"Other Ways of Seeing: An Exhibition of Outsider Art" will feature works of Paris-based artists who are developmentally challenged and use art as a means of communication. (Mon. thru Thurs. 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., Sun. 2 to 5 p.m., Hamden Gallery, UMass. Free. Call 545-0680.)

SELECT FLICKS

Academy of Music Theater

(584-8435)

In the fictional "Ghost World," best friends and fellow misfits Thora Birch and Scarlett Johansson unite against post-graduation suburban stupidity. Director Terry Zwigoff evokes the same mix of alienation and heartbreak that made "Crumb" one of the best documentaries of the '90s.

Cinemark at Hampshire Mall

(587-4233)

In Kevin Smith's latest, "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" when they learn that their likenesses will be featured in a movie-and they won't see any of the profits. The cannabis-loving Rosencrantz and Guildenstern of New Jersey finally get their own movie, although Smith must have confused "slacker comedy" with "slack comedy." Probably pretty funny when you're high, though.

Leelee Sobieski and Trevor Morgan are stuck in "The Glass House" with the adoptive parents from hell (Diane Lane and Stellan Skarsgard) in this paranoia thriller.

"Hardball" recycles "Bad News Bears" hijinks for a new generation. It's based on a true story, though, and athletic roles bring out the best in leading man Keanu Reeves ("The Replacements"). Diane Lane co-stars.

A high school drama based on Othello, "O" is mostly ludicrous, although the oval imagery is neat. Mekhi Phifer, Josh Hartnett and Julia Stiles star.

"The Others," a horror film starring Nicole Kidman as a mother whose children see dead people (damn, that's original) is notable for Kidman's layered performance and as the English-language debut of Chilean director Alejandro Amenabar. He directs this somewhat familiar tale with visual flair, delivering some genuine frights along the way.

"Rock Star" is reviewed in this issue.

Pleasant Street Theater

(586-0925)

"The Deep End" is a classy film noir minus the ironic wink which has characterized (plagued) recent entries in the genre. The superb Tilda Swinton plays a housewife who will go to any lengths, including criminal, to protect her gay son when his lover is apparently murdered. Shot with moody cinematography (and a submerged corpse), Lake Tahoe will never seem the same again. "ER" hunk Goran Visnjic co-stars.

"Hedwig and the Angry Inch" makes the transition from stage (it was an off-Broadway sensation) to screen with aplomb. Hedwig, a German transvestite rock and roll singer, engages in gender warfare of the bizarrest sort when a botched sex change operation leaves him/her with a remaining "angry inch."

"Himalaya: L'Enfance D'Un Chef" features a tribal caravan in the Nepalese mountains. The caravan faces the dual threats of family power struggles and overpowering cinematography. In Nepalese and Tibetan with English subtitles.

Tower Theatres

(533-3456)

"The Curse of the Jade Scorpion" is reviewed in this issue.

STAGE

Rennie Harris's "Rome and Jewels" is a modern day rendition of both of "Romeo and Juliet," equipped with electrifying acrobatic movements, rap and hip-hop-influenced dance. The two warring families are named the Caps and the Monster Qs. (Thurs., 8 p.m., Fine Arts Center Concert Hall, UMass. Free. Call 545-1972 for reservations.)

Deborah Lubar, former Smith College professor of theater, will perform her one-woman show "Naming the Days." She plays three women in wartime. (Thurs. to Sat., 8 p.m. Hallie Flanagan Theatre, Smith College, $10. Call 585-ARTS for reservations.)

TALKS

Evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins has heightened awareness about the lives of genes and will discuss "The Values of Science and the Science of Values." (Thurs., 4:30 p.m. Cole Assembly Room. Free.)

TUNES

Singer-songwriter Freedy Johnston has built a solid following over the past decade with six albums, including this year's "Right Between the Promises," packed with intensely literate and hook-filled folk-rock songs. (Sat., 7 p.m., Iron Horse Music Hall, Northampton. $10. Call 586-8686 for ticket info.)

Joel Pitchon, violin, and Deborah Gilwood, piano, will perform a program of classical music by Frank, Piston and Stravinsky. (Sun., 3 p.m., Sweeney Concert Hall, Smith College. Free. Call 585-ARTS.)

Songwriters David Carter and Tracy Grammer will perform contemporary, country and folk songs from their four albums. (Sun., 7 p.m., Iron Horse Music Hall, Northampton. Free. Call 586-8686 for ticket info.)

MISCELLANEOUS

Cuban-born writer Achy Obejas will read selections from her book "Days of Awe," an insightful depiction of her youth. (Sat., 2 p.m., Odyssey Bookshop, South Hadley. Free. Call 534-7307.)