Weekly Film Agenda: Sex/Dolls Editions

In a world where there's nothing to do but watch movies.
In a city full of theaters, museums, and libraries.
One moviegoer who can be in three places at once.

Wednesday 5/3

Dolls & Being John Malkovich
Beat Takeshi's bunraku-inspired drama Dolls is paired with Spike Jonze's puppetry-obsessed black comedy Being John Malkovich: two surreal tastes that taste surreal together.
Harvard Film Archive
7 pm (Dolls), 9pm (Malkovich), $8
Dolls: IMDB | web site | trailer
Being John Malkovich: IMDB | trailer

Thursday 5/4

The Book of the Dead (Shisha no sho)
The ghost of an executed prince falls in love with a young woman whose only desire is to copy Buddhist sutras. Animated with stop-motion puppets by Kihachiro Kawamoto, who says he made this film because "the world is now confused and in panic, and there is war actually happening for no reason. I am trying to heal those innocent people who have died in recent wars."
Museum of Fine Arts, Remis Auditorium
8:30 pm, $9
Kihachiro Kawamoto: web site | interview
Shisha no sho: IMDB | web site (Japanese) | web site (English) | trailer

Friday 5/5-Sunday 5/7

Mistress of Spices
Paul Mayeda Berges co-wrote Bend It Like Beckham (whose director, Gurinder Chadha, happens to be married to him) and his directorial debut, the story of an Indian woman (Bollywood starlet Aishwarya Rai), her magical spice shop, and an allegedly-sexy architect (The Practice's Dylan McDermot), just bombed in the UK.
Somerville Theatre
5:30, 7:30, 9:30 pm (plus 3:30 on Saturday & Sunday), $10
Mistress of Spices: IMDB | trailer
Aishwarya Rai: web site | Aishwarya Forever

Friday 5/5 through next week

I Am A Sex Addict
A confessional, comedic, self-deprecating "renconstruction" of one man's journey through sex addiction, "open" relationships, and obsession with prostitutes. Features animation by Waking Life's Bob Sabiston and an appearance by French porn star Rebecca Lord.
5:30, 7:30, 9:30 pm Friday (and more showtimes daily), $9
Brattle Theatre
I Am A Sex Addict: IMDB | web site | trailer

Water
It took Deepa Mehta seven years (and secret filming in Sri Lanka) to finish the conclusion of the trilogy that began with Fire and Earth. Water is set in an ashram, where widows of all ages have been deposited for karmic (and financial) reasons: child bride Chuyia; devout Shakuntala; prostitute Kalyani, smitten with a law student.
Kendall Square Cinema
2:00, 4:25, 7:00, 9:30 pm (plus 11:30 am on Saturday & Sunday), $9.25
Water: IMDB | web site

Tuesday 5/9

You Oughta Be In Pictures
For the seventh year in a row, the Coolidge is facilitating amateur pornography for the community, by the community. Grand Opening's Kim Airs curates an eclectic mix of naughty music videos, old-people-on-horses short features, and narcissistic masturbation tapes. Bostonist advises you to purchase your tickets well in advance.
Coolidge Corner Theatre
18+, 9:30 pm, $12