all day MoviesThe mystery and romance of...

all day Movies

The mystery and romance of language are at the heart of “Possession,” Neil LaBute’s adaptation of the lauded A.S. Byatt novel. Gwyneth Paltrow, Aaron Eckhart, Jennifer Ehle and Jeremy Northam play two couples--two literary critics and two poets--linked over a century’s time by scholarship and fate. Also Friday, LaBute will present Billy Wilder’s “Ace in the Hole” in the AFI/Skirball Cultural Center’s “Cinema’s Legacy” series.

“Possession,” rated PG-13 for sexuality and some thematic elements, opens Friday in selected theaters.

“Cinema’s Legacy: How Great Filmmakers Inspire Great Filmmakers,” 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., L.A. Neil LaBute presents “Ace in the Hole,” Friday, 7:30 p.m. $6 to $10. (310) 440-4500.

10pm Pop Music

Maraca serves up expert Afro-Cuban music direct from the source--Cuba. The group, currently on tour to support its latest album, “Tremenda Rumba,” has been compared to seminal Cuban band Irakere. That’s not a great stretch considering that bandleader, composer, multi-instrumentalist and arrange Orland “Maraca” Valle spent six years in that group.

Maraca, Sagebrush Cantina, 9523 Culver Blvd., Culver City. 10 p.m. $20 advance; $25 at the door. (310) 450-8770.

5pm Festival

Regardless of their national origins, all Angelenos are invited to become Greek for a day at St. Sophia’s Los Angeles Greek Festival. The event features authentic Greek food, including roast lamb and loukoumathes, plus music, theater, wine and, of course, dancing. Adding to the ecumenical spirit, a salsa music and dance show will be featured.

Los Angeles Greek Festival, St. Sophia’s Cathedral, 1324 S. Normandie Ave., L.A. Friday, 5 to 11 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Free, except Saturday and Sunday after 2 p.m., $3 for adults. (323) 737-2424.

all day Movies

Whether you’re an old-school punk or more of a ravester, “24 Hour Party People” is likely to drive home a beat that suits you as it covers 20 years in the Manchester, England, music scene. Steve Coogan stars as Tony Wilson, a TV news reporter who sees an early Sex Pistols show and goes on to found a club and a record label that would produce two decades of stars, including Joy Division, New Order and the Happy Mondays.

“24 Hour Party People,” rated R for strong language, drug use and sexuality, in selected theaters.

8pm Music

The Ahn Trio, three Juilliard-trained sisters, returns to Southern California this week with a new program of familiar works by Satie and Haydn, plus three pieces written especially for the Ahns. The new works are Maurice Jarre’s “Engadiner” Suite, in its U.S. premiere; Michael Nyman’s “Yellow Beach” (2001); and Kenji Bunch’s “Swing Shift: Music for Evening Hours” (2002).

Ahn Trio, Ford Amphitheatre, 2580 Cahuenga Blvd. East, Hollywood, 8 p.m. $20. (323) 461-3673.

8pm Dance

When flamenco dancer and choreographer Andres Marin premiered his “Mas alla del Tiempo” (Beyond Time) in France earlier this year, one Lyon publication described him as having the look and defiant manner of the young Al Pacino. Another wrote that “nothing depicts him as a flamenco dancer, not his close-cropped-hair, nor his T-shirt and tight-fitting pants, nor his fashionable tennis shoes.” Marin also broke the rules of classic flamenco with some of his musical choices and his contemptuous attitude toward the holiest precincts of that Gypsy art. (“Culturally, Andalusia is cow manure,” is one such put-down.) But all his rebellious PR wouldn’t matter much if nothing happened when he danced. However, everyone seemed to agree that he’s a true original, “a purist who is an innovator” (Lyon Capitale), “a goblin with 1,000 faces” (Lyon Figaro) and “a glowing figure of contemporary dance” (Le Progres).

Compania Flamenca Andres Marin in “Mas alla del Tiempo,” Irvine Barclay Theatre, 4242 Campus Drive, Irvine, 8 p.m. Also Saturday, 8 p.m.; Sunday, 6 p.m. $28 to $38. (949) 854-4646.

6:30pm Pop Music

The circus surrounding Eminem has often reached Barnum & Bailey proportions, so it’s no surprise that the controversial rapper employs a circus theme in his current Anger Management Tour, which reaches the Southland this week. This year’s lineup also features Ludacris, Papa Roach and Eminem’s old rap crew from Detroit, D12.

Anger Management Tour, Blockbuster Pavilion, 2575 Glen Helen Parkway, Devore, 6:30 p.m. $25 to $55. (909) 886-8742. Also today at Coors Amphitheatre, 2050 Entertainment Circle, Chula Vista, 6:30 p.m. $32.50 to $43.50. (619) 671-3600.