Entertainment picks: From death metal to Woody Allen

Music

What is the attraction of long, greasy-haired musicians from Sweden thrashing around on stage, roaring, then singing beautifully like possessed beasts?

You can find out when Opeth - a progressive Swedish death metal band - lurch into town to play the St James on Saturday night.

For some, the music they play is obnoxious. For me, it's about feeling the power.

I bore my wife, workmates and friends to death with my penchant for metal. Oh well, that's the thing about us fans - we're loyal. And loyalty knows no bounds when a band is as good as Opeth.

Since forming in Stockholm in 1990, they have released eight albums - from dirgey and deathly early works like My Arms, Your Hearse from 1998, to the beautifully refined and elegant metal of last year's, Ghost Reveries. These guys are the real deal and true innovators of their art.

For non-metal fans I assure you they will provide a few chuckles, because theatrics, bravado and lyrics about lolling about in the mire are all part of metal too. Give it a go.

Elsewhere in music, it's another busy week. Tomorrow night Irish group the Hothouse Flowers play the Studio on K Rd, legendary heavy rockers Deep Purple hit the Logan Campbell Centre on Thursday, stroppy folk singer Martha Wainwright plays the Transmission Room on Friday, and local punk rockers the Bleeders are at the Kings Arms Tavern on Saturday.

TV

Get your 3D glasses on because part of this Friday's episode of Medium (TV3, 8.30pm) is shot in 3D.

You can get your glasses from participating Shell stations or for instructions on making your own, go to the TV3 website below.

In this week's episode, Allison, played by Patricia Arquette, delves into the life of a popular artist whose disturbing 3D images lead her to believe he has a deadly secret.

Also this week is the final of Bad Girls (TV One, 8.30, tonight) and lots of the ladies are convinced Jim "the most evil man on television" Fenner is trying to kill them.

On Sky Movies at 8.30 tonight is Napoleon Dynamite, a charming movie about a geek you will fall in love with. And because the kids aren't yet back at school Sticky TV (TV3, weekdays, 3.25pm) keeps on entertaining them.

Movies

Let's hope The Ringer, a new movie starring Mr Jackass, Johnny Knoxville, is better than Dukes of Hazzard. In that film he looked like a slapstick cardboard cut-out character.

Knoxville plays Steve Barker, who has a dead-end job and lots of debt and decides the best way to get ahead is to pretend to be mentally disabled so he can fix the Special Olympics. But when his fellow Olympians find out he's a fake, they recruit him to help them take down the reigning champion.

For those who welled up with tears watching Lassie or The Littlest Hobo, beware of Eight Below because there's a whole team of dogs to feel sad for.

It's based on a 1957 Japanese expedition in Antarctica. Three explorers are forced to leave their beloved sled dogs behind in extreme weather. However, one of them can't face the dogs dying and turns back to rescue them. What a man.

On a more dark and romantic note we have Match Point, the latest film from director Woody Allen, which stars Scarlett Johansson. It tells the story of a young tennis instructor who rises through the ranks of the upper classes and becomes romantically involved with two different women (played by Johansson and Emily Mortimer). But when he gets in too deep, the only way out is murder.

And finally there's Pierce Brosnan in the black comedy, Matador in which he plays Julian Noble, a margarita-drinking hit man.

Arts

You may have heard of Jed Town. He's the guy with teeth that have been filed into points, and who founded local art collective Fetus Productions in 1980.

He has mellowed since then and this week Town presents his latest video and audio project Cloud Scapes of Aotearoa at Galatos on Friday from 8pm.

It is part of the new media, art, installation and performance programme called Interdigitate.

Boston experimental musician, Keith Fullerton Whitman (aka KFW), plays the Westend in the St James complex on Saturday at 9pm.

He also gives a free talk at 1pm on the same day at the venue.

Whitman is here as part of his ROOM40 Tour which coincides with the release of his Lisbon album, recorded live at Galeria Ze Dos Bois. It will be out of it.