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There was a time, not so long ago, when science was seen as entertainment. No, not Ancient Greece when philosophers would turn experiments into public spectacle, or the Victorian era when lectures on new theories would fill auditoriums. It was the 1990s, when everyone owned a copy of A Brief History of Time on their nightstand, quarks were cool, and Tom Stoppard could write a play about chaos theory and the heat death of the universe, and it would be universally regarded as one of the greatest works of 20th century drama. Eros and Thanatos push and pull in this poetic tale of love and research. – Richard Whittaker

It’s always special when a movie comes home, but home means something really special for this Austin-made bittersweet comedy from UT grads Aaron Brown and Lenny Barszap. Home Free is inspired by their real experiences as undergrads when they became friends with the Professor, a charming man of intellect, kindness, and wisdom who was experiencing homelessness. That friendship was a quick education in how people can drop out of society so fast and yet retain their value as human beings – and now they’ve retold that story as a touching college comedy that’s equal parts Animal House and The Lady in the Van. Join post-screening Q&As with the cast and crew, who are putting their money where their mouths are, as part of the proceeds go to The Other Ones Foundation, organizers of the Been There music festival, to help people experiencing homelessness and unemployment. – Richard Whittaker

Mélat has been on a roll lately: new album, solo shows at Pershing, work with local music mentorship program Kids in a New Groove’s girl-centric spinoff. At the tail end of summer, the R&B songstress showcases her rich discography, including the emotional waterfall that was last year’s Canon Metis. “Cuz the future ain’t promised. And the past has abandoned us. And the only thing we can trust is what’s in front of us,” Mélat says in Minnie Riperton-esque “The Now.” For those privy to her live shows, the sentiment makes sense when witnessing her pour every ounce of herself into each song. – Cy White

Inside the Friday the 13th films, there are two wolves fighting. One wants the movies to be about Jason Voorhees, the mutilated and occasionally undead killer under the hockey mask. The other wants the franchise to be about anyone other than Jason. Everyone knows the original killer wasn’t Jason but – editor’s note: spoiler alert! – his loving momma instead, but a lot of people forget that the producers kept trying to replace him.Blue Starlite Mini Urban Drive-In shows Part II (the first film where Jason’s the killer) at both its Downtown and North Central locations. – Richard Whittaker

Inside the Friday the 13th films, there are two wolves fighting. One wants the movies to be about Jason Voorhees, the mutilated and occasionally undead killer under the hockey mask. The other wants the franchise to be about anyone other than Jason. Everyone knows the original killer wasn’t Jason but – editor’s note: spoiler alert! – his loving momma instead, but a lot of people forget that the producers kept trying to replace him. We Luv Video screens the flick with not one but two Jason substitutes (Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning). – Richard Whittaker

You want comedy, but you don’t want to be subject to the capricious whims of fate – as is common in the devil’s art form, aka improv comedy. Fallout Theater has heard your cries, so they gathered the best in the Austin biz for a three-day celebration of scripted comedy. From early access to works-in-progress to one-person shows, sketches to film, Hacksfest is all killer, no filler. Current lineup heavies include Austin Mime & Movement Co., Daddy Strong Legs, Technically Music!, Trisha, and many more – including acts yet to be announced. After you experience this weekend of written humor, you’ll be shouting from the rooftops: “ALL HAIL LOCAL SCRIPTED COMEDY!” – James Scott

House of Torment isn’t for the faint of heart. It was once dubbed by the Travel Channel as “the scariest haunted house in America.” Guests will move through backdrops and macabre installations – and try not to piss themselves.

