Spring, the unofficial season of culture nights, will add another event to its repertoire this weekend with A Night of Cultura production. “The Last American Bar” is the first-ever Chicano/Raza/Latino/Hispanic culture night and will take place at the Northwest Campus Auditorium this Friday and Saturday. Read more...

Despite getting horrible across-the-board reviews, “Van Helsing” is a success. Sure, only 24 percent of national critics gave it a favorable review, according to RottenTomatoes.com, but for most of the people who actually make the decisions in the film industry, the more important number is the $54 million it made at the box office. Read more...

The bright lights of Broadway are flashing. Consider them warning lights. UCLA graduate theater student Jodie Langel’s new tell-all book on the ins and outs of life on Broadway might ultimately celebrate that life ““ as do hundreds of other books already on the shelves. Read more...

Those who ordinarily could care less about Greek mythology may find themselves showing a bit of interest on Friday. Wolfgang Petersen’s much anticipated blockbuster, “Troy,” is based on Homer’s “Iliad,” the epic story of the Trojan War. Read more...

DRITA: The Albanian Folk Orchestra Fowler Museum Today, 6 p.m. DRITA, meaning “the light,” will perform Albanian traditional music and songs from all regions of Albania, using clarinet, accordion, violin, dajre, llaute and cifteli. Read more...

“In America” Ackerman Grand Ballroom Today and Friday, 7 and 9:30 p.m. Though Samantha Morton and Djimon Hounsou were nominated for acting Oscars this year, the real star of the movie is Jim Sheridan’s screenplay, written with the help of his daughters Naomi and Kirsten. Read more...

“Coffee and Cigarettes” Directed by Jim Jarmusch United Artists Never has a little nicotine and tobacco been so filling. “Coffee and Cigarettes,” the new film by director Jim Jarmusch, presents a look at daily life in the form of many short black-and-white vignettes, all interconnected by the presence of the two little title addictions. Read more...