Two months after 9/11, Amélie opened at the Egyptian Theatre. It ran for nearly five months, inspiring half of all women living on Capitol Hill to cut their hair into Audrey Tautou–style bobs and cheering the hearts of Seattle filmgoers at a time when America was simultaneously grieving and marching to war. (I saw Amélie four times during that epic run.) It’s your chance to relive the joyous Frenchness of Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s delightful confectionary masterpiece of cinematic escapism. PAUL CONSTANT
Alvays and Absolutely @ Barboza
Weirdly, Toronto quintet Alvvays’ self-titled debut album has been released on five different labels from five different countries (including Polyvinyl in the US) since 2013—and once by the band itself. That suggests a high degree of appeal… or a very aggressive manager. Whatever the case, Alvvays delivers a sugary rush of jangly effervescence (very C86-inspired pop) and girl-group-inflected infectious melodies, led by Molly Rankin’s supple, woman-next-door vocals. Its pleasures are fizzy and instant. Fellow Canucks Absolutely Free sound nothing like the Mothers of Invention, but rather a mildly ebullient indie-rock group—the Sea and Cake or Stereolab, say—with occasional electronic accents and motorik rhythmic propulsion. DAVE SEGAL