WEDNESDAY 3/2

Film: An Affair to Remember

Wong Kar-wai‘s lushly romantic 2000 adultery tale In the Mood for Love is set in early-’60s Hong Kong, where two strangers meet in an overcrowded boarding house. One is a married secretary (Maggie Cheung) accustomed to disguising the indiscretions of her boss. Adultery is in the air. With her form-fitting, floral-patterned cheongsam dresses, Jackie O hair, and gorgeous eyes, she’s glamorous but alone (her husband always absent on business trips). Grazing past her in the camped hallways is another tenant, a handsome journalist (Tony Leung) whose wife is forever working late. (Oddly, their respective spouses are always away at the exact same time—coincidence?) Together they form a beautiful pair whose attachment seems all the stronger for its doomed indecision. Some may protest that nothing much happens in the film, but Mood takes place as much in the lovers’ past recollection as in their present infidelity. For Wong, love is felt more deeply in memory than in the fleeting moment. (The film begins the Wednesday-night Metro Classics series, through April 27.) Metro, 4500 Ninth Ave. N.E., 781-5755, landmarktheatres.com. $7.50–$10. 7 and 9:10 p.m. BRIAN MILLER

THURSDAY 3/3

Visual Arts: Baby Boom

We send Predator drones and CIA hit men, they send artists in return. That’s one way of looking at Pakistani expat Humaira Abid, who recently settled in Seattle. Her new exhibit of carved wood sculptures and paintings, Red, uses that color to explore fertility and feminist themes in a homeland where such inquiry isn’t always welcome. Like much of the Islamic world, Pakistan’s birthrate is rising dramatically, and Abid uses red baby pacifiers as a totem of procreation and maternity. Children are beloved, yet these babies are being born into a world of stifling autocracy—as we see in the current rebellions among the Arab states. In one delicately carved work, pacifiers underlie and support the reading stand for a Koran. The book’s not there, but thousands of future disciples are born each day in Pakistan and beyond. Tonight, Abid will be on hand to discuss her work, Pakistan, and Islam. (Through April 30.) ArtXchange Gallery, 12 First Ave. S., 839-0377, artxchange.org. Free. Artist reception: 5–8 p.m. BRIAN MILLER

Dance: Slippery Chic

The notion that the French are more chic than you or I may be a cliché, but it may also be true. Either way, for his Compagnie La Baraka, choreographer Abou Lagraa makes dances so sleek they’re almost slippery. Born in France of Algerian descent, Lagraa brings the multiple influences of his heritage to his artwork, mixing ballet and contemporary dance with aspects of hip-hop and African dance. His new ensemble work, Un Monde en Soi (A World in Itself), with live music by the Debussy String Quartet, charts a history of the world “from primitive chaos to the latest complexity.” (Through Sat.) Meany Theater (UW campus), 543-4880, meany.org. $39. 8 p.m. SANDRA KURTZ

FRIDAY 3/4

Nerds: Capes and Crusaders

It’s not just face paint, tattoos, and autographs at this year’s Emerald City Comicon. Among the visiting talent, North Seattle–raised Rainn Wilson is returning home to promote his movie Super, scheduled for April release. Wilson plays a fumbling, everyday guy who transforms himself into The Crimson Bolt, a self-styled superhero who, unfortunately, lacks any coordination or superhero abilities. (Liv Tyler and Ellen Page co-star.) Tonight at 7, Wilson will be joined by writer/director James Gunn, whose 2006 sci-fi/horror/comedy flick Slither has earned cult-favorite status. Also scheduled to attend the three-day fest and sign autographs (for a fee) are William Shatner (Saturday only), Brent Spiner, James Marsters (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), and Bruce Boxleitner (he of Trons old and new). Among the dozens of animators and authors, look for Hellboy creator Mike Mignola, Max Brooks (son of Mel, writer of The Zombie Survival Guide), and local scribe Ben Thompson (Badass). And, yes, feel free to wear your favorite costume and show off your new Spider-Man tattoo. (Through Sun.) Washington State Convention Center, 800 Convention Place, emeraldcitycomicon.com. $20–$45. 2–8 p.m. KAT CHOW

Comedy: Ask Dr. Tom

“It’s a luxury and a curse,” says Tom Arnold of his famous name, forever associated with his rocky early-’90s marriage to Roseanne Barr. He can laugh about it now in his stand-up act, since his career has proven surprisingly durable. Say what you will about the guy, he’s still working on TV, movies, radio . . . basically anyplace that will have him. And it’s worth remembering he was a successful stand-up, pre-Roseanne, in the ’80s. “I feel good that I’ve survived, period,” says Arnold by phone. “I feel very lucky that for 25 years I’ve been working. That’s crazy. I’ve been on some death lists for 25 years. So many times people said, ‘He’ll never work again.’ It’s weird that some people who work for me now were born in the ’80s. That’s fucking crazy.” What forms the gist of his stage routine these days? “My personal life, as always,” he chuckles. “I talk a lot about relationships. Dr. Phil . . . has only been married once. What does he know about pain and suffering? Unless you’ve been down that trail, which I’ve been down several times, you’re pretty flip about the information you’re giving. I have such a fear of being abandoned and divorced. Men that have been married before are the best candidates [for remarriage], because they have such a fear of failure.” And does Arnold, now on his fourth marriage, ever dispense such advice to his Hollywood neighbors? He laughs. “A few years ago, Britney Spears lived next door [to] me, when she was with Kevin Federline. And I tried to talk to her and him about ‘I’ve been down this road before,’ but nobody wants to listen.” Parlor Collection, 700 Bellevue Way N.E. (Bellevue), 425-289-7000, parlorlive.com. $25–$35. 7:30 and 10 p.m. (Repeats Sat.) BRIAN MILLER

Film/Music: Dusty Strings, Fresh Celluloid

In addition to founding the folk revival combo the New Lost City Ramblers, John Cohen has spent decades as an archivist, filming and photographing his musical contemporaries (Bob Dylan, Pete Seeger, etc.) and his folk predecessors (e.g., Woody Guthrie and Elizabeth Cotten). Tonight, Cohen will introduce his new documentary Roscoe Holcomb: From Daisy, Kentucky, which explores the life and music of the late banjoist and coal miner (1912–1981). The footage is grainy and intimate, showing Holcomb waxing philosophically on his front porch, surrounded by his family and the lush greenery of eastern Kentucky. The mood of the film is still and quiet, evoking the spooky vibe of Holcomb’s old-timey music (dubbed The High Lonesome Sound in Cohen’s 1963 doc). Cohen will also screen Sara and Maybelle, his short film of a rare performance by two-thirds of the original Carter Family, and he and his current band, the Dirt Busters, will play a live set at 8 p.m. Grand Illusion, 1403 N.E. 50th St., 523-3935, grandillusioncinema.org. $10–$15. 6:30 and 9:30 p.m. BRIAN J. BARR