MOVIES
A black man chains a white woman to a radiator. For her own good. In Tennessee. If you’ve made it past that set-up and are still open, then see the outrageous myth-and-reconciliation tale “Black Snake Moan.” Writer-director Craig Brewer’s sophomore follow-up to “Hustle & Flow” stars Samuel L. Jackson (back from the deadly parodies of himself) as Lazarus. Christina Ricci is Rae, whose neurotic plunges into sexual fits have made her the town tramp. Justin Timberlake plays her beau, Ronnie, prone to panic attacks. This movie is appalling, funny, risky – and aching with love for folk and place. Bartender, give me another shot of that Southern discomfort. Rated R. | Lisa Kennedy
CLASSICAL MUSIC
Since Jeffrey Kahane took over as music director of the Colorado Symphony, we have seen him many times in the role of conductor. And we have seen him as both conductor and piano soloist. In concerts at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2:30 p.m. March 11 in Boettcher Concert Hall, he will serve simply as soloist, letting former music director Marin Alsop handle the conducting duties. The two will team for Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 1. Filling out the program will be works by Dvorak. Tickets are $15-$67.50. 303-623-7876 or colorado symphony.org | Kyle MacMillan
STAGE
New York critics recently raved about Boulderite Ami Dayan’s disquieting one-hour, one-man play, “The Man Himself.” It’s an update of Englishman Alan Drury’s 1971 story, now about an ordinary Denver factory drone who’s angry and disenfranchised – until he finds a home in the bosom of evangelical fanatics. Dayan has described it as a cautionary tale for Democrats. He’s presenting it in Denver for the first time at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday only at the Avenue Theater, 417 E. 17th Ave., followed by one weekend of his New York-bound follow-up, “Conviction,” March 16-17. Anyone who saw “The Man Himself” in Fort Collins or New York will wonder how Dayan will play his chain-smoking protagonist with Colorado’s smoking ban. Now, as he lights up the first of what is written to be six cigarettes, Dayan’s embittered character says, “… You know I can’t smoke here. State law. Homosexual content, president and government-bashing, that’s fine, but me – I can’t smoke!” at which point he fakes lighting up and mimes the smoke. $15-$20 (303-321-5925, avenuetheater.com). | John Moore
TELEVISION
Just how dark were the Dark Ages? Barbarians, plague, persecutions, nearly constant war and general filth – in the Monty Python version a jolly time was had by all. But the History Channel gives a more reliable two-hour chronicle, in “The Dark Ages” premiering at 7 tonight. | Joanne Ostrow
VISUAL ARTS
Dan Flavin, James Turrell and other artists began using light and space as their primary media in the 1960s, and a new generation of artists such as Erwin Redl are building on their accomplishments. “Fade, Denver” is the fourth installment in Redl’s “Fade” series of light installations. It remains on view through March 11 in the Museum of Contemporary Art/Denver’s temporary home at 1840 15th St. The work consists of 15,222 tiny, red light-emitting diodes (LEDs) arrayed on a 14-foot-tall elliptical wire gridwork. 303-298-7554 or mcadenver.org. | Kyle MacMillan
DVDS
Daniel Craig will get his due when the worthy popcorn hit “Casino Royale” comes out on DVD in a few weeks, but in the meantime, let’s celebrate his overlooked role in the Truman Capote biopic “Infamous.” This is the second Capote movie of late, after the stunning “Capote” of 2005, but “Infamous” is worth seeing in its own right. Craig plays murderer Perry Smith with the same brooding intensity he brought to James Bond, but without any hint of a smirk. The mid-February DVD release of “Infamous” was lost amid Oscar speculation, and it’s a shame, for the movie is likely to make you laugh and cry in the same evening. | Michael Booth
NIGHTLIFE
Unless you live in L.A. or regularly develop crushes on reality-TV show hosts, you probably don’t think much about Joe Rogan. The square-jawed comedian and actor has enjoyed his share of TV exposure as the host of NBC’s “Fear Factor,” and as a character on “NewsRadio” and dozens of sitcoms and talk shows. But the guy may just have earned the respect of his peers when he recently called out fellow comedian Carlos Mencia (from Comedy Central’s “Mind of Mencia”) for stealing jokes. The nasty showdown should provide ample material when he visits Comedy Works. Thursday-Saturday, various times, 1226 15th St. $30-$37, 303-595-3637, comedyworks.com. | John Wenzel
POPULAR MUSIC
Last time Eric Clapton stopped in Denver, the legendary singer-guitarist played a memorable cross section of the music that has defined his career. The hits were present, but perhaps leaving the biggest impact were the songs of the great bluesman Robert Johnson, whose myth-shrouded legacy has informed Clapton’s career. The music resonated, even in a venue the size of the Pepsi Center, and his fans took pleasure in the songs of pain and suffering. Johnson’s work complemented Clapton’s catalog poetically, and it made for one of the most enjoyable concerts of the year. Let’s hope the tradition continues when Clapton plays the Pepsi Center on Wednesday. Tickets, $51-$121, are available from ticketmaster.com or 303-830-8497. | Ricardo Baca
