Best Bets / November 26-December 2, 2000

Movies

Richard Lester’s 1964 Beatles classic “A Hard Day’s Night,” in which the lads from Liverpool, above, play themselves, returns Friday to the Nuart for one week with a crisply restored new 35-millimeter print and a digitally remastered soundtrack.

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Winner of the best director award in Cannes this year, Edward Yang’s “Yi Yi (A One and a Two)” concerns three generations of the Jian family set in contemporary Taipei. It stars Wu Nienjen and Elaine Jin and opens Friday at the Royal in West L.A., the Colorado in Pasadena and the Town Center in Costa Mesa.

Theater

The West Coast premiere of Obie winner Ping Chong’s “Kwaidan: Three Japanese Ghost Stories” employs visual spectacle by Japanese designer Mitsuru Ishii, puppetry by Jon Ludwig and translations by turn-of-the century American expatriate writer Lafcadio Hearn. Six performances only, Thursday through next Sunday at UCLA’s Freud Playhouse.

Pop Music

Petra Haden used to play bass with Beck, and she recently backed Victoria Williams on “The Tonight Show.” Beck and Williams are two of the big lures today at the Knitting Factory Hollywood in a benefit for Haden, who was injured when she was hit by a car in August. Exene Cervenka, left, members of the Go-Go’s and a host of varied Los Angeles musicians are also slated.

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A second concert for a cause will be mounted Tuesday at the Troubadour, where some of L.A.’s folk elite will raise funds for “FolkScene’s” Howard and Roz Larman in their legal dispute with their former radio home. Jackson Browne, Peter Case, Judy Henske with Craig Doerge, Jim Lauderdale, Katy Moffatt and Van Dyke Parks are among the participants.

Music

Continuing her multiseason traversal of the Beethoven sonata cycle, pianist Mari Kodama, above, plays four sonatas for Southwest Chamber Music, Tuesday in Zipper Hall at the Colburn School of the Performing Arts in downtown L.A.. They are: Opus 90; the two sonatas of Opus 14; and the “Hammerklavier,” Opus 106. Kodama repeats this program Saturday at the Norton Simon Museum, Pasadena, then returns to the respective venues with another program Dec. 12 and 16 (the composer’s birthday).

Jazz

Kenny Garrett is a passionate and adventurous alto-saxophonist. A member of Miles Davis’ last band, Garrett’s solos have the intensity of a John Coltrane but with his own sound. He will be leading his stirring quartet at Catalina’s in Hollywood this week starting Tuesday.

Video

Gene Hackman and Keanu Reeves aren’t known for their comedic skills, but they get a chance to play it light and easy in the football comedy “The Replacements.” Hackman portrays a veteran football coach who, during an NFL players’ strike, turns a bunch of misfits into a formidable team. The comedy also stars Jack Warden and Orlando Jones and touches down Tuesday on video and DVD.