"Charlotte Sometimes" is a song by the Cure, and it's also the title of the new Eric Byler film. Charlotte Sometimes tells the classic story of a love triangle, but with a fourth person. So it's really a love quadrangle. It's a simple love story: Boy likes girl as more than a friend; girl likes boy as just a friend. In misery, boy meets random girl at club and falls under her seductive spell in a weak-willed mess. In the meantime, second boy seduces the object of first boy's affection. Got all that? Geez, why don't they all just get it on, you ask? Well, maybe they do, and maybe they do. But not without scandalous plot twists! Charlotte Sometimes was nominated for two Independent Spirit Awards and won the Special Jury Prize for Narrative Filmmaking at the 2002 Florida Film Festival. Last chance to check it out at Cinema Paradiso, 503 SE Sixth St., Fort Lauderdale, at 5 p.m. Call 954-525-3456.
FRI 9/12
Did you know that Free Fridays are back at the South Florida Science Museum (4801 Drehrer Trl. N., West Palm Beach)? It's true, and now you can breathe a sigh of relief. From to 10 p.m., admission to the museum is free for all. And you get not one, but five -- count 'em -- five different activities to choose from! You can participate in the Brain Games exhibit, or bring the family to Laser Fun, a musical laser light show. Museumgoers can also enjoy Night Skies over the Palm Beaches, a narrated planetarium show. And then for the best part-- more laser light shows. You can choose from Laser Rocks, featuring '80s hair bands, or Laser Pink Floyd. Whoo! It's Friday night and things are gettin' crazy over at the science museum. To get in on the action, call 561-832-1988 or visit www.sfsm.org.
SAT 9/13
Oh, good ol' Journey. We didn't stop believing, we just held on to that feeling. But without Steve Perry, what is Journey but a shell of its former self? As kings of the '80s power ballad (if "City by the Bay" doesn't bring a tear to your eye, I'm scared for you), Journey had all the right elements for the perfect pop entity. But then, the '90s came creeping up, VH1 got its grimy hands all over Perry's new white leather jacket, and the lovin', touchin', and squeezin' came to an end. 'Twas a sad, sad day in Former '80s Iconville. But everything old is new again, and forget about believing; Journey won't stop touring. They make a stop at Mizner Park Amphitheatre, 433 Plaza Real, Boca Raton. Show starts at 8 p.m. and tickets cost $35 to $55. Call 561-962-4109.
SUN 9/14
If you've ever dreamed of waking up with a furry creature in your bed, and not the kind you usually meet at Shuck 'n' Dive, then the Florida Humane Society has just the event for you. The Lighthouse Point Petsmart (3771 N. Federal Hwy., Lighthouse Point) and the Boca Raton Petsmart (20841 State Rd. 7, Boca Raton) host a Pet Adopt-a-Thon from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Lighthouse Point store has kittens, cats, puppies, and dogs up for adoption, and the Boca Raton store has kittens and cats. Now you can actually take your pick of the dogs that get into your bed. For more information, call 954-570-9507 or visit www.floridahumanesociety.org.
MON 9/15
Everyone loves a good catfight. First, it's a fight, which is exciting in itself. Second, it's usually between women, which triggers the guilty pleasure response in all of us. And ever since Dynasty's Joan Collins and Linda Evans had the infamous knock-down, drag-out fight that found them both soaking wet in their cocktail dresses, the term has risen in popularity. Every Monday night at Cathode Ray (1307 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale) you can relive the familial drama, the bitchslapping, and the backstabbing of the Carrington clan during the Ray's Dynasty Nights. Watch a different episode every week starting at 9 p.m., enjoy drink specials, and cheer on the bitch of all bitches, Joan Collins. You might even end up throwing your drink in someone's face when you find out that scoundrel Blake is the real father, and he just cheated Alexis out of her inheritance. '80s soap operas just have that effect on some people. Call 954-462-8611.
TUE 9/16
Now that school's back in, the kiddies need a place to go after. The Young at Art Children's Museum (11584 West State Rd. 84, Davie) offers Art Classes for children in a variety of different areas. Clay Magic teaches kids ages 4 to 6 how to mold with their hands and other objects and create a fantastic work of art. Kids also learn how to hand-build, fire, and glaze and employ methods such as coil, pinch, and slab. And then, kids ages 7 to 9 can participate in a Drawing and Painting class, and develop technical skills, learn about composition, shading, and color theory through still life, fantasy, and abstract painting. The classes start at 4 p.m. Materials fee is $12 for Drawing and Painting and $30 for Clay Magic. Call 954-424-0085.
WED 9/17
Looking for a little culture in this urban jungle? Pilar Tobon, owner of the Ara Gallery in Miami, brings her unique art to Broward Community College's Art Gallery (3501 SW Davie Rd., Davie) in "Remnant Vestiges of the Past." Tobon, a native of Colombia, has worked on murals, paintings, and tapestries, some of which have been featured in shows in Ecuador, Japan, Brazil, and France. Her current work incorporates many traditional methods of textile production into the history of Colombian art. Presented by Women in Textile Art, the exhibit features cultural artifacts Tobon has tweaked to present a more modern-day feel, without losing their cultural resonance. Check out her pieces through September 26. Call 954-201-6984.
