Art House

Artists' Television Access. Sabreteeth vs. Turkish Star Wars: live freeform soundtracking of infamous cinematic rip-off. Fri., March 7, 8 p.m. $5. 992 Valencia (at 21st St.), 824-3890, www.atasite.org.

Castro Theatre. Scarlet Empress and A Royal Scandal: At the "Dueling Divas" series, two film versions of Russia's "sexually insatiable" Catherine the Great cause us to wonder: At what, exactly, was she so great? Josef von Sternberg directs Marlene Dietrich in the serious one, Scarlet Empress, while Tallulah Bankhead stars in the farcical one, A Royal Scandal, along with Charles Coburn, Anne Baxter and Vincent Price. Scarlet Empress screens at 3 and 7 p.m. and A Royal Scandal at 1:05, 5:05, and 9:05 p.m. Wed., March 5, 1:05 p.m. 429 Castro (at Market), 621-6120, www.thecastrotheatre.com.

Dark Room Theater. Bad Movie Night: Commando: Arnold Schwarzenegger shoots big, interesting guns. Hosted by Jim Fourniadis and Sherilyn Connelly. Sundays, 8 p.m. $5. 2263 Mission (at 18th St.), 401-7987, www.darkroomsf.com.

Femina Potens. "Open Eyes: Queer Film Friday": Local film series; screenings are followed by wine and vegan cookie receptions including question and answer sessions with the filmmakers. Also features a visual open mic: Submit short (five minutes or less) films or video pieces at 7:30 p.m. First Friday of every month. 2199 Market (at Sanchez), 217-9340, www.feminapotens.com.

Istituto Italiano di Cultura. "Pietro Germi, the Latin Loner": A series dedicated to the Italian director of the 1950s and '60s. This week features 1964's Seduced and Abandoned (Sedotta e abbandonata). Tuesdays, 6:30 p.m. Continues through April 1. 425 Washington (at Battery), 788-7142, www.sfiic.org.

Oddball Film and Video. "Pick Your Poison: Medicine and Madness": Sat., March 8, 8 p.m. $10. 275 Capp (at Mission), 558-8112, www.oddballfilm.com.

Red Vic Movie House. Nanking: Bill Guttentag and Dan Sturman's moving documentary about the Japanese invasion of Nanking in the early days of World War II. Wed., March 5, 2, 7:15 & 9:15 p.m.; Thu., March 6, 7:15 & 9:15 p.m. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street: See Ongoing listings. Fri., March 7, 7 & 9:25 p.m.; Sat., March 8, 2, 4:25, 7 & 9:25 p.m. My Name Is Albert Ayler: Swedish director Kasper Collin's invaluable and elegiac documentary about the jazz great. March 9-11. 1727 Haight (at Cole), 668-3994, www.redvicmoviehouse.com.

The Roxie New College Film Center. San Francisco Irish Film Festival: Features The Undertaking (Learning Gravity), a doc about undertaker and poet Thomas Lynch, the inspiration for Six Feet Under. March 5-8, $10. www.sfirishfilm.com. The Overlooked Suspect: See Ongoing listings. Through March 5. 3117 16th St. (at Valencia), 863-1087, www.roxie.com.

SF Camerawork. # Robert Rich & Paul Clipson: Electro-ambient maestro improvises live soundtracks to 8mm film projections. Thu., March 6, 7 p.m. $2-$5. 657 Mission (at New Montgomery), 512-2020, www.sfcamerawork.org.