Best Bets

Movies

“The Fast and the Furious” director Rob Cohen, producer Neal H. Moritz and star Vin Diesel reunite for the espionage thriller “XXX.” Diesel, above, plays an underground thrill-seeker whose luck at eluding the law runs out. Security chief Samuel L. Jackson uses that leverage to draft the extreme athlete to infiltrate a Russian crime ring. Asia Argento co-stars. Opens Friday.

Also: Jennifer Aniston steps into a Retail Rodeo apron for her role as “The Good Girl,” an unhappy Texas housewife who cheats on her pothead husband. The “Chuck & Buck” team of writer Mike White and director Miguel Arteta again collaborate for a dark comedy that co-stars Jake Gyllenhaal, John C. Reilly and Tim Blake Nelson. Opens Wednesday.

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Theater

La Jolla Playhouse and Seattle Repertory Theatre have joined to co-produce Heather McDonald’s world premiere drama, “When Grace Comes In,” about a woman’s life- changing journey. Overwhelmed by her conflicting responsibilities as mother, daughter and senator’s wife, she struggles to reconnect with her unfulfilled dreams. It’s directed by Sharon Ott, Seattle Rep’s critically acclaimed artistic director. Opens today.

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Video

Peter Jackson’s Oscar-winning “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring” is based on the first volume of J.R.R Tolkien’s beloved trilogy of Middle-earth. The fanciful epic stars Elijah Wood as the furry-footed hobbit hero Frodo Baggins, Ian McKellen as the good wizard Gandalf and Christopher Lee as the evil wizard Saruman the White. In stores Tuesday on VHS and DVD.

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Music

Between summer residencies in Carmel and Taos, N.M., I Palpiti, a peripatetic ensemble of 25 award-winning young musical artists, makes five appearances in the L.A. area. Stops are scheduled at the the L.A. County Museum of Art, today and Aug. 11. The ensemble of soloists, led by conductor Eduard Schmieder, also plays Thursday at the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre in Hollywood, Monday at the Museum of Television & Radio in Beverly Hills, and Saturday in Zipper Concert Hall in downtown L.A.

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Jazz

With two hit CDs to her credit, Jane Monheit, 25, has been an influential voice for her generation and a commercial and critical success. The singer brings her precise articulation to the Galaxy Concert Theatre in Santa Ana on Friday.

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Pop Music

Between movies, television and records, it’s not as if Dolly Parton, left, has been invisible for the past few decades, but one place she hasn’t been is on the road. With the recent release of “Halos & Horns,” another chapter in her return-to-the-roots musical story, the singer-songwriter has undertaken her first concert tour in 11 years. Armed with her attention-getting bluegrass version of “Stairway to Heaven,” she hits West Hollywood’s House of Blues on Wednesday.