Academy of Music Theater

(584-8435)

Recent high school graduate Jim chooses taxi driving over college and considers the significance of his affair with a married woman in "Last Ball." New writer and director Peter Callahan, a high-school dropout himself, created a touching and enjoyable portrait. Plays Saturday, 5 p.m.

Cinemark at Hampshire Mall

(587-4233)

"Abandon" is the latest shark from Hollywood's teen thriller pool. This time around, "Dawson's Creek" darling Katie Holmes stars as Catherine Burke, a co-ed trying to wrap up a stressful year-completing of her thesis, exams and interviews for grad school and jobs. As if this weren't enough to make a girl scream, a dreamy detective (Benjamin Bratt) starts snooping around, trying to dig up more dirt on the disappearance of her boyfriend, Embry. Though it happened two years ago, the event has haunted her ever since. Plot twists, romance and creepy boyfriends abound.

Although Eddie Murphy is as lively as always and Owen Wilson tries to suck some satisfactory wit out of "I Spy," neither actor succeeds in making director Betty Thomas's thriller live up to the classic excitement its namesake , a '60s TV series starring Roger Culp and Bill Cosby, achieved.

A remake of one of Japan's most successful films ever, "The Ring," starring the talented Naomi Watts ("Mullholland Drive"), is a frightening but not altogether sensical thriller based on the story of a disturbing videotape that mysteriously kills its viewers.

"The Truth About Charlie" is a gangster-romance thriller based in Paris about a woman who is about to leave her husband and finds that he's dead, their money's gone, and he wasn't the person she thought he was. Actors Mark Wahlberg, the fabulous Thandie Newton, and Tim Robbins paired with producer Ed Saxon ("Silence of the Lambs," "Philadelphia,") should have made for a great flick, but the truth is that it's disappointingly bland.

Just when you thought mainstream cinema couldn't sink any lower, MTV Productions leaves us to ponder "jackass: the movie." Based on the infamous television show, everyone's favorite jackasses engage in their typical hijinks, only we're left to suffer through a full-length product this time.

Pleasant Street Theater

(586-0925)

Director Paul Thomas Anderson reveals Adam Sandler's unforeseen mature acting style in his portrayal of Barry Egan, a socially awkward character who falls in love with businesswoman Lena Leonard (Emily Watson) in "Punch Drunk Love."

"Mostly Martha" is the uplifting tale of a chef in an upscale restaurant in present day Germany. Martha (Martina Gedeck) is absolutely absorbed in her work until one day a fatal car accident leaves her to care for Lina, her eight-year-old niece. Forced to deal with the abrupt re-organization of her life and priorities, Martha's existence becomes further complicated when the owner of the restaurant brings in a stubborn sous chef (Sergio Castellitto) that she must deal with as well.

Greg Kinnear plays "Hogan's Heroes" star Bob Crane in "Auto Focus," which describes Crane's tumultuous years after the TV series' cancellation that were spent clubbing and enthusiastically dabbling in amateur pornography until he was murdered by cameraman Johnnie Carpenter (William Dafoe). A well-crafted and intelligent film directed by Paul Schrader.

In a funny, darling romantic comedy that pokes fun at the New York film scene, Mary-Louise Parker and Martin Donovan star as down-and-out neighbors who find unexpected love in "Pipe Dream." (Sat., 11 a.m.)

STAGE

Amber Stroud '03 presents her new play "Pastel City," which addresses such questions as whether the past and future are actually parallel, and what race means when the human race itself may not exist anymore. The play, Stroud's senior project, transitions between real and enchanted time as it struggles with these and numerous other issues. (Fri., 8 p.m., Experimental Theater. Free, reservations suggested.)

Marivaux's "Love in Disguise," an 18th-century soap opera, tells the tale of a man caught between two women with a sharp comic edge. (Fri. and Sat., 8 p.m., The Curtain Theater, UMass.)

A tale of love and loss, "Crave," the fourth play by controversial English playwright Sarah Kane will be presented. (Fri. through Sun., 8 p.m., Hampshire College.)

TALKS

Associate Professor of Fine Arts Natasha Staller will discuss and be available to sign her book "A Sum of Destructions: Picasso's Cultures and the Creation of Cubism." (Fri., 4 p.m., Gerald Penny Cultural Center, Octagon.)

Columbia University Professor Barry Bergdoll will give a talk entitled "McKim, Mead & White: Reinventing the American Campus for a New Century." The talk will focus on the work of the three architects on American college campuses in the 1890s. (Fri., 4:15 p.m., Pruyne Lecture Hall, Fayerweather Hall)

TUNES

Music Director Mark Lane Swanson directs the Amherst College Orchestra in a concert featuring the Overture to Verdi's "La Forza del Destino," a Dvorak Cello Concerto and Johannes Brahms' First Symphony. (Fri., 8:30 p.m., Buckley Recital Hall. $5 general admission, free to AC students.)

Flying Lessons, a jam band blending groove, rock, jazz, and funk, will hold a concert in celebration of their new album "Traveling Music." (Fri., 10 p.m., Iron Horse Music Hall, Northampton. $8.)

The Amherst College Choral Society, directed by Mallorie Chernin, will present its annual Homecoming Concert. (Sat. 8:30 p.m., Buckley Recital Hall. $6 general admission; $3 for AC students, senior citizens and children under 12.)

Singer-songwriter Stacey Earle, noted for her honest lyrics and affecting voice, will perform. (Sun. 7 p.m., Iron Horse Music Hall, Northampton.)

MISCELLANEOUS

The College Theme Houses welcome alumni and students to Themes of Amherst. Events include blues music in Drew House, a jazz lounge in Newport House, a classical string quartet in Porter House and a new wave party in Marsh House. In addition, the houses will host receptions where student residents will provide food and conversation in their respective abodes. (Fri., 8:30 p.m.)