Bitch Away!

SAT 8/14

In an era when reality television determines what your spouse, career, house, and face will look like, a local event that evaluates films in need of a makeover (or, at the very least, some midproduction fine-tuning) is perfectly in fashion. The Rough Cut Film Festival is an important stop on the local movie circuit for artists who want to show works-in-progress to a hip Bay Area crowd, which probably won't insist that dark tragedies be given a happy ending (as is often the case at standard Hollywood test screenings, where slack-jawed yokels generally prefer schmaltz over suffering).

Directors who spin their reels at Rough Cut finish by asking the audience for input on aspects from audio to editing. Sure, these filmmakers are probably aiming for Hollywood recognition -- but they can still use post-screening feedback from a non-Tinseltown crowd to tighten story lines, inspire reshoots, and otherwise clear up anything the audience deems sucky. Tonight's lineup includes animated features, thrillers, comedies, and documentaries, plus pre-show music from DJ Puss Puss, starting at 8 at Artists' Television Access, 992 Valencia (at 21st Street), S.F. Admission is $5; call 824-3890 or visit www.atasite.org.
-- Charyn Pfeuffer

Galaxy Groove
Rock on interstellar overdrive

THURS 8/12

We're not sure if the name of the San Francisco psychedelic/glam-rock outfit Turn Me On Dead Man is a necrophiliac come-on or a nod to a 1969 urban legend (which claimed that the Beatles were hiding Paul McCartney's death because, supposedly, when you play the song "Revolution 9" backward you can hear that phrase). But when the music's this trippy and sweet, we don't really care.

Taking its cues from the work of art-rock stars like David Bowie and the 13th Floor Elevators, the band's first album, God Bless the Electric Freak, combines crunchy guitar riffs with electric sitar noodling and spacey lyrics about the Hale-Bopp Comet and the Milky Way. You should demand that the group play an extended version of "Mystery Ride" when it opens for the Player's Club at 10 p.m. at the Hemlock Tavern, 1131 Polk (at Post), S.F. Admission is $6; call 923-0923 or visit www.hemlocktavern.com.
-- Joyce Slaton

Smackdown
Model mugging for art's sake

FRI 8/13

Remember primal scream therapy? The idea was that those who suffered from pent-up feelings could pay for a room to holler in. It always sounded like heavy-metal band practice to us, but whatever. Today, at "The 01 the Only," a performance artist offers what might be termed "primal violence therapy." Although Brad Edgar claims to be well adjusted, he's letting those who suffer from pent-up feelings pay to hit him. To be fair, he'll wear protective foam. But we think he's nuts. Fellow strange person E-Zee Tiger, accompanied by hula dancers, also performs, starting at 7 p.m. at the Lab, 2948 16th St. (at Capp), S.F. Admission is $5-10; call 864-8855.
-- Hiya Swanhuyser

Lavender Listening

FRI 8/13

Ever since the demise of Josie's Cabaret & Juice Joint the gay community has lacked a home for its literary scene -- that is, until the Three Dollar Bill Cafe opened up. Join dyke icons Shar Rednour and Jackie Strano at the first "Queer Open Mic" at 8 p.m. at the Center, 1800 Market (at McCoppin), S.F. Admission is $1-3; call 865-5555 or visit www.sfcenter.org.
-- Joyce Slaton