

VISUALS | To Students of Art and Lovers of Beauty

The Winthrop collection has traveled around the world and is back at the Fogg in the exhibit “To Students of Art and Lovers of Beauty: Highlights from the Collection of Grenville L. Winthrop.” The exhibition features painting and sculpture by such artists as Blake, Degas, Gericault, Ingret, Monet, Pissaro and Renoir. Fogg Museum. (JSG)

VISUALS | Dutch and Flemish Drawings

For those who can never get enough of Peter Paul Rubens, the National Gallery of Canada has provided a study on view at the Fogg. Approximately 70 Dutch and Flemish works are presented alongside the Rubens including a Rembrandt drawing. Dutch landscapes are prominently featured. Through October 17. Fogg Museum. (JSG)

Movies

First Daughter

Some teen movies are so bad they are great. First Daughter is not one of these. It’s just bad. Katie Holmes stars as Samantha Mackenzie, the daughter of the President (Michael Keaton), who yearns for a normal life. She leaves for college, where she realizes quickly her dream will be hard to achieve, but luckily meets and falls for her hunky resident advisor, James (Mark Blucas). There are some phenomenal moments in the spirit of the great teen movies of yore, but sadly not enough to carry the audience through. Ultimately, First Daughter takes itself too seriously and is not compelling enough to be serious. (EMK)

The Forgotten

The Forgotten has the makings of an intelligent paranoid thriller, but I found nothing spectacular or terrifying in it, only government agents scrambling to hide a conspiracy and scrambled plot lines trying to hide a lack of creativity, despite the guarantee a seemingly competent cast should offer. Julianne Moore’s Telly Paretta is a likeable everywoman. Her therapist (Gary Sinise), is appropriately authoritarian, while her husband (ER’s Anthony Edwards) appears to be phoning in his support from another planet. They are too hampered by the product they’ve been asked to deliver to hope to redeem it. (ABS)

Friday Night Lights

The clichéd line is never uttered, but without listening very carefully, you can hear its echo throughout Friday Night Lights: In Odessa, football is a way of life. And, as is quickly shown, the only way of life for residents of this small Texas town, where state champions become legends and those who fall short become mere pariahs rejected even within their own families. Though American society worships successful professional athletes, the cult following earned by 17-year old high school seniors is for the most part less widespread. Director and co-writer Peter Berg rightly devotes more time to the Panthers’ trials in their daily lives—how they survive in the face of such intense scrutiny—than their gridiron exploits to underscore that this isn’t just a game but a profession. (TJM)

Head in the Clouds

Within the first ten minutes of Head in the Clouds, you realize the significance of the title: the idealism of political activism and the idealism of political apathy. From there, the movie goes on hammering you with that idea of idealism for as long as you’re willing to stay put in front of the screen. Head in the Clouds makes a feeble and heavy-handed stab at depth and profundity and, to its credit, it nuances the subject matter enough to show that things weren’t quite so clear-cut as all Nazis are evil and Allies are good, but it just gets in way over its head. Maybe that would have made a better title. (SNJ)

I Heart Huckabees

Albert is unhappy and he isn’t sure why. Sadly, we never care. The root of Albert’s malaise, I think, is that he has sold out. He has entered into a partnership with Huckabees, a chain of K-Mart-like stores, to throw some muscle behind his coalition to save a local wetland. Russell’s sly appropriation of American corporate-speak provide the best moments in the Huckabees script: therapy would be unbecoming for a corporate executive, so Brad rationalizes his sessions with “existential therapists” by insisting they are “pro-active and action-oriented.” While all of the characters in Huckabees seem primed to arc from ironic distance to grand, tragic catharsis, Jude Law alone provides the emotional proximity the film coaxes you into longing for and then so cruelly denies. (DBR)

Ladder 49

Ladder 49 headlines Joaquin Phoenix as firefighter Jack Morrison and John Travolta as Mike Kennedy, captain of Ladder 49 in the Baltimore Fire Department. Despite the hero worship of firefighters post-9/11, the film is in fact touching and sometimes gently funny, tracing one man’s trials and tribulations—as well as honors and accolades. Phoenix is fantastic, but Travolta has an airy nonchalance totally incongruous with the seriousness of some situations. Director Jay Russell creates an familial world of jovial camaraderie sweet and good-natured enough to overlook its implausibility. It may not be a movie about real fire fighters, but it is a movie about real people. (MH)

The Motorcycle Diaries

The Guevara characterized in Walter Salles’ seductive new film The Motorcycle Diaries is a far cry from the iconic figure, sporting beard and beret, found in so many dorm rooms and poetry lounges. This is Ernesto Guevara de la Serna (Gael García Bernal) in his mid-twenties, before he was Che. The film picks up Guevara’s life in 1951 as he embarks with his compatriot, Alberto Granado (Rodrigo de la Serna) on his travels—powered, initially, by the namesake motorcycle, of course—bound for the southern tip of South America. He is a far more accessible figure, and his journey radiates a certain lost-soul aura to which even a hardened capitalist could relate. (ZMS)

Raise Your Voice

Yes, you will sit amongst 8-12 year-old girls and painfully awkward older men who, surprisingly, come alone. Yes, her group of friends includes a sassy black girl, a goofy white guy and an ambiguously ethnic love interest. But Hilary Duff, star of Raise Your Voice, surprisingly sheds her Teen Disney roots, giving an uneven yet charming performance as Terri Fletcher, small-town girl whisked away from commonplace and complacency when she lands admission to the prestigious Bristol Hill School of Music in L.A. You’ve undoubtedly seen Raise Your Voice before: this film is formula-driven, from start to finish. But no matter how many times Duff clips her lines or awkwardly over-acts her most intense scenes, the film somehow recovers. Despite its reliance on ham-fisted elements to a garner a reaction, Raise Your Voice pulls off moments where palpable, genuine emotion pumps from the screen. (BJ)

September Tapes

Filmed entirely in Afghanistan, September Tapes offers compelling evidence that claims of success there have been thoroughly fictionalized. Inexplicably, however, director Christian Johnston chose to fictionalize his exposé. The tapes chronicle the efforts of filmmaker Don Larson (George Calil) and his translator, Wali Zarif (Wali Razaqui) to record and possibly join the hunt for Osama bin Laden. The foibles in the fiction prompt a host of questions that distract from the substantive reflection that the film would otherwise promote. Johnston aims to debunk the myths of the Afghani situation, but should have realized that original footage of a war zone’s unseen chaos speaks for itself. (DL)

—Happening was compiled by Marie E. Burks, Julie S. Greenberg, May Habib, Steven N. Jacobs, Bryant A. Jones, Emily M. Kaplan, Christopher A. Kukstis, Doug E. Lieb, Timothy J. McGinn, Alexandra B. Moss, David B. Rochelson, Zachary M. Seward, and Scoop A. Wasserstein.