FILM

SURREAL CINEMA Polish director Wojciech Has used the structure of a story-within-a-story in making his 1965 postmodern classic “The Saragossa Manuscript.” The adapted movie is based on a collection of tales found during the Napoleonic War, which feature ghosts, gypsies, hermits, and other supernatural characters. An anchoring narrative of a Spanish officer lost in the Sierra Moreno is at the center of the film; an impressive list of celebrities — including Martin Scorsese, Jerry Garcia, and Luis Buñuel — became ardent fans of this fanciful film. Actors Zbigniew Cybulski and Joanna Jedryka are shown at right. Friday, 2, 5:30, and 9 p.m., BAM Rose Cinemas, 30 Lafayette Ave., between St. Felix Street and Ashland Place, 718-636-4100, $11.

ART

DROWNED WORLD Geishas and courtesans who lived and worked in Japan’s Yoshiwara district during the Edo (present-day Tokyo) period were complex figures who tended to carnal desires but also spiritual needs. The samurai, governing shogunate, and elite men of Edo enjoyed unfettered access to beautiful courtesans. Their exploits are captured in Japanese ukiyo-e (pronounced oo-key-yo-ay), or “floating world,” in “Designed for Pleasure: The World of Edo Japan in Prints and Paintings, 1680–1860” at the Asia Society. Through Sunday, May 4, Tuesday–Sunday, 11 a.m.–6 p.m., Asia Society, 725 Park Ave. at 70th Street, 212-288-6400, $10 general, $7 for seniors and $5 for students, free for members, children under 16, and for all Friday 6–9 p.m.

HEARTBREAKING WORKS Award-winning novelist Dave Eggers is the curator of “Lots of Things Like This,” an exhibit at apexart featuring works by photographer Tucker Nichols, graphic artist R. Crumb, and authors Shel Silverstein and Kurt Vonnegut, among many others. The pieces on view are a combination of one-panel cartoons and text-based art, what Mr. Eggers describes as “somewhat crude, usually irreverent, and always funny.” The exhibit is made up of about 100 pieces, and explores how humor can be applied to fine art and in what forms. Through Saturday, May 10, Tuesday–Saturday, 11 a.m.–6 p.m., apexart, 291 Church St., between Walker and White streets, 212-431-5270, free.

DANCE

EN POINTE The world-renowned Kirov Ballet of St. Petersburg, Russia, returns to New York for a three-week engagement. Under artistic director Valery Gergiev, the 200-year-old Russian dance company performs a wide range of works, including pieces from its classical repertoire such as Marius Petipa’s “The Kingdom of Shadows” from “La Bayadere” and Michel Fokine’s “Scheherazade.” Friday 8 p.m., Saturday, 2 and 8 p.m., and Sunday, 3 p.m., New York City Center, 130 W. 56th St., between Sixth and Seventh avenues, 212-247-0430, $15–$110.

FILM

BEAUTY RUNS FROM BEAST In “Glass Johnny: Looks Like a Beast” (1962), a man, played by Japanese actor Joe Shishido, sponsors a struggling cyclist, anticipating that he’ll strike it rich eventually. Meanwhile, he falls for a simple-minded girl who he learns is on the run from a pimp after her family sold her into a form of sexual slavery. The film is directed by Koreyoshi Kurahara and is featured as part of the No Borders, No Limits 1960s Nikkatsu Action Cinema series. Friday, 7:30 p.m., Japan Society, 333 E. 47th St., between First and Second avenues, 212-832-1155, $10 general, $7 students and seniors.

STREET SCENE The Film Society at Lincoln Center gives a sneak peak at John Spello’s new documentary “On the Street” (2008), about photographer Amy Arbus. Ms. Arbus followed in the footsteps of her mother, photographer Diane Arbus. Mr. Spello focuses on Ms. Arbus’s work behind the lens, beginning with her tenure as a fashion photographer for the Village Voice in the 1980s. Ms. Arbus and Mr. Spello are on hand to answer questions following the screening. Monday, 8 p.m., Lincoln Center, Walter Reade Theater, 165 W. 65th St., between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue, 212-875-5600, $11 general, $7 members and students.

A (FOUR-LEGGED) STAR IS BORN A favorite of children and adults, Jim Henson’s “The Muppet Movie” (1979) follows Kermit the Frog as he treks across the country to Los Angeles in search of movie stardom. Along the way, he picks up a host of beloved Muppet characters, including Fozzie Bear, Miss Piggy, and Gonzo. Friday and Saturday, midnight, Landmark Sunshine Cinema, 143 E. Houston St. at Second Avenue, 212-330-8182, $11.50.

MUSIC

COOL KIDS IN THE HALL Hip-hop duo the Cool Kids perform their first-ever headlining show in New York City at S.O.B.s. The Cool Kids, Evan “Chuck Inglish” Ingersoll and Antoine “Mikey” Reed, present their retro-inspired brand of big-beat rap, including selections from their forthcoming C.A.K.E. Recordings mix-tape release. The duo made a name for itself by generating buzz on MySpace. The Cool Kids soon attracted the attention of fellow Chicagoan Kanye West, landing prime concert gigs and touring with rapper M.I.A. They are included in Rolling Stone magazine’s list of Ten Artists to Watch in 2008. Sunday, 8 p.m., S.O.B.s, 204 Varick St. at W. Houston Street, 212-243-4940, $17.

CROSSING GENRES With a style that crosses from jazz to alternative, folk to blues, and country to pop, Emily Saxe appears with an all-star band that includes guitarist Greg Liesz (who frequently accompanies singer Beck), and the keyboardist of the Smashing Pumpkins, Kevin Patrick Warren, who has also played for Seal and Tracy Chapman. Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m., Lincoln Center, Frederick P. Rose Hall, Allen Room of Jazz, 33 W. 60th St., between Columbus Avenue and Central Park West, 212-721-6500, $52.50–$62.50.

TALKS

A LONG TIME COMING The New York Public Library hosts an evening of discussion with Murat Kurnaz, a detainee who was imprisoned and released from Guantanamo Bay. In 2001, Mr. Kurnaz, then a 19-year-old Turkish citizen and legal resident of Germany, traveled to Pakistan. He was taken to Guantanamo Bay and held prisoner for five years. Mr. Kurnaz appears with his lawyers, as well as playwright and actor Wallace Shawn, who reads from Mr. Kurnaz’s memoir, “Five Years of My Life: An Innocent Man in Guantanamo” (Palgrave Macmillan). Friday, 7 p.m., Humanities and Social Sciences Library, South Court Auditorium, 476 Fifth Ave. at 42nd Street, 212-868-4444, $15 general, $10 library donors, seniors, and students.

PAINTINGS

MOOD MUSIC “Euterpe’s Disciples,” the title of Suzi Evalenko’s exhibit of works at First Street Gallery, takes it name from the “muse of music” of Greek mythology. Ms. Evalenko’s inspiration comes from her own childhood interactions with musicians. She describes her pieces as “double portraits,” in that the images depict both the musician, and an extension of the musician — his or her instrument. Selections from the show include “Alberto (At the ‘Steinway’)” (2008), above. Through Saturday, April 26, Tuesday–Saturday, 11 a.m.–6 p.m., special hours Sunday, April 6 and Sunday, April 13, 1–4 p.m., First Street Gallery, 526 W. 26th St., room 915, between Tenth and Eleventh avenues, 646-336-8053, free.

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