Pencil This In

MOVIE: In their ongoing series about The Next Generation of Film, the Film Society at Lincoln Center has been bringing award winning filmmakers to the Upper West Side to discuss the behind the scenes of their work. This newest installment features Ben Affleck, the Oscar winner who seems to be on the road back from being a celeb couple punch line with his work in the recent film, Hollywoodland. Affleck will be screening this movie and then discussing "acting, writing, career choices, surviving in the movie business, and whatever else comes to mind." Just don't ask him any questions about Gigli, it's rude. - Karen Wilson

7 pm // Walter Reade Theater [65th St at Broadway] // Tickets are currently sold out online, but may be available at the door

BALLET: Tonight a Cliffs Notes version of The Nutcracker is taking place at the Winter Garden in the World Financial Center. This version is only an hour long, so if you're weary of the ballet, or have an attention spam problem, you'll be just fine.

7pm // The Winter Garden at The World Financial Center // Free

THEATER: KAOS is the new dance-theatre work by Martha Clarke, whose Vienna: Lusthaus (revisited) was a huge hit. The production uses live music, text and visual imagery to re-imagine four Luigi Pirandello stories featured in the Taviani Brothers’ 1984 film Kaos. Set in turn-of-the-century Sicily, these stories depict common people in mystical situations, heavily influenced by poverty and the violent political unrest of the time. The Times calls it “affecting and intense”. (In Italian – Sicilian dialect – with English supertitles.) - John Del Signore

8pm // NYTW [79 E 4th St] // Tickets are $65

MUSIC: The Grates, White Rabbits and Tiger City hit Mercury Lounge tonight. A solid lineup, and The Grates are a fun band to see live, so we highly suggest making it there for them.

White Rabbits only have a confusing (non-musical) mp3 on their site, which you can listen to right here.

Sukkafish.mp3 - The Grates

7:30pm // Mercury Lounge [Houston St at Essex] // $10

GAME: Come by Barcade tonight to compete at Guitar Hero 2 on a giant screen! Not familiar with Guitar Hero? It's the video game that makes everyone a guitar hero (or in some cases a guitar failure). Buy raffle tickets to win prizes, and drink beer so you can put up with hearing the same Guitar Hero songs being played over and over again. All proceeds from the raffle go to directly, 100%, no overhead, to the kids of The Children's Hospital of Montefiore in the Bronx, via the Child's Play Charity.

8pm // Barcade [388 Union Ave, Brooklyn] // Free