Many have tried to reveal the darkness behind our most beloved fairy tales, but few did it better than Stephen Sondheim. The first act plays straight, as familiar faces like Jack and his Beanstalk, Cinderella, and Little Red Riding Hood seek new lives. The second act shows the truth behind the old adage: Be careful what you wish for. It’s an incredible depth of story, accompanied by the always-interesting musical turns of a Sondheim score. Things fall apart, they’re rebuilt, and everyone’s changed in the end. Enjoy your travel into these wild woods while learning that fairy-tale life isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. – Cat McCarrey

Last month spelled the end for Friday happy-hour drag show Kingdom’s second incarnation with cast members Kino Kino and Selma Bawdy. In a post on his Instagram, host Alexander the Great gave an explanation for the change: “[We] are not immune to the economic downturn that’s affecting live entertainment as a whole … support local entertainment, local venues, and local businesses, if you want to keep them.” A depressing reality of nightlife entertainment, yet the show goes on! For the next three Fridays, attendees can catch Alexander alongside cast members Brigitte Bandit and Iggy Bank for the limited-release Kingdom 3.0! Be there or be a lowly pauper… – James Scott

With her new album Sonora now available for the masses, Lisa Morales alights Waterloo Records’ modest stage, bringing illustrative intimacy to the close-skinned vulnerability her music is known for. The album is a feast of musical richness, enlisting the talents of Los Lonely Boys, Tish Hinojosa, Mariangela, Seratones, and Kelsey Wilson, lead soul stirrer of local power vocal outfit Sir Woman. 2022’s She Ought to Be King will pair like red wine and filet mignon for those interested in the kind of nourishment Morales’ music gives. Up close, personal, and so very honest, it’s a performance for the lonely heart that wants to find love. – Cy White

Over 120 motocross superbikes going 190 mph sound like something your kid – and, let’s be honest, you – would enjoy? Well they’re in luck, as the MotoAmerica Superbikes races are coming to Circuit of the Americas this weekend. Five classes of road racing are competing, all with sick names including Steel Commander Superbike, Mission King of the Baggers, Supersport, BellissiMoto Twins Cup, and the Mission Super Hooligan National Championship. Kids under 12 get in free with a paying adult, and in addition to the race they can sample free carnival games and a stunt show. – Lina Fisher

Inside the Friday the 13th films, there are two wolves fighting. One wants the movies to be about Jason Voorhees, the mutilated and occasionally undead killer under the hockey mask. The other wants the franchise to be about anyone other than Jason. Everyone knows the original killer wasn’t Jason but – editor’s note: spoiler alert! – his loving momma instead, but a lot of people forget that the producers kept trying to replace him. Hyperreal Film Club continues their opening week with Part VI: Jason Lives, in which the big guy comes back from the dead. – Richard Whittaker

The slow-motion picture: That’s how the first cinematic voyage of the Starship Enterprise was mockingly described when first released in 1979. Audiences wanted the pulp action of Star Wars, and the insatiable appetite for space adventure was enough to get the franchise to the beloved Wrath of Khan and beyond. But what director Robert Wise created, and amplified with his 2001 remaster/re-edit, was to capture the original series’ sense of cosmic wonder. The torpor becomes spectacle and introduces all the themes of aging, friendship, and loss that would define the ongoing star trekking of Bones, Spock, Kirk, Scotty, and Uhura.: – Richard Whittaker

How can I, a cool Kat on Earth, not love A Punk Cat in Space? Way back in 2003 around when it came out, the Japanese animation was a hit with our own Marc Savlov, who opened a four-star review by saying, “I’m tempted to call this the best film of the year so far based on its sheer originality alone, but my dog would never speak to me again.” It’s delightfully weird, telling a story of a kittycat in Tokyo who goes to outer space against her human mom’s wishes and happens upon the mysterious Planet Q. Tamala’s mostly black-and-white animation evokes the silent film era’s Felix the Cat in look and the Seventies’ Fritz the Cat in tone, and a new restoration ensures a high-quality viewing. In Japanese with English subtitles. – Kat McNevins

Having bought tickets to a film noir, I wonder if audiences in 1949 laughed out loud when they first heard Anton Karas’ jaunty zither score. Sure, the Old World stringed instrument was geographically on point for a film set in post-World War II Vienna. (Director Carol Reed discovered Karas strumming away in a bar during the on-location shoot.) Still, it was a far cry from the moody, broody sound you’d expect to score a suspense about an American writer (Joseph Cotten) investigating the mysterious death of his friend Harry Lime (Orson Welles). But if audiences laughed, they also clapped, and bought the bejesus out of the soundtrack. The perfect music for, yes, a perfect movie. – Kimberley Jones