"Short Excursions"

In three eclectic programs, the MFA offers a rare look at recent short works by some of independent cinema's best and brightest. "Short Excursions #1: Dating (Both Genders' Perspectives)" (January 15 and 31) includes the hilarious "Emily's Last Date," wherein a neurotic woman driven to the breaking point by a series of horrific blind dates finally meets Mr. Wonderful. Director Nichol Simmons presents a darker view of dating with "Dry Mount," a dreamy black-and-white vignette of a cynical young woman's meaningless sexual encounter.

"SE #2: Hairy Legs, Swinging Hair, and Tales Told with Plenty of Flair" (January 17 and 22) is a diverse collection of 10 narrative oddities. From the surreal animated dreamscape of Janie Geiser's "The Secret Story" (told entirely with paper dolls and toys) to the nightmarishly beautiful "The Hidden," by Sweden's Jonas Akerlund, gorgeous cinematography and art direction characterize this second program. David Birdsell's "Blue City" is a spare, unsettling urban mystery; George Langworthy's "Breezeway" is a campy, timeless story of a nicotine addict's attempt to kick the habit. The centerpiece here, however, is David Kaplan's "Little Red Riding Hood," a gothic and chilling rendition of the classic tale narrated by Quentin Crisp and starring Christina Ricci.

"SE #3: Three Fascinating Individuals: Heroes and Victims" (January 19 and 29) offers three compelling short biographical subjects. "The Rainbow Man/John 3:16," by Sam Green, examines the meteoric rise of former party animal and media hound Rollen Stewart, who's turned into a Bible-thumping hoodlum. "Two or Three Things But Nothing for Sure," by Tina DiFeliciantonio and Jane C. Wagner, is a short talk with lesbian author Dorothy Allison (Bastard out of Carolina) wherein she recounts her poor, rural upbringing. And the Oscar-winner for Best Short Documentary in 1995, Jessica Yu's "Breathing Lessons," is a stunning 35-minute profile of poet and polio sufferer Mark O'Brien, who has lived in an iron lung for most of his life. This last film peers candidly at what is, for most of us, an unimaginable affliction. It is, quite simply, breathtaking. At the Museum of Fine Arts.

-- Peg Aloi