Dec. 22-29, 2004

FAHRENHEIT 9/ 11 and Super Size Me have grabbed all the ink, but the year's best documentary just might be In the Realms of the Unreal, Jessica Yu's fascinating portrait of outsider artist Henry Darger. Described as an "ordinary man," "a poor old guy," and a "recluse" by the few who knew him during his lifetime, Darger was a Chicago janitor with no family or close friends to speak of. When he passed away in 1973, his landlords were shocked to discover the huge volume of work he'd left behind: double-sided paintings that stretched to more than 10 feet long, a 15,000-page novel, piles and piles of drawings, and old phone books pasted full of the cartoons and pictures he obsessively collected. His brilliantly colored artwork – a self-taught combination of collage, tracing, overlapping, and overlay – illustrates his elaborate fantasy world, where a child slave rebellion leads to an apocalyptic battle (featuring a character named "General Darger") between two fictional lands. Yu uses subtle animation, music, and sound effects to bring the products of his odd imagination to life. In addition to (often conflicting) anecdotes shared by Darger's acquaintances, actor Larry Pine provides voice-over as the artist, reading from his journals and stories, while child star Dakota Fanning, a dead ringer for one of the hero princesses in Darger's epic, provides pitch-perfect narration. As Darger's former neighbor points out, "Henry will always be a mystery," but the quietly curious In the Realms of the Unreal does an admirable job sifting through the artist's life and legacy. Wed/22-Thurs/23 and Dec. 25-30, 7 and 9 p.m. (also Sat.-Sun. and Wed., 1, 3, and 5 p.m.), Castro Theatre, 429 Castro, S.F. $5.50-$8.50. (415) 621-6120, www.castrotheatresf.com. (Cheryl Eddy)

Dec. 22 - Wednesday

The best medicine Christmas is creepin' up, and amid all the frantic last-minute shopping trips and discrete fruitcake handoffs, a healthy shot of laughter is definitely in order. Blow off the necessary steam with comedian W. Kamau Bell, who hosts an all-star lineup at his 'Non-Denominational Holiday Orphan Show.' Local favorites rocking the mic include spoken word goddess Beth Lisick, tap-dance king Edward Jackson (usually seen tearing it up near the Powell-Market cable car turnaround), Maiden Lane opera singer Litz Plummer, and comedians Brent Weinbach, Jasper Redd, and Kevin Avery. 8 p.m., Make-Out Room, 3225 22nd St., S.F. $8. www.wkbonline.com. (Cheryl Eddy)

Dec. 23 - Thursday

Ha ha ha, ho ho ho If you want to attend the 12th annual Kung Pao Kosher Comedy – the San Francisco holiday tradition that dubs itself "Jewish comedy on Christmas in a Chinese restaurant (where else?)" – drop everything and get in ticket-buying mode, pronto. According to creator and host Lisa Geduldig, the early dinner shows are at capacity, and the cocktail-hour later performances are selling like gangbusters. And with good reason: this year's show features the talents of HBO star Judy Gold, Los Angeles-based comedy writer Page Hurwitz, and New York-based performer Brad Zimmerman. Plus, you get Yiddish fortunes in your cookies! Partial proceeds benefit the Jewish Coalition for Literacy and Laughing Stock, which offers comedy workshops to people with life-threatening diseases. Tonight-Sat., 6 and 9:30 p.m.; Sun., 5 and 8:30 p.m., New Asia Restaurant, 772 Pacific, S.F. $36-$54. (925) 275-9005, www.koshercomedy.com. (Eddy)

Dec. 24 - Friday

Santa's naughty Liszt Franz Liszt may have lived and worked in the stuffy Victorian world of the late-romantic era, but with droves of enamored groupies clawing one another's eyes out at his recitals, the passionate Hungarian-born composer was without a doubt the world's first bona fide rock star. Local fixture Seth Montfort resurrects the legendary pianist's fiery panache with costumed performance pieces like "Liszt in Leather." Getting into the holiday mood for Christmas Eve, Montfort bookends his own virtuoso tribal compositions for the winter solstice with two performances of Liszt's Christmas repertoire. Christian and pagan worlds collide, and the classical concerto rages on. "The Complete Christmas Music of Liszt," 7 and 11 p.m. (also Sun/26, 3 p.m.); "Christmas and Solstice Music," 9 p.m., Victorian Englander House, 807 Franklin, S.F. $7-$20. (415) 362-6080, www.sfclassicalmusic.com. (Leah Freeman)

Dec. 25 - Saturday

Satan cause The last time I saw Ryan Jencks, a.k.a. Sixes, play, he was opening for Get Hustle at the Rickshaw Stop, and he had scared away some of my friends who didn't know what they were getting themselves into with his ear-piercing wall of immense and intense noise. I hung out upstairs with them until they finally retreated in horror (maybe 10 minutes into the show?) and I was able to approach the source of the offending sounds. Jencks was hunched over a table of various electronics and surrounded by a bastion of red lights and the curling haze from a smoke machine. If there was a perfect soundtrack to conjure the spirits of evil, here it was. And so it's only fitting Sixes performs at 'Karla LaVey's Black X-Mass.' The daughter of Anton LaVey and founding member of the First Satanic Church presents the seventh year of this nontraditional celebration featuring blasphemous rituals and performances. Graves Bros Deluxe, K-Rob, Rubber () Cement, Theremin Barney, pianist George Michalski, and Aerobics King with Fumi also perform. 9 p.m., Elbo Room, 647 Valencia, S.F. $6.66. (415) 552-7788, www.elbo.com. (Sarah Han)

