Independent Exposure

(FILM)The fifth season of Independent Exposure -- Joel Bachar's collection of short films and videos -- kicks off, once again, in the Speakeasy's back-room "microcinema." Sponsored in part by the King County motel/hotel tax, it would be a fun and interesting event even if it were just the screenings, but there's more. Your $4 admission includes beer and wine (sorry kids, you can't get in) and food. The collection is sharp and often funny, featuring Russ and Taly Johnson's tribute to Columbo entitled One More Thing, and Ed Counts' geometric animation, Zoetrobics, among other gems. Even if you don't like a movie or two, they're short; there's always another one around the bend. That's the beauty of this format. ANDY SPLETZER

Speakeasy, 2304 Second Ave, 728-9770, 7:30 pm, 21+ only, $4.

Andy on the Radio

(RADIO) Don't miss the charming and knowledgeable Stranger team, Andy Spletzer and Charles Mudede, in a full hour of quick-witted movie analysis during drive time today! You can honk if you think they're stupid. TRACI VOGEL

KOMO AM 1000, 5 pm.

Eye of the Beholder

(FILM) Ashley Judd -- the only Judd family member with flat hair -- has already proven that she's a tough broad (Kiss the Girls, Double Jeopardy, Smoke); a sultry Southern lady (The Locusts, A Time to Kill); a tragic starlet (Norma Jean & Marilyn); and an ingénue (Ruby in Paradise). Now, with her latest film, she can add femme fatale/psycho killer to her ever-growing list. In Eye of the Beholder, Miss Ashley is Joanna Erin, a cold-blooded, blackmailing killer, and pretty Brit boy Ewan McGregor is "The Eye," a lonely, obsessed intelligence agent who is assigned to track her down -- but inadvertently becomes too fascinated with the lovely criminal to complete his mission. Will the two eventually meet? Will "The Eye" live up to his position as a secret agent? Or will he be seduced and drawn into an abyss of obsession and voyeurism? If this doesn't give you cheap thrills, you need to check yourself for a pulse. MIN LIAO

Opens nationwide tonight, at various theaters.

SUPER STRAIGHT is coming down

(DANCE) The kinetic images of visual artist Robert Longo, specifically the people-in-motion of his "Men in the Cities" photographs, inspired celebrated choreographer Daniel Ezralow, and now Seattle is reaping the rewards. Spectrum Dance Theater is tackling Ezralow's physically grueling SUPER STRAIGHT is coming down, a piece so complex that it has never been performed outside of its acclaimed Chicago debut. The end result is said to be 12 minutes of pure exhilaration, and should be the highlight of Unforgettable Moments in Jazz, Spectrum's season-closer. STEVE WIECKING

Meany Hall, University of Washington, 325-4161, Fri-Sat Jan 28-29 at 8 pm, family matinee on Sat at 2 pm, $8-$25.

CircusRedickuless

(FILM) If there was a stronger circus infrastructure in this country -- if we had clown colleges in every big city -- perhaps Circus Redickuless wouldn't have turned into the colossal (though earnest) failure that was captured in Phillip Glaus' documentary. Without the proper training and with no real rehearsals, the out-of-work punk rockers who populate this traveling circus fight an uphill battle from the get-go, emptying rooms on every stop along the way -- at least for the shows that weren't canceled. The ensemble is led by founder and ringmaster Chicken John, who grifts and scams his way across the country with troupe in tow, never paying anyone he can ditch, and squeezing more money out of promoters than he deserves. A scathing exploration of the modern-day circus. BLAMMO, THE SURLY (DRUNKEN) CLOWN

911 Media Arts, 117 Yale Ave N, 682-6552, 8 pm, $5.

Straight

(THEATER) I know a secret about David Schmader. Every morning he orders a quad-shot latte, which transforms him from a mild-mannered gay man into an acerbic, witty fag. In another kind of transformation, he has reworked the second half of his already-nearly-perfect monologue Straight. With piercingly deadpan observation and hilarious, deprecating one-liners, he explores an unflagging homosexual's experience in the world of Christian conversion therapy. This remount is for one night only, so grab your Protestant aunt and come on down. TRACI VOGEL

Re-bar, 1114 Howell St, 323-0388, 8 pm, $12.

Aimee Mann & Michael Penn

(LIVE MUSIC) Though her role as recurring song-spinner in Magnolia tends to get a little Vonda Shepard-ish (okay, a lot Vonda Shepard-ish), having former Til Tuesday singer Aimee Mann back in the limelight is no less a treat because of it. Often overlooked when critics discuss vital female artists, Mann's contributions to the pop genre -- her attention-grabbing single "Voices Carry" and two fine solo albums, Whatever and I'm with Stupid -- deserve far more accolades than most of the clichéd offerings currently languishing in popularity. Though one may wonder, it's a safe bet Stupid isn't husband Michael Penn, with whom Mann performs tonight. KATHLEEN WILSON

Showbox, 1426 First Ave, 628-3151, 9 pm, $20.

Sportsmen's Show

(TRADE SHOW) Call off the dogs! This weekend you'll be hunting and fishing at the Washington Sportsmen's Show, where you'll find the latest sportfishing boats, trick casters, outfitters, recreational vehicles, fly tiers, and fishing gear field-testers. This year's headliner is Jim Zumbo, editor of Outdoor Life and one of the best-known figures of the contemporary hunting world. Zumbo will be on hand to share his camp-cooking recipes (from his own weekly cooking show for hunters!), while Stan Fagerstrom will demonstrate up to 30 ways to cast a lure. Also, Freshwater Sport Fishing Hall of Famer Buzz Ramsey will lecture on catching salmon and steelhead (as will other fly-fishing experts), and aspiring fishermen can check out the 1,000-square foot practice pond or the 12,000-gallon aquarium. Super Bowl, Schmuper Bowl. Get your flannels on and kill, kill, kill!! MIN LIAO

Western Washington Fairgrounds in Puyallup, 503-246-8291, 10 am-4 pm, $4/$7; children under six are admitted free of charge when accompanied by an adult.

Stop Kiss

(THEATER) Like Wit, another coup for the Seattle Rep's Leo K. Theatre, Diana Son's Stop Kiss represents the flourishing of fine plays Off-Broadway. Making its Seattle debut, the play explores the unexpected rhythms of life and its sometimes violent changes. To their surprise, two young women fall in love, and their tender first kiss in the park makes them the target of a brutal attack. Son's work won her a 1999 GLAAD Media Award and high praise from the New York press; it should be perfect fare for the Rep's intimate second stage. STEVE WIECKING

Seattle Repertory Theatre, Seattle Center, 443-2222, runs through March 4, Tues-Sun at 7:30 pm, Sat-Sun matinees at 2 pm, $10-$42.

I Remember Mapa

(THEATER) After years of struggling to find a decent role for a short, gay, Filipino actor, Alec Mapa scored a triumph taking over the lead from B.D. Wong in the Broadway production of the Tony Award-winning hit M. Butterfly. A few years later, he was devastatingly broke and jobless. What happened before and after that experience forms the bulk of Mapa's wonderfully funny one-man show, I Remember Mapa. His triumphs are rooted in an honest sense of what it takes to be true to yourself, and, more importantly, are delivered with Mapa's razor-sharp timing. There are many bits that will have you laughing days after you hear them. STEVE WIECKING

Theatre Off Jackson, 409 Seventh Ave S, 340-1049, runs through Feb 20, Tues-Sat at 8 pm, Sun at 4 pm, $9-$15.

Minor Fiction Contest

(READING) Wondering what the young folks are up to these days? Some of them are writing great fiction, and you can hear evidence of it tonight at this showcase of The Stranger and Rendezvous Reading Series' Minor Fiction Contest winners. Three writers under the age of 21 will read their winning entries, including first place winner, 20-year-old Meghan Austin, whose story will be published in the February 3 issue of this fine paper. ESTHER WILLIAMS

Hugo House, 1634 11th Ave, 322-7030, 7 pm, $5 donation.

20 Miles, Bob Log

(LIVE MUSIC) Shit, how 'bout these apples... er, ought I say, Fat Possums? Thee Mister Judah Bauher -- yep, he the other guitar slinga from le' funky but chic Blues Explosion de' la Spencer -- is comin' 'round, in the FLESH y'all, sportin' his testimony to reel-feel country blues, uh... "side project," 20 Miles. But that ain't all! My most fave-o-rite one-man-bluesman-band, he known fer wearin' a special made-fer-"singin'" crash helmet, Mr. Bob Log the Turd, is gonna play too. He's the opener... and, by my personal accounts'll be one tough-ass act to follow! MIKE NIPPER

Crocodile, 2200 Second Ave, 441-5611, 9:30 pm, $8.