Dec. 26 - Sunday

Great harvest The least-commercial holiday of the season (back off, Hallmark!) is undoubtedly Kwanzaa, which kicks off today and spans a week's worth of activities honoring family and community. Though Kwanzaa is traditionally celebrated by African Americans, all are invited to the Bay Area Discovery Museum's multiday festivities. Stop by to admire the Kwanzaa altar (today through Dec. 31) and learn more about the holiday's seven guiding principles (unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith). Other events include the Kwanzaa celebration (today, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., free with reduced museum admission, $5) featuring performances by the Sun Drummers of Urban African Ensemble (11 a.m. and 1 p.m.), "Joyful Traditions: A Celebration of the Kwanzaa Spirit" with storyteller Diane Ferlatte (Dec. 28, 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., $7-$9), and "A Kwanzaa Hip-Hop Celebration" with the Diamond Dance Company (Dec. 29, 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., $6 to $8). Museum hours: Mon/27 and Tues.-Fri., 9 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sat.-Sun., 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Bay Area Discovery Museum, Fort Baker, 557 McReynolds, Sausalito. $7.50-$8.50. (415) 339-3900, www.baykidsmuseum.org. (Eddy)

Dec. 27 - Monday

Pinch an inch The holidays are a time for the inner glutton in all of us to come forth, gorge, and, ultimately, feel bad about all the overeating and sign up for a membership at the local gym. But before you make any resolutions on New Year's Day, make sure to come by the Lawrence Hall of Science for this afternoon's Cooking Day. The executive chef at Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker's Café Cacao, Arnon Oren presents a mouthwatering and informative look at, and taste of, what other cultures eat for the holiday, demonstrates his culinary skills, and gives you a chance to make yourself a delectable treat. Heck, what's another notch on the old belt? Noon, Lawrence Hall of Science, Centennial Drive, below Grizzly Peak Blvd., Berk. Museum admission $4.50-$8.50. (510) 642-5132, www.lawrencehallofscience.org. (Han)

Passion for dance How about some post-Christmas partying that has nothing to do with overeating and cheery small talk but nevertheless fulfills some deep visceral needs? If you're up for it, Luis Bravo has the answer for you. 'Forever Tango,' returning for the first time since 1999, is a steamy, exhilarating show of dances whose virtuosity will keep you at the edge of your seat. The show presents a wonderfully varied picture of tango – from the more sedate, early-20th-century, drawing-room version to ones more at home in exotic nightclubs. There are few dances in which the stylization of passion takes as many different shapes and nuances as in tango. The last time around Forever Tango's rhythmically acute yet slithering music more than held its own against the dance. Victor Lavallen conducts the orchestra, which includes strings, percussion, piano, and four bandoneon players. Through Jan. 9. Previews tonight, 8 p.m. Opens Tues/28, 8 p.m. Runs Tues.-Sat., 8 p.m. (also Sat. and Dec. 29 and 31, 2 p.m.); Sun., 2 and 7 p.m., Post Street Theatre, 450 Post, S.F. $40-$60. (415) 771-6900, www.ticketmaster.com. (Rita Felciano)

Dec. 28 - Tuesday

Rhythm bound It's not hard to imagine why Blues Explosion guitarist Judah Bauer might have first felt the urge to form his 20 Miles side project. Jon Spencer's wail was a touchstone for Matador Records' reign over mid-'90s indie rock, but it sometimes had a way of overwhelming the Blues Explosion's crack-whip sound. As anyone who's ever dug the bombast of recordings like Extra Width and Now I Got Worry can attest, Bauer's snaky guitar lines are an integral part of the equation. On his own, Bauer has plenty of room to boogie – the band's sound is a hip-shaking potpourri of all things rhythm that's best enjoyed with friends nearby and alcohol in hand. While 20 Miles lacks the Delta gristle of its Fat Possum labelmates, the band's Stonesy swamp has a backbone that would make T-Model Ford and R.L. Burnside proud. The Bellyachers and Lightnin' Malcolm also play. 9 p.m., 12 Galaxies, 2565 Mission, S.F. $8. (415) 970-9777. (Max Goldberg)

Dec. 29 - Wednesday

Hello mini When pressed to describe themselves, most indie-popsters will do their best to blindside whoever's asking with convoluted genre definitions dripping with the terms post- and -core. Local coeds Minipop will more succinctly tell you that they sound like pajamas. With a name akin to a Sanrio character and charming vocals, the quintet power through lush, keyboard-driven melodies like a cartoon version of the Anniversary. But they're no mere novelty act. Minipop are sweet but not saccharine, adding an energetic pop edge to gentle, Azure Ray-style harmonies. This annual UCLA Christmas reunion pairs them with "alternative to 'alternative' " rockers Pebble Theory for a free show, banishing the postholiday gloom and massaging empty, postholiday wallets. 8:30 p.m., Cafe du Nord, 2170 Market, S.F. Free. (415) 861-5016. (Freeman)